Kāwai Raupapa - Certificate in Māori & Indigenous Art - Carving

If you’ve always wanted to learn about whakairo (Māori carving), this programme is a great place to start. You’ll complete practical projects and learn the hands-on processes for carving.

Our kaiako (tutors) are experienced carvers who’ll teach you the techniques, history and tikanga associated with the ancient art form of whakairo.

When you pass this programme, you'll get this qualification:

• New Zealand Certificate in Ngā Toi Level 4 (Whakairo)

• Māori patterns and designs
• time and project management
• drawing and design
• technical skill in carving
• other toi practitioners
• rangahau and research
• history, tikanga and cultural practices relating to carving

• select and apply creative processes, methods, and techniques to create solutions for familiar problems in area of specialty
• compare the processes of others’ and explore artistic evolution and variation, to inform own art form practice in an area of specialty
• create and complete Ngā Toi projects, under broad guidance and in accordance with project briefs, in area of specialty
• manage project briefs, under broad guidance, to produce Ngā Toi work

This qualification is intended for people seeking to develop broad operational and theoretical knowledge consistent with tikanga and reo in Whakairo.

Graduates of this qualification will contribute to New Zealand as practitioners; by applying a broad range of skills and knowledge relevant to one of the Ngā Toi art forms. Graduates will have a further developed set of fundamental knowledge and skills, and be able to operate under broad guidance.

This is a full-time programme that consists of 120 credits delivered over 38 weeks. Some of our locations offer different delivery modes. These will be confirmed by your local campus and might include:

Option 1 Face-to-face delivery

• kura whakaako - compulsory tutorials (10 hours per week)
• 9 x 1-day wānanga (10 hours each)

You'll need to also complete learning activities designed to enhance your learning for:

• approximately 21 hours per week

Option 2 Noho delivery

• 10 x noho marae (25 hours per noho)
• kura whakaako - compulsory tutorials (5 hours per week)
• 2 x 1-day wānanga (10 hours per wānanga)

Activity directed learning will also need to be completed outside of class time, amounting to:

• approximately 21 hours per week

Some of the learning activities will need to be completed online. You'll need to have access to an internet-connected device for this programme.

To enrol in this programme, a potential student must:

• be at least 16 years of age 
• be a New Zealand citizen or resident (or citizen of Australia, Tokelau, Niue or the Cook Islands)
• reside in New Zealand
• attend an interview and selection process to demonstrate suitability to the programme

I want to keep studying

You'll be able to apply for our Level 5 programme, Toi Paematua - Diploma in Māori and Indigenous Art (Whakairo). If you're interested in teaching, you can apply to study He Korowai Ākonga - Bachelor of Education (Primary Teaching).

I want to use my qualification

Use your carving skills to contribute to your marae and community.

The 2026 fees for this programme are:

• $935 GST inclusive

Fees Free

Starting tertiary study or work-based learning for the first time? You may be able to get Fees Free after you complete your first eligible qualification or programme.

Fees Free covers the cost of your fees for the final year of study or final two years of work-based learning, up to $12,000.

When you enrol, you will need to pay your fees. To help you cover this cost, you may wish to apply for a student loan. Find out more at Student loan – StudyLink.

For more information on the eligibility requirements and when it is best to apply for Fees Free, visit Fees Free – Inland Revenue.

Toi Awe - Creative Process | 10 Credits

Apply solutions to creative processes to produce Kaupapa Toi creative work.

Toi Iro - Exploration | 15 Credits

Compare the work of others to identify artistic variation and evolution.

Toi Raupapa - Organisation | 15 Credits

Manage project briefs to produce creative work in a chosen Kaupapa Toi (area of specialty).

Toi Hanga - Creation | 80 Credits

Create and complete creative work in a chosen Kaupapa Toi.