Tirohanga whānui
Extend your knowledge of tikanga Māori
Step up to the next level of learning tikanga Māori. You’ll learn how tikanga is practiced on the marae, and explore Māori governance, wellbeing and leadership. The programme also supports you to reflect on your own strengths and areas for growth, applying tikanga in real life, work and community situations.
Because this programme is self‑paced, it’s important that you can manage your own time and keep yourself motivated.
He aha tāu ka whiwhi?
Skills you'll leave with
Completing this programme means you’ll be able to:
Use a broad range of tikanga concepts and practices
Show how tikanga connects to the wider environment
Use reo Māori and tikanga practices
Strengthen your communication and understanding of tikanga practices
Reflect on your own practice of tikanga
Mā te mahi ka ako
Learn by doing
You will get to:
Deepen your understanding of tikanga practices
Complete research projects
Meet with your kaitiaki, who will visit you to assess your progress
Use the learning resources to grow your knowledge
Ngā ara e wātea ana
Where will this take me?
On completion, you’ll have the skills to:
Keep studying
Progress to Level 5 programmes such as Te Hapūtanga o Te Ao Tikanga.
Use at work
Apply tikanga Māori in your current role, or explore opportunities in areas like tourism, hospitality, retail, education, horticulture, environment, media and marae trusts.
Community involvement
Share and strengthen kaupapa Māori knowledge within your whānau, hapū, iwi or community groups.
He meka
Quick facts
- Level 4 (Intermediate)
- 120 Credits
- 52 Weeks
- NZ Certificate in Tikanga (Mātauranga Māori) Level 4
- NZQA Accredited
- No fees
Paearu whakauru
Entry criteria
You can enrol if you:
Are 16 years or older
Are a NZ citizen or resident (includes Cook Islands, Niue, Tokelau) or Australian citizen/permanent resident
Currently reside in New Zealand
Complete a pre-entry assessment
Have a Level 2 or Level 3 qualification (or equivalent)
Important: This programme is one of four options under the same qualification. This means you can only ever enrol in one of these four options:
While the subject of each programme may seem very different, they still result in the same qualification.
If you have already completed one of the above programmes, you cannot enrol for any more of the programmes listed above. It also means that enrolling in one of these programmes now will exclude you from future enrolment in the other three programmes.
We want to ensure you select the right programme for your learning journey. If you need support to decide which programme is right for you, please call Tatau Pounamu (our Contact Centre).
Te wā
Time commitment
This programme is:
Full-time
120 credits
12 months
Home-based - study at home with learning resources sent out to you
Kōnae ako
Learning modules
Our study at home programmes have different start dates in each region, depending on current demand. Programmes fill quickly and your start date might be several months after you complete your enrolment. Once we receive your enrolment, we’ll send you a letter confirming your start date. Please make sure you have provided everything for a complete enrolment.
Ki hea, mō āhea hoki au ako ai?
Where and when can I learn?
Home-based learning
Kaupapa anamata
Upcoming events
Pitopito kōrero o te wā
Latest news
Finding a deeper sense of self through te ao Māori
Moving to Aotearoa from rural Australia as a teenager, Lily Warring found herself wanting to learn more about the culture and language of the place she now called home.
A journey shaped by whānau and a love of tamariki
Members of Tayla-Marie Takawe’s (Ngāti Awa, Ngāti Maniapoto) whānau were among the first tauira to graduate from the Bachelor of Education (Primary Teaching) at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa.
Reconnecting to te ao Māori through raranga
Haylee Roussel (Ngāti Rārua, Rangitāne, Ngāti Maniapoto) was searching for a way to reconnect with te ao Māori when she enrolled in the Certificate in Māori and Indigenous Art, Raranga, at the Waiwhero campus of Te Wānanga o Aotearoa.
Creating the spark for business success
With plenty of experience as an electrician, Josh Verstraten was ready to branch out from employee to business owner, but he knew running a successful business would require a new set of skills.
From financial stress to financial freedom for Auckland whānau
For Augustine Kopa, studying the Certificate in Money Management at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa was about creating a better future for her whānau.
Two generations, one reo Māori journey
When Melody Francis (Ngāti Kahungunu) saw the positive impact that studying te reo Māori had on her mum, she decided to jump on the waka and begin the journey alongside her.
Tikanga study boosts whānau presence on marae
Patrick and Donna Tobin (Ngāti Kahu) are a brother-and-sister duo studying tikanga alongside their wider whānau at Te Paatu Marae in Kaitaia, all working towards the betterment of their whānau, iwi, and marae.
A teacher’s path to understanding tikanga
Originally from South Africa, Franda Zondagh has called Aotearoa home since 2003, but it was through studying He Papa Tikanga with Te Wānanga o Aotearoa that she began to feel a deeper connection to the place she lives and people she serves in her mahi.
Leading by example and learning te reo Māori
Liisa Wharepapa’s (Te Whānau ā Apanui) journey with te reo Māori wasn’t something that happened overnight, it was a goal waiting to be pursued until the moment she felt ready to take that step.
Returning home and reclaiming te reo Māori
After many years away building his professional career, Logan Bertram (Whakatōhea), returned home to Ōpōtiki with a clear goal of reconnecting with his whakapapa and creating a better future for his young whānau.
