He Papa Tikanga
NZ Certificate in Tikanga (Mātauranga Māori)
Tirohanga whānui
An introduction to Māori customs and practices
He Papa Tikanga is a starting point for learning about Māori customs and cultural practices. You’ll explore Māori values, traditions and stories, and see how they are used in everyday life.
The programme covers four main areas:
Māori worldview
Stories and ways of understanding connections to today’s world
Tikanga practices used today
The role of tikanga in wider society
He aha tāu ka whiwhi?
What you’ll gain from this programme
Completing this programme means you’ll be able to:
Use Māori cultural ideas in real life situations
Use some reo Māori (Māori language) in tikanga practices
Show understanding of tikanga concepts and how they connect to the land
Work with others to carry out tikanga practices
Mā te mahi ka ako
Learn by doing
You will get to:
Increase your understanding of tikanga practices
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?
By the end, you’ll be able to:
Keep studying:
Move into Level 3 or Level 4 programmes in tikanga Māori, te reo Māori (Māori language), Māori arts, health, governance and more.
At work:
Graduates may work in areas such as tourism, hospitality, retail, media, education, health, and Māori trusts.
Community involvement:
Graduates can take their learning back to whānau, hapū, iwi or community groups to strengthen Māori knowledge and practice.
He meka
Quick facts
- Level 3 (Introductory)
- 60 Credits
- 52 Weeks
- NZ Certificate in Tikanga (Mātauranga Māori) Level 3
- No fees
- NZQA Accredited
- This programmes is not eligible for a student loan or allowance
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
Te wā
Time commitment
This programme is:
Part-time
60 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
Te Wānanga o Aotearoa launches new reo Māori programmes to help te reo thrive for generations to come
For over four decades, Te Wānanga o Aotearoa has created pathways for generations of tauira to learn, speak, teach and live te reo Māori. That legacy has supported the return of te reo Māori to everyday life, from whānau learning their first kupu, to tauira carrying reo onto marae, and into workplaces, classrooms and homes.
Turning a passion for rongoā into community healing
Rongoā Māori has always been part of Patricia Tangira-Falwasser's life, but it was her studies at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa that deepened her knowledge and inspired her to start a business that now serves her wider community.
Te Wānanga o Aotearoa kaimahi claims gold at Waka Ama World Championship
Ken Henry (Te Whakatōhea, Waikato-Tainui) is a Tauira Support Advisor at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa Whakatāne campus who took home gold at the Waka Ama World Championships in Singapore in August.
A passion for taonga Māori takes Chanel to Oxford
What started as a desire to strengthen her reo Māori has taken Chanel Coromandel (Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāti Hine, Ngāti Apakura, Ngāti Whanaunga) on an unexpected path, leading to an opportunity to contribute to the care and preservation of taonga Māori at the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford, England.
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.
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.
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.
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.
