Te Wānanga o Aotearoa_Te Tirohanga Māori

Te Hapūtanga o te Ao Tikanga

No fees
Intermediate level
Māori worldview
Te Wānanga o Aotearoa_Te Tirohanga Maori_Te Hapūtanga o te Ao Tikanga. Woman performing a karanga.

Tirohanga whānui

Advance your understanding of tikanga Māori

Make a strong commitment to tikanga Māori practices as a pathway for personal and professional growth.

This Level 5 programme builds on your existing foundation and gives you the skills to apply tikanga in leadership, communication and community contexts. You will also develop your ability to critically consider and analyse the thinking behind tikanga and its many applications in not only te ao Māori, but the modern world around us.

This qualification is for people who want to develop an in-depth understanding and knowledge of tikanga within a specialist field founded on a Māori worldview. 

He aha tāu ka whiwhi?

What you’ll gain from this programme

Completing this programme means you’ll be able to:

  • Develop Māori leadership principles and apply them within tikanga practices

  • Explore similarities between Māori and Pacific cultural concepts

  • Use te reo Māori communication skills to discuss tikanga practices and concepts

  • Apply mātauranga Māori principles to identify risks and potential solutions

  • Demonstrate advanced knowledge of tikanga concepts, values and practices

  • Understand the connection between tikanga and the natural environment

Mā te mahi ka ako

Learn by doing

You will get to:

  • Apply tikanga in real-life situations and different contexts like leadership, problem solving and rangahau

  • Critically consider the thinking behind tikanga

  • Analyse how it’s applied in te ao Māori and the modern world

Ngā ara e wātea ana

Where will this take me?

Keep studying:
Move into Level 6 Te Whānautanga o Te Ao Tikanga. If you're interested in teaching, you can apply to study He Korowai Ākonga - Bachelor of Education (Primary Teaching).

Use at work:
Apply tikanga Māori at work. Graduates of this qualification will have in-depth knowledge and skills to self-manage and contribute to the practice of tikanga within defined contexts. 

Community involvement:
Share your knowledge with whānau, hapū, iwi and community groups to strengthen kaupapa Māori values and practices. Graduates of this qualification will be able to apply comprehensive knowledge fundamental to tikanga practices across the community in general. 

He meka

Quick facts

  • Level 5 (Intermediate)
  • 120 Credits
  • 40 Weeks
  • NZ Diploma in Tikanga (Mātauranga Māori) Level 5
  • 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

  • Have completed Te Kunenga o te Ao Tikanga (Level 4) or show equivalent knowledge and skills

  • Attend an information sharing hui with the kaiako

Te wā

Time commitment

This programme is:  

  • Full-time  

  • 120 credits  

  • 40 weeks long (includes holiday breaks) 

  • Noho-based, with workshops and tutorials

Kōnae ako

Learning modules

Ki hea, mō āhea hoki au ako ai?

Where and when can I learn?

No classes are currently open for application.

Kaupapa anamata

Upcoming events

Information Session

Information Session

Information Session, Online

Online
Free
Close up of a red and black korowai

He Puāwaitanga Whirikoka 2026

Graduation Ceremony, Gisborne

Gisborne War Memorial Theatre - 159 Bright Street, Gisborne
Free
Te Ao Māori Foundation Workshop

Te Ao Māori Foundation Workshop

Te Ao Māori Foundation Workshop, Dunedin

442 Moray Place, Dunedin Central, Dunedin
Free
Harakeke & Weave

Harakeke & Weave

Harakeke & Weave, Heretaunga

705 Heretaunga Street West, St Leonards, Hastings
Free
Information Session

Information Session

Information Session, Online

Online
Free
Harakeke & Weave

Harakeke & Weave

Harakeke & Weave, Ōtautahi

826 Colombo Street, Christchurch Central, Christchurch
Free
Close up of someone wearing a korowai

He Puāwaitanga Ōpōtiki 2026

Graduation Ceremony, Ōpōtiki

Ōpōtiki De Luxe Theatre - 127 Church Street, Ōpōtiki
Free
Te Ao Māori Foundation Workshop

Te Ao Māori Foundation Workshop

Te Ao Māori Foundation Workshop, Dunedin

442 Moray Place, Dunedin Central, Dunedin
Free
Kōwhaiwhai & Paint

Kōwhaiwhai & Paint

Kōwhaiwhai & Paint, Heretaunga

705 Heretaunga Street West, St Leonards, Hastings
Free
WTR26-105_-_TI_-_MATARIKI - KŌRERO KŌTUITUI

Matariki Kōrero Kōtuitui

Matariki Kōrero Kōtuitui, Whangārei

12 Murdoch Crescent, Raumanga, Whangārei
Free
Toi Exhibition

Toi Exhibition - Dunedin

Toi Exhibition, Dunedin

442 Moray Place, Dunedin Central, Dunedin
Free
A woman in graduation robes and a man hongi outside the wharenui

He Puāwaitanga Waihōpai 2026

Graduation Ceremony, Invercargill

Southern Institute of Technology - 133 Tay Street, Invercargill 9810
Free

Pitopito kōrero o te wā

Latest news

Nimai Fraser-Eccleston

A teaching journey shaped by whānau

The journey to becoming a teacher was not a straight line for Nimai Fraser‑Eccleston, it was shaped by whānau, lived experience and his desire to create a meaningful life for his tamariki.

Paora Rauputu

Governance grounded in te ao Māori

When the opportunity came up to study Manu Taiko, New Zealand Certificate in Māori Governance, at the Ngāmotu (New Plymouth) campus of Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, Paora Rauputu didn’t hesitate to enrol.

Sam Taylor

Flexible study supports Cromwell business owner

Based in Cromwell, Sam Taylor needed flexibility to balance work, study and build his business, and found exactly that through the online Certificate in Small Business at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa.

 Bryce Marsh

Turning point inspires commitment to change, community, and career

In 2024, Bryce Marsh faced a major turning point in life that led to him studying Manaaki Tangata at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, setting him on a path of healing, self-discovery and a desire to give back to his community.

Tania Dargaville

A whānau journey of learning at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa

Studying at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa wasn’t just a personal journey for Tania Dargaville (Te Rarawa). It became a whānau journey, shared alongside her sister and son, learning, growing and now graduating together.

Nita Koroheke

Creating second chances for rangatahi

Kaimahi working in Youth Engagement Services at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa play a vital role in empowering rangatahi to discover who they are, build practical skills, and shape futures that feel right for them.

Dee Clark

Wānanga study supports career shift into social services

When COVID-19 hit, it changed the direction of Dee Clark’s life. At the time, she was working in airport security as a behavior analyst, but the impacts of COVID-19 caused her role to change and so did her sense of purpose.

MoU signing ceremony

Strengthening Indigenous‑led global partnerships

Te Wānanga o Aotearoa and Te Māori Manaaki Taonga Trust to host delegation from Pitt Rivers Museum, University of Oxford Delegation and formalise Māori Curatorial Partnership 

Te Tatau and Te Ngaru

Upholding reo Māori beyond kura kaupapa

At 18 years old, Te Tatau Strother walked into his first Te Pīnakitanga ki te Reo Kairangi class at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa feeling like the youngest voice in a room full of experienced reo Māori speakers.

Rich and Riri Rio

Weaving a shared journey of growth

What began as an opportunity to learn something new for Riri (Te Āti Haunui-a-Pāpārangi, Ngā Rauru Kītahi, Pākehā) and Rich Rio (Kuki Airani, Ngāti Maniapoto) grew into a journey of confidence, deeper connection to te ao Māori, and a shared sense of purpose as husband and wife.

Elizabeth Harvey

Cambridge Museum project guided by wānanga tikanga studies

Cambridge Museum manager, Elizabeth Harvey, is combining her tikanga studies at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa with her passion for local history, to support the museum’s Voices of Cambridge project.

Tātai Whetu

Wānanga launches first of their kind mātauranga Māori certificates, marking a new era for Indigenous knowledge education

Responding to the growing needs and aspirations of tauira, iwi and communities, Te Wānanga o Aotearoa is breaking new ground with the launch of 2 new Level 4 certificates that will be the first standalone programmes of their kind in Aotearoa.

1 / 12
Share Share
Feedback