Te Wānanga o Aotearoa_Te Tirohanga Māori. Close up of carving with Paua insert.

Te Whāinga o te Ao Tikanga

Noho Marae

Beginners
Māori worldview
No fees
Te Wānanga o Aotearoa_Te Tirohanga Maori_Te Whāinga o te Ao Tikanga. Older woman performing a karanga outside a building.

Tirohanga whānui

Learn about Tikanga Māori

Tikanga is about purpose, practices and protocols, and you'll find it in every aspect of te ao Māori (the Māori world). 

This introductory programme gives you the foundations to:

  • Understand what tikanga is

  • Why it exists

  • How it manifests itself in practice

Your local class will have a specialised delivery strand that brings learning to life. You’ll cover tikanga in four key areas:

  • Mana tangata (leadership and people)

  • Mana whenua (land and identity)

  • Mana reo (language and communication)

  • Mana ao tūroa (the wider environment)

He aha tāu ka whiwhi?

What you'll gain from this programme

Completing this programme means you’ll be able to:

  • Explain cultural concepts

  • Use basic reo Māori in tikanga practices

  • Show how tikanga connects people, place and environment

  • Apply tikanga in different settings

  • Strengthen your current skills and work practices relating to tikanga

Mā te mahi ka ako

Learn by doing

You will get to:

  • Explore the traditional thinking behind tikanga

  • Experience how it’s used in different contexts

  • Practice identifying and applying tikanga

  • Take part in activities that use protocols and cultural practices

  • Respond to real-life situations and everyday tikanga challenges

Ngā ara e wātea ana

Where will this take me?

Keep studying:
Pursue Level 4 study options such as:

At work:
Apply for entry‑level roles or strengthen your current mahi across tourism, hospitality, retail, education support, horticulture, environmental projects, media, and with marae trusts or organisations.

Community involvement:
Support whānau, hapū, iwi and community groups by applying tikanga in events, projects and everyday practice.

He meka

Quick facts

  • Level 3 (Introductory)
  • 60 Credits
  • 20 Weeks
  • NZ Certificate in Tikanga (Mātauranga Māori) Level 3
  • No fees
  • NZQA Accredited

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 

  • Attend an information sharing hui with the kaiako

Te wā

Time commitment

This programme is: 

  • Full-time 

  • 60 credits 

  • 20 weeks long

  • Noho based with workshops and wānanga

Kōnae ako

Learning modules

Ki hea, mō āhea hoki au ako ai?

Where and when can I learn?

Kaupapa anamata

Upcoming events

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He Puāwaitanga Whirikoka 2026

Graduation Ceremony, Gisborne

Gisborne War Memorial Theatre - 159 Bright Street, Gisborne
Free
Close up of someone wearing a korowai

He Puāwaitanga Ōpōtiki 2026

Graduation Ceremony, Ōpōtiki

Ōpōtiki De Luxe Theatre - 127 Church Street, Ōpōtiki
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

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