Tirohanga whānui
Refine your creative and cultural practice as a Māori visual artist
Shape your direction in Māori visual arts with Maunga Kura Toi (Rauangi) - a degree where the cultural depth of toi Māori and the creative freedom of contemporary practice drive your studio work.
Across three years of study, you’ll refine your artistic skills and explore the stories, values, and creative processes that shape your identity as a toi Māori practitioner.
You’ll experiment with a range of media such as painting, print, design, and digital art while deepening your understanding of mātauranga Māori, tikanga, and visual storytelling.
Guided by kaiako who are practising artists, you’ll gain the technical, creative, and academic skills to produce a professional portfolio that expresses both your cultural roots and your creative voice.
He aha tāu ka whiwhi?
Skills you'll leave with
Completing this programme means you’ll be able to:
Demonstrate advanced knowledge and skill in visual arts within kaupapa Māori contexts
Apply mātauranga Māori, tikanga, and kaupapa wānanga principles to creative and academic practice
Conduct rangahau and apply research to inform artistic and theoretical development
Critically analyse traditional and contemporary art forms and methods
Create, exhibit, and reflect on an advanced body of visual art
Contribute leadership and cultural knowledge to creative and community settings
Mā te mahi ka ako
Learn by doing
You will get to:
Deepen your mātauranga Māori relating to visual arts and apply it directly to your creative practice
Use te reo Māori and tikanga in your mahi toi
Develop and refine your own creative processes through projects and critiques
Strengthen your research, writing and presentation skills using academic conventions
Engage in reflective practice – analysing, critiquing and synthesising ideas to shape your direction as a toi Māori practitioner
Ngā ara e wātea ana
Where will this take me?
By graduation, you'll be ready to:
Keep studying
Apply to enrol on our master's degree, He Waka Hiringa – Master of Applied Indigenous Knowledge, or postgraduate programmes in visual arts or Māori studies.
Use at work
Work as a professional artist, curator, designer, or educator in the creative or cultural sector.
Community involvement
Participate in iwi, hapū, or community projects that use art to express cultural identity and tell Māori stories.
He meka
Quick facts
- Level 7 (Advanced)
- 360 Credits
- Maunga Kura Toi: Bachelor of Māori Art Level 7
- 3 years
- NZQA Accredited
- Fees apply
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 interview
Provide evidence of your readiness to study at a degree level. This might be through:
a Level 4 arts qualification of 120 credits
NCEA Level 3 and a creative portfolio and CV detailing your experience
Graduates of Toi Paematua – Toi Ataata (Level 5) can pathway directly into year two of the degree.
Not sure if you're ready to study for a degree?
Our Study & Employment Skills programme will help you develop the skills you need for success in advanced study.
Te wā
Time commitment
This programme is:
Full-time
360 credits (120 credits per year)
3 years (40 weeks per year, including 4 holiday weeks per year)
Noho-based, with workshops
Your first-year time commitment is below.
Fees and scholarships
The 2027 fees for this programme are:
Year 1: $6,296
Year 2: $5,984
Year 3: $7,047
GST inclusive
Kōnae ako
Learning modules
Year 1
120 credits
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
Pitopito kōrero o te wā
Latest news
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