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
- 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
Have completed Te Kunenga o te Ao Tikanga (Level 4) or show equivalent knowledge and skills
Attend an information sharing hui with the kaiako
Fees and scholarships
The 2027 fee for this programme is:
$375 GST inclusive
The fees displayed for 2027 are indicative and may be subject to change. The regulatory settings governing fees for 2027 are currently being finalised and implemented through government approval processes and will be confirmed by the end of October.
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?
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.
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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.
