Te Tohu Reo Rumaki
Full immersion in te reo Māori designed to fast track your fluency
Tirohanga whānui
Intensive full immersion classes
Te Tohu Reo Rumaki is a 40 week intensive programme that will help you develop your reo Māori to a conversational level.
This programme is about more than learning — it’s about living te reo Māori. Through immersion, you’ll gain the confidence to use reo Māori every day, across the home, marae, workplace, and community.
You’ll be guided by kaiako, supported by classmates, and strengthened through noho and wānanga that connect reo with tikanga and culture. By the end, you’ll not only be fluent in reo Māori but also equipped to play a role in its revitalisation.
He aha tāu ka whiwhi?
Skills you'll leave with
Completing this programme means you’ll be able to:
Converse fluently in te reo Māori in everyday, formal, and cultural contexts
Use conversational, descriptive, and colloquial reo, including mihimihi, whakawhanaungatanga, and acknowledgements
Navigate familiar and unfamiliar situations through te reo Māori and a Māori worldview
Contribute to the revitalisation of te reo Māori through research and advocacy
Mā te mahi ka ako
Learn by doing
Your reo is strengthened through active use. You’ll:
Take part in daily reo Māori classes
Practice mihimihi, whakawhanaungatanga, debates, and conversations in reo
Produce written and spoken reo across a range of genres and contexts
Complete research projects on reo revitalisation and cultural impact
Ngā ara e wātea ana
Where will this take me?
This diploma sets you up to continue your reo journey or step into new opportunities. On completion, you'll have the skills to:
Keep studying
Move on to higher-level reo study at Level 6 or bachelor’s degree programmes.
Use at work
Work as a translator, interpreter, teacher, broadcaster, cultural advisor, or consultant.
Community involvement
Lead in your whānau, marae, and community as a fluent reo speaker and advocate for revitalisation.
He meka
Quick facts
- Level 5 (Intermediate)
- 120 Credits
- 40 Weeks
- Te Tohu Reo Rumaki (Kaupae 5) - New Zealand Diploma in Reo Māori Fluency (Level 5)
- Fees apply
- Immersive
- Marae experience
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:
Full-time
120 credits
40 weeks long
Classroom-based, with online sessions, wānanga and noho
Fees and scholarships
The 2026 fees for this programme are:
$5,292 GST inclusive
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
Pitopito kōrero o te wā
Latest news
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.
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.
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.
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.
Tikanga study boosts whānau presence on marae
Patrick and Donna Tobin (Ngāti Kahu) are a brother-and-sister duo studying tikanga alongside their wider whānau at Te Paatu Marae in Kaitaia, all working towards the betterment of their whānau, iwi, and marae.
A teacher’s path to understanding tikanga
Originally from South Africa, Franda Zondagh has called Aotearoa home since 2003, but it was through studying He Papa Tikanga with Te Wānanga o Aotearoa that she began to feel a deeper connection to the place she lives and people she serves in her mahi.
Leading by example and learning te reo Māori
Liisa Wharepapa’s (Te Whānau ā Apanui) journey with te reo Māori wasn’t something that happened overnight, it was a goal waiting to be pursued until the moment she felt ready to take that step.
Returning home and reclaiming te reo Māori
After many years away building his professional career, Logan Bertram (Whakatōhea), returned home to Ōpōtiki with a clear goal of reconnecting with his whakapapa and creating a better future for his young whānau.
