Te Reo Māori Specialisation – Bachelor of Arts
LEVEL 7 | 120 Credits | 1 Year Full-Time
Level 7 Courses
After two years of wānanga, curriculum design, and feedback from our communities, Te Wānanga Ihorangi is excited to open Expressions of Interest for our new Bachelor of Arts degree with a specialisation in Te Reo Māori.
This programme is currently with NZQA for accreditation, and feedback to date has been promising. While we’re working towards a February 2026 launch, this remains subject to NZQA approval.
Delivered in partnership with Laidlaw College, this will be a full-immersion, three-year degree designed for those who want to deepen their reo, ground themselves in tikanga, and step into their potential – whether that’s within iwi spaces, community development, education, media, or church ministry.
Anameka Paenga & Te Karere Scarborough
Ngā Tumuaki o Te Wānanga Ihorangi | Co-Principals
A Pathway Designed for Whānau Māori
We know that three years of full-time study can be a big commitment—especially for those juggling whānau, mahi, or other responsibilities. That’s why we’ve designed this programme to work step by step.
Our Te Reo Māori specialisation begins with two standalone diplomas:
Each one builds on the last, and you’ll walk away with a recognised qualification at the end of every year. If you choose to continue, you can cross-credit directly into the third year of the Bachelor of Arts and complete your degree.
At every stage, you’re making progress—no wasted time, no dead ends, no half-finished qualifications.
The Final Year – Where It All Comes Together
By your final year, te reo Māori will be a natural part of how you think, speak, and walk in the world.
This final stage brings your learning together—deepening your understanding of your own whakapapa, identity, and the world around you. You’ll engage in kaupapa such as Māori spirituality, Indigenous theology, leadership, and the performing arts, while developing critical thinking around identity, colonisation, faith, and the importance of mātauranga Māori.
You’ll apply your learning through wānanga, site visits, and real-world projects—connecting what you know with how you serve your communities.
Areas of focus include:
- Te reo and tikanga Māori in everyday and formal settings
- Spirituality and leadership grounded in your own context
- Faith and theology from a Māori perspective
- Māori performing arts as a way of learning and expression
Classes are based on-site at our Henderson campus, within a full immersion environment. Each week will be packed with a variety of classes, individual and group work, kapa haka, karakia, guest speakers, and the occasional off-campus haerenga.
| LEVEL | 7, 120 credits |
| DURATION | One year full-time (there is only one intake per year in Feb) |
| TIMETABLE | 9 Feb – 13 Nov 2026 There are also two compulsory noho-marae for this programme (dates TBC) |
| HOLIDAYS | Our study breaks follow the school holidays |
| PLACES | Expressions of Interest open |
| LOCATION | Henderson Campus |
| OTHER SPECIALISATIONS | Theology, History, Youth Work, Chaplaincy, Education |
| CLASS TIMES | Monday to Wednesday, 9:00am – 1:00pm Thursday, 9:00am – 3:00pm Friday – No classes (although one-on-one tutorials are available with your kaiako) |
| Topic 1: Ngā Āhuatanga o te Reo (Grammar & Syntax) | 15 Credits (L7) |
| Topic 2: Te Reo Auaha (Creative Writing) | 15 Credits (L7) |
| Topic 3: Tikanga Ōkawa/Ōpaki (Content & Theory) | 15 Credits (L7) |
| Topic 4: He Kauwaka Wairua (Māori Spirituality) | 15 Credits (L7) |
| Topic 5: Ngā Ihoatua o te Kapahaka (Theology of Māori Performing Arts) | 15 Credits (L7) |
| Topic 6: Ngā Kōrero ā-Iwi (Tribal Histories) | 15 Credits (L6) |
| Topic 7: Pou Āwhina (Community Ministry and Placement) | 15 Credits (L6) |
| Topic 8: Ngā Manukura (Leadership from the Māori renaissance) | 15 Credits (L6) |
To enrol in this programme, a potential student must:
- be at least 16 years of age
- be a New Zealand citizen (or a citizen of Australia, Tokelau, Niue, or the Cook Islands) or a permanent resident
- reside in New Zealand
- have successfully completed a te reo Māori qualification at Level 6
- meet with a kaiako to discuss course workload and commitment
OR
- successfully complete the pre-entry assessment
- meet with a kaiako to discuss course workload and commitment
A BA with a Te Reo Māori specialisation can open career pathways across multiple sectors:
- Iwi and hapū development
- Media and storytelling
- Education (including teaching pathways)
- Community ministry and church leadership
- Cultural revitalisation work
- Youth work and chaplaincy
It also provides a strong foundation for postgraduate study in areas like translating and language revitalisation, education, theology and history.
Te Wānanga Ihorangi is working in partnership with Te Wānanga Amorangi (Laidlaw College) to deliver these programmes. Both Diplomas in Te Reo Māori are held and administered through Te Wānanga Amorangi, and our students will be formally enrolled at both institutions.
Students will experience a distinctive Māori-led kaupapa in Te Wānanga Ihorangi’s immersive learning community and campus. However, one of the great benefits of the partnership is that our students will also have access to the support and systems of Te Wānanga Amorangi as well. Te Wānanga Amorangi is Aotearoa New Zealand’s largest Christian tertiary college, it is a Category 1 Private Training Establishment, and teaches programmes from Certificate to Doctoral level.
More information can be found on them here, and more details about our partnership can be read in our faqs here.
Pōhewatia te anamata
