Courses with Māori content
Add Māori perspectives and knowledge to your study. Browse a list of courses from different faculties, subjects and levels that have a significant Māori focus.
Study with a Māori focus
You can take individual courses with significant Māori content across subjects including:
- Māori studies
- language
- history
- politics
- science
- law
- education
- architecture
- design
- information systems.
What you’ll learn
These courses share a commitment to preserving and promoting Māori knowledge, language, and culture. Studying any of these courses can improve your personal growth, connection to your own whakapapa, and professional opportunities.
Choose a course to gain:
- cultural understanding, awareness, and sensitivity
- language skills in te reo Māori
- experience engaging with Māori stakeholders and communities.
Advanced courses emphasise research methodologies and critical thinking, preparing students for academic and professional research in indigenous studies.
List of courses
Browse a list of courses with a focus on Māori content. Check the days, trimesters, and years available to make sure the courses are available and work with your schedule.
You may only be able to take some courses if you have studied other ones beforehand (prerequisites).
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
Te Kawa a Māui / School of Māori Studies
000-level courses
| Course Code | Course Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| MAOR 001 | Te Tū Marae - Marae Practice | MAOR 001 is a course within the Tohu Māoritanga programme, and examines the theoretical and practical application of kawa (protocols) of the marae, in both a traditional and contemporary context. Students will learn about marae procedure, customs and... |
| MAOR 002 | Waiata Tawhito - Waiata Performance | MAOR 002 is a practical placement course based at Te Herenga Waka Marae. It focuses on the study and performance of waiata and haka appropriate for a range of Māori contexts. Students will also develop research skills through the exploration of waiat... |
100-level courses
| Course Code | Course Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| MAOR 101 | Te Tīmatanga/Introduction to Māori Language | This course is an introduction to the Māori language for those who have little or no previous experience of the Māori language or culture. In MAOR 101 students work to develop a foundation of basic Māori language speaking, reading and writing skills,... |
| MAOR 102 | Te Arumanga/Elementary Māori Language | This course is designed for students with some basic Māori language experience, and extends upon the foundations laid in MAOR 101. In MAOR 102, students work to improve their oral and written Māori language competence, reaching a level approximately ... |
| MAOR 103 | Whakakokoi Mātauranga / Academic Skills A | MAOR 103 is a course tailored to the Tohu Māoritanga programme for Tohu students who are enrolled in a 20point degree related course. It introduces students to competencies needed for University such as critical thinking, academic writing, independe... |
| MAOR 104 | Whakakokoi Mātauranga / Academic Skills B | MAOR 104 is a course tailored to the Tohu Māoritanga programme for Tohu students who are enrolled in a 15-point degree related course. It introduces students to competencies needed for University such as critical thinking, academic writing, independe… |
| MAOR 111 | Wana te Wanawana/Māori Language 1A | This course focuses upon developing a foundation of tertiary level Māori language learning and academic skills. Throughout MAOR 111 students will work to develop oral and aural confidence in te reo Māori. They will also encounter a range of Māori lan… |
| MAOR 112 | Wanawana te Tū / Māori Language 1B | This course focuses upon further developing listening, speaking, reading and writing skills in te reo Māori. There is a focus upon oral performance. Students will further develop their language proficiency by beginning to evaluate, edit, and critical… |
| MAOR 123 | Te Iwi Māori me āna Tikanga/Māori Society and Culture | This course introduces students to a broad range of Māori beliefs, concepts and structures that are important to the foundations and development of Māori society and culture. The course will cover aspects of pre-European Māori society, cultural chang… |
| MAOR 126 | He Herenga Tāngata / Engaging with Māori in Professional Practice | This course prepares students to deal with the opportunities and nuances of engaging with the Māori world and Māori communities in professional practice. It provides a broad introduction to te reo Māori, tikanga Māori and te Tiriti o Waitangi, with a focus on decolonisation, partnership between tangata whenua and tangata Tiriti, and implications for professional practice in Aotearoa. |
200-level courses
| Course Code | Course Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| MAOR 202 | Te Pūtaiao Māori/Māori Science | Māori have always been scientists and this science enabled them to adapt to, survive and thrive in the landscape of Aotearoa. This course examines how, by looking at mātauranga and pūtaiao Māori (Māori knowledge and science) in both traditional and contemporary contexts. It examines the differences and similarities similarities between Western and Māori ways of knowing. Workshops and field trips on topics such as hangarau (technology) and rongoa (medicine) allow students to engage with mātauranga and pūtaiao in practical ways. |
| MAOR 211 | Tū Te Wana Wana/Māori Language 2A | This Māori language course extends oral, aural, reading and writing skills, with a particular focus on the relationship between language and Māori worldviews. It develops these language skills by drawing on literature from a range of time periods and... |
| MAOR 216 | Te Tiriti o Waitangi/The Treaty of Waitangi | This course examines Te Tiriti o Waitangi/ The Treaty of Waitangi, developing an understanding of its impact on the people of Aotearoa from its conception to the current day and beyond. |
| MAOR 217 | Te Pūwhenuatanga o Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa / The Peopling of Polynesia | This course focuses on Polynesian origins in the Pacific with special emphasis on the settlement of New Zealand and the development of Māori culture. It draws on archaeological, linguistic, traditional and other forms of evidence. There is an optiona... |
| MAOR 218 | Tirohanga Ahumahi / Sustainable Māori Economies | This course applies a tikanga lens to explore sustainable aspects of the Māori economy, business and investment. Students will consider practical examples of how tikanga works in theory and practice, the impact on whānau, hapū and iwi, and the implic… |
| MAOR 221 | Tū Tū Te Wana/Māori Language 2B | This Māori language course further extends oral, aural, reading and writing skills, with a particular focus on modern language contexts. It draws on a number of literary genres and situations that develop an understanding of language acquisition and ... |
| MAOR 222 | Te Aukorimiha, Te Auripomiha o te Reo/The Social and Political Development of the Māori Language | MAOR 222 explores the socio-linguistic landscapes related to language revitalisation, planning and policy. The course also probes the current climate of Māori language revitalisation and the impact different initiatives have made on the social and po… |
300-level courses
| Course Code | Course Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| MAOR 301 | He Mana Taiao, He Ritenga Tangata/ Māori Resource Management | This course starts by looking at Māori ownership and mana over environmental resources and some of the challenges presented by the Crown to that mana. It moves to examine the current laws which govern Māori land and resources such as the Resource |
| MAOR 302 | Te Pūmoto o te Tangata Whenua, o te Taiao/ Indigenous Knowledge and Science | What can Māori learn from other Indigenous peoples? In this course, students explore how Indigenous knowledge and ‘Western’ science work against, with or independent of each other and look at examples of how science contributes to Indigenous |
| MAOR 311 | Tiri Te Wana Wana/Māori Language 3 | In this course students test their advanced Māori language oral, aural, reading and writing skills, through engaging in a variety of advanced level Māori language tasks. This includes delving into the use of figurative language (kōrero whakaniko) and… |
| MAOR 313 | Ngā Tikanga Tuku Iho/Māori Customary Concepts | This course aims to develop student insight and understanding of the nature of both traditional and contemporary Māori culture, society and politics through critical analysis of concepts such as utu, muru, raupatu, rahui and tapu. |
| MAOR 316 | Te Mana me te Rangatiratanga/Māori Politics | This online course examines a range of Māori political structures, movements, ideologies and visions. Students will also explore Māori politics in relation to Pacific and international Indigenous contexts. The themes covered in the course include Tin… |
| MAOR 321 | Te Reo Karanga, Te Reo Whaikōrero/The Language of Karanga and Whaikōrero | This course examines the classical language of the Māori with an emphasis on the composition of original narrative and lyrical material. Attendance is required at a noho marae (approximate cost $15.00). |
400-level courses
| Course Code | Course Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| MAOR 408 | Tā Te Māori Rangahau/Methodology of Māori Research | This course explores research theories and practices of relevance to researchers in Māori Studies. In 12 weekly seminars, staff at Te Kawa a Māui share their discipline-specific experiences and methodologies, including discussions on kaupapa Māori re… |
| MAOR 411 | Te Ao Hurihuri/Issues in Contemporary Māori Society | This course covers the development of government and iwi policy to address issues of significance to Māori. It includes a review of some traditional and contemporary tikanga and Māori concepts impacting on issues that governments wish to address thro… |
| MAOR 413 | Kia Kautū/Internship | Approved and supervised work placement of students in an organisation with a predominant focus on Māori issues. |
| MAOR 489 | Kaupapa Rangahau/Research Project | Students enrolled in this course will complete a major essay, the topic of which is to be negotiated with the Head of School, Māori Studies, who will arrange appropriate supervision. |
500-level courses
| Course Code | Course Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| MAOR 501 | Aro Taketake/Indigenous Theories | This course will explore Indigenous theories and worldviews. In particular, it will cover Indigenous peoples’ political and cultural relationships, international contexts, resource management and policy (language, education, economic and science) |
| MAOR 512 | Kia Kautū/Internship | Approved and supervised work placement of students in an organisation with a predominant focus on Indigenous issues. |
| MAOR 521 | Kia Rukuhia/Project in Indigenous Studies | This course enables students to research a particular aspect of Indigenous Studies in detail with a focus on conducting reviews of key literature in the discipline by Indigenous peoples and about Indigenous peoples. The course will also examine the |
600-level courses
| Course Code | Course Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| MAOR 690 | Māori for PhD | N/A |
School of History, Philosophy, Political Science and International Relations
100-level courses
| Course Code | Course Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| HIST 112 | Aotearoa NZ in World History: Islands and Peoples/Ko Aotearoa Tēnei | Who are Aotearoa New Zealand's people? How and when did they get here? New Zealand is the last major land mass settled by humans. What does this mean for its peoples and the world? In this course we interweave two major historical strands of Aotearoa… |
200-level courses
| Course Code | Course Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| HIST 227 | Māori and Pākehā in the Nineteenth-Century World | This course examines the histories of Māori and Pākehā cultural interactions during the nineteenth century. It explores relationships between identity, power and place, in both international and local forums. |
| HIST 249 | New Zealand Political History | What are the forces that have shaped our political world? Who are the winners and losers, the dreamers and schemers? In this course, you will explore the key themes in New Zealand political history: the changing shape and nature of the New Zealand st… |
300-level courses
| Course Code | Course Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| HIST 323 | Māori Textual Cultures in the 19th Century World: Ngā Tuhinga a Ngā Tūpuna | Māori is often described as an oral culture. How then do we explain the massive amount of texts produced by Māori in the 19th century – one of the largest collections of Indigenous written material in the world? This course offers you the opportunity... |
| HIST 329 | Special Topic: Telling NZ-Pacific Lives | We examine the history of New Zealand’s relations with the Pacific islands from the 1890s to the 1990s through the life histories of Pacific peoples in Aotearoa and NZers in the Pacific (e.g., travellers, traders, “chiefs”, missionaries, students, pe... |
School of Pacific Studies
| Course Code | Course Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| PASI 301 | Framing the Pacific: Theorising Culture and Society | This course examines a number of critical issues in the contemporary Pacific through a detailed consideration of the work, ideas, and writings of Pacific writers, artists, film makers, activists and scholars. It also encourages critiques of establish… |
Faculty of Education
School of Education
200-level courses
| Course Code | Course Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| EDUC 223 | Education, Ethnicity and Culture | An examination of the underlying concepts in indigenous education and the theories that inform current research practice. Particular emphasis is given to theories of ethnicity, culture, indigeneity and colonisation and their application to the New Ze.. |
300-level courses
| Course Code | Course Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| EDUC 323 | Contemporary Issues in Indigenous Education Aotearoa | This course will investigate the drive by various indigenous groups to be more self-determining through education. An interdisciplinary focus is taken. The course will discuss contemporary themes such as indigenous identities, the impact of globalisa... |
400-level courses
| Course Code | Course Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| EDUC 439 | Critical Pedagogies of Place | A critical examination of the relationship between local landscape, community and the development of human perception. Particular emphasis will be placed upon the importance of ecologically appropriate community-based educational programmes. |
| EDUC 440 | Research as Praxis: Indigenous Perspectives | A critique of research as it serves indigenous communities. A major theme of this course is the articulation of indigenous knowledge and theoretical explorations of those. The politicisation of indigenous communities within Aotearoa/New Zealand and P… |
500-level courses
| Course Code | Course Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| MSSL 505 | Partnerships and Networks | Building and sustaining effective relationships with the school community and beyond is the focus of this course. Participants will have the opportunity to evaluate strategies and approaches and to articulate how these may be implemented in a variety… |
| EPSY 514 | Educational Psychology Assessment | This course focuses on psychological assessments in education. The main topics include foundations of assessment, applied behaviour analysis, contemporary psychometric assessment, ecological assessment and communicating assessment results. There will… |
| EDUC 539 | Critical Pedagogies of Place | A critical examination of the relationship between local landscape, community and the development of human perception. Particular emphasis will be placed upon the importance of ecologically appropriate community-based educational programmes. |
| EDUC 540 | Research as Praxis: Indigenous Perspectives | A critique of research as it serves indigenous communities. A major theme of this course is the articulation of indigenous knowledge and theoretical explorations of those. The politicisation of indigenous communities within Aotearoa/New Zealand and P… |
Faculty of Law
School of Law
| Course Code | Course Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| LAWS 313 | Ngā Tikanga Ture Māori – Māori Law | An introduction to Maori customary law and customary concepts. |
| LAWS 334 | Ethics and the Law | Legal practitioners' ethical responsibilities to their clients, the profession, the organs of justice and society. Formal standards for professional ethics and the development of transcultural ethics, especially in relation to Maori. |
Faculty of Architecture and Design Innovation
School of Architecture
| Course Code | Course Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| ARCI 251 | History and Theory of Architecture / Ngā Kōrero Tuku Iho | Introduction to the development of architectural theory and its application to the recent history of built form. |
Wellington School of Business and Government
School of Information Management
| Course Code | Course Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| INFO 523 | Information Access and Use | This course covers models of information seeking behaviour and information literacy, and will equip students with the skills to assist users efficiently and effectively to access information in contexts such as libraries, museums, records management … |
Get help choosing courses
If you need help choosing courses, or you’re not sure how to fit these courses into your chosen programme of study, contact us.
If you're a new student
You can get help from a Kaitawaka Māori and the Future Students team.
If you're a Māori student
You can get advice from your Āwhina—Māori Student Support team.