heke kawa oranga
diploma in health promotion, sport and exercise sciences
Combine your love of physical activity (sports, fitness, outdoor pursuits) with the theory of healthy lifestyle choices grounded in a tikanga Māori health and wellness frameworks.
Heke Kawa Oranga introduces students to the core principles of exercise, nutrition, sport, fitness, and health promotion. The programme blends practical physical activities with theoretical learning to build a strong foundation of knowledge. Activities such as exercise prescription, taonga takaro, and sports are complemented by studies in nutrition, health promotion, outdoor safety and management, and injury prevention.
This action-packed tohu is grounded in tikanga Māori wellness frameworks and enriched by iwi, hapū, and te reo Māori studies. It aims to support and uplift the health and wellbeing of Māori whānau. Heke Kawa Oranga also serves as a practical entry point into careers in sport, health promotion, exercise instruction and programming, and forms the first year of the Poutuarongo Kawa Oranga degree.
TE REO AND IWI AND HAPŪ STUDIES
Throughout the year, you will participate in weekly tutorials and activities in Te Reo Māori via our online platform, Mūrau. These sessions will prepare you to attend two immersive six-day hui rumaki reo held on campus at the end of each semester. As you progress, you’ll discover the deep value and mana that our language brings.
You will also complete two papers in
Iwi and Hapū studies, which are often among the most rewarding aspects of the programme as these courses provide meaningful opportunities to discover more about your own whakapapa. Delivered online with strong support, the weekly activities and assignments you complete will become taonga for your whānau, marae, hapū, and iwi for years to come.
Code:
HKO
Credits:
120
Duration:
1 year
Level:
NZQA Level 5
Delivery:
Residential seminars, self directed learning and online delivery
Location:
Mode:
Bilingual (Māori/English)
Next Intake:
16 Feb - 25 Oct 2026
Tuition Fees:
$3,917.50 (approximately)
Entry Requirements:
Minimum age of 17 years. Being physically fit is an advantage for this qualification. Regular internet access, email address and computer, laptop, tablet or other suitable mobile device is required.
Curriculum
Marautanga
Year One
Calendar
Maramataka
Please contact your course administrator (kawa.oranga@twor-otaki.ac.nz) for more details
After Graduation
Ka puta te ihu
- Whānau, Hapū and Iwi Health Promoters
- Youth and Community Workers
why te wānanga o raukawa
Distinctively Māori
Te Wānanga o Raukawa is a unique centre for higher learning and development, dedicated to the dissemination of Māori knowledge.
Higher Level Māori Learning
With a strong wish to see Māori achieving at the highest levels of education, Te Wānanga o Raukawa has positioned itself to cater specifically to higher level undergraduate, graduate and post graduate Māori students.
Pioneering Māori Education
Te Wānanga o Raukawa was established in 1981 as the first contemporary wānanga of Aotearoa, pioneering the application of kaupapa, tikanga, kawa to the advancement of Māori within a contemporary education context.
