144 Tasman Road, Ōtaki, New Zealand 5512

Phone 0800 WANANGA

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. More than just educating our people, we wish to produce outstanding and sought after graduates who are Māori in the way they think, act and behave while also having the technical skills and qualifications they need to grow, inspire and uplift their whānau, hapū and iwi.


Our pioneering education framework, founded on tikanga and kaupapa tuku iho, promotes opportunities to learn about how the Māori mind conceptualised and responded to the world prior to being influenced by the language and culture of later settlers. This distinctively Māori approach to tertiary education is often the key to an individual’s academic success.


Many of our students have struggled within the confines of mainstream education but have thrived in the uniquely Māori environment provided at Te Wānanga o Raukawa. Compulsory te reo and hapū & iwi development components are a feature of every programme, from diploma upwards, ensuring all our graduates have a level of fluency in te reo and a critical understanding of tikanga Māori as it applies to their own hapū and iwi.

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 doctoral Māori students.


In fact, more of our students are studying at diploma level or higher than at any other Wānanga with around 70% of our teaching delivered at Level 5 or above.


Further testament to our commitment to higher level learning is our established publishing arm Te Tākupu. Te Tākupu promotes a unique opportunity to support our students in making valued and significant contributions to the progression of mātauranga Māori by increasing the body of Māori-authored works.


Our intention is to support you in pursuing a higher level of education so you graduate with a respected qualification that will present many career pathways and enable you to make a meaningful contribution to the development of not only you as an individual, but also your whānau, hapū and iwi.


Removing Barriers

We're making study accessible

Have you always dreamed of getting a degree or completing your masters but can’t because of family commitments or a full time job? Te Wānanga o Raukawa is the place for you.


We offer a range of flexible learning options to achieve your academic aspirations. Delivered from the main campus in Ōtaki and a number of satellite locations throughout Aotearoa, our comprehensive distance learning programmes are complemented by unique Māori ‘noho’ style residential stays.


The ‘noho’ approach frees you up from having to physically attend classes on a daily basis, so you can carry on with normal life while working towards your qualification and new career. The ethos of whanaungatanga is at the heart of every residential noho where the aim is to provide a comfortable, safe and nurturing environment that supports a distinctively Māori way of learning.


Our blended learning model means you have access to course resources and tutors online. Studying from home or work is achievable and well supported in between noho deliveries.  The majority of noho are delivered over weekends and are a combination of face to face or online ensuring you can prioritise what matters most.


Being a single parent is no barrier if you are studying at the main Ōtaki campus thanks to He Iti Nā Mōtai, our vibrant kaupapa Māori on-site early childhood care and education centre. Book in and bring your under 5s to noho and while you are in class, they too will be in a stimulating environment surrounded by te reo, kaupapa and professionally qualified teaching staff. He Iti Nā Mōtai is available during weekdays only, pre-bookings are essential.


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.


Over 40 years later and still driven by visionary leadership, Te Wānanga o Raukawa remains committed to being a centre of innovation and higher learning that contributes to the survival and well being of Māori.


While other providers focus on educating Māori through primarily mainstream structures, we are unwavering in our intention to pioneer the development and delivery of Māori education in a uniquely, and traditionally, Māori way.


With a growing list of field-leading alumni and staff, Te Wānanga o Raukawa has continued to develop a strong academic environment that is authentically Māori.


Be part of that pioneering heritage and achieve your own goals at Te Wānanga o Raukawa.

Our Qualifications

experience our wānanga

He mihi ki ngā ākonga me ngā pūkenga o te Heke/Poutuarongo Reo tohu, Digi Aotearoa, ngā kaumātua, rātou ko ngā whānau whānui o tō tātou Wānanga. Learn the kupu to this waiata on the Digi Aotearoa Youtube page and kōrero Māori i te ao, i te pō!

Share by: