Postgraduate Study in Māori Studies

Looking to the past for your future.

Māori Studies is an entry point for students wishing to engage with knowledge about the Māori world. It is a broad programme dedicated to the study of te reo Māori (Māori language), tikanga Māori (Māori customary lore) and aspects of te ao Māori (the Māori world).

Māori society is not static. Engaging in these three areas together enables you to enter this world and provides you with the foundations to analyse how this body of knowledge can be applied in today’s ever-changing world.

Why study Māori Studies?

Māori Studies will provide you with an enhanced knowledge and understanding of the Māori language, Māori customary lore and the Māori world. This knowledge and understanding may be integrated with other studies or professional areas such as business, education, health, law, management, the media, public administration and social work.

Government ministries, businesses, social agencies and educational institutions in New Zealand recognise the need for employees with such knowledge and skills. Excellent employment prospects await graduates with knowledge of issues affecting Māori and other peoples in New Zealand.

The Māori Studies programme will equip students with a wide range of skills giving graduates:

• A high level of fluency in the Māori language
• An understanding of contemporary Māori issues combined with an understanding of, for example, history, cultural expression and environmental concerns
• An awareness of ethical issues in relation to Māori in the context of past and present practices, and society and culture
• Skills in intercultural communication
• Research skills
• Analytical thinking
• Communication skills
• Team work
• Independent judgement
• An ability to relate to people from a wide range of backgrounds

Māori Studies encourages you to explore the connectivity between different disciplines so as to enable indigenous communities to determine their own future.

Graduates develop a multidisciplinary, culturally inflected understanding of contemporary Māori concepts and issues, including the use of cooperation rather than competition, listening as well as communicating with others, and respecting differences.

Are you just starting uni?

Learn about studying Māori Studies as an undergraduate at Otago.

Contacts

Te Tumu, School of Māori, Pacific and Indigenous Studies
Email  maori-studies@otago.ac.nz
Web  otago.ac.nz/tetumu

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