This certificate is designed to be taken part-time by busy teachers and other professionals with an education focus in their work. Complete just two courses to gain your first postgraduate qualification. A broad range of courses is available: from digital learning, mentoring, and early childhood, through to educational change, literacy, sport, health and wellbeing, second language learning and supporting Māori learners.

Flexible delivery options and learning modes are also available to meet the increasingly diverse needs of our communities. Students with a GPA of 5 or higher who wish to progress their studies can credit the postgraduate certificate courses towards a Master of Education, provided the certificate has not been awarded.

The Inclusive Education specialisation

One in four people in Aotearoa has a disability. This diversity is represented in local early childhood settings and schools. Teachers are therefore expected to have the conceptual, culturally responsive and applied knowledge base needed to teach in inclusive environments. 

In this specialisation, you’ll develop advanced knowledge and capabilities in inclusive practices to support diverse learners in educational settings. You’ll extend your research skills through an inquiry-based approach. You'll gain the skills and knowledge needed to take leading roles in professional learning, including the effective planning, coordination and management of projects.

Find out more about the Inclusive Education specialisation.

The Early Childhood specialisation

Early childhood is a growth area. It's a sector where highly qualified people are sought to progress a range of early childhood services, whether they work in early childhood centres or related services for tamariki and their whanau. These services require people with capability in complex and diverse contexts.

In this specialisation, you’ll develop advanced knowledge and capability in a range of fields, including psychology, leadership, child development, pedagogy, and contemporary global understandings of childhood. You’ll also progress your inquiry and research skills with the opportunity to complete a thesis if you choose this pathway.

Find out more about the Early Childhood specialisation.

The Literacy Education specialisation

Literacy is a life skill, a way of accessing, evaluating and generating knowledge. It's essential for participating in society and thinking critically. We use literacies to tell our stories, to learn and to convey who we are in the world. Literacy is key to valued educational outcomes.

The world is increasingly diverse, with multiple languages, modes, texts and worldviews. Multiple literacies are needed to access, develop and communicate knowledge, and to critically evaluate media and information online. Teachers at all year levels and in all learning areas or subjects are teachers of literacies.

In this specialisation, you will develop advanced critical skills, including the capability to build on and develop the diversity of literacies and learners. You will build skills for working with children and young people and for literacy leadership.

This specialisation is relevant for all teachers who want to be critical consumers of research, designers for accelerated learning and formative evaluators of effective practices and resources.

Find our more about the Literacy Education specialisation here.

You can choose two 30-point courses from a wide variety of courses in your area of interest. These range from contemporary pedagogies, Indigenous language revitalisation, and issues in literacy education, through to meeting the needs of gifted learners, social psychology of the classroom, assessment for learning and teaching, counselling and pastoral care and practitioner inquiry. This will help build your understanding and expertise in an area of interest or professional practice.