New Zealand Certificate in Apiculture (Level 3)

The New Zealand Certificate in Apiculture (Level 3) is a Te Pūkenga unified programme, redesigned to be portable, consistent and aligned with the business industry's needs while keeping your success and well-being at heart.

Learn More.

Open Entry to persons capable of the 'additional requirements'.

Additional requirements

Ākonga (students) must be physically capable of meeting the demands of the programme. Any medical conditions that may affect the ability of ākonga to participate must be disclosed at the time of application, and the delegated authority must be able to provide assurance concerning health and safety.

English language requirements

All applicants (international and domestic) for whom English or te reo Māori is not a first language need to provide evidence that they have the English language proficiency required for the programme.

International applicants are required to have an IELTS (general or academic) score of 5 with no individual band lower than five from one test taken in the preceding two years or an equivalent as described in the NZQA English Language Rules(external link).

This blended delivery will include reading textbooks, online modules, and two block course deliveries per month, over eight months.

Marlborough Campus delivery

• Two Saturdays per month, 9am - 5pm daily

Richmond Campus delivery

• Two Sundays per month, 9am - 5pm daily

This programme will involve

• 12 assessments, a mixture of theory and practical
• A one-day, industry-recognised bee disease workshop, including a short test to complete at end of the workshop
• Reading three provided textbooks
• The completion of a logbook documenting fieldwork undertaken
• 5-10 additional hours per week for extra reading (online and books), undertaking assessments and doing practical work on your own beehives/course hives.

You will need to have access to a computer and the internet.

Course material will be made available online through Moodle, our education online platform.

Meetings, theory classes, and assignments may be carried out online via Microsoft Teams.  

Each Apiculture tutor will develop their own course timetable and will supply you with the appropriate information. This information will include the dates of each workshop, their content, and what will be assessed.

All students will undertake the following topics

• Bee behaviour and life cycle
• Suitable bee forage plants
• Beekeeping equipment
• Building a beehive
• How to feed bees
• Beehive products
• Manipulating beehives, including swarm control and dividing hives
• Re-queening beehives
• Harvesting and extracting honey
• Identifying and managing pests and diseases
• Shifting beehives
• Wintering beehives

At the end of this programme, you will have the knowledge and skills to manage your own beehives throughout a beekeeping season.

The New Zealand Certificate in Apiculture (Level 3) can also be completed through an apprenticeship scheme.

You will need to purchase

• your own Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), which includes a beekeeping suit (overalls and veil), gloves, smoker, and hive tool (approximately $250)
• a nucleus of four frames of bees, honey, and a queen bee (approximately $250)

It is preferable that you wear steel-capped boots or gumboots.

You will be supplied, free of charge

• three textbooks (worth $130)
• an industry-recognised American Foulbrood disease recognition course (worth $100)
• the woodware to build your own beehive 

Please note

At the end of this programme, you will own a fully functioning beehive and be able to manage this at a location that suits your needs.

As this programme is part-time, students are not eligible for student loans or allowances to cover course-related or living costs.