Postgraduate Certificate in Tertiary Teaching and Learning - PGCert(TertiaryT&L)
The programme empowers educators to address diverse needs of tertiary learners. It emphasises collaboration between staff and students in an encouraging and reflective learning environment.
About
The University of Waikato’s Postgraduate Certificate in Tertiary Teaching & Learning (PGCert(TertiaryT&L)) programme empowers tertiary educators to address the diverse needs of tertiary learners. The programme emphasises inclusive and culturally responsive collaboration between staff and students in a safe, encouraging and reflective learning environment. Join this flexible, research-informed programme to approach your university role with confidence and purpose.
For further details on the PGCert(TertiaryT&L), please contact the Programme Administrator lissa.smith@waikato.ac.nz
**Please note that this programme is undergoing a review and will not be offered in this format from 2027.
Overview
The University of Waikato’s PGCert(TertiaryT&L) programme is a recognised qualification designed for those working in tertiary education contexts across universities, polytechnics, wānanga, and other tertiary institutions who wish to enhance their teaching practice. It is relevant to early-career academics seeking a formal teaching qualification, academic support staff aiming to address the diverse needs of tertiary learners, as well as experienced staff looking to deepen their pedagogical expertise. The programme is open to participants from all disciplinary and professional backgrounds, including lecturers, tutors, learning advisors, and academic developers. The papers foster inclusive and culturally sensitive collaborations, reflective learning environments, and student-centred approaches to tertiary teaching and learning.
The PGCert(Tertiary T&L) is designed to foster critically reflective educators capable of designing, facilitating, and evaluating learning experiences in diverse tertiary contexts. Grounded in contemporary tertiary teaching scholarship, participants develop a deeper understanding of how students learn and how teaching practices can be adapted to support their wide range of learners. It is particularly valuable for staff committed to teaching excellence, engagement in learning and innovative assessment methods within a vibrant Aotearoa tertiary environment and beyond. Ultimately, the programme seeks to enhance professional capability and foster confidence in graduates so that they can contribute to transformative changes within their institutions.
The PGCert(Tertiary T&L) programme offers participants a comprehensive foundation in tertiary teaching and learning, integrating theoretical frameworks with practical application. Participants engage with key areas such as practice in tertiary classrooms, curriculum and course design, assessment and feedback for learning, inclusive teaching approaches and student agency, and the pedagogical potential of Māori and Pacific approaches to tertiary teaching and learning. The programme emphasises critical reflection and scholarly inquiry through participant engagement in the evaluation of their own practices, the cultivation of communities of practice through collaboration and shared experiences, and the application of innovative practices to advance excellence in their teaching and learning practice.
The PGCert(Tertiary T&L) comprises any four postgraduate-level TERTL papers of 15 credit points each, for a total of 60 credit points. Flexible study options allow participants to enrol part-time, completing the qualification over one to four years.
** Papers are offered in blended or online modes to accommodate professional commitments, and participants may also choose to take individual papers as stand-alone professional development.
Each paper is grounded in scholarly literature and encourages active engagement through critical readings, collaborative dialogue, reflective practice, and the application of theory to authentic teaching contexts. The papers emphasise critical inquiry, reflective engagement, and collegial collaboration, enabling participants to integrate their learning with their existing professional responsibilities.
All blended papers will be offered in Hamilton and Tauranga, subject to sufficient student numbers.
Entry requirements:
-
a Bachelor's degree
-
current engagement in teaching or facilitation of learning in a tertiary environment
For further details on the PGCert(TertiaryT&L), please contact the Programme Administrator: lissa.smith@waikato.ac.nz
**Please note that this programme is undergoing a review and will not be offered in this format from 2027.
2026 Trimester A
This paper equips participants with the skills to apply tertiary based theories and strategies for effectively facilitating active learning in their own practice.
Access the previous paper online.
This paper allows the participant to better identify pathways of success for Pacific learners, through an introduction to Pacific pedagogies which can be utilised to assist them to design better learning experiences for their students.
Access the previous paper outline.
2026 Trimester B
This paper provides an introduction to Kaupapa Māori as an indigenous knowledge framework, and encourages examination and evaluation of existing learning programmes in terms of bi-cultural integration.
Access the previous paper outline.
This paper enables participants to think deeply about curriculum design at both programme and course levels, informed by contemporary educational theories and models of instructional design. The paper provides opportunities for participants to confidently design, develop, and implement a course relevant to their field.
Access the previous paper outline.
2026 Trimester X
This paper enables participants to explore core concepts of teaching and learning essential in developing the required knowledge and skills for working in tertiary contexts.
Access the previous paper outline.
Drawing on cooperative education theories, this paper explores diverse models for work-integrated learning (WIL), introducing participants to the key features of WIL, and examining options for implementing WIL in a paper or programme. Participants can design learning activities relevant to WIL, as well as evaluate and assess learning, skills, and competencies associated with WIL in a variety of tertiary contexts.
Paper outline in progress.
This paper offers participants the opportunity to examine a specific area of tertiary learning and teaching, with learning outcomes and content agreed by the participant and paper convenor.
Access the previous paper outline.
Staff Fees Concession
University of Waikato staff
A staff fees concession (SFC) is available to full-time or part-time staff at University of Waikato.
Casual employees and those employed for a period of 12 months or less could be eligible for SFC if you are applying to study the Postgraduate Certificate in Tertiary Teaching and Learning. You must consult with your Line Manager to confirm your eligibility.
Please familiarise yourself with the conditions for the SFC via this web page, access the Staff Fees Concession page on Te Hononga (staff intranet).
Note that you can apply to enrol in the PGCertTERTL paper/s and the SFC concurrently.
Submit the approved SFC to HR ros.rees-gibbs@waikato.ac.nz for processing and copy the PGCertTERTL Programme Administrator, lissa.smith@waikato.ac.nz in the email.
Links to the SFC application form:
External Staff
Wintec and Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology staff members are also eligible for the SFC. You must discuss your proposed study with your Line Manager and once approved, please obtain the SFC form from your respective HR or People and Capability Team.
Please submit the approved SFC to fees@waikato.ac.nz for processing and copy the PGCertTERTL Programme Administrator, lissa.smith@waikato.ac.nz in the email.