New Zealand Certificate in Apiculture (Level 3)

Want to learn more about beekeeping? Apiculture is one of New Zealand's fastest growing industries and there is such high demand for this skill that it is listed on Immigration NZ's Immediate Skills Shortage List. 

Graduates of this new programme will be able to work as an assistant beekeeper for commercial operators, as an independent beekeeper with a small number of beehives or even develop their own business. Alternatively, they will be able to pathway into Level 4 Apiculture training (either as a Leading Hand or specialising in queen bee rearing). 

There is international demand for manuka honey and other beehive products and, during this programme, you will gain the knowledge, skills and confidence to manage your own beehives and be exposed to commercial apiarists in your local area. You will also have the opportunity to complete an American Foulbrood (AFB) disease recognition course as part of this Certificate. 

Entry requirements  

• Open entry.
• If English is not your first language, you must provide:
  • New Zealand University Entrance OR
  • Overall Academic IELTS 5.0 with no individual band score lower than 5.0 (achieved in one test completed in the last two years), OR
  • Acceptable alternative evidence of the required IELTS (see here for NZQA proficiency table and here for list of recognised proficiency tests).

If you need to improve your English Language skills, we offer a wide range of English programmes.

Pathways into this programme 

• New Zealand Certificate in Primary Industry Skills (Level 2)
• On job training for those employed in the Apiculture industry   

Recognition of prior learning 

Students who have previously completed unit standards in Apiculture at Level 3 may be able to claim recognition of prior learning to exempt themselves from completing the equivalent learning on this programme provided these units appear on their student Record of Learning.

Your workload 

This programme will involve: 

• two weekend days per month (from 9.00am-5.00pm each day) for eight months
• 12 assessments (a mixture of theory and practical)
• a one-day, industry-recognised bee disease workshop (short test to complete at end of workshop) 
• reading three text books that we provide you with (see details of books below) 
• the completion of a logbook documenting field work 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 study 

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. There are no electives within this programme and all students undertake the following topics of learning: 

• 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.

Further study options 

Graduates of this programme can further their learning with:

• New Zealand Certificate in Apiculture (Queen Bee Rearing) - 45 credits  

These courses can be completed on a part-time basis. Or, for those employed in the Apiculture industry full-time, the New Zealand Certificate in Apiculture (Level 3) and (Level 4) can be completed through an apprenticeship scheme. 

Additional costs  

• 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).
• It is preferable that you wear steel-capped boots or gumboots.
• You will be supplied, free of charge, with the woodware to build your own beehive and will then be required to purchase a nucleus of four frames of bees, honey and a queen bee for approximately $250. 
• You will be supplied, free of charge, with three textbooks (worth $130) and an industry-recognised American Foulbrood disease recognition course (worth $100). 
• 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).   

Please note:

1. 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.
2. As this programme is part-time, students are not eligible for student loans or allowances to cover course-related or living costs.