Victoria University of Wellington
Master of Indigenous Studies – MIndS
Wellington, New Zealand
Master degree
DURATION
18 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
Feb 2026
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
Key Summary
Situate your knowledge of Māori and Pacific issues in the international Indigenous context with a Master of Indigenous Studies at Victoria University of Wellington.
Global perspectives in a New Zealand context
The Master of Indigenous Studies positions Māori and Pacific cultures and histories in the global context of Indigenous colonial and post-colonial experiences, cultural rights, and self-determination.
Take your undergraduate degree in Māori Studies, Pacific Studies, or Education to the next level, or get a qualification that underpins your career supporting Māori and Indigenous communities here or overseas.
Ethical, Respectful, Culturally Appropriate
You’ll learn to debate and negotiate indigenous issues in a persuasive, sophisticated, culturally appropriate, and respectful manner. Explore indigenous perspectives on sustainable development, resource management, governance, language, education, economics, or science.
Deepen your understanding of the ethical responsibilities of Indigenous research, and conceptualise and articulate your knowledge of Indigenous political and cultural relationships.
Tailoring your degree
You can choose to complete your qualification with a dissertation, a research project on a topic of your choice, or an internship Choose the strand that interests you the most, and specialise in a Māori, Pasifika or education topic.
Workload
If you are studying full-time, you can expect a workload of 40-45 hours a week for much of the year. Part-time students must do around 20-23 hours of work a week. Make sure you take this into account if you are working.
What you'll study
The 180-point Master of Indigenous Studies can be completed in one year of full-time study (three trimesters) or up to three years of part-time study time. Courses are delivered in a combination of face-to-face, block, and blended learning.
Part 1
The first part of the MIndS comprises taught courses spread over Trimesters 1 and 2.
You’ll take a core course that will give you an understanding of indigenous theories and worldviews, alongside one of three courses giving you a background in research methodologies. Choose a Māori, Pasifika or education focus for your research methodology course.
You’ll also choose two further courses from an approved list of electives, so you can specialise in the area that interests you the most.
Part 2
In part two you’ll complete your degree and explore your specialisation further, with either:
- A dissertation, or
- An internship and another course, or
- A research project and another course.
As New Zealand’s Crown–Māori relations move into a new phase, more people with a deep understanding of mātauranga Māori are needed right across the New Zealand government.
With a grounding in the political context of Aotearoa and an intimate knowledge of the common issues other Indigenous peoples face, you’ll be positioned well for opportunities in government, non-government, and diplomatic organisations—both here and overseas.
Or take your experience into the education system, and support tino rangatiratanga in New Zealand’s schools.
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