Te Rau Puawai is one of the most successful academic support programmes in the country. Over the last 25 years it has helped more than 700 health workers into the Māori mental health workforce.
The programme is a partnership between Te Aka Whai Ora (Māori Health Authority) and Massey University. It gives bursaries and learning support to students who want to begin or complete a Massey University qualification in the areas of:
- psychology
- nursing
- rehabilitation
- social work
- social policy
- Māori health
- Māori studies
- health science.
Te Rau Puawai students can study any combination of courses in these areas. For example, a Bachelor of Social Work could also include courses in psychology, social policy, economics, human development and Māori studies. This can be at any level – undergraduate, postgraduate, or doctoral.
We expect that Te Rau Puawai students will contribute towards improving Māori mental health by gaining employment in a relevant field after graduation. To help you get there, we offer, an administrator and director, Pou ā Rongo (mentor) who all provide advice and general learning support.
How Te Rau Puawai works
Te Rau Puawai does not deliver any courses – instead, it provides you with a scholarship and learning support. You’ll get:
- contributions to cover your fees (paid directly to the university or StudyLink should you receive a student loan) and in some cases, travel costs (conditions apply)
- an Pou ā Rongo (mentor)
- individual learning and personal support
- help with course planning
- an essay writing and study skills workshop
- access to Māori community and student networks
- visits from our team to your home or workplace
- access to Te Rau Puawai whānau – a network of students from Kaitaia to Invercargill, at all levels in Māori mental health-related areas.
Students who are part of Te Rau Puawai must:
- complete their courses through Massey University
- attend classes, contact workshops and exams
- attend Te Rau Puawai conferences and seminars
- maintain regular contact with the Te Rau Puawai support team
- focus their studies and employment in the area of Māori mental health
- tell Te Rau Puawai staff and lecturers about any challenges that may affect their study progress
- display leadership and act as role models
- create a profile for inclusion in our annual publication, Kia Ora.
Reimbursements for costs
Students who need to be reimbursed for costs related to course fees or travel will need to complete a reimbursement form (conditions apply). Reimbursement forms are available on request by emailing teraupuawai@massey.ac.nz.
Where you can study
To be part of Te Rau Puawai, you must be studying at Massey. You can study in person at one of our three campuses, or online as a distance student.
If you choose to study by distance you may need to attend on-campus course workshops once or twice a semester, for one or two days. It may also be possible to attend an on-campus course workshop at Auckland or Christchurch.
For other courses, even if attendance is voluntary, we may ask you to attend a course workshop to help you improve your academic performance.
Time commitment
You can study anything between one course per year to eight courses per year. Eight courses per year is considered a full-time study load. The average part-time study load is two to three courses per year.
Each course at Massey has a credit “value”. If a course is worth 15 credits, then you’ll need to allocate 15 hours of study per week for that course. If a course is worth 30 credits, then you should allocate 30 hours, and so on.
You’ll need to work out how much study you can take on, on top of your other commitments. If you decide to study full-time we recommend you don’t try to work full-time as well.
You can change your study load at any time – for example, you can change from part-time study to full-time, or vice versa.
Cross-credits and recognition of prior learning
If you’ve studied a similar course at another university, you may be eligible for cross-crediting. Or, if you've met the learning outcomes of a course — for example through your employment, voluntary work, community involvement or life experience — you may be eligible for recognition of prior learning.
Find out how cross crediting and recognition of prior learning works
Contact us
Contact the administration team at teraupuawai@massey.ac.nz if you have any questions about the programme, or about your studies.