New Zealand Certificate in Apiculture (Level 3) - ONLINE | SIT (Southern Institute of Technology) NZ

New Zealand Certificate in Apiculture (Level 3) - ONLINE

New Zealand Certificate in Apiculture (Level 3) - ONLINE

New Zealand Certificate in Apiculture (Level 3)

Study apiculture and develop your beekeeping skills and knowledge to be able to work safely and effectively as an assistant beekeeper or to work in the apiculture industry.

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Key Details
SIT2LRN Distance Learning
Qualification:
Certificate
Level:
3
Credits:
65
Duration:

Part-time over 36 weeks or up to two years

Study Modes:
Distance Learning
Dates:

2025 Intake 1: 01 September to 24 April - Applications Close 25 August 2025

Fees:

For 2025 intakes, this programme will be eligible for the Zero Fees Scheme.

  • Tuition Fee: $0   Check eligibility
  • Direct material Cost: $7.00 per credit (incl GST)
  • See list of equipment and books under Application Criteria below
  • The SIT Zero Fees Scheme (ZFS) is subject to NZ government policies

International Fees can be found here.

 

Get into apiculture with a certification to show your skills, knowledge and ability to work safely and productively in a beekeeping environment.

You will learn to maintain, manipulate and operate beehives to produce quality products and pollination services; assist transportation of beehives and products; establish hives in new sites and carry out beehive disease management plans.

Topics that will be covered:

  • Bees and their habitat
  • Bee Manipulation
  • Requeening 
  • Honeyflow
  • Bee and Hive health
  • Bee Feeding
You will be able to manage your own beehive, enter the apiculture industry or progress in your apiculture career with this qualification.

This course is delivered online.

Students will need to have access to at least a dozen working hives (that have been wintered) and be able to take and upload video evidence for assessment purposes. 

AGRI3201 Bee Keeping Fundamentals

AGRI3202 Manipulating Beehives

AGRI3203 Beehive Disease Management Planning

AGRI3204 Beehive Disease Management Control

Could include:

  • Commercial apicultural worker
  • Beekeeper’s assistant
  • Junior beekeeping position
  • Starting up a small apicultural business

Students who apply must be prepared to purchase the following directly from supplier. Details to be emailed to students once enrolled:

  • 1 x Bee Suit & Gloves 
  • 1 x Hive tool 
  • 1 x Smoker 
  • 1 x Base 
  • 1 x FD Box 
  • 2 x 3/4D Box 
  • 10 x FD frames 
  • 20 x 3/4D Plastic Frame 
  • 11 x Wax Foundation 
  • 1kg Beeswax 
  • 1 x Feeder 
  • 1 x Hivemat 
  • 1 x Excluder 
  • 1 x Roof 
  • 1 x Guard inc screws 
  • 1 x Emlock 
  • 1 x Nails, Screws & Wire 
  • Food for bees

Learners will need to buy a nucleaus beehive of bees when the tutor instructs this to happen.

Gear and equipment students must provide or have access to:

  • Access to a camera/phone to take photo evidence to demonstrate practical competency for assessment. Must be able to upload files to Blackboard along with personal identification
  • Access to plants and flowers (for plant collection assessment)
  • Sturdy footwear
  • Trailer or ute and tiedowns
  • Provide own transport at own cost to a venue where an AFB course this will be offered: https://afb.org.nz/beekeeping-course/

English Language Requirements

Applicants, whose first language is not English, or who come from a country where the language of instruction in schools is not English, are required to provide evidence of having achieved one of the following:

  • NCEA Level 3 with University Entrance, or
  • an International Baccalaureate Diploma or Cambridge A¬ level qualification for which the teaching and assessment was conducted in English; or 
  • Cambridge Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (CELTA),orTrinity College  London Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (CertTESOL); or
  • Successful completion of all primary education (being the equivalent of New Zealand primary school years 1 to 8) and at least three years of secondary education (being the equivalent of three years from New Zealand secondary school years 9 to 13) at schools in  either New Zealand, Australia, Canada, the Republic of Ireland, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States one of the countries listed in Rule 18.5 where the student was taught using English as the language of instruction; or
  • Successful completion of at least five years of secondary education (being the equivalent of New Zealand secondary school years 9 to 13) at schools in either New Zealand, Australia, Canada, the Republic of Ireland, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States where the student was taught using English as the language of instruction; or
  • Successful completion of a Bachelor ‘s Degree, Graduate Certificate, Graduate Diploma, Bachelor Honours degree, Postgraduate Certificate, Postgraduate Diploma, Masters’ Degree or Doctoral Degree, the language of instruction of which must be in English and which must be  from a tertiary education provider from New Zealand, Australia, Canada, the Republic of Ireland, South Africa, the United Kingdom or the United States or
  • Successful completion of one of the following internationally recognised proficiency tests listed below to the level required  of the programme of study and  with all scores achieved in a single test during the two years  preceding the proposed date of enrolment.

Certificate at Level 3

IELTS test - General or Academic score of 5 with no band score lower than 5

TOEFL Paper based test (pBT) - Score of 500 (with an essay score of 4 TWE)

TOEFL Internet based test (iBT) - Score of 35 (with a writing score of 14)

Cambridge English Examination - B2 First or B2 First for schools with a score of 154.  No less than 154 in each skill. 

OET - Minimum of Grade C or 200  in all sub-tests

NZCEL - a) Expiring Level   b) Current:

a) Level 3 (General) or (Workplace) b) Level 3 (General)

Pearson Test of English (Academic) – PTE (Academic) score of 36 with no band score lower than 36

Language Cert – B1 Achiever International ESOL Written (LRW) PASS with no less than 25/50 in each skill and Spoken (S) PASS

Trinity ISE - ISE I with no less than distinction in any band

This course is delivered online. Students will need to have access to at least a dozen working hives (that have been wintered) and be able to take and upload video evidence for assessment purposes

We strongly recommend that you also connect with a local beekeeping club/group or buddy up with a local beekeeper. 

It is your responsibility to ensure that you are taking the necessary steps and precautions to keep yourself safe while studying this programme.

Students must achieve a pass in each course and a total of 65 credits as noted in the programme of study to be awarded the New Zealand Certificate in Apiculture (Level 3).

The following three textbooks are NOT included in the Direct Material Cost:
Students will need to purchase these from the SIT bookshop or from the preferred beekeeping supplier – please get in touch with the Student Liaison by email for details. 
  • Practical Beekeeping in New Zealand – Matheson & Reid
  • Elimination of American Foulbrood Disease without the use of Drugs – Goodwin
  • Control of Varroa – A guide for New Zealand Beekeepers – Goodwin & Taylor

Please note that textbooks need to be ordered at least 3-4 weeks prior to the commencement of your study

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