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11734 New Zealand Certificate in Apiculture (Level 3) - ONLINE - SIT2LRN Distance Learning

Qualification: Certificate
Level: 3
Dates:

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

Duration:

Part-time over 36 weeks or up to two years

Location:
Credits: 65

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:

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.

Ðãɫֱ²¥ 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. 

Course Content

AGRI3201

Bee Keeping Fundamentals – 15 Credits

AGRI3202

Manipulating Beehives – 20 Credits

Learning Outcomes:

  • Describe bee biology and identify the link between whenua, plants and bees, to support beekeeping operations.
  • Identify regulations, protective safety equipment requirements, and materials for beehive inspection and construction.  
  • Construct and maintain boxes and frames used in beekeeping.

Learning Outcomes:

  • Manipulate beehives to maximise honey production or pollination.  
  • Manage hives safely throughout the seasons to optimise honey production or pollination.
  • Operate safe harvesting, transport and extraction of honey.

Unit Standards:

  • 30798   Demonstrate knowledge of bees, the bee life cycle and adult bee behaviour patterns.
  • 30843   Identify and describe beehive construction equipment, and construct and repair beehives.
  • 30788   Demonstrate knowledge of plants that provide feed for bees and harvest declarations.

Unit Standards:

  • 30785   Describe re-queening and re-queen a beehive.
  • 30799   Describe swarming and methods for swarm control, control a swarm, and unite and divide beehives.
  • 30792   Carry out honey harvesting.
  • 25894   Extract honey.
  • 30784   Describe and carry out wintering down of beehives.
  • 19892   Describe beehive transport requirements, and transport and establish beehives on site.

AGRI3203

Beehive Disease Management Planning – 15 Credits

AGRI3204

Beehive Disease Management Control – 15 Credits

Learning Outcomes:

  • Implement a disease management plan to control common pests and diseases over an apiculture season.
  • Apply procedures and practices to safely manage pests and diseases over an apiculture season.
  • Record and review implementation of a pest and disease management plan over an apiculture season.

Learning Outcomes:

  • Describe the management of common pests and diseases relevant to managing beehives over an apiculture season.
  • Apply knowledge to monitor beehive health and feed requirements to inform bee feeding.
  • Ðãɫֱ²¥ must pass the American Foulbrood disease training course.

Unit Standards:

  • 30795   Carry out an apiary pest and disease management plan over an apiculture season.

Unit Standards:

  • 30789   Describe American foulbrood, varroa mite, and other bee pests and diseases found in New Zealand.
  • 30790   Assess beehive health, monitor beehive feed requirements, and feed bees.

 

Fees

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

International Fees can be found here.

 

Career Opportunities

Could include:

Application Criteria

Ðãɫֱ²¥ who apply must be prepared to purchase the following directly from supplier. Details to be emailed to students once enrolled:

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:

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:

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

Additional Information

This course is delivered online. Ðãɫֱ²¥ 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.

Satisfactory Completion

Ðãɫֱ²¥ 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).

Textbooks

The following three textbooks are NOT included in the Direct Material Cost:
Ðãɫֱ²¥ 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.