| Qualification: | Certificate |
| Level: | 3 |
| Dates: | 2026 Intake 1: 26 January to 22 May - Applications Close 19 January 2026 2026 Intake 2: 16 March to 10 July - Applications Close 09 March 2026 2026 Intake 3: 08 June to 02 October - Applications Close 01 June 2026 2026 Intake 4: 27 July to 20 November - Applications Close 20 July 2026 |
| Duration: | 17 weeks full-time Up to two years part-time Intakes are 17 weeks long |
| Location: | |
| Credits: | 50 |
Learn about the factors influencing organic production, the biotic interactions which occur in organic production ecosystems, soil and ground preparation for organic production, and how to control for weeds, animal pest, and disease in an organic production activity.
The aims of the qualification are as follows:
All papers are compulsory
| ENVI3201 | Organic Production
Credits: 10 | Aim | The aim of this course is to develop the knowledge, skills, and attributes to apply organic principles, certification and organic compliance requirements. |
| LO1 | Describe the principles of organic production. | ||
| LO2 | Describe organic certification available in Aotearoa, New Zealand | ||
| LO3 | Apply inputs for a crop in an integrated organic production system. | ||
| ENVI3202 | Organic System Health
Credits: 15 | Aim | The aim of this course is to develop the knowledge, skills, and attributes to carry out system health activities. |
| LO1 | Describe management techniques for common pests, diseases, disorders and weeds found in an organic production system. | ||
| LO2 | Apply integrated pest management techniques to an organic production system. | ||
| ENVI3203 | Soils and Composting
Credits: 15 | Aim | The aim of this course is to develop the knowledge, skills, and attributes to understand basic soil properties and apply processes for soil health in an organic system. |
| LO1 | Describe soil properties and processes relevant to organic production. | ||
| LO2 | Describe soil management techniques in organic production. | ||
| LO3 | Apply soil amendments to support soil health in organic production. | ||
| ENVI3204 | Biodiversity in Organic Production
Credits: 10 | Aim | The aim of this course is to develop the knowledge, skills, and attributes to understand and carry out biodiversity improvement practices. |
| LO1 | Describe the methods and benefits of improving biodiversity in an organic production system. | ||
| LO2 | Support and enhance biodiversity in an organic production site. |
ÐÇ¿ÕÌìÃÀMVÊÓƵ²¥·ÅZero Fees Scheme
International Fees
$100 per credit
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At the successful completion of this programme, students will have the required competencies to function successfully and effectively at entry levels within the horticulture sector. Graduates of this qualification may be employed, or self-employed as an:
School Leavers
Applicants should be a minimum of 16 years of age, and have attained NCEA Level 2 as follows:
Mature Applicants
Applicants over the age of 20 years at time of enrolment will be considered where they can demonstrate the ability to succeed in a programme. Examples of demonstration of ability to succeed are the provision of evidence of successful completion of a programme of study at Level 2 or above and/or employment in the related sector for one or more years. They may be admitted subject to programme regulations approved by the Head of Faculty in consultation with the Programme Manager as appropriate. Personal commitment and a belief in one’s own ability to succeed are important personal traits and will always be taken into consideration during the selection process.
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),or Trinity 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
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 IESOL (LRWS) with PASS and no less than PASS in each skill
Trinity ISE - ISE I with no less than distinction in any band
* New versions of some NZCEL qualifications, and in some cases new qualifications, were published on 13 June 2017. These are intended to replace pre-existing versions and qualifications, which have been given expiring status until discontinued on 31 December 2019. (a) denotes expiring (b) denotes current
All SIT2LRN courses require you to have a computer and internet access. Students are required to use their ÐÇ¿ÕÌìÃÀMVÊÓƵ²¥·Åwebmail only for all SIT2LRN communications. All course materials and information, including assessments and due dates, are located on the online Blackboard system. Once you have been accepted into a programme you will receive an Important Information Booklet that includes information that you can use to familiarise yourself with our online Blackboard learning environment. From the intake start date you will have access to the online course materials to work through.
Facilitator Assistance: During the enrolled intake period, students have email access to Facilitators, who endeavour to respond to emails within 48 hours (week days only). All students are required, within the first two weeks of an intake, to send an email to their Facilitator confirming their start on the programme of study. Students who have not emailed their facilitator or embarked upon their course of study by the end of the 2nd week of an intake, will be Faculty Withdrawn from the programme. Such withdrawals may impact on future access to ÐÇ¿ÕÌìÃÀMVÊÓƵ²¥·ÅZero Fees Scheme and Student Direct Material Costs are still liable for payment.
All students will get an official academic transcript on successful completion of their programme of study which will be posted or given at Graduation. After each intake is finished, it is suggested that students check their results on .
We recommend students new to SIT2LRN read through the Frequently Asked Questions section of our website for further study and enrolment information.
Please use the following checklist to ensure that all relevant information and documentation has been included. Remember, your application will be assessed based on the information that you provide us with. Processing of your application will be delayed if we need to come back to you for missing information.
What is the Zero Fees Scheme?
The Zero Fees Scheme means we do not charge tuition fees. However, there is a Student Direct Material Cost that you need to pay. The administration fee is for processing your application and the Student Direct Material Cost gives you secure access to Blackboard® our online learning environment and to student support services throughout your study with us.
Who qualifies for the Zero Fees Scheme?
Instructions to help you with your application:
If you are a new student …
Attach supporting documents as required and outlined on the previous page.
What happens next?
To satisfactorily complete the New Zealand Certificate in Organic Primary Production (Level 3), and be awarded this qualification the student must successfully achieve:
Please Note: Students failing to engage in study as per programme requirements may forfeit Zero Fees entitlement.
Important: To successfully complete this paper, students need to achieve an overall mark of at least 50%, achieving no less than 35% for each individual assessment. All assessments must be attempted.
Access to a site/farm/crop/livestock/pasture is recommended in undertaking the practical components of the course. Hence, consider this when selecting your paper/s.
Assessments are varied, and include practical activities, short paragraph questions, reports, multichoice tests, etc.
Important: To successfully complete this paper, students need to achieve an overall mark of at least 50%, achieving no less than 35% for each individual assessment. All assessments must be attempted.
For more information on required and recommended textbooks for this course please refer to the textbook list here.