Graduation
Information for graduands
Congratulations on completing your qualification and preparing for your graduation! It's an honour to hold these special ceremonies for our graduands. Here you'll find everything you need to know, including our karakia and a mihi maiōhā.
Karakia and Mihi Maiōhā
Since March 2007, as an acknowledgement of this important relationship, Otago Polytechnic Graduation Ceremonies commence with karakia and a mihi maiōhā.
The purpose of the mihi maiōhā is to greet, in Māori, all visitors and all graduands to this place, while also acknowledging Kai Tahu’s place in the Otago Polytechnic Graduation Ceremony. A mihi maiōhā is not surrounded by the formality of powhiri and differs from mihi whakatau in that this ceremonial begins and ends with the woman’s or women’s voice through karaka (or karanga in Northern dialect).
The mihi maiōhīa will contain an element of the recitation of the landscape and our tūpuna (ancestral names within it). It will briefly welcome all those attending the graduation to the place of those ancestors and will acknowledge that it is an honour for Kai Tahu to have been invited to participate in the graduation ceremony.
Following the maiōhā there will be a waiata kī naki (song of support for the maiōhā), E tu Kahikatea sung by staff and it will end with the karaka once more to signal its closure.
Frequently asked questions
Yes - contact certificates@op.ac.nz to request a replacement. Charges may apply depending on the nature of the replacement requested.
You must notify the Graduation Team (graduation@op.ac.nz) at least five days prior to graduation if you are cancelling your order.
Cancelled orders will be fully refunded into your bank account (please provide proof of account details). The processing of refunds takes up to 10 working days.
Registration for 2022 ceremonies is not currently open. Learners completing their qualifications early in 2022 will be contacted once registration is open with information on how to register to attend a ceremony.
There is no prescribed dress code, but your graduation ceremony is a formal celebration of your achievement, and we encourage you to dress appropriately.
The gown room is located in B Block, accessible from St David Street.
Certificates are assigned a tracking number when we pack and address the courier parcel. The tracking goes live when the parcel has been received by NZPost and scanned into their system. If the tracking link in your email returns a 'No information available' notification, please be patient and try again later.
Contact us
If you’re not sure what to study and would like some guidance, we’re here to help. Feel free to chat to us directly about any questions you may have.
