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New Zealand Laboratory Education Water Sampling Certification (Micro-credential)
This programme can be taken from anywhere in New Zealand with our distance delivery which participants say is more personal than much in-person delivery.
Credits
31
Level
4
Who for
This programme is primarily for people who plan to collect (or continue collecting) water samples for laboratory analysis.
Fees

There are three fee statuses.  Click here for details.FeeTypes

NZ domestic: Currently no fees due to generous support through the Tertiary Education Commission.  Without that support, the fee would be over $1860.

International: $4910

Global: Click here for details.

We lend

We lend the following to participants for pre-placement practical work without any extra charge.  We pay the courier charges when the items are sent to the participant, and when the participant returns the items.

  • water clarity tube,
  • pH meter,
  • dissolved oxygen meter, 
  • anemometer, and
  • sundry equipment  

(We also supply disposable items for practical work without charge.)

If needed, we can lend a laptop and/or a portable device to record field work.

Indicative content

Representative sampling

Contamination prevention

Preservation

Storage

Transportation

Types of water to be sampled

Influence of analytical purpose

Safety

Water sampling practices responsive to Māori cultures

Standards for water sampling

Sample reception

Sample registration

Sub-sampling

Client sampling

Water clarity measurement

Equipment care

Weather and related data

pH measurement

Dissolved oxygen measurement

Wet chemistry assays

Recording data

Learning outcome(s)

People successfully completing this programme will be able to...

...perform water sampling at a proficiency required for professional work.

...perform measurements at water sampling sites at a proficiency required for professional work.

...care for sampling and measurement equipment.

...select and utilise appropriate water sampling standards.

...plan and execute water sampling work safely.

Assessment types

For an explanation about the nature of the following assessments please click here.

Practical observation

Slide show session

Field reporting

Assignment

Verbal follow-up

Attestation

Entry requirements
  • NCEA Level 2 (or equivalent) or recommendation by a professional laboratory, and
  • demonstration of understanding of the micro-credential, and general suitability for the study through Real World Education's pre-entry process.

We strongly recommend that participants have a full New Zealand driver’s license (or be close to having one), since employment opportunities as a sampler will be very limited without that. We also recommend (less strongly) that participants be able to drive vehicles with manual transmissions or have a plan to learn that soon, since inability to drive manual vehicles will significantly limit employment options.

Intakes

All 2025 intakes for this programme are full.  If you have an urgent need to take this programme, please apply with the intake code 4001-ASAP.  If you are accepted, we will put you on a waiting list to replace someone who withdraws.

The programme can be completed much more quickly if done full time.

Intake 4001-6C Starts 02 Feb 2026 and has a recommended completion before 06 Sep 2026
Intake 4001-6E Starts 02 Mar 2026 and has a recommended completion before 04 Oct 2026
Intake 4001-6H Starts 13 Apr 2026 and has a recommended completion before 15 Nov 2026
Intake 4001-6J Starts 04 May 2026 and has a recommended completion before 06 Dec 2026
Intake 4001-6L Starts 08 Jun 2026 and has a recommended completion before 10 Jan 2027
Intake 4001-6N Starts 06 Jul 2026 and has a recommended completion before 07 Feb 2027
Intake 4001-6P Starts 03 Aug 2026 and has a recommended completion before 07 Mar 2027
Intake 4001-6R Starts 07 Sep 2026 and has a recommended completion before 11 Apr 2027
Intake 4001-6T Starts 05 Oct 2026 and has a recommended completion before 09 May 2027
Intake 4001-6V Starts 02 Nov 2026 and has a recommended completion before 06 Jun 2027
Intake 4001-6X Starts 07 Dec 2026 and has a recommended completion before 11 Jul 2027
 

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