Generative AI courses in New Zealand
Square1 Ai is an online school, registered in Sri Lanka. It runs six live generative AI bootcamps (Gen AI, Agentic AI, RAG and Search Engineering, Voice AI Agents, LLM Evals and Reliability and Fine-Tuning and Open-Weights), each twelve weeks on Zoom with one instructor and 10 projects you keep, for NZ$249; self-paced courses start at NZ$49. New Zealand students join the Australian cohorts: weekday evenings from 8:30 PM New Zealand time (6:30 PM in Sydney), with full-day sessions at weekends.
Founding price, half the NZ$499 standard, until 1 December. Self-paced courses from NZ$49.
The Gen AI Bootcamp handbook
The twelve weeks, the 10 projects and what the roles pay, in one PDF. Free: tell us where to send it.
What AI roles pay in New Zealand
Annual base salary in New Zealand, from Payscale (read 29 October 2026). The range is the middle half of reported salaries, and each row shows how many salary profiles it rests on.
| Role | Median a year | Middle half | Train for it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senior software engineerPayscale113 salary profiles | NZ$123,300 | NZ$108,900 to NZ$139,300 | Claude Code for Engineering, Codex for Software Engineering |
| Software engineerPayscale192 salary profiles | NZ$84,600 | NZ$71,700 to NZ$105,200 | Software Engineering with AI, Claude Code for Engineering, Codex for Software Engineering |
| Data engineerPayscale47 salary profiles | NZ$83,400 | NZ$70,500 to NZ$107,400 | Data Engineering with AI |
| Data scientistPayscale35 salary profiles | NZ$83,200 | NZ$67,200 to NZ$119,300 | Data Science |
Salaries are what employers in New Zealand report paying, not what Square1 Ai students earn: the first cohorts have not graduated.
Bootcamps that fit a working week in New Zealand.
Twelve weeks each, weekday evenings and weekend days, 25 spots a cohort. Reserving a seat holds the founding price.
Generative AI courses in New Zealand, side by side
Generative AI courses you can take in New Zealand in 2026, with their length, how they are taught and the fee each provider lists.
| Course | Length | How it is taught | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Introduction to Generative AI micro-credentialOpen Polytechnic | 8 weeks, about 5 hours a week | Self-paced online | NZ$104 domestic (GST not stated) |
| Leveraging Generative AI for Organisational EffectivenessQueenstown Resort College | 5 weeks | Two days in person, then online | NZ$320 domestic (GST not stated) |
| Live generative AI bootcamps (6 tracks)Square1 Ai | 12 weeks, about 15 hours a week | Live online, weekday evenings from 8:30 PM NZ time and weekend days | NZ$249 (founding price) |
Fees and lengths as each provider lists them on its own site, checked 29 October 2026. Ask the provider for the current intake before you pay.
Four ways into generative AI in New Zealand
Each fits a different person. The right one depends on whether you need a degree, a university name, a free start or a portfolio.
- Route 1
A degree or master's
Fits when You want a formal qualification in generative AI, or the theory in depth.
Watch for Years of study and a large fee; check how much of it uses the tools teams work with now.
- Route 2
A university or institute short course
Fits when You want a known name on a short generative AI course, online or on campus.
Watch for Most are a few weeks and teach concepts; ask whether you build and deploy something.
- Route 3
A free or funded programme
Fits when You want to try generative AI before paying for anything.
Watch for Good for basics; nobody reviews your work, so you still need projects to show.
- Route 4
A live online bootcamp
Fits when You are working and want a job-shaped portfolio in twelve weeks, taught live on New Zealand time.
Watch for Square1 Ai's bootcamps are new and not accredited: the first cohorts have not graduated, so there is no placement rate yet.
Questions people in New Zealand ask about generative AI
Which generative AI course is best in New Zealand?
It depends on what you need. Open Polytechnic's Introduction to Generative AI micro-credential lists NZ$104 domestic (GST not stated) and Queenstown Resort College's Leveraging Generative AI for Organisational Effectiveness lists NZ$320 domestic (GST not stated); the table above lists each one's length and fee. If you are working and want a portfolio an employer can check, Square1 Ai's twelve-week live bootcamps are NZ$249 at the founding price.
How much does a generative AI course cost in New Zealand?
A Square1 Ai live generative AI bootcamp is NZ$249, the founding price until 1 December (the standard price is NZ$499), and a self-paced course is NZ$49. Other providers' fees are in the table above.
What does a data engineer earn in New Zealand?
Payscale puts the median base salary for a data engineer in New Zealand at NZ$83,400 a year, with the middle half between NZ$70,500 and NZ$107,400, from 47 salary profiles.
What is the difference between generative AI and agentic AI?
Generative AI produces text, images or code from a prompt. Agentic AI puts a model in a loop with tools, so it can plan, call APIs, check its own work and finish a task. The Gen AI bootcamp starts with the first; the Agentic AI bootcamp is about the second.
Can I learn generative AI online in New Zealand while working full time?
Yes. New Zealand students join the Australian cohorts: weekday evenings from 8:30 PM New Zealand time (6:30 PM in Sydney), with full-day sessions at weekends. The work between sessions is graded by Nova, Square1 Ai's AI tutor, whenever you submit it. Plan for about fifteen hours a week across the twelve weeks.
Is it NZQA approved, and do Fees Free or StudyLink cover it?
No. Square1 Ai is not an NZQA-registered provider and its bootcamps are not NZQA-approved qualifications, so Fees Free, StudyLink loans and allowances do not apply. You leave with 10 deployed projects and a recorded defence of your work.
Does the bootcamp guarantee a job?
No. No placement rate is published because the first cohorts have not graduated. You leave with 10 projects an employer can open and run, a recorded defence of your work, and a hiring plan worked through with your instructor.
How do I pay?
Reserving a seat is free and takes your name, email and country. Nothing is charged until the start date is confirmed and you say yes.
25 spots a cohort. Hold one on New Zealand time.
Pick a bootcamp, reserve with your name and email, and hear the start date first. Nothing is charged until you confirm.