Bachelor of Arts Honours

The Bachelor of Arts (General Studies) is a general undergraduate qualification in the Humanities which aims to equip learners with the following abilities:

• To be critically and socially literate.
• To be generators of social knowledge.
• To be active and comfortable life-long learners.

It does so by providing learners with a broad foundation in the Human sciences. This general orientation does not, however, preclude vocational preparation.

The qualification (develop the generic abilities outlined above, though in each case with a specialised knowledge of the discipline in which the qualification has been taken and, consequently, a more specialised set of abilities which will equip the learner for higher levels of employment in relevant areas.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

The institution conducts RPL in terms of the policy and guidelines of the institution to recognise other forms of formal, informal and non-formal learning and experience. In cases where learners do not comply with the formal admission requirements, the institution applies its RPL policy.

Entry Requirements

The minimum entry requirement for this qualification is

• Bachelor of Arts, NQF Level 7.

1. Analyse the cultural texts they are likely to find in their environment.
2. Situate current public issues and problems in a historical and cultural context.
3. Cultivate social empathy and community awareness.
4. Evaluate cultural texts, both appreciatively and critically.
5. Developed skills in gathering relevant information; researching, analysing and assembling both empirical and conceptual data.
6. Generating coherent, well-informed and well-written texts.
7. Active and skilled lifelong learners.
8. Adapt successfully to a wide range of careers and work situations.
9. Engage successfully with vocational requirements as they develop throughout their working life.

The following associated assessment criteria apply across all Exit Level Outcomes

• Evidence of critical insight into the culture.
• An in-depth and critical understanding of key concepts in their disciplinary and vocational areas of interest.
• Compare, contrast and critique critical readings in their various courses.
• Read, understand and analyse text.
• Produce extended and coherent academic discourse in the form of academic essays and other texts.
• Collect data for small-scale research projects and to collate and analyse it and to produce reports.
• Formulate ongoing learning goals for themselves and strategies to achieve them.

Integrated Assessment

Integrated Assessment is appropriately incorporated to ensure that the purpose of the qualification is achieved

Modules in the qualification are independently assessed in both formative ways (through classwork, tests, essays, other written work and, where appropriate, practical exercises) and summative ways (written, oral and practical examinations). In some cases, journals, oral presentations and portfolios of work provide additional forms of assessment.

In the undergraduate qualification, the final assessment will be done in two ways

• The overall tabulation of the results obtained during the qualification will show that the qualified learner has achieved the required outcome competencies of the qualification.
• A defined portfolio which the learner will assemble during the last two semesters of study and present at the end of their studies. This portfolio will be designed to assess learner's competence across a range of relevant tasks and will include both further exploration of related issues and critical reflection on the educational qualification in which they have participated.