Bachelor of Arts Honours in Communication Science

Apply educational knowledge, skills, principles and methods practising communication and industrial communication related professions at an advanced level within the context of profit and non-profit organisations as a General communication practitioner, Public relations officer, Advertising practitioner, Journalist, Radio announcer, Television presenter, Media practitioner, Communication consultant, Communication operational manger, Marketing communication consultant, Promotion manager and/or Media annalist and planner. Qualifiers will demonstrate knowledge, skills and applied competence in the field of study that provide opportunities for continued personal growth, gainful economic activity and rewarding contributions to society.

Learners who register for this qualification can

• Learn from predominantly written material;
• Communicate what they have learnt comprehensively in the medium of instruction
• Learn and take responsibility for their own progress

Recognition of prior learning

The qualification recognises formal and non-formal prior learning (incorporating experiential learning) at a Higher Education and Training Certificate Level 6.

The planned combination of learning outcomes are integrated with critical cross-field outcomes for this Qualification

Practical Competency

The demonstrated ability/skill to achieve the major Skills/Applied Competency of the qualification.

Foundational Competency

The demonstrated understanding, by the Learner, of the embedded knowledge that underpins the end result outcome.

Reflective Competency

The demonstrated ability/skill to integrate or connect our performances and to reflect on, evaluate and adopt the above competencies.

The Learner will be able to demonstrate the capability to

*Understand and indicate the relevance of particular fundamental aspects of communication for the different sub-disciplines (advertising, journalism, organisational, audio- and audio-visual and persuasive comm. etc.) of communication;

*Demonstrate advanced knowledge, analysis and application of processes related to a selection of the following

• Audio- and audio-visual comm. (radio, TV, film and video)
• Public relations
• Organisational communication
• Advertising
• Journalism
• Intercultural and developmental communication
• Speech communication
• Persuasive communication
• Public and political communication
• Educational communication;

*Integrate and apply advanced knowledge and multiple skills in the selected cluster of sub-disciplines in the field of communication and industrial communication; and

*Undertake, under supervision, relative complex research in the field of communication and/or industrial communication.

The learner will be able to

• Demonstrate a critical understanding of the nature, characteristics and classification of communication theory;
• Distinguish, analyse and explain the most important theoretical approaches concerning the structure, process, dynamics and quality of communication;
• Plan, develop and execute audio- and audio-visual communication processes;
• Plan, develop and execute public relations processes;
• Operate, organise and control the internal and external communication activities in an organisation;
• Integrate the advertising activities of an organisation with the marketing mix in order to create maximum synergy;
• Demonstrate the necessary knowledge and understanding of the nature and functions of reporting in the different mass and news media;
• Understand, value and deal with the implications of the different dimensions of cultural variation for the sending and interpretation of messages in a developing country;
• Master the different dimensions of speech communication competence;
• Apply persuasive principles to interpersonal, organisational, and mass media settings;
• Demonstrate a critical understanding of the impact that inter alia value systems; political, social, and economic situations; and ideologies have on effective political communication;
• Understand and value the role of speech communication in the teaching-learning process in order to accomplish the mutual goals of both the instructor and learner; and
• Conceptualise, conduct and present scholarly research in the field of quantitative and qualitative methodology.

Learners will demonstrate their knowledge and skills through

1. Produce radio commercials;
2. Produce corporate videos;
3. Conduct a film analysis;
4. Compile corporate publications;
5. Plan and present media conferences;
6. Formulate communication policy;
7. Compile and advertising briefing document;
8. Develop and implement all the different phases of a national advertising campaign;
9. Conduct a critical analysis of news content;
10. Conduct a skilful interview;
11. Conduct investigative reporting;
12. Critically analyse case studies on intercultural issues pertaining to interpersonal and industrial communication situations;
13. Execute oral communication activities in different forms and levels of communication;
14. Formulate, send, interpret and react on political speeches;
15. Conduct a practical exercise in instructional communication;
16. Compile a research report.

Integrated assessment

Competence is achieved, through continuous assessment by demonstrating the ability to achieve the outcomes of the Qualification

• Module course mark
• Group Exercises
• Team work
• Oral presentations
• Simulations
• Portfolios
• Assignments
• Projects
• Examinations

This will be supported by a module credit system, followed by a final exam on the modules for which credit was not obtained.

Assessment documents are moderated to ensure that

• They conform to the scope and context of the competency as stipulated in the qualification.
• They are constructed in such a way that the Assessor assesses the critical outcomes applied, during the Learners activity performances, towards achieving an outcome.

Assessments are

• To include confirmation of the Embedded Knowledge component to ensure that the Foundational Competency is achieved.
• To be verified by Internal Verifiers to ensure valid, credible, true and fair results.
• Continuous integrated assessment by tutors and peers by way of discussions, exercises, teamwork, presentations, simulations, portfolios and feedback on practical teaching performance through discussions.
• Standardised marking and feedback on assignments, practical performance and portfolios.
• Written examination Moderation by qualified academic and by professional theatre practitioners.