Bachelor of Housing Development Honours

Purpose

The Bachelor of Housing Development Honours aims to produce qualifying learners who are equipped with theoretical knowledge and technical skills in the field of housing. This will enable the qualifying learner to address housing-related challenges which are raised in the National Development Plan (NDP) and 2020 vision document. The qualification, therefore, focuses on enabling learners to develop a critical understanding of housing theory, policy and finance, residential layout and sub-division, housing implementation, project management and research.

Furthermore, the qualification aims to produce qualifying learners with good research skills. These will be useful in practice and the qualifying learners will be well prepared to further their studies at the master's level. These skills and competencies will allow qualifying learners to occupy positions as policy implementing agencies and analysts, project managers, property financiers, community development practitioners and settlement planners.

Rationale

The need for housing practitioners to help address the myriad of developmental challenges in South Africa has been well established. Despite the provision of more than 4.3 million RDP houses between 1994 and 2014, the backlog remains high at 2.3 million and about 14% of the population live in informal dwellings (Africacheck.org, 2014). Service delivery protests attest to community dissatisfaction with the provision of services, and it is estimated that there are four times more protests over housing than any other services (Msindo, undated). The qualification is designed to be focused on the development agenda of South Africa, within the broader context of the Global South. In this regard, socio-economic redress and spatial transformation are strong underpinning values that define the ethos of the qualification in this broader context. The NDP 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals are key drivers of the curriculum.

The qualification meets the sector-specific needs because it will produce housing practitioners who have a sound understanding of housing policy, a holistic perspective of housing issues including social, economic, environmental, cultural, and institutional perspectives and skills in project management and evaluation are well placed to address the housing challenges of the country. The Bachelor of Housing Honours aims to produce qualifications with specialised knowledge in housing and well-developed critical thinking and problem-solving skills. While the focus is on preparing learners for the South African job market, the qualification also draws on international best practices and thus prepares learners for practice in the human settlement field globally. The qualification will also prepare learners for study at Master's level. This is achieved by the inclusion of a research methodology module and a research project.

Learners will benefit by acquiring critical knowledge and skills towards a housing qualification that meets all the disciplinary competencies while engaging within a transdisciplinary curriculum paradigm that situates learning within a broader socio-economic context. The benefit of this is that knowledge and skills can be transferred for the spatial transformation of communities in the developing context, especially the historically disadvantaged communities in South Africa. Another vital benefit to communities is that the qualification draws on alternative learning pathways such as RPL, whereby persons who could not have accessed higher education due to their socio-economic circumstances, may be able to advance their professional skills sets and their livelihoods. This will have a consequential effect on the general social and economic upliftment of the built environment through critical knowledge transfer within their own communities.

The qualification will serve to widen access for previously disadvantaged learners. Learning pathways are therefore two-fold, including both formal learning and the recognition of prior learning. Qualifying learners will be able to work in public, private, Non-Government Organisation (NGO) sectors as Housing Practitioners in various fields such as Project Managers, Directors, Managers, Heads of Departments, Implementing Agents, Real Estates Agents, and Property Developers and even start their own businesses.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

The institution has an approved Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) policy which is applicable with regards to equivalent qualifications for admission into the qualification. RPL will be applied to accommodate applicants who qualify. RPL thus provides alternative access and admission to qualifications, as well as advancement within qualifications. RPL may be applied for access, credits from modules and credits for or towards the qualification.

RPL for access

• Learners who do not meet the minimum entrance requirements or the required qualification that is at the same NQF level as the qualification required for admission may be considered for admission through RPL.
• To be considered for admission in the qualification based on RPL, applicants should provide evidence in the form of a portfolio that demonstrates that they have acquired the relevant knowledge, skills, and competencies through formal, non-formal and/or informal learning to cope with the qualification expectations should they be allowed entrance into the qualification.

RPL for exemption of modules

• Learners may apply for RPL to be exempted for modules that form part of the qualification. For a learner to be exempted from a module, the learner needs to provide sufficient evidence in the form of a portfolio that demonstrates that competency was achieved for the learning outcomes that are equivalent to the learning outcomes of the module.

RPL for credit

• Learners may also apply for RPL for credit for or towards the qualification, in which they must provide evidence in the form of a portfolio that demonstrates prior learning through formal, non-formal and/or informal learning to obtain credits towards the qualification.
• Credit shall be appropriate to the context in which it is awarded and accepted.

Entry Requirements

The minimum entry requirement for this qualification is

• Bachelor of Arts in Housing Management, NQF Level 7.

Or

• Bachelor of Human Settlement Development, NQF Level 7.

Or

• A relevant qualification in the related field, NQF Level 7.

This qualification consists of the following compulsory modules at National Qualifications Framework Level 8 totalling 128 credits.

• Advanced Housing Theory and Practice, 16 Credits.
• Advanced Housing Implementation, 16 Credits.
• Advanced Housing Policy and Finance, 16 Credits.
• Research Methods in Housing, 16 Credits.
• Advanced Project Management and Evaluation, 16 Credits.
• Residential Layout and Subdivision, 16 Credits.
• Housing Research Project, 32 Credits.

1. Conduct independent research on issues relevant to housing as a sector and discipline.
2. Demonstrate a critical understanding of theoretical and technical references to urban design generally, and layout and subdivision in the built environment.
3. Apply the principles, concepts and hard skills of residential site layout and subdivision.
4. Demonstrate knowledge of the housing implementation process.
5. Demonstrate competence to monitor progress in the housing implementation process.
6. Critically analyse existing housing policies and demonstrate the ability to formulate the housing policy.
7. Critically analyse different sources of housing finance and their appropriateness in housing development.
8. Demonstrate the ability to identify and manage social, financial, political, environmental, technical, and economic risks associated with the housing industry.
9. Demonstrate knowledge of the housing project management process.
10. Demonstrate a critical understanding of the influence of economic, social, political, technical, cultural, and institutional aspects on housing both globally and locally.
11. Demonstrate the ability to communicate academic, professional ideas effectively to a wide range of audiences, offering creative insights and rigorous interpretations and solutions to housing challenges.

The following Associated Assessment Criteria will assess the Exit Level Outcomes in an integrated manner

• Formulate a research proposal on pertinent issues in housing.
• Conduct a literature search.
• Collect and analyse data.
• Present findings in a research report.
• Develop a concept plan based on housing policy and design principles.
• Design a settlement in a form of a layout plan in each location.
• Present design plans, in writing, orally and graphically.
• Define the legislative framework that guides housing delivery.
• Implement housing project.
• Produce a project programme.
• Produce a final step-by-step sequence of the housing project implementation.
• Examine existing housing policies.
• Formulate new policies.
• Compare different sources of housing finance.
• Evaluate the appropriateness of sources of housing finance in housing development.
• Relate availability of housing finance to housing delivery process.
• Discuss the various risks associated with the housing industry.
• Use knowledge of project management to develop an assimilated project.