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SOUTH AFRICAN QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY

REGISTERED QUALIFICATION:

Bachelor of Arts in Visual Multimedia Arts

SAQA QUAL ID	QUALIFICATION TITLE
101935	Bachelor of Arts in Visual Multimedia Arts
ORIGINATOR
University of South Africa
PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QUALITY ASSURANCE FUNCTIONARY			NQF SUB-FRAMEWORK
CHE - Council on Higher Education			HEQSF - Higher Education Qualifications Sub-framework
QUALIFICATION TYPE	FIELD		SUBFIELD
National First Degree	Field 02 - Culture and Arts		Visual Arts
ABET BAND	MINIMUM CREDITS	PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL	NQF LEVEL	QUAL CLASS
Undefined	360	Not Applicable	NQF Level 07	Regular-Provider-ELOAC
REGISTRATION STATUS		SAQA DECISION NUMBER	REGISTRATION START DATE	REGISTRATION END DATE
Registered-data under construction		EXCO 0324/24	2024-07-01	2027-06-30
LAST DATE FOR ENROLMENT		LAST DATE FOR ACHIEVEMENT
2028-06-30		2033-06-30

Registered-data under construction

The qualification content is currently being updated for the qualifications with the status “Registered-data under construction” or showing “DETAILS UNDER CONSTRUCTION” to ensure compliance with SAQA’S Policy and Criteria for the registration of qualifications and part-qualifications on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) (As amended, 2022). These qualifications are re-registered until 30 June 2027 and can legitimately be offered by the institutions to which they are registered.

In all of the tables in this document, both the pre-2009 NQF Level and the NQF Level is shown. In the text (purpose statements, qualification rules, etc), any references to NQF Levels are to the pre-2009 levels unless specifically stated otherwise.

PURPOSE AND RATIONALE OF THE QUALIFICATION

Purpose:
The purpose of this qualification will enable the learners to:

Formulate personal approaches to complex aesthetic problems relating to, (a) basic design, pictorial and spatial elements; (b) understand and interpret past aesthetic practices, processes and technologies and apply them to a contemporary setting; and to communicate these through expressive mediums.

Be aware of contemporary developments in new media and be competent, where appropriate, to use computer aided design packages in the production of a range of different multimedia outputs which conform to contemporary professional and technical standards.

Be competent to visualise thought processes and to communicate orally and visually with visual art audiences.

Be able to apply self-motivated, creative, problem solving skills within the formal and informal sectors.

Be able to display critical understanding of the relationship between contemporary socio-political/cultural forces and the self-motivated, creative production of visual art products in a professional context.

Be competent in conducting a visual and theoretical research.

Be able to set-up an exhibition of a body of artworks produced during the course of the study.

Rationale:
The Bachelor of Arts in Visual Multimedia Arts is designed to provide learners with professional training in visual arts and/or multimedia including software art in order to practice as professional artists or in art-related professions. This qualification aims to provide the local and global communities with leaders in the field of the visual arts who understand the crucial role they have to play in society and who can make a significant contribution to the cultural life of local and global communities through skills and strategies of facilitation, administration and partnerships in the visual arts.

This qualification will enable learners to continue to Postgraduate studies in Art History and Visual Arts as well as in other art-related fields as its base of scholarly activity is wide. It also aims to provide the South African, African and global communities with graduates who will meet the requirements to register for a variety of professional qualifications with relevant statutory bodies.

This qualification will prepare qualifying learners with opportunities to function as creative artists in either traditional fine arts, design and new media and/or multi-media. On completion of this qualification, learners will be able to undertake careers as professional artists either in self-employment working individually from private studios as painters, sculptors, ceramists, printmakers software art or in collaboration with other artists that produce work of exhibition standard for galleries and art collectors. They can also work within the educational sector or design fields and in other industries as gallery/museum assistants, curators, illustrators, digital video editing, web design, graphic design, games, programming, etc.

LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL):
Candidates may be considered through RPL. The prospective learner will be required to submit a portfolio of practical work which will be assessed and decision be made to what level may the learner be accepted to enrol. To establish whether, in the opinion of Senate, the candidate is prepared for Degree studies, an application for conditional exemption will be pursued.

All admission through RPL must be in accordance with the principles laid down in the institutional RPL Policy.

In this qualification the recognition of prior learning credits should not be more than 50% of the total 360 Credits. This will enable the learners to be awarded a qualification.

Candidates with a reasonable experience of professional practice as an artist, but who did not matriculate with exemption (in case of the previous Matriculation certificate) and without a Bachelor endorsement (in case of the National Senior Certificate), may be considered through RPL for knowledge and skills gained through informal, non-formal or experiential learning and be exempted in some of the first year practical modules, such as drawing, painting, sculpture, Two Dimensional Imaging and Form and Motion.

In this case the prospective learner will be required to submit a portfolio of practical work and if necessary a related essay, which will be assessed by a RPL Departmental Committee and decision be made to what modules can the student be exempted from as well as the level to be accepted to enrol.

Similar process will apply to candidates who meet the minimum requirement for the admission to the qualification) with professional experience in one or more of the first year practical modules listed under bullet two above to be recognised and assessed for prior knowledge and skills gained through informal, non-formal or experiential learning to ascertain what modules may they be exempted from and to what level to be enrolled.

The number of credits per module will be in line with the module credits the learner is being exempted from as listed under the qualification curriculum included as annexure A.

Entry Requirements:
Learners are required to have the following in place in order to be considered for admission:

National Senior Certificate granting access to Bachelor Degree studies.

RECOGNISE PREVIOUS LEARNING?

QUALIFICATION RULES

This qualification consists of compulsory modules at Levels 5, 6 and 7 and elective modules at Levels 5 and 6, totalling 360 Credits.

Compulsory Modules, Level 5, 72 Credits:

Drawing, 24 Credits.

English for Academic Purposes, 12 Credits.

Introduction to Art History, 12 Credits.

Language through an African lens, 12 Credits.

Visual Literacy, 12 Credits.

Elective Modules, Level 5, 48 Credits (select one group):
Group 1:

Painting; 24 Credits.

Sculpture, 24 Credits.

Group 2:

Two Dimensional Imaging; 24 Credits.

Form and Motion, 24 Credits.

Compulsory Modules, Level 6, 108 Credits:

Visual Culture 1, 12 Credits.

Visual Arts 1, 24 Credits.

Visual Arts 2, 24 Credits.

The Arts and Ideology 1, 12 Credits.

Introduction to Art History in Africa, 12 Credits.

Graphic Processes, 24 Credits.

Elective Modules, Level 6, 12 Credits (select one):

Film, Literature and Society, 12 Credits.

Integrated Organisational Communication, 12 Credits.

Writing Skills for the Communication Industry, 12 Credits.

Compulsory Modules, Level 7, 120 Credits:

Professional Art Practice, 12 Credits.

The Arts and the (Post-) Colonial, 12 Credits.

The Arts and Ideology 2, 12 Credits.

The Arts in Africa, 12 Credits.

Visual Culture 2, 12 Credits.

Modernism and Postmodernism, 12 Credits.

Visual Arts 3, 24 Credits.

Visual Arts 4, 24 Credits.

EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES

1. Engage in critical and creative thinking and demonstrate competency with regard to articulating, understanding and assimilating contemporary modes in visual thinking.
2. Think critically including reflecting on learning from individual and professional experience and academic disciplines in relation to political, social, cultural, technological realities, influencing visual arts production and interpretation locally and globally.
3. Deal with problems in the field of the visual arts and individual related disciplines.
4. Engage with the visual arts in general and relate knowledge and understand its contribution to different visual arts contexts.
5. Identify, describe and evaluate problems and solutions related to cultural diversity in South African and global society.
6. Apply and assess knowledge and its contribution to developing different cultures/civilizations (inter-disciplinarity), and demonstrate competency in technical and formal skills and visual research skills.
7. Perform a socio-critical role in society and develop cultural and aesthetic sensitivity across a range of social and cultural contexts, both local and global.
8. Use and apply academic and visual literacy to become a life-long learner and respond to the changing needs of society within the field of the visual arts.
9. Demonstrate a sense of integrity and ethical practice.
10. Demonstrate an understanding of entrepreneurial opportunities.

ASSOCIATED ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

Associated Assessment Criteria For Exit Level Outcome 1:

Analyse and reflect on the academic debates inherent to the discipline of Visual Arts including both art history and visual practice, and critically consider visual practice in post-industrial society.

Analyse and reflect on the relationship between art and the community or the public and the visual arts as an expression of socio-political ideologies.

Analyse and reflect on the concepts and history of commission and patronage in art.

Analyse and reflect on categorisations in and definitions of art.

Contextualise and evaluate the role and contribution of the discipline of Visual Arts in broader socio-economic and cultural perspective.

Assess the knowledge, skills and competencies gained in the qualification and relate these to various other contexts, disciplines and vocational possibilities.

Make a contribution to the present situation and future development of the disciplines of Visual Arts.

Interact critically with cultural texts in oral, written and visual form.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2:

Deal with conceptualisation in subject matter, methodology, strategy and materials.

Use methodologies inherent to generating ideas and concepts, as well as the processes intrinsic to inference, deduction and the production of meaning.

Analyse and interpret the conceptual underpinning of cultural production in general and visual texts in particular.

Analyse and interpret the conceptual underpinning of the use of materials in cultural production in general and visual texts in particular.

Analyse and interpret the methodologies and strategies inherent to cultural production in general and visual texts in particular.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 3:

Analyse and interpret visual and material culture as manifestation to contemporary situations in general and visual texts in particular.

Select and use suitable critical methodologies in the analysis and interpretation of cultural products.

Select and use suitable critical methodologies in the creative art making process.

Identify and describe problems in relevant fields and individual disciplines and develop solutions appropriate to various visual arts contexts.

Formulate appropriate responses to resolve both concrete and abstract, practical and theoretical problems.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 4:

Apply learning gained from the academic environment to individual experience and vice versa.

Think innovatively and independently and bring fresh and new insights to known views, topics or areas of interest.

Work independent of others with self-confidence, rigour and responsibility.

Show awareness and indicate significance of aspects such as culture, aesthetics and creativity.

Use appropriate media to create new cultural and aesthetic forms in disciplines with a creative bias.

Critically and independently evaluate and assess visual culture without being unduly influenced by outside viewpoints.

Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 5:

Show awareness of own culture and others in South Africa (SA) and global society.

Show interest in other cultures in SA and globally.

Analyse how cultural issues affect actions in authentic and simulated contexts.

Generate and evaluate alternative solutions.

Assess impacts and benefits of different solutions.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 6:

Relate knowledge in the field of the visual arts to its contributions to developing different cultures/civilizations.

Relate information from one discipline to that of others.

Use and combine appropriate techniques, media and technology in the creative art making process.

Make informed projections about the impact, the future role and function of cultural products in general and the visual arts in particular.

Critically and independently evaluate and assess visual strategies used in the design industry, media and advertising.

Critically and independently evaluate and assess the fundamental conceptual relationship between form and content.

Access and use various sources effectively in the theoretical and practical investigation of a topic.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 7:

Demonstrate an open and responsive attitude to the diversity of cultural expression and production, as well as demonstrate people skills.

Contextualise local cultural production within an international perspective.

Critically and independently evaluate and assess the merging of cultural traditions in a market economy.

Use disciplinary-and interdisciplinary-based information related to problems of the field of the visual arts.

Explore, interpret and utilise relationships between the visual arts and socio-cultural situations.

Critically and independently evaluate and assess the ways in which artists and theorists are challenging existing notions, foregrounding gender and socio-political dimensions in the society in which art is produced.

Critically and independently evaluate and assess popular visual culture as a feature of increasing consumerism.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 8:

Interact with visual, verbal and oral texts through critical viewing, listening, reading and inferencing skills.

Produce critical texts and art works which integrate cultural elements/information from different sources.

Use verbal and visual language effectively to convey ideas and insights intelligibly and achieve own purposes.

Produce and interpret creative work in a variety of media as well as of an interdisciplinary and technological nature.

Distance oneself from cultural texts from different sources and be able to reflect on the visual arts and take a critical position.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 9:

Act professionally and ethically with literary sources and visual texts.

Acknowledge input of others and the use of sources.

Take responsibility and be accountable within the limitations of the self.

Eliminate subjectivity and aim for objectivity and democracy.

Protect and promote the integrity of the discipline without ignoring inter-disciplinarily activity or broadening of the discipline boundaries.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 10:

Create job opportunities through the development of creative and generative thinking, as well as through the understanding of the local and international art markets.

Create self-employment as a professional artist.

Create self-employment in a variety of art related fields, and t demonstrate entrepreneurial skills.

Integrated Assessment:
Formative Assessment:
There is continuous assessment involving the following:

Completion of practical and theoretical assignments and projects at home.

Practical and theoretical assignments contain self-evaluation exercises and tasks.

Learners report orally on practical and theoretical assignments during workshops.

Learners not attending workshops report back in written form on practical assignments.

Feedback on practical assignments through peer evaluation during workshops.

Feedback on practical and theoretical assignments through team-based assessment by a panel of internal and external lecturers.

Summative Assessment:

Practical and theoretical examinations to be team-based assessed by a panel of internal and external lecturers.

Submission of a portfolio of practical year work to be team-based assessed by a panel of internal and external lecturers.

Testing of the formative stage of learning on how to compile, arrange and present an exhibition of cultural objects to be team-based assessed by a panel of internal and external lecturers.

INTERNATIONAL COMPARABILITY

The Bachelor of Arts (BA) (Visual Multimedia Arts) qualification, its core modules, rationale and purpose has been compared with similar qualifications internationally. These are:

Bachelor of Visual Arts offered by Otago Polytechic New Zealand.

Visual Arts Management offered by NGEE Ann Polytechic Singapore.

Bachelor of Arts in Fine Arts offered by RMIT University Melbourne Australia.

Bachelor of Fine Arts offered by Goldsmith, University of London.

Bachelor of arts in Fine Arts offered by Miami International University of Art and Design.

In general, all the five identified international qualification compare well with minimal variations in terms of module names. The objectives, general outcomes and essential knowledge and skills taught are similar.

ARTICULATION OPTIONS

The qualification offers the following horizontal and vertical articulation possibilities.

Horizontal Articulation:

Bachelor of Education specialising in Art Education.

An appropriate Bachelor's Degree.

Vertical Articulation:

Bachelor of Arts Honours in Visual Multimedia Arts, Level 8.

Bachelor of Arts Honours in Art History, Level 8.

MODERATION OPTIONS

N/A

CRITERIA FOR THE REGISTRATION OF ASSESSORS

N/A

NOTES

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LEARNING PROGRAMMES RECORDED AGAINST THIS QUALIFICATION:

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PROVIDERS CURRENTLY ACCREDITED TO OFFER THIS QUALIFICATION:

This information shows the current accreditations (i.e. those not past their accreditation end dates), and is the most complete record available to SAQA as of today. Some Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionaries have a lag in their recording systems for provider accreditation, in turn leading to a lag in notifying SAQA of all the providers that they have accredited to offer qualifications and unit standards, as well as any extensions to accreditation end dates. The relevant Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionary should be notified if a record appears to be missing from here.

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