SAQA

All qualifications and part qualifications registered on the National Qualifications Framework are public property. Thus the only payment that can be made for them is for service and reproduction. It is illegal to sell this material for profit. If the material is reproduced or quoted, the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) should be acknowledged as the source.

SOUTH AFRICAN QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY

REGISTERED QUALIFICATION THAT HAS PASSED THE END DATE:

Bachelor of Arts Honours: Humanities

SAQA QUAL ID	QUALIFICATION TITLE
14679	Bachelor of Arts Honours: Humanities
ORIGINATOR
University of Cape Town
PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QUALITY ASSURANCE FUNCTIONARY			NQF SUB-FRAMEWORK
CHE - Council on Higher Education			HEQSF - Higher Education Qualifications Sub-framework
QUALIFICATION TYPE	FIELD		SUBFIELD
Honours Degree	Field 07 - Human and Social Studies		General Social Science
ABET BAND	MINIMUM CREDITS	PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL	NQF LEVEL	QUAL CLASS
Undefined	120	Level 7	Level N/A: Pre-2009 was L7	Regular-Provider-ELOAC
REGISTRATION STATUS		SAQA DECISION NUMBER	REGISTRATION START DATE	REGISTRATION END DATE
Passed the End Date - Status was "Reregistered"		SAQA 06120/18	2018-07-01	2018-12-31
LAST DATE FOR ENROLMENT		LAST DATE FOR ACHIEVEMENT
2019-12-31		2022-12-31

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.

This qualification does not replace any other qualification and is not replaced by any other qualification.

PURPOSE AND RATIONALE OF THE QUALIFICATION

This Honours programme is a first year of multidisciplinary study in the Humanities at the postgraduate degree level. It is designed to provide opportunity for depth study and intercalation of the empirical and theoretical materials that constitute at least two cognate Humanities disciplines and of their concepts and research methods. The purpose is to equip candidates with the skills necessary either for employment in a range of human social and cultural development fields or for further study at Masters and Doctoral level in one of the focus disciplines, in further multidisciplinary work, or in a related subject area. The programme equips graduates to integrate and apply the theories and methods of the selected disciplines to various research contexts, both in the empirical social-cultural domain and in the creative and literary arts.

LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING

A degree of Bachelor or its equivalent with a better than average pass in the major in the discipline or a cognate discipline.

Students admitted to the programme should be competent in the generic skills achieved with completion of the BA or BSocSc degrees in our faculty. They should also have a developed understanding of the approaches, theories and methods used in the selected disciplines and of their empirical scope. Alternatively they must be able to demonstrate a range of critical analytical skills and sensitivities to the nuances, and in the textual representations. Such skills and sensitivities might derive either from exposure to cognate disciplines or from experience in the world of work in a range of domains. They should be such as to be sufficient as a foundation for advanced study in the chosen disciplines.

Senior certificate with Matriculation Exemption or Equivalent university admission qualification

First degree:
BA / BSocSc

Recognition of prior learning: (e.g. work or field experience (if applicable)

Prior learning will be recognised if it includes that which has occurred through work in a wide range of fields that require development of critical social-cultural analytical skills and sensitivities to social-cultural nuance. Students will not normally be admitted to the joint honours programme unless they meet the requirements for entry into the Honours programme offered by each of the participating disciplines.

RECOGNISE PREVIOUS LEARNING?

EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES

(a) The Honours graduate is competent to:

i) understand and manipulate qualitative and quantitative data within an area of specialisation;
ii) design and conduct research in his or her area of specialisation;
iii) produce academic papers that reflect an ability to interrogate the professional literature and engage in critical debate;
iv) find information of professional relevance efficiently and independently;
v) use information-technology efficiently and independently;
vi) embark on an Honours level research study under supervision.

(b) General outcomes(contextually demonstrated general knowledge, skills and values of the programme):

The BA (Hons) or BSocSc (Hons) graduate is competent to:

i) articulate an understanding of an area of specialisation at a high level of abstraction;
ii) independently apply discipline-based knowledge and practices to an understanding of conceptual and practical problems;
iii) design and conduct research utilizing the methods of the discipline;
iv) apply the theory and research methods of the discipline to the development of research questions;
v) produce theoretical and research communications that draw on a range of information bases.

c) Specific outcomes, including professional outcomes, contextually demonstrated:

The Humanities Honours graduate is able to:

formulate a concise argument drawing on appropriate theory and empirical materials from the relevant humanities disciplines.

Produce critiques of texts and theories in those disciplines and of their respective approaches;

Design a limited scope research project to address a research question developed by the student and that addresses and uses concerns in the selected disciplines;

Utilise apposite methods of research and writing to generate data and integrate them into a mini-dissertation that addresses that research question. An audio-visual product - for which audio-visual production skills are needed - may supplement the mini-dissertation;

Apply theoretical knowledge to understand begin to critique existing research papers, creative materials and, where appropriate, policy documents, and develop research questions and proposals.

ASSOCIATED ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

(a) The learner's achievement of critical cross-field outcomes is assessed formatively during the course through a range of activities, and summatively in the capstone activity outlined under integrated assessment.

(b) The learner's achievement of general programme outcomes is assessed through a range of formative and summative assessments throughout the course, and particularly in the capstone activity outlined under integrated assessment.

(c) Assessments are based on criteria that include ability to prepare theoretically informed papers, commentaries on research papers, practical reports, and research proposals and, where apposite, reports from empirical studies. The last may include audio-visual products.

Formative assessment occurs through grading of papers and seminar presentations throughout the course of the programme, and drafts of extended papers written under supervision. In all instances assessment is based on success in demonstrating argumentation skills, knowledge and understanding of apposite literature and how and where to obtain it, and ability to use the publication conventions of the disciplines around which the programme has been structured. In instances where primary research is conducted, formative assessment criteria include the ability to report findings and understand the principles of integrating such findings with apposite literature. Summative assessment mainly takes the form of the capstone literature review, research proposal and mini-dissertation outlined in integrated assessment.

Integrated assessment:

The integrated assessment of the Joint Humanities Honours graduate includes measurement of foundational, reflexive, technical and practical competencies. Learners are required to complete a series of exercises that have a formative function, and a summative mini-dissertation. They serve both to integrate skills learned during the Honours year, and to prepare for the Masters degree in the case of those learners who wish to continue to a Masters degree in one of the selected disciplines or in a further multidisciplinary field.

Assessment is based on criteria that include demonstrated ability

to formulate a research question and to develop a research proposal, that includes a literature review, around that question. Where the project requires empirical work, the proposal must consider the ethical implications and specify a research design and method/s intended to address the research question.

To review the apposite literature drawn from a variety of text and other media, to inform the research question. The literature considered must include reference to comparative empirical examples and theoretical, methodological and ethical issues apposite to the project. The review is written up as part of a research proposal and is revised, after first -level assessment, for inclusion in a mini-dissertation that follows later.

To conduct field and/or library/archival research, through presentation of the data generated thereby, first in a series of formative research reports and then in an integrated mini-dissertation that accords with the publication conventions of the disciplines (and that may be supplemented by an audio-visual product).

To link the material generated to the literature cited by analysing the former in terms of the latter. This is sited in a mini-dissertation, designed to be either a free-standing exercise or the first stage of a Masters level research project. It should make reference to implications for further research.

ARTICULATION OPTIONS

This qualification serves as an entry point to the related qualification(s).
MA or MSocSc in area of specialisation.

Entry to this qualification in mid-stream:
Not possible.

Exit from qualification in mid-stream:
Credit is given for modules of course completed.

Other higher education programmes which articulate with this qualification without "going back to square one:"

Subject to the provisions of the Joint Statute, this work may be recognised by another institution in part fulfilment towards a similar degree of honours bachelor.

MODERATION OPTIONS

The University of Cape Town has a system of external peer review and evaluation of each course. One of the aspects of the system is an evaluation of the standards and assessment practices of the department.

CRITERIA FOR THE REGISTRATION OF ASSESSORS

The academic staff of the University of Cape Town will be used in a manner which is consistent with the quality assurance system of the University.

REREGISTRATION HISTORY

As per the SAQA Board decision/s at that time, this qualification was Reregistered in 2006; 2009; 2012; 2015.

NOTES

N/A

LEARNING PROGRAMMES RECORDED AGAINST THIS QUALIFICATION:

NONE

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.

1.	University of Cape Town