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 in Visual Studies

SAQA QUAL ID	QUALIFICATION TITLE
24383	Bachelor of Arts Honours in Visual Studies
ORIGINATOR
University of Pretoria
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 02 - Culture and Arts		Cultural Studies
ABET BAND	MINIMUM CREDITS	PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL	NQF LEVEL	QUAL CLASS
Undefined	120	Level 7	NQF Level 08	Regular-Provider-ELOAC
REGISTRATION STATUS		SAQA DECISION NUMBER	REGISTRATION START DATE	REGISTRATION END DATE
Passed the End Date - Status was "Reregistered"		SAQA 1141/23	2021-07-01	2024-06-30
LAST DATE FOR ENROLMENT		LAST DATE FOR ACHIEVEMENT
2025-06-30		2028-06-30

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

The purpose of this qualification is to encourage informed discussion, analysis and interpretation of selected aspects of visual culture in order to facilitate effective communication by the individual in the visual, oral and written fields. It has become imperative, with the increasing predominance of the visual and digital era, to encourage visual and information literacy that can be used in a variety of professional, educational, cultural and organisational contexts. This post-graduate qualification aims to provide South Africa with specialists in the field of visual communication in order to develop a visually literate and articulate society.

The primary aim of this qualification is to equip learners with the knowledge, skills and disposition to access the constructs of visual communication to enable them to function optimally in their chosen professional capacities. A secondary aim it to assist learners in developing requisite advanced research skills that can be used to advantage as a basis for further learning and enhanced marketability. It is believed that the research capabilities of learners must be promoted so that they will have the capacity to engage in further post-graduate studies on completion of this qualification, thereby contributing to the extension of knowledge about the role and nature of visual culture in South Africa.

This qualification aims to foster an informed, critical and empowered approach towards the reading of the visual environment, and to be able to relate this to a broader understanding of the workings of visual ideologies and constructs that shape the visual codes and conventions in society. The outcomes are designed to promote lifelong learning.

The prevalence of the visual image in mass-media and mass-culture makes it increasingly necessary and relevant for all manner of professionals to become familiar with the mechanisms by which visual images are encoded in order to allow knowledgeable analysis, interpretation and evaluation thereof. The skills acquired in the field of visual studies can be used to benefit in a number of related interdisciplinary fields of employment such as communications, broadcasting, cultural studies, the culture and tourism industries, fine arts and information design, and arts education. Postgraduate courses in visual studies will be of benefit to many related fields of expertise, which hinge on similar critical paradigms and thinking constructs.

This qualification will hence assist in equipping learners with the necessary Postgraduate skills and competencies to empower themselves in the competitive workplace. This qualification can be of benefit in many contexts and will provide the field with skilled, versatile professionals who can be employed in many facets of the media and communications industries, as well as in tertiary institutions, thereby enhancing the standard of South African scholarship.

LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING

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 Visual Arts, NQF Level 7.

RECOGNISE PREVIOUS LEARNING?

QUALIFICATION RULES

N/A

EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES

1. Learners will become acquainted with more specialised knowledge regarding the historical, discursive and conceptual frameworks that inform the workings of visual culture in society. With the development of their critical skills, learners will be able to comprehend how visual ideologies, codes and constructs are encapsulated in the visual image in various fields such as art, design, technological media, and popular culture, and will be able to investigate how these manifest in visual sign systems in society. Learners will be empowered to collect, analyse, organise and critically evaluate information regarding visual communication on a more advanced level.

2. Learners will be equipped with the skills to understand the communicative value and ideological function of visual culture in society and will be encouraged to develop visual literacy to a sophisticated level of competency in order to develop the critical skills and critical thinking to engage competently with visual culture. Learners will be encouraged to apply this knowledge to interpret and deconstruct visual messages in a variety of media and in different historical contexts.

3. Learners will be able to develop and apply the knowledge gained to advantage in various professional and organisational contexts, with due cognisance of cultural diversity, the needs of the community, and commitment towards the environment. Emphasis is placed on the learner's ability to think creatively and to apply knowledge and skills in complex, challenging situations, to communicate efficiently, and to pursue the demands of life-long learning.

ASSOCIATED ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

Learners must demonstrate that they have mastered the ability to apply the attained knowledge and skills to a critical and evaluative interaction with visual culture. Learners must indicate that they understand the dynamics and functions of visual images in society by being aware of, and being able to decode, for example, visual ideology in the creation of race, class and gender ideologies, thereby enabling the learner to actively redress inequities in the field of visual communication. Learners must be able to communicate their knowledge of visual phenomena effectively and must indicate that they are conversant with contemporary systems of thought and technological paradigms in visual communication.

Learners must demonstrate fully their ability to locate visual culture in an historical framework, and must be able to indicate that they also understand the dynamics of visual images and messages in a contemporary context. Learners must display competency in commenting on the role of visual images in, for example, the creation of visual identities. Learners must demonstrate that they are competent to pursue independent research on a sustained level, and can apply their skills to the development of problem-solving mechanisms that can be developed in further Postgraduate studies. These skills will be developed in order to submit a mini dissertation which will be moderated both internally and externally.

Learners must develop the ability to use the acquired visual literacy skills to make an economic contribution to the development of the specific field, and to society in general. Learners must prove that they are able to apply this knowledge creatively in order to develop social skills and competencies that will enhance quality of life and effective communication in general.

Integrated assessment incorporated to ensure that the purpose of the Degree is achieved:

1. Portfolios.
2. Simulations.
3. Work-place assessments.
4. Written examinations.
5. Oral examinations.
6. Other:
In addition to the above, modalities such as group discussions, presentations, peer group evaluations, and live applications of competency in practical settings are also used.

INTERNATIONAL COMPARABILITY

This qualification compares with the following international qualifications in terms of the range of competencies in the learning content offered.

ARTICULATION OPTIONS

This qualification offers both possibilities of horizontal and vertical articulation.

Horizontal Articulation:

Bachelor of Arts Honours in Visual Arts Illustration, NQF Level 8.

Vertical Articulation:

Master of Arts in Visual Arts, NQF Level 9.

Master of Visual Arts, NQF Level 9.

MODERATION OPTIONS

N/A

CRITERIA FOR THE REGISTRATION OF ASSESSORS

N/A

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 Pretoria