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 Culture and Media Studies 
SAQA QUAL ID QUALIFICATION TITLE
50361  Bachelor of Arts Honours in Culture and Media 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 
Purpose:
The purpose of the qualification is to prepare the qualifying learner to practise as a culture and media specialist in the media and communications industry as well as adjacent specialist areas such as education in South and Southern Africa.

Purpose statement (qualitative statement):
  • Provide learners with Honours level knowledge, specific skills and applied competence in one or more fields of Communication, Media and Cultural Studies.
  • Contribute to the base of relevant local and international leadership and scholarship in Communication, Culture and Media Studies.
  • Provide and enhance the continent and subcontinent with experts in high-level research, management and service occupations.

    The specific purposes of the qualification are:
  • Enable learners to acquire in-depth theoretical knowledge and understanding of various contexts in one or more of the following areas within the field of Culture and Media Studies: cultural and media theory, African thought and media, diversity, media and culture, media literacy.
  • Provide learners with the practical skills, techniques, attitudes and values required for the effective and appropriate application of this knowledge and understanding in the African, and Southern African context.
  • Equip learners with basic research skills and the ability to plan, implement and conduct a limited research project.

    Rationale:
    The institution is developing dedicated qualifications to service the needs of Africa, southern Africa and South Africa. There is a great emphasis on innovative qualifications as well as concerted attempts to reach previously advantaged communities.

    Culture and Media Studies is a comprehensive qualification tailoring itself towards the development needs of Africa, southern Africa and South Africa.

    The qualification will contribute to the research and search for solutions around the digital divide that may hamper the future development of Africa in the era of knowledge production and management.

    There is a greater emphasis internationally on the development of appropriate qualifications - like Culture and Media Studies - to meet the need for studying contemporary and modern African cultural practices.

    The development of media and culture studies undergraduate qualifications at the institution necessitate the development of postgraduate studies in these directions.
    The development of entrepreneurial media industries, the internet, digital and electronic media is an important element of the expansion of the knowledge era. 
    		•

    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 Arts in Media Studies, NQF Level 7. 
    		•

    RECOGNISE PREVIOUS LEARNING? 
    Y 

    QUALIFICATION RULES 
    Level, Credits and learning components assigned to the qualification:
  • NQF Level 7: 120 Credits.
  • Learning components: Fundamental.
  • Learning components: Core, Number of Credits allocated: 60, NQF Level 7.
  • Learning components: Research, Number of Credits allocated: 20, NQF Level 7.
  • Learning components: Electives, Number of Credits allocated: 40, NQF Level 7. 
    		•

    EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES 
    Qualifying learners will:
    1. Acquire wide-ranging, advanced and specialised knowledge and research capabilities within and across the field of Communication Studies, Language and Literature.
    2. Be able to use a full range of advanced analytical and descriptive instruments in the area of Culture and Media Studies and use these skills in variable context.
    3. Develop the ability to obtain and use information in a theoretically justified manner in solving research, analytical and theoretical problems in the field of study.
    4. Develop an insight into the communication, media and cultural situation in South, and Southern Africa.
    5. Develop appropriate strategies to engage the policy and executive realities of the African continent. 

    ASSOCIATED ASSESSMENT CRITERIA 
    Mastery of the knowledge and skills required is demonstrated by:
  • Continuous assessment of the knowledge, skills, values and attitudes of the learner over the period of study and in various realistic contexts to meet the criteria of reliability, validity, comprehensiveness, objectivity, discrimination, meaningfulness, and the appropriate level of difficulty.

    This will be done by means of an integrated assessment approach including various modes of formative and summative assessment, specifically developed for each module within the programme, inter alia, oral and written work, peer reviews, portfolios, simulations, tests and written examinations, and a research report of limited scope.

    Integrated Assessment:
    To meet the general requirements of a BA Honours (Culture and Media Studies), the knowledge, skills, values and attitudes of the learner are assessed continuously over the period of study and in various realistic contexts to meet the criteria of reliability, validity, comprehensiveness, objectivity, discrimination, meaningfulness, and the appropriate level of difficulty.

    The assessment will be criteria based and norm based, and reliability will be ensured by both internal and external examination.

    Apart from general assessment criteria, specific criteria are developed for each module within the programme in order to determine the learner's applied competence. Therefore, depending on the needs within modules a range of formative assessment practices will be used, be it assignments, portfolios or simulations. It is foreseen that all modules will be tested through written or oral examinations or independently researched assignments (summative assessment).

    The learner's research skills will be assessed through a limited research report. 
    		•

    INTERNATIONAL COMPARABILITY 
    This qualification is comparable to international qualifications that emphasize the cultural dimensions and implications of communication practices from written language, to film, television, and new media. These include the graduate degrees offered at Georgetown University, USA; Indiana University, USA; Harvard University, USA; Open University, UK; University of Birmingham, UK; York University - Toronto, Canada; Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, Netherlands; Nijmegen Universiteit, Netherlands; Groningen Universiteit, Netherlands; Murdoch University, Australia; University of Melbourne, Australia. 

    ARTICULATION OPTIONS 
    This qualification offers both possibilities of horizontal and vertical articulation.

    Horizontal Articulation:
  • Bachelor of Social Science Honours in Cultural and Media Studies, NQF Level 8.

    Vertical Articulation:
  • Master of Arts in Cultural and Media Studies, 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 


    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.