SAQA

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SOUTH AFRICAN QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY

REGISTERED QUALIFICATION THAT HAS PASSED THE END DATE:

Honours Degree in Creative Brand Communications

SAQA QUAL ID	QUALIFICATION TITLE
50367	Honours Degree in Creative Brand Communications
ORIGINATOR
Vega School of Brand Communications
PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QUALITY ASSURANCE FUNCTIONARY			NQF SUB-FRAMEWORK
Was CHE until Last Date for Achievement			HEQSF - Higher Education Qualifications Sub-framework
QUALIFICATION TYPE	FIELD		SUBFIELD
Honours Degree	Field 04 - Communication Studies and Language		Communication Studies
ABET BAND	MINIMUM CREDITS	PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL	NQF LEVEL	QUAL CLASS
Undefined	120	Level 7	Level TBA: 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 2663/05	2006-07-01	2006-07-01
LAST DATE FOR ENROLMENT		LAST DATE FOR ACHIEVEMENT
2007-07-01		2010-07-01

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 is replaced by:

Qual ID	Qualification Title	Pre-2009 NQF Level	NQF Level	Min Credits	Replacement Status
58676	Bachelor of Arts Honours in Creative Brand Communications	Level 7	NQF Level 08	120	Complete

PURPOSE AND RATIONALE OF THE QUALIFICATION

Purpose:

The purpose of this learning programme is to impart the necessary skills and knowledge to students in order that they are able to demonstrate the necessary outcomes to be qualified at this level of study and to enable them to find employment in the advertising, design, copywriting and creative industries at an appropriate level. The purpose is to provide learners with the postgraduate skills and knowledge in order to prepare them for middle and management positions in the communications industry as well as to equip them with further skills and competencies in their chosen area of creativity. The Honours Degree in Creative Brand Communications provides learners with a strong critical outlook and develops their professional and technical skills in order to provide them with ability to function as managers or core members of a creative team within the communications and branding industries.

This qualification is aimed at learners who wish to develop their skills and abilities within the fields of Copywriting, Visual Communication and Multimedia Design. It provides learners with the core competencies necessary to develop and manage brands from both creative and strategic perspectives. The course aims to develop a variety of research skills to be used for professional, practical and academic purposes. Students engage with the critical theories that surround brand architecture and development, as well as the contemporary debate and contextualisation of their chosen specialisations within the field of branding and communication.

The Honours Degree in Creative Brand Communications will give qualifying learners the intellectual capital for a competitive edge in industry, and will also provide them with the basis on which to continue learning through higher degrees, and in particular enable them to enter into Master Degree programmes. Throughout all the programmes offered at Vega, the emphasis is on learning how to learn, and the Honours Degree is founded on Vega's commitment to encourage life long learning within the Vega community, and within South African society as whole.

This qualification is primarily intended for application in the advertising, copywriting and design industries whereby graduates will be able to move into more senior positions as creative's in a number of different fields. Vega foresees this new Honours programme as an important opportunity for professionals in the communications and design industries to build on their existing qualifications, and in turn, become part of an important move to upskill these industries.

The Honours Degree in Creative Brand Communications is delivered as a one-year full time course, or a two-year part time course, where learners complete 3 modules.

Rationale:

Vega's Honours Degree in Creative Brand Communications aims to merge the traditionally separated bases of context focused, discipline focused and career focused qualifications. Whilst this Honours degree is vocational, it also includes core aspects of academic, professional, occupational and technical purposes. In doing so, the Honours Degree in Creative Brand Communications provides learners with a strong critical outlook and develops their professional and technical skills in order to provide them with ability to function as managers or core members of a creative team within the communications and branding industries.

The communications and design industries within South Africa are fast developing, and parallel to this growth exists a demand for more highly trained and qualified creative's. Vega's Honours Degree graduates will have made and will be able to continue to make a valuable contribution to the existing small body of research within both the creative industries and within design and brand based academia. Vega sees all its graduates, and in particular those who will qualify with Honours Degrees, as valuable members of society who will contribute to and enhance the developing new identity of the country.

Vega recognises the importance of articulation and a learner's ability to progress through the levels defined by the National Qualifications Framework. We therefore encourage qualifying learners of all ages to apply for the Honours Degree in Creative Brand Communications. The Honours programme will allow for vertical articulation for Vega's undergraduate degree graduates who wish to continue studying and develop their skills further.

In regards to international comparability, the one-year Honours programme prepares graduates for similar positions to those graduates who qualify from standard four-year design, copywriting and visual communication programmes across the world. These international 4-year programmes combine the undergraduate and graduate course into a similar framework as the BAFA (Hons) at universities in South Africa.

The Honours Degree in Creative Brand Communications is run on both a fulltime basis and a part time basis and students have the option of specialising in Copywriting, Visual Communications, or Multimedia Design. The full time one-year programme is aimed at learners who are able to commit to a full year study period, as well as learners who want to continue studying after graduating from their undergraduate degree. The part time two-year programme is aimed at learners who wish to study further whilst continuing their employment in the industry, or at learners who wish to enter the industry after graduation, but also want to continue their studies.

At Vega, we have committed ourselves to forging a truly South African blend of educational material with both global and local influences, giving our learners the benefit of an immediately relevant curriculum that reflects international trends. Our wide network of industry connections and active support from many individuals in the field help shape this aspect of our programme.

Our commitment to the technological aspect of our industry, and to keeping ourselves abreast of developments in this field, has resulted in Vega becoming an Apple Authorised Training Centre. This, as well as the official Adobe Accreditation, and the official Macromedia Accreditation of our state-of-the-art digital studios underscores our capacity to deliver in this arena.

In its relatively recent 5 year history, Vega the Brand Communications School has quickly become well recognised and admired in the industry for produced high calibre students who have good all round knowledge of branding, communications and visual communications industries. Our reputation as educational leaders in the fields of branding leaves us in no doubt that the Honours programme will attract both high calibre learners and industry professionals.

LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING

Learners that enter our Honours programme are assumed to have the equivalent academic learning of a NQF 6 National Degree in an appropriate field. The Honours programme offers three applications, namely Copywriting, Visual Communication and Multimedia Design. Learners will therefore have their first qualification in a field that is relevant to any of these three applications. In addition, evidence of creative endeavour and output in any of the relevant fields is expected, and learners are also required to have the necessary research competencies appropriate to this level of study.

Recognition of prior learning:

All applicants to Vega The Brand Communications School may apply for Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL). Such candidates are evaluated based on credited and non-credited prior learning, relevant work experience and a creative portfolio. They are required to successfully complete the Vega Entrance Challenge and are interviewed by a panel composed of relevant academic staff.

Learners can achieve the Honours Degree in Creative Brand Communications qualification in part through the recognition of prior learning. The Academic Authority group, set up by Advtech and headed by Prof. D. Dowling, is currently developing a comprehensive RPL policy for Vega.

Access to the qualification:

To be admitted to the Honours Degree in Creative Brand Communications, prospective students carry out the following procedure:

Applicants are required to show evidence that they have completed a relevant first degree or appropriate equivalent.

Applicants are required to complete the Honours Degree Entrance Challenge, a document that assesses the student's abilities and conceptual skills.

Applicants are required to present a portfolio of work that demonstrates their abilities and competencies in the creative application for which they are applying. This portfolio will be reviewed by the course leader and by relevant academic staff.

All applicants are required to produce evidence of research competence appropriate to the level of study. Those applicants who do not have such evidence will be required to complete a prescribed research project.

The registrars, the course leader and relevant academic staff interview all applicants.

All applicants are assessed according to RPL policies and procedures.

All applicants are required to write the Honours Vega Entrance Challenge. Vega's Entrance Challenges were designed by a clinical psychologist to reveal the applicants ability to think creatively, critically and laterally.

For borderline cases Vega requires that a panel of relevant academic staff interview the applicant. These staff members offer guidance and establish whether the student is applying for the right programme. All applicants are considered and if the general admission criteria are not met, each case is considered on merit. Each student is assessed according the institution's RPL procedures.

Over and above the information sources such as the Vega website; full colour brochures, open days and school presentations, Vega maintain an approach of 'everyday is open day'. This means that any prospective student can, at any time, approach the school to discuss their opportunities at Vega and do a walkabout to see the premises and facilities as well as arrange to have a talk to relevant academic staff.

RECOGNISE PREVIOUS LEARNING?

QUALIFICATION RULES

Level, credits and learning components assigned to the qualification:

NQF level: 7

Required number of credits: 140

Minimum number of credits: 120

The credits for fundamental, core and elective learning components:

Module 1 (Core):

Brand Context: 28 credits, 280 hours.

Module 2 (Fundamental):

Creative Application: 70 credits, 700 hours.

Module 3 (Fundamental):

Thesis Paper: 42 credits, 420 hours.

EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES

1. Contextualise and assess a variety of brands and brand contexts within the South African economic and socio political environment.

2. Produce creative, strategic and conceptual solutions for complex briefs.

3. Produce appropriate research that contributes to the academic and professional fields pertinent to the creative application.

4. Apply appropriate technological and computer skills in the process and production of a variety of projects.

5. Produce a theoretical and academic argument with appropriate structure.

6. Conceptualise appropriate solutions for branding, strategic and creative problems.

7. Develop an individual perspective and style within the creative application.

8. Develop and define the architecture of a brand.

9. Apply strong critical and analytical skills and abilities in the development and assessment of creative solutions.

10. Produce socially and ecologically responsible work that is appropriately contextualised within contemporary South Africa.

ASSOCIATED ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

Contextualisation is valid and substantive.

Assessments are appropriate and accurate.

Description of contexts and environments are appropriate and valid.

2:

Solutions are valid and appropriate to the brief.

Solutions address a wide variety of complex problems raised by the brief.

Solutions are creative and original.

Concepts are valid and appropriate to the target markets.

Solutions are produced within specified media and time constraints.

3:

Research is contextualised within the brand and creative environments.

Research is substantive and valid.

Research is conducted and collated in an appropriate structure.

Collations and assessment of research are appropriate.

4:

Selected technologies and technological processes are appropriate to the concept and to the brief.

A wide range and variety of technologies and technological processes are used effectively.

Solutions are produced to an appropriate level of finish and completion.

A variety of projects have been produced effectively.

5:

Collected research is appropriate and has been used effectively to support the argument.

Structure is appropriate, clear and valid.

Argument is clear, substantive and presented logically.

Argument acknowledges appropriate historical precedent.

6:

Effective and appropriate solutions are found for a wide variety of problems.

Complex problems have been identified, analysed and assessed accurately and appropriately.

Contextualisation of problems in accurate and substantive.

Conceptualisation is creative, original and ongoing.

7:

Creative and conceptual solutions are individually developed and original.

Contextualisation of the specific learner within the brand and creative environment is substantive and appropriate.

Solutions are of a consistently good standard at the same time as appropriately varied.

8:

Definitions are valid and substantive.

Development is logical and creative.

Definitions and development is contextualised within the appropriate brand and target market environments.

9:

Analyses are appropriate and substantive.

Application of critical skills is constructive and appropriate.

Creative solutions are appropriate to the brief and context.

Creative solution development is logical and appropriately conceptual.

10:

Solutions consider the social, economic and political environment of the country.

Solutions take into consideration the environment and are ecologically sustainable.

Solutions are appropriate to the visual, written and diverse culture of South Africa.

Integrated assessment:

Quality assurance procedures are based on Vega's policy of fair and transparent assessment. Assessment takes the form of Formative assessment and Summative assessment:

Formative assessment:

Formative Assessment is practised in the form of continuous feedback that is given to students in the form of critiques, feedback and marking schedules for projects, essays and examinations.

Summative assessment:

Summative Assessment is practised in the form of end of year portfolio reviews and examinations where students are assessed according to their demonstration of the skills and knowledge that they have gained during the course of the year.

Learning outcomes are assessed per project and assignment, and are re-assessed at the mid year and end of year portfolio assessments and subject examinations.

The quality and integrity of learner assessment procedures are maintained through quality assurance mechanisms on a number of levels:

Moderation:

Internal academic moderators moderate student's projects, portfolios and examinations. Student's portfolio marks are made up of individual project marks that are re-evaluated and moderated at mid year assessment and at end of year assessment.

Project/Assignment assessment:

Individual projects are assessed throughout the year and these marks accrue to an end of year aggregate for the subject. The relevant academic staff for the given project/assignments complete these assessments.

Mid year assessment:

Students submit their portfolios for a mid year assessment which encourages them to revisit and refine work done in the first half of the year. These assessments are completed by the relevant academic staff and are reflected in mid year reports that are sent to each individual student.

External examiners:

External examiners are used to moderate the portfolios of students who are completing their course. External examiners are appointed according to their industry profile and relevant experience.

Academic Planning and Development:

Quality Assurance policies and procedures are developed and maintained within the framework of Academic Planning and Development workshops. These workshops are held regularly and frequently and address curriculum and Quality Assurance matters.

Assessment methods and tools:

The following assessment strategies are used in the assessment of exit level outcomes:

Examinations.

Individual projects.

Group presentations.

Practical assignments.

Thesis paper.

The following assessment tools are utilised in the assessment of exit level outcomes:

Individual feedback.

Group feedback.

Marking schedules.

Examination feedback.

INTERNATIONAL COMPARABILITY

In regards to international comparability, the one-year Honours programme prepares graduates for similar positions to those graduates who qualify from standard four-year design, copywriting and visual communication programmes across the world. These international four-year programmes combine the undergraduate and graduate course into a similar framework as the BAFA (Hons) at universities in South Africa.

The Brand Communications Industry is in the process of radical transformation. It is moving away from the traditional agency structure and 'beauticians' role at the consumer end of the marketing cycle towards a virtual agency and a strategic business partner in the development and positioning of products that results in an improved bottom-line.

It is a growing trend, particularly amongst institutions in the United States, the United Kingdom, and selected institutions in Asia and South East Asia, that Brand and Strategic Management be combined with the more creative fields of Design and the more practical skills of software application. There are a number of similar international qualifications that straddle the Services, Communications and Design sectors.

Vega is at the forefront of developing programmes that address this shifting environment. The staff are involved in national and international curriculum development on a number of levels, and the school is closely aligned with the Icograda Education Network, an international network of schools that offer programmes in design and branding. Vega also has strong links with the Institute of Marketing Management (IMM), and the Marketing Federation of South Africa (MFSA), as well as with GIBS, with the University of Pretoria's Economic Science Department, and with the Graduate School of Business in Cape Town.

It is also becoming an international trend for institutions to offer HE programmes on a part time basis to enable people within the workplace and these particular industries to upskill their qualifications and continue with life long education.

ARTICULATION OPTIONS

In a horizontal articulation, the number of credit points and hours are the same as those required of other final year Honours degrees in the creative and marketing fields. Although the combined theoretical and practical nature of this course is unique, this qualification articulates with programmes run by the IMM, as well as other programmes run by both private and public Higher Education Institutions.

In a vertical articulation, learners enter the programme after receiving a relevant Level 6 qualification. Learners who successfully pass this Honours degree programme will be able to register for further courses of a similar nature at institutions that offer Masters qualifications in design, marketing, and brand communications. They would be able to register for postgraduate qualifications in marketing, communications, branding or design at appropriate institutions that offer these courses.

MODERATION OPTIONS

External examiners are only appointed to moderate exit-level students in all qualifications. In the context of practical subjects, examiners are selected on the basis of their industry experience. In the context of theory subjects examiners are selected on the basis of a combination of academic and industry experience.

The findings of external examiners are mediated by internal assessment procedures. Examination Board meetings provide a platform to act on the findings of the External Examiners in a positive and constructive manner.

Assessment of students' performance at Vega is undertaken at an internal level and at an external level.

Internal assessors:

Internal assessors are used for the assessment of individual projects and assignments, examinations, mid year portfolio review and end of year portfolio review. Relevant internal assessors are appointed according to the nature of the project, assignment, examination and subject.

External assessors:

External examiners are appointed to moderate the assessment of exit level students and their portfolios. External assessors are appointed according to their relevant academic qualifications, assessment experience and industry experience. External assessors are interviewed and briefed according to the nature of Vega's assessment policies and strategies.

The following list of industry and academic experts are actively involved in our programme. These are in addition to the extensive expertise involved in the Vega Governing Body and in the Vega Advisory Council. As this course is not yet running, we expect to complete our selection by the end of the year.

Professor Tim Couzens (Wits English Lit. Department).

Professor Marian Sauthoff (University of Pretoria).

Dr Michelle Serfontein (Institute for Marketing Management).

Jeremy Sampson (owner of Interbrand Sampson).

Sue Anderson (TBWA Hunt Lascaris).

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.

NOTES

This qualification has been replaced by qualification 58676, which is "Bachelor of Arts Honours: Communications Management", Level 7, 120 credits.

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LEARNING PROGRAMMES RECORDED AGAINST THIS QUALIFICATION:

When qualifications are replaced, some of their learning programmes are moved to being recorded against the replacement qualifications. If a learning programme appears to be missing from here, please check the replacement.

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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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