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: 

Bachelor of Arts Honours 
SAQA QUAL ID QUALIFICATION TITLE
9105  Bachelor of Arts Honours 
ORIGINATOR
University of the Free State 
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  NQF Level 08  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   2031-06-30  

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 
Apply educational knowledge, skills, principles and methods by:

  • Developing integrated, specialised and methodologically aware perspectives on a field of learning;
  • Contributing to addressing cultural and social issues by applying research methodology;
  • Follow any career where a higher level of knowledge of cultural and social issues is required.

    Qualifiers will demonstrate knowledge, skills and applied competence in the field of study that provide opportunities for continued personal growth, gainful economic activity and rewarding contributions to society. 
    		•

    LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING 
    Learners who register for this qualification can:
  • Learn from predominantly written material;
  • Communicate what they have learnt comprehensively in the medium of instruction;
  • Learn and take responsibility for their own progress.

    RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING:

    The qualification recognises formal and non-formal prior learning (incorporating experiential learning) at a Higher Education and Training Certificate Level 5. 
    		•

    RECOGNISE PREVIOUS LEARNING? 
    Y 

    EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES 
    The planned combination of learning outcomes are integrated with critical cross-field outcomes for this Qualification:


    Practical Competency

    The demonstrated ability/skill to achieve the major Skills/Applied Competency of the qualification.

    Foundational Competency

    The demonstrated understanding, by the Learner, of the embedded knowledge that underpins the end result/outcome.

    Reflective Competency

    The demonstrated ability/skill to integrate or connect our performances and to reflect on, evaluate and adopt the above competencies.

    The Learner will be able to demonstrate the capability to:

  • Constructing the discursive foundations of an independent perspective on the discourse, artefacts, actions and institutions in a special field of learning;
  • Applying this frame of knowledge in exploring and gaining critical insight into cultural and social issues;
  • Contributing to the understanding and solution of cultural and social systems and problems;
  • Demonstrating rudimentary research capabilities;
  • Developing report-writing capabilities.

    The learner will be able to:

  • Critical reading of texts on specialised topics;
  • Survey critical debates in the literature, evaluate current theoretical frames and confront dominant ideologies in selected fields of learning;
  • Explore sub-disciplines, special areas and unique cases in a field of learning; Verbalise the disciplinary discourses;
  • Master specialised research procedure for accessing relevant information, analysing data, and interpreting cases and contextualising problems. 
    		•

    ASSOCIATED ASSESSMENT CRITERIA 
    Learners will demonstrate their knowledge and skills through:

  • Written or oral examination papers on taught and researched subjects;
  • Written reports on set readings;
  • Finding sources and compiling bibliographies;
  • Written assignments on set topics;
  • Written and oral seminar presentations, interviews, demonstrations, exhibitions and group discussions;
  • Participation in team projects and internships;
  • Preparing a minor dissertation or script reporting on a minor research project in the format of a scholarly article.

    INTEGRATED ASSESSMENT


    Competence is achieved, through continuous assessment by demonstrating the ability to achieve the outcomes of the Qualification:
  • Module course mark
  • Assignments
  • Projects
  • Examinations

    This will be supported by a module credit system, followed by a final exam on the modules for which credit was not obtained.

    Assessment documents are moderated to ensure that:

  • They conform to the scope and context of the competency as stipulated in the qualification.
  • They are constructed in such a way that the Assessor assesses the critical outcomes applied, during the Learners activity performances, towards achieving an outcome.

    Assessments are:

  • To include confirmation of the Embedded Knowledge component to ensure that the Foundational Competency is achieved.
  • To be verified by Internal Verifiers to ensure valid, credible, true and fair results.

    Four to five three-hour written examinations paper.

    Three to four three-hour written examination papers and a minor research project or a minor dissertation.

    Certain disciplines have the option of an oral examination in one of the examination papers. 
    		•

    ARTICULATION OPTIONS 
    Vertical: M.A. degree in the Humanities, in one subject or interdisciplinary between subjects.

    Horizontal: With many subjects the option of one interdisciplinary paper allows articulation with adjacent disciplines. 

    MODERATION OPTIONS 
  • A system of external peer review and evaluation of departments including evaluation of the standards and assessment practices per Department.
  • Qualifications: The minimum academic and workplace experience requirements at a level above the level of moderation.
  • Appropriate professional criteria will be drafted in the case of workplace assessment.
  • Mentorship: All junior and new members of staff are mentored by senior members as they work together in teams. All assessment done by external assessors is quality controlled by internal staff.
  • Any moderation criteria as determined by the ETQA.
  • All examination papers, minor dissertations and reports on minor research projects is internally moderated.
  • External moderators are used in certain subjects, topics and papers. 
    		•

    CRITERIA FOR THE REGISTRATION OF ASSESSORS 
    The academic staff of the University of the Free State complied with standards set by Senate and will exercise their assessment within the approved quality assurance system of the University. Assessors will also meet all criteria as stipulated by the relevant ETQA.

    Assessors are:

  • Subject matter specialists
  • Registered with the awarding body
  • Accredited by the awarding body after achieving competency against Unit Standards of competence for Assessors
  • To be administrated, advised and coached by an Internal Verifier. 
    		•

    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 the Free State 


    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.