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SOUTH AFRICAN QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY 
REGISTERED QUALIFICATION: 

Bachelor of Arts Honours in Creative Writing 
SAQA QUAL ID QUALIFICATION TITLE
93790  Bachelor of Arts Honours in Creative Writing 
ORIGINATOR
North West University 
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 04 - Communication Studies and Language  Literature 
ABET BAND MINIMUM CREDITS PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL NQF LEVEL QUAL CLASS
Undefined  134  Not Applicable  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 
Purpose:
The primary purpose of the qualification is to develop the nature and scope of learners' knowledge of Creative Writing, enhancing their insight into and stimulating their creative and scientific skills in this disciplinary field. After completion of this qualification, the learners will demonstrate the ability to:
  • Gain access to, and process and manage relevant disciplinary information independently, thereby demonstrating acquired insight into the applicability and coherence of such information, i.e. by making it apparent in the demonstrated abilities mentioned below.
  • Demonstrate implied mastery of Creative Writing theory as well as relevant approaches in literary and language practice theory, i.e. by applying these in their own creative writing.
  • Deal critically with the methodologies of Creative Writing and other applicable literary theories, evaluating them in a principled, accountable manner, and communicating such evaluations responsibly in written form or within group discussions.
  • Illustrate - in written form or within group discussions - knowledge of and insight into the specific nature and characteristics of applicable literary genres (prose, poetry, drama, children's and youth literature), e.g. by contextualising them within the relevant Afrikaans genre traditions.
  • Plan, write, edit and prepare original creative writing in chosen genres, with due observance of the current, dynamic South African literary publication context.
  • Form and communicate an own creative and literary perspective, based on learners' own experiences of the writing process as well as on acquired knowledge of and insights into literary theory and the development of Afrikaans literary history and criticism.
  • Manage own critical and creative work in a competent, literate, ethical and professional way, presenting it in such a way that it can be of valuable use in various disciplines and professions.

    Rationale:
    This Honours qualification is the first year of Postgraduate study in Creative Writing. It is designed to provide the opportunity for further intensive study in the discipline and training in concepts, research methods and writing skills designed to equip the candidate with the knowledge and skills necessary either for employment in educational and cultural fields (such as the publications sector) or as productive creative writers, while also mediating further study at Master's and Doctoral level in Creative Writing or a related subject area.

    Creative Writing is an academic and broadly vocational discipline. It aims to equip learners to communicate innovatively and effectively in (scholarly and literary) writing within a professional and/or an artistic context. Learners are facilitated in acquiring expertise, critical understanding and productive skills pertaining to a variety of literary genres, embedded as they are in the socio-cultural and literary-historical realities of South Africa, the whole of Africa and the rest of the world. Such education is crucial in the context of globalisation and the need for critical engagement with such an environment. The qualification offers learners a particular vocational path and equips them to become creative writers, literary scholars, critics and teachers, and employees in the fields of publication and journalism.

    In the process of developing this programme, care has been taken to provide for consolidation and deepening of learners' expertise, keeping the level descriptors closely in mind so as to allow a learner to proceed to more complicated post graduate work. 
    		•

    LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING 
    Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL):
    All forms of relevant previous learning will be taken into consideration should a learner wish to enrol for this programme. These include:

    Formal Prior Learning:
    Prior accredited learning of a learner at the Higher Education and Training level in relevant domains which constitute credit-bearing units or modules should be recognised if evidence can be produced that shows that the learner has achieved, at a satisfactory level, the outcomes and associated assessment criteria specified for admission to programmes of study leading to the previous Degree (e.g. Bachelor of Arts qualification), and, if appropriate, allow the Recognition of Prior Learning for the achievement of the qualification in part or in full.

    Non-formal and informal prior experiential learning:
    An applicant whose level of knowledge, skills, competencies and attitudes have not been assessed earlier in terms of the formal qualification in question, but who can demonstrate in appropriate ways, through an assessment designed by the institution to which application is made, that she/he has acquired those skills and competencies, may be considered for admission to a programme of study leading to this qualification. An applicant who, after such assessment, is deemed to have sufficient potential but is in need of further academic development, must be directed to other suitable learning programmes prior to admission, or to parallel programmes after admission.

    Entry Requirements:
    Learners may gain access to this qualification if they are in possession of one of the following:
  • A Bachelor Degree.
    Or
  • Equivalent Degree with Creative Writing as a major. 
    		•

    RECOGNISE PREVIOUS LEARNING? 
    Y 

    QUALIFICATION RULES 
    The qualification consists of three compulsory modules and two elective modules at NQF Level 8, totalling 134 Credits.

    Compulsory Modules:
  • Afrikaans Creative Writing, 24 Credits.
  • Afrikaans Text Editing, 24 Credits.
  • Research methodology and research paper, 38 Credits.

    Elective Modules (select two):
  • Genre theory and Afrikaans literary history for creative writers, 24 Credits.
  • Capita selecta, 24 Credits.
  • Afrikaans narrative texts, 24 Credits.
  • From text to performance: A study of drama and theatre science, 24 Credits.
  • Afrikaans and Dutch Children's and Youth Literature, 24 Credits.
  • Narratology: The novel and film, 24 Credits.
  • Afrikaans Poetry: Poetry and intertext, 24 Credits. 
    		•

    EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES 
    1. Demonstrate integrated knowledge of and engagement in Creative Writing studies and critical understanding and application of theories, research methodologies and techniques relevant to this field of study.
    2. Critically interrogate, evaluate and review multiple sources of knowledge about Creative Writing studies within the field of Creative Writing.
    3. Understand the complex nature of knowledge transfer from Creative Writing studies in an academic environment to a career in which higher order knowledge of Creative Writing is required.
    4. Present accurate, coherent, appropriate and creative written/verbal communication of innovation and new professional ideas and findings related to the field of Creative Writing, whilst adhering to the rules on copyright and plagiarism.
    5. Demonstrate self-regulated learning skills regarding the finding, evaluation, analysis and interpretation of available literary and linguistic resources relevant to Creative Writing studies, thereby developing an understanding of the need for life-long learning in a professional context.
    6. Contextualise and analyse selected texts, authors or phenomena in Creative Writing studies from multiple scientific perspectives.
    7. Recognise, understand and communicate the linguistic and literary phenomena of the culturally-diverse Creative Writing-speaking populations of Africa and beyond.
    8. Identify and solve problems in the field of Creative Writing studies, individually or in groups, and critically reflect on the solutions offered. 

    ASSOCIATED ASSESSMENT CRITERIA 
    The Assessment Criteria may be applied across any one or more Exit Level Outcomes in an integrated manner:
  • The correct use of the terminology, concepts, principles and theories in written and/or oral communication is reflected.
  • Analysis, evaluation and synthesis of recent and relevant research findings in the discipline are represented.
  • Proposal and effective application of solutions to well-structured and practical problems based on theory-driven arguments are suggested.
  • Use of scholarly discourse and discipline-specific conventions is made efficiently and clearly for communication.
  • The critical appraisal of the relationship among concepts and principles of the discipline is presented.
  • Reflection of well-defined and coherent representation of identified problems is delivered.
  • The selection and application of appropriate methods, techniques, tools and procedures relevant to the discipline is presented.
  • Possible solutions based on theory-driven arguments and the use of the relevant modes of inquiry are proposed.
  • Scholarly and critical reasoning skills are demonstrated.
  • Relevant role players and resources that will contribute to resolution of specific problems are identified.
  • Explicit recognition of the diversity, complexity and multi-dimensionality of a context and how that affects the particular work being undertaken is demonstrated.
  • Relevant information pertaining to the strengths, weaknesses and opportunities of the context for addressing specific problems is provided.
  • All relevant factors pertaining to the context and people's performance(s) in these contexts and how they affect the particular work being undertaken are described.
  • Critical factors impacting on practical problems to be investigated from the perspective of the discipline are identified.
  • Boundaries and limitations of theory that recognise the provisional nature of research findings are evaluated and defined.
  • A clear statement and contextualisation of an identified problem for research purposes is delivered.
  • An essential mode of inquiry relevant to the discipline/s in which the essay/project is developed and described.
  • All procedures (e.g., research strategies, data collecting) are clearly described in a coherent and appropriately fashion for undertaking the minor research project.
  • Appropriate research strategies (such as analysis, interpretation, evaluation) are clearly described in a coherent fashion, appropriate for the writing of the essay.
  • Awareness of ethical accountability and cultural sensitivity pertaining to all related aspects is reflected (people, context, etc.).

    Integrated Assessment:
    The following forms of continuous formative and summative assessment are used to ensure integrated assessment of all Exit Level Outcomes:
    Learning and assessment is integrated throughout this qualification as is expected when active learning is at the foundation of the development of teaching and learning opportunities. Continuous formative assessment is required to ensure that learners get feedback on their progress towards the achievement of specific learning outcomes. Summative assessment is concerned with the judgement of the learning in relation to the Exit-Level Outcomes of the qualification. These assessments focus on the learners' ability to integrate the larger body of knowledge, necessary competencies and attitudes that are represented by the Exit-Level Outcomes, either as a whole or as components of the qualification.

    Assignments designed to meet the requirements of integrated assessment are such as to achieve:
  • An integration of the achievement of Exit-Level Outcomes in a way that demonstrates that the purpose of the qualification as a whole has been achieved, either in total or in the component parts of the programme of study.
  • Evaluation of learner performance to demonstrate applied competence.
  • Criterion-referenced assessment, which is clearly explained to and understood by the learners and that, can be applied in the Recognition of Prior Learning.
  • It is essential that a wide range of knowledge, skills, competencies and attitudes be integrated using innovative methods - and in the assessment of outcomes due recognition should be given to criteria and methods of assessment that assess these appropriately and adequately. 
    		•

    INTERNATIONAL COMPARABILITY 
    This Bachelor of Arts Honours in Creative Writing is comparable to similar qualifications from around the world with regard to outcomes and assessment criteria, the depth and level of complexity of the content and expected competences, and with due regard to notional learning time. Though the modules of this qualification are Afrikaans focused, English module focused qualifications were used for this purpose.

    The qualification is compared to the Bachelor of Honours English and Creative Writing offered by the University of Portsmouth, Bachelor of Arts Honours English Literature with Creative Writing from the University of Surrey and Creative Writing Bachelor of Arts Honours at Kingston University in London, or in the United Kingdom.

    In New Zealand the qualification is compared to a Bachelor of Arts with Honours English at the Massey University. It is also compares with the Bachelor of Creative Arts Honours at the University of Queensland in Australia.

    To ensure international comparability, these level descriptors were benchmarked against the standards and norms contained in the qualifications frameworks developed for various countries abroad (such as England, New Zealand and Australia).

    Conclusion:
    These qualifications were perceived as favourable for comparison as their focus is identified to be similar. The qualification develops within the learners an ability to explore a wide variety of different kinds of writing from classic to contemporary writing. Learners also discover and develop themselves while they gain a thorough insight into the process of writing. It is the aim of the qualification to produce graduates with skills and knowledge in writing and also to produce graduates who communicate well and think critically and creatively. This could be noticed from the qualifications that it is compared to. 

    ARTICULATION OPTIONS 
    This Qualification articulates horizontally with the Bachelor of Arts in Honours in Translation and Professional Writing at NQF Level 8.

    The Qualification articulates vertically with the Master of Arts in Creative Writing at 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 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. North West University 


    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.