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SOUTH AFRICAN QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY 
REGISTERED QUALIFICATION: 

Bachelor of Arts in Drama and Theatre Studies 
SAQA QUAL ID QUALIFICATION TITLE
96613  Bachelor of Arts in Drama and Theatre Studies 
ORIGINATOR
Stellenbosch 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
National First Degree(Min 480)  Field 02 - Culture and Arts  Performing Arts 
ABET BAND MINIMUM CREDITS PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL NQF LEVEL QUAL CLASS
Undefined  480  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
2027-06-30   2029-06-30  

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 and Rationale of the Qualification:
  • To familiarise students with the content of theatre and drama studies as a field of research and debate in the humanities (including the social sciences).
  • To this end it means to equip them with the intellectual and cognitive skills to solve relatively small problems, utilising appropriate methods and theories.
  • To ensure that South Africa has sufficient skilled and creative theatre practitioners by equipping students with comprehensive set of basic performance, technical and administrative skills applicable to a wide range of career options within the [performing arts and entertainment industry and related fields.
  • To provide students with the necessary academic skills to proceed with more specialised further study at postgraduate level. 
    		•

    LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING 
    Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL):
  • Access may be gained to the qualification through the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL).

    Entry Requirements:
  • National Senior Certificate or equivalent university admission qualification. 
    		•

    RECOGNISE PREVIOUS LEARNING? 
    Y 

    EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES 
    The successful Bachelor of Arts in Drama and Theatre Studies (BDram) student will have:
    1. The ability to map new information, under guidance, into a coherent understanding of the discipline, and the ability to solve relatively small, less complex problems using appropriate methods and theories.
    2. The ability to organise and manage him/hers self and his/her activities effectively.
    3. The ability to work with others as a member of a team and to take responsibility for participating in such a team.
    4. The ability to organise ideas and communicate them effectively using visual, linguistic and kinetic skills in oral, written and media formats.

    Specific outcomes:
    The successful Bachelor of Arts in Drama and Theatre Studies (BDram) student will have:
    1. A familiarity with the nature, history and processes of drama, theatre and performance, and their contexts, and familiarity with elementary research methods applicable to the field.
    2. A general command of the fundamental skills of performance (e.g. voice, movement, acting, lighting, sound, costume, sets, props), alongside more specific (optional) specialisation in one of two broad areas: performance (acting), or technical and managerial skills.
    3. The ability to apply a variety of basic scholarly, creative, technical and performance skills in practical production (e.g. stage, radio, TV and/or film).
    4. Depending on the BDram student's choice of specialisation in the second and third years, he or she will have.
    5. For the performer's stream, with its focus on performance skills, the ability to utilise the specifics of voice, movement, acting, text analysis and related skills in actual production for the stage, radio and other media.
    Or
    6. For the theatre technicians and stage management stream, with its focus on technical and management skills, the ability to utilise the specifics of lighting, sound, costume, sets, props, make-up, etc. and the management of staff and performers to bring about actual productions for the stage, radio and other media. 

    ASSOCIATED ASSESSMENT CRITERIA 
    The assessment criteria for the Bachelor of Arts in Drama and Theatre Studies (Bdram) fall into two broad but related categories:
  • The assessment of scholastic skills and knowledge, which takes the form of written and oral examinations, essays and research projects. Competence in this category will be demonstrated if the information and conceptual content of the work submitted by the student is correct, and demonstrates a clear ability to interpret questions, to analyse and interpret information, to communicate the resulting deductions clearly and logically, utilising the appropriate discipline-specific conventions.
  • The assessment of creative, performance, technical, administrative and other practical skills, which takes the form of an assessment of practical work assignments. Competence in the category will be demonstrated if the student demonstrates a familiarity with the fundamental skills taught, an awareness of related theoretical concepts and conventions, and a clear ability to apply these skills, theories and conventions in a practical performance context.

    Integrated Assessment:
  • Integrated Assessment takes place by means of an evaluation of final year performance projects in which students work in teams to create a theatre production for examination purposes. Such projects are presented and assessed at the end of the year.
  • The projects entail the application of all the skills (imaginative, cognitive, writing, voice, movement, acting and technical skills) worked on in class during the year and competence will be demonstrated by the student's ability to integrate and activate such skills and knowledge in comprehensive work of theatrical communication. 
    		•

    ARTICULATION OPTIONS 
    Vertical Articulation:
  • Bachelor of Arts in Drama and Theatre Studies (BDram) Honours. 
    		•

    MODERATION OPTIONS 
    N/A 

    CRITERIA FOR THE REGISTRATION OF ASSESSORS 
    N/A 

    NOTES 
    N/A 

    LEARNING PROGRAMMES RECORDED AGAINST THIS QUALIFICATION: 
    When qualifications are replaced, some (but not all) of their learning programmes are moved to the replacement qualifications. If a learning programme appears to be missing from here, please check the replaced 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. Stellenbosch 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.