Faculty of Humanities Programmes
Period of study: 1 Year
The Higher Certificate in Court Interpreting exits at HEQSF level 5 and the minimum duration is one (1) year.
The purpose of the Higher Certificate in Court Interpreting is to provide an opportunity for court interpreters who are already in the profession as well as newcomers to the field of court interpreting to obtain a recognised formal and professional qualification.
The qualification vertically articulates to further studies in language and communication related programmes at SPU and other Universities.
Minimum requirements
The qualification is directed at enabling individuals to apply relevant skills, knowledge and principles to execute management functions.
To gain access to the Higher Certificate in Court Interpreting programme a student has to have the following:
- A National Senior Certificate (NSC) (Grade 12) pass with Higher Certificate requirement or National Certificate Vocational (NCV);
- English Home Language: NSC level 4 OREnglish 1st Additional Language: NSC level 5;
- Students should have least one other African language to enrol for the Higher Certificate In Court Interpreting, taken as a home language (NCS level 4) OR1st Additional Language (NCS level 5);
- Mathematics: 30% (NSC Level 2) ORMathematical Literacy: 40% (NSC Level 3)
- APS Minimum points: 25
- Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) access: Up to 10% of the intake in any year may be approved through the RPL, whether as the result of formal or non-formal learning (incorporating experiential learning) at Level 4, or a demonstrated functional equivalent.
- Mature age applicants with relevant industry experience and applicants with level 4 qualifications may be approved for entry by the University Registrar.
Period of study: 1 Year
This course provides students with a theoretical and practical grounding of knowledge and skills about the heritage sector.
A key benefit is that this Certificate provides an opportunity for studying further in heritage or another discipline. This Certificate would enable a pathway for ongoing learning and successful graduates could enter one of the various undergraduate degree courses such as the B.A. or B. Ed. Degrees.
We are keen to produce students with a strong ability for independent thinking who can be prepared for this level of learning.
Minimum requirements
In order to gain access to the Higher Certificate in Heritage Studies programme a student has to have the following:
- A National Senior Certificate (NSC) (Grade 12) pass with Higher Certificate requirement or National Certificate Vocational (NCV);
- English Home Language: NSC level 4 OREnglish 1st Additional Language: NSC level 5;
- Mathematics: 30% (NSC Level 2) ORMathematical Literacy: 40% (NSC Level 3)
- APS Minimum points: 25
- Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) access: Up to 10% of the intake in any year may be approved through the RPL, whether as the result of formal or non-formal learning (incorporating experiential learning) at Level 4, or a demonstrated functional equivalent.
- Mature age applicants with relevant industry experience and applicants with level 4 qualifications may be approved for entry by the University Registrar.
NOTE: Admission to the Higher Certificate is furthermore subject to the capacity of the Heritage Studies programme.
Career Opportunities
The skills developed would encourage work in diverse roles within national and provincial heritage management bodies or privately-managed heritage organisations. This could include roles from administration in heritage institutions such as museums.
Other possible roles could include assisting in archival work in a wide range of institutions including universities, public and private bodies, or working within the tourism industry.
Period of Study: 3 Years
The Bachelor of Arts exits at HEQSF level 7 and the minimum duration is three years.
The BA intends to develop skilled graduates who are able to engage critically with the world and apply disciplinary content to the resolution of problems.
There is a strong focus on languages (Afrikaans, English and Swahili), History, Heritage Studies, Geography, Mathematics and Sociology.
Heritage Studies is a compulsory first-year module to provide students with an interdisciplinary academic field that takes a critical look at the way we preserve, present, participate and interrogate heritage and the unofficial objects and symbols of heritage.
For the BA degree, it is envisaged that articulation into postgraduate qualifications will enable further development of the majors or in selected professional fields.
The package is aimed at equipping the learner with communication skills as well as in-depth knowledge of the subjects of their choice.
Students from the BA acquire perspectives on different aspects of people and their interaction with the world.
Career opportunities
BA graduates are equipped to become researchers or practitioners in a variety of professional domains such as museums and other heritage organisations, language-based positions (translation and editing), teaching, communication, journalism, creative writing, media work, community development, tourism and the diplomatic service.
Period of Study: 1 Year full-time
As a first-year postgraduate programme, the Bachelor of Arts (BA) Honours in Afrikaans aims to consolidate, deepen and intensify students’ theoretical and conceptual knowledge of the Afrikaans language, particularly in areas such as linguistics and literature.
It also serves to provide students with methodologies and techniques which will prepare them for further independent research-based postgraduate study in their respective areas of specialisation.
Minimum requirements
- The General Rules of SPU in respect of admission to Bachelor Honours Degrees (aligned with the HEQSF) are applicable to this degree.
- Admission into the Honours programme is subject to departmental approval on the advice of the School of Humanities Postgraduate Committee.
- All students will be required to provide a motivation for admission.
- To be admitted to the BSoc Hons programme, a student must have a Bachelors qualification (NQF Level 7), with an average pass of not less than 60% for the degree and an average of 60% and above in the chosen discipline of specialisation.
- Candidates below 60% may be admitted at the Head of School’s discretion, following a motivation from the applicant.
- Candidates who apply from cognate disciplines in relevant Humanities and Social Science disciplines will be admitted at the Head of School’s discretion, following sufficient motivation from the applicant.
The formal SPU RPL Policy applies in instances where applicants do not meet the minimum admission requirements for entry into the Honours Degree.
The proposed curriculum will support the intended outcomes and enable graduates to demonstrate:
- knowledge of and engagement in an area at the forefront of a field, discipline, or practice related to linguistics (semantics, morphology) and literature (post-colonial literature), as well as an understanding of theories (linguistic theories on semantics, morphology, pragmatics, second language acquisition, and literature theories on reader-response theories, feminist and post-colonial literary theories), research methodologies (qualitative and quantitative), methods (interviews, surveys or questionnaires) and techniques relevant to the field, discipline or practice; and an understanding of how to apply such knowledge in a linguistic and literary context.
- the ability to use a range of specialised skills to identify, analyse and address complex or abstract problems drawing systematically on the body of knowledge and methods appropriate to a field, discipline, or practice of linguistics and literature.
- the ability to present and communicate academic, professional, or occupational ideas and texts effectively to a range of audiences, offering creative insights, rigorous interpretations, and solutions to problems and issues related to linguistics and literature.
- the ability to critically review information gathering, synthesis of data, evaluation, and management processes in specialised contexts to develop creative responses to problems and issues.
Programme Structure
The BA Honours in Afrikaans is a one-year postgraduate qualification comprising two compulsory core modules (i.e. a supervised Research Project completed over a year and Research Approaches and Methodologies) and any three optional/elective modules selected from the fields of Linguistics and Literature.
The various modules in the programme have no rules of progression in terms of the level of complexity as all modules are pegged at NQF level 8. However, only after completing the Research Approaches and Methodologies module will students conduct the Research Project.
Compulsory | Electives |
SEMESTER 1 (Choose one elective) | SEMESTER 2 (Choose any two) |
HAFP84032: Research Project (32 credits) Compulsory | HALT84224: Literary Theory (24 credits) |
HAFR84124: Research Approaches and Methodologies (24 credits) Compulsory | HACL84224: Comparative Literature (24 credits) |
HAFL84124: Linguistics: Theory and Practice (24 credits) Elective | HATC84224: Textual Criticism (24 credits) |
HAFC84124: Contemporary Afrikaans Literature (24 credits) Elective | HAFA84124: Applied Language and Linguistic Studies (24 credits) |
The proposed curriculum will support the intended outcomes and enable graduates to demonstrate:
- knowledge of and engagement in an area at the forefront of a field, discipline, or practice related to linguistics (semantics, morphology) and literature (post-colonial literature), as well as an understanding of theories (linguistic theories on semantics, morphology, pragmatics, second language acquisition, and literature theories on reader-response theories, feminist and post-colonial literary theories), research methodologies (qualitative and quantitative), methods (interviews, surveys or questionnaires) and techniques relevant to the field, discipline or practice; and an understanding of how to apply such knowledge in a linguistic and literary context.
- the ability to use a range of specialised skills to identify, analyse and address complex or abstract problems drawing systematically on the body of knowledge and methods appropriate to a field, discipline, or practice of linguistics and literature.
- the ability to present and communicate academic, professional, or occupational ideas and texts effectively to a range of audiences, offering creative insights, rigorous interpretations, and solutions to problems and issues related to linguistics and literature.
- the ability to critically review information gathering, synthesis of data, evaluation, and management processes in specialised contexts to develop creative responses to problems and issues.
Career opportunities
Graduates are equipped to become researchers or practitioners in a variety of professional domains such as museums, language-based positions (translation and editing), teaching, communication, journalism, creative writing, media work, community development, tourism and the diplomatic service.
Period of Study: 1 Year (Full-time), 2 Years (Part-time)
The purpose of the Bachelor of Social Science Honours in Anthropology is to engage students, on both theory and practice in particular, on how people understand the world around them.
The programme seeks to engage students on both local and global problems to invoke debates more critically.
Minimum requirements
- The General Rules of SPU in respect of admission to Bachelor Honours Degrees (aligned with the HEQSF) are applicable to this degree.
- Admission into the Honours programme is subject to departmental approval on the advice of the School of Humanities Postgraduate Committee.
- All students will be required to provide a motivation for admission.
- To be admitted to the BSoc Hons programme, a student must have a Bachelors qualification (NQF Level 7), with an average pass of not less than 60% for the degree and an average of 60% and above in the chosen discipline of specialisation.
- Candidates below 60% may be admitted at the Head of School’s discretion, following a motivation from the applicant.
- Candidates who apply from cognate disciplines in relevant Humanities and Social Science disciplines will be admitted at the Head of School’s discretion, following sufficient motivation from the applicant.
The formal SPU RPL Policy applies in instances where applicants do not meet the minimum admission requirements for entry into the Honours Degree.
This degree consists of compulsory courses and elective courses.
Course Structure
The Bachelor of Social Science Honours in Social Anthropology is a postgraduate qualification at NQF Level 8 and consists of 128 Credits.
The course consists of:
Three compulsory modules:
- Research Project: Mini-thesis/Mini-dissertation
- Research Methods and Ethnographic Practice
- Theory in Anthropology
Two elective modules:
- Belonging and the body
- Gender Studies
The language of instruction is English.
Compulsory | Electives (Choose any two) |
HANT84032: Research Project: Mini thesis/Mini dissertation (32 credits) | HANT84624: Gender Studies (24 credits) |
HANT84124: Research Methods and ethnographic practice (24 credits) | HANT84424: Media, messaging and representation (24 credits) |
HANT84324: Theory in Anthropology (24 credits) | HANT84224: Belonging and the body (24 credits) |
Career opportunities
Bachelor of Social Sciences honours graduates are equipped to become researchers or practitioners in a variety of professional domains.
This role may be at museums and other heritage organisations, language-based positions (translation and editing), teaching, communication, journalism, creative writing, media work, community development, tourism and the diplomatic service.
Period of Study: 1 Year (Full-time), 2 Years (Part-time)
The purpose of the Bachelor of Social Sciences Honours in Archaeology programme is to expose students to current issues within the discipline, both in southern Africa and internationally.
The Honours programme is designed to consolidate the learning in the undergraduate programme. This focuses on research and methods, as well as contextual-specific approaches and skills in critical thinking, conducting research, and presenting findings to both the academic community and the larger public.
The electives will deepen knowledge and engagement in more specific fields, and the mini-thesis offers a practical application of research that will contribute to research and offer a platform for further postgraduate study or work in diverse settings.
The degree will allow graduates to apply for membership with the Association of Southern African Professional Archaeologists.
Minimum requirements
- The General Rules of SPU in respect of admission to Bachelor Honours Degrees (aligned with the HEQSF) are applicable to this degree.
- Admission into the Honours programme is subject to departmental approval on the advice of the School of Humanities Postgraduate Committee.
- All students will be required to provide a motivation for admission.
- To be admitted to the BSoc Hons programme, a student must have a Bachelors qualification (NQF Level 7), with an average pass of not less than 60% for the degree and an average of 60% and above in the chosen discipline of specialisation.
- Candidates below 60% may be admitted at the Head of School’s discretion, following a motivation from the applicant.
- Candidates who apply from cognate disciplines in relevant Humanities and Social Science disciplines will be admitted at the Head of School’s discretion, following sufficient motivation from the applicant.
The formal SPU RPL Policy applies in instances where applicants do not meet the minimum admission requirements for entry into the Honours Degree.
Course Structure
The Bachelor of Social Science Honours in Archaeology is a postgraduate qualification at NQF Level 8 and consists of 128 Credits.
Compulsory | Electives (Choose 2) |
SEMESTER 1 | SEMESTER 2 |
HARC84032: Research Project: Archaeology (32 credits) | HARC84224: Geo-spatial Archaeology (24 credits) |
HARC84124: Research methodology, fieldwork and practice (24 credits) | HARC84424: Environmental Archaeology (24 credits) |
HARC84324: Critical Archaeological Theory (24 credits) | HARC84624: Rock art and Ontology (24 credits) |
| HARC84824: Historical Archaeology (24 credits) |
HHRM84224: Advanced Heritage Resources Management (24 credits) |
Career opportunities
Bachelor of Social Sciences honours graduates are equipped to become researchers or practitioners in a variety of professional domains.
This role may be at museums and other heritage organisations, language-based positions (translation and editing), teaching, communication, journalism, creative writing, media work, community development, tourism and the diplomatic service.
Period of Study: 1 Year (Full-time), 2 Years (Part-time)
The Bachelor of Social Sciences Honours in Heritage Studies will consolidate and deepen students’ expertise in Heritage Studies and develop research capacity in the methodology and techniques of Heritage Studies and, in particular, chosen elective specialisations.
The programme will demand a high level of theoretical engagement, intellectual independence and practice-based learning.
The Bachelor of Social Sciences Honours in Heritage Studies will allow graduates to apply for membership with the Association of Southern African Professional Archaeologists.
The programme should enable graduates to be critical and reflective practitioners and specialists in their respective areas of specialisation.
Further, it will equip them to be agents of change in their respective local community contexts as well as in the broader South African and international contexts.
The programme has an applied focus and is interdisciplinary in nature – linking heritage with conservation, archaeology, tourism and museum studies.
This programme will provide students with a broader knowledge and understanding of the built, cultural and natural heritages of South Africa and the world.
Minimum requirements
- The General Rules of SPU in respect of admission to Bachelor Honours Degrees (aligned with the HEQSF) are applicable to this degree.
- Admission into the Honours programme is subject to departmental approval on the advice of the School of Humanities Postgraduate Committee.
- All students will be required to provide a motivation for admission.
- To be admitted to the BSoc Hons programme, a student must have a Bachelors qualification (NQF Level 7), with an average pass of not less than 60% for the degree and an average of 60% and above in the chosen discipline of specialisation.
- Candidates below 60% may be admitted at the Head of School’s discretion, following a motivation from the applicant.
- Candidates who apply from cognate disciplines in relevant Humanities and Social Science disciplines will be admitted at the Head of School’s discretion, following sufficient motivation from the applicant.
The formal SPU RPL Policy applies in instances where applicants do not meet the minimum admission requirements for entry into the Honours Degree.
Course Structure
The Bachelor of Social Science Honours in Heritage Studies is a postgraduate qualification at NQF Level 8 and consists of 128 Credits.
Compulsory | Electives (Choose any two) |
HRPM84032: Research Project (32 credits) | HMCM84224: Museum Curatorship and Collections Management (24 credits) |
HCHT84124: Critical Heritage: Theory and Methodology (24 credits) | HHET84124: Heritage Tourism (24 credits) |
HHPR84124: Heritage Practice (24 credits) | HIKS84124: Indigenous Knowledge Systems (24 credits) |
| HHRM84224: Advanced Heritage Resources Management (24 credits) |
| HMOC84124: Materials and Objects Conservation (24 credits) |
Career opportunities
Bachelor of Social Sciences honours graduates are equipped to become researchers or practitioners in a variety of professional domains.
This role may be at museums and other heritage organisations, language-based positions (translation and editing), teaching, communication, journalism, creative writing, media work, community development, tourism and the diplomatic service.
Period of Study: 1 Year (Full-time), 2 Years (Part-time)
The Bachelor of Social Sciences Honours in History will focus on the theoretical aspects of History as a scholarly discipline and provide a link between undergraduate studies and future enrolment in a Master’s programme.
The course is developed for students who have a passion for historical knowledge and the study of the past.
It will develop students’ skills through the study of historical debates, historiography, and methodology and will also provide students with an opportunity to develop their own interest of historical enquiry by offering them the opportunity to conduct independent research on an approved research topic.
Students will gain broad ranging historical knowledge, theoretical competence, and a range of specialised skills.
Students will engage with different perspectives of the past to understand how historians analyse historical events and contribute to our understanding of historical continuities and changes.
After completion of their studies, students will have an understanding of some of the major themes in the history of modern South Africa as well as major developments in the contemporary history of Africa and the world.
Minimum requirements
- The General Rules of SPU in respect of admission to Bachelor Honours Degrees (aligned with the HEQSF) are applicable to this degree.
- Admission into the Honours programme is subject to departmental approval on the advice of the School of Humanities Postgraduate Committee.
- All students will be required to provide a motivation for admission.
- To be admitted to the BSoc Hons programme, a student must have a Bachelors qualification (NQF Level 7), with an average pass of not less than 60% for the degree and an average of 60% and above in the chosen discipline of specialisation.
- Candidates below 60% may be admitted at the Head of School’s discretion, following a motivation from the applicant.
- Candidates who apply from cognate disciplines in relevant Humanities and Social Science disciplines will be admitted at the Head of School’s discretion, following sufficient motivation from the applicant.
The formal SPU RPL Policy applies in instances where applicants do not meet the minimum admission requirements for entry into the Honours Degree.
Course Structure
The Bachelor of Social Science Honours in History is a post graduate qualification at NQF Level 8 and consists of 128 Credits.
Compulsory | Electives (Choose any two) |
HHIS84032: Research Project (32 credits) | HHIS84224: Themes in Land and Labour History (24 credits) |
HHIS84124: Historical Method and Approaches (24 credits) | HHIS84424: Conflict Studies in historical perspective (24 credits) |
HHIS84324: Historiography (24 credits) |
Career opportunities
Bachelor of Social Sciences honours graduates are equipped to become researchers or practitioners in a variety of professional domains.
This role may be at museums and other heritage organisations, language-based positions (translation and editing), teaching, communication, journalism, creative writing, media work, community development, tourism and the diplomatic service.
Period of study: 1 Year(Full-time), 2 Years(Part-time)
The purpose of the Bachelor of Social Science Honours in Sociology is to consolidate, deepen and intensify the students’ theoretical and conceptual knowledge and expertise in the chosen discipline. The qualification provides students with advanced intellectual education in research, analysis, writing and communication.
The programme prepares students to be able to undertake approved independent research projects and construct new knowledge in their fields of specialisation.
The degree enables graduates to be critical and reflective practitioners and specialists in their respective fields of specialisation.
The electives will deepen knowledge and engagement in more specific fields, and the research project (mini-thesis) offers a practical application of research that will contribute to research and offer a platform into further postgraduate study or work in diverse settings.
Minimum requirements
- The General Rules of SPU in respect of admission to Bachelor Honours Degrees (aligned with the HEQSF) are applicable to this degree.
- Admission into the Honours programme is subject to departmental approval on the advice of the School of Humanities Postgraduate Committee.
- All students will be required to provide a motivation for admission.
- To be admitted to the BSoc Hons programme, a student must have a Bachelors qualification (NQF Level 7), with an average pass of not less than 60% for the degree and an average of 60% and above in the chosen discipline of specialisation.
- Candidates below 60% may be admitted at the Head of School’s discretion, following a motivation from the applicant.
- Candidates who apply from cognate disciplines in relevant Humanities and Social Science disciplines will be admitted at the Head of School’s discretion, following sufficient motivation from the applicant.
The formal SPU RPL Policy applies in instances where applicants do not meet the minimum admission requirements for entry into the Honours Degree.
Course Structure
The Bachelor of Social Science Honours in Sociology is a post-graduate qualification at NQF Level 8 and consists of 128 Credits.
Compulsory | Electives (Choose any two) |
HSOC84032: Research Project (32 credits) | HSOC84224: Social Organisation and Structure (24 credits) |
HSOC84124: Advanced Research Methods (24 credits) | HSOC84624: Feminist Theories and Intersectional Feminist Debates (24 credits) |
HSOC84324: Advanced Social Theory (24 credits) |
Career opportunities
Bachelor of Social Sciences honours graduates are equipped to become researchers or practitioners in a variety of professional domains.
This role may be at museums and other heritage organisations, language-based positions (translation and editing), teaching, communication, journalism, creative writing, media work, community development, tourism and the diplomatic service.
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