WELCOME MESSAGE

Welcome to the School of Humanities at Sol Plaatje University!

In deciding to study in the Humanities you will become part of an academic community that is united by the fact that we deal the complex nature of human culture. Through our teaching, research and engagement the School of Humanities offers a model of lifelong learning that emphasises critical thinking, collaboration and problem solving towards contributing to an understanding of the social, cultural, environmental and economic challenges of our time.

As the School of Humanities we believe that our location in Kimberley, Northern Cape, with its rich archive of human and natural heritage offers students and staff alike unique opportunities for learning, for research and for engagement with our environment in the Human and Social Sciences.

The School currently offers three undergraduate programmes, the largest being a Bachelor of Arts (BA) with specialisation in disciplines such as Heritage Studies, Archaeology, Psychology, Sociology, History, Anthropology, Setswana, IsiXhosa, Afrikaans, English and Creative Writing. The other two programmes in the undergraduate structure in Humanities are the Higher Certificates in Heritage Studies and Court Interpreting. The successful completion of these one-year Certificate programmes may articulate into the three-year BA degree.

Our Humanities programmes focuses on the development of academically versatile students who are able to critically analyse, and generatively solve current problems in South Africa and globally in a wide variety of professions. The programmes combines depth of knowledge about the human experience with an informed and practical understanding of what that knowledge represents in contemporary society, and how it can best be managed for the future – in short: why the past matters and to whom. The undergraduate programmes intend to develop skilled graduates who are able to engage critically with the world and apply disciplinary content to the resolution of problems. Our rapidly growing spread of post-graduate qualifications include Honours and MA programmes that offer a variety of opportunities for students to engage in programmes that specialises in a wide spectrum of disciplines within the Humanities. 

Our BA programme provides the means for its undergraduates to acquire education that broadens students’ knowledge and awareness of at least two of the three major areas of human knowledge represented by our three internal departments: Heritage Studies; Human and Social Sciences and Languages and Communication. The degree is intended to prepare graduates for post-graduate study and for a lifetime of continual learning and application of knowledge to career and personal life.

In 2020 and 2021 most of our learning was done on-line platforms. This means that the building of community took place virtually. In 2022 we have moved into a blended approach towards learning, which combines on-line learning with face-to-face contact sessions.  Thus we urge regular attendance and participation in all courses. It becomes that much more important for students to be present and to engage in their virtual and physical classroom to ensure connection to what they are learning and to their learning community.

Acting School Head, Dr Cobus Rademeyer