Bachelor of Arts Honours in Culture and Media Studies
Culture and Arts - Cultural Studies
Purpose and Rationale
Qualification Title: Honours Degree in Culture and Media Studies
Purpose:
The purpose of the qualification is to prepare the qualifying learner to practise as a culture and media specialist in the media and communications industry as well as adjacent specialist areas such as education in South and Southern Africa.
Purpose statement (qualitative statement):
- Provide learners with Honours level knowledge, specific skills and applied competence in one or more fields of Communication, Media and Cultural Studies.
- Contribute to the base of relevant local and international leadership and scholarship in Communication, Culture and Media Studies.
- Provide and enhance the continent and subcontinent with experts in high-level research, management and service occupations.
Specific Purposes:
- Enable learners to acquire in-depth theoretical knowledge and understanding of various contexts in one or more of the following areas within the field of Culture and Media Studies: cultural and media theory, African thought and media, diversity, media and culture, media literacy.
- Provide learners with the practical skills, techniques, attitudes and values required for the effective and appropriate application of this knowledge and understanding in the African, and Southern African context.
- Equip learners with basic research skills and the ability to plan, implement and conduct a limited research project.
Rationale:
- The institution is developing dedicated qualifications to service the needs of Africa, southern Africa and South Africa with an emphasis on innovative qualifications and reaching previously advantaged communities.
- Culture and Media Studies qualification tailors itself towards the development needs of Africa, southern Africa and South Africa, contributing to research and solutions around the digital divide in the knowledge era.
- There is an international emphasis on developing appropriate qualifications like Culture and Media Studies to study contemporary African cultural practices.
- The rise of media industries, internet, digital and electronic media necessitates postgraduate studies to meet the demands of the knowledge era.
Outcomes
- Acquire wide-ranging, advanced and specialised knowledge and research capabilities within and across the field of Communication Studies, Language and Literature.
- Be able to use a full range of advanced analytical and descriptive instruments in the area of Culture and Media Studies and use these skills in variable context.
- Develop the ability to obtain and use information in a theoretically justified manner in solving research, analytical and theoretical problems in the field of study.
- Develop an insight into the communication, media and cultural situation in South, and Southern Africa.
- Develop appropriate strategies to engage the policy and executive realities of the African continent.
Assessment Criteria
Mastery of the knowledge and skills required in the BA Honours (Culture and Media Studies) programme is demonstrated through continuous assessment. This assessment is conducted over the period of study and in various realistic contexts. The assessment aims to meet criteria such as reliability, validity, comprehensiveness, objectivity, discrimination, meaningfulness, and the appropriate level of difficulty.
An integrated assessment approach is employed, which includes various modes of formative and summative assessment. These modes are specifically developed for each module within the programme and may include oral and written work, peer reviews, portfolios, simulations, tests, written examinations, and a research report of limited scope.
To ensure that the assessment meets the general requirements of the programme, the knowledge, skills, values, and attitudes of the learner are continuously assessed. Criteria-based and norm-based assessments are used, and reliability is ensured through both internal and external examination processes.
Specific criteria are developed for each module to determine the learner's applied competence. Formative assessment practices, such as assignments, portfolios, or simulations, are used based on the needs within each module. Summative assessment, which may include written or oral examinations or independently researched assignments, is conducted for all modules.
The learner's research skills are assessed through a limited research report, which forms part of the assessment process. By employing this integrated assessment approach, the programme ensures that learners' knowledge, skills, values, and attitudes are comprehensively evaluated in a fair and meaningful manner.
Qualification Details
- Type
- Honours Degree
- NQF Level
- 08
- Min. Credits
- 120
- SAQA Source
- More Information
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This page includes information from the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) . Builtneat Pty Ltd trading as Study Start, has modified all or some of this information. SAQA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.