University of Johannesburg

Bachelor of Arts Honours in Historical Studies

Human and Social Studies - Traditions History and Legacies

Purpose and Rationale

Qualification Purpose:

  • Research Skills:

    • Demonstrate planning and execution of historical research.
    • Conduct oral research.
    • Compile research proposals integrating primary and secondary sources.
    • Write comprehensive research reports based on historical analysis.
    • Utilize computer technology in research and writing reports.
    • Use scientific reference techniques.
  • Theoretical Foundation:

    • Acquaintance with History, historical memory, historical consciousness, heritage, and historical legacies.
    • Identify critical issues in historical contexts.
    • Demonstrate critical, analytical, and reasoning skills.
  • Personal Development:

    • Acquire skills in critical analysis and critical thinking.
    • Develop skills in comparison within historical contexts.
    • Synthesize complex evidence.
    • Enhance historical research skills and use of source material.
    • Assess divergent views and evidence.
    • Foster skills of openness in debate.
    • Develop critical historical and social awareness.
    • Increase marketability in various fields.
  • Career Opportunities:

    • Improved employment prospects in journalism, research, broadcasting, social work, tourism, education, civil service, and more.
    • Access further education in historical studies.

Reflective Purpose:

  • Application Skills:
    • Apply historical knowledge to current social, political, and economic issues.
    • Use comparison skills to innovate solutions in new contexts.
    • Apply research and motivational skills in any employment setting.
    • Utilize organizational skills in research and employment environments.
    • Apply research, organizational, and analytical skills to personal research endeavors.

This qualification aims to empower learners with a strong foundation in historical research, critical analysis, and application of historical knowledge to various contexts, enhancing their personal and professional development.

Outcomes

  1. Identify research problems within the current disciplinary debate in Historical Studies and the debate amongst South African historical practitioners and academics.
  2. Formulate a meaningful research problem based on the knowledge of historical methodology.
  3. Plan a comprehensive research strategy based on the problem statement and identification of stakeholders in the research problem, either for team or individual research projects.
  4. Identify a variety of research sources in libraries, research collections and oral sources in communities.
  5. Conduct independent systematic research.
  6. Apply theoretical concepts of source and information validation in assessing collected information.
  7. Select all relevant information critically and systematically in order to solve the stated research problem.
  8. Write a logical and systematic research report to solve the research problem within its historical context.
  9. Display honesty, conscientiousness perseverance and empathy in selecting and evaluating all evidence
  10. Formulate the research outcome against the background of the macro-vision of social and economic issues confronting communities over time in order to contribute towards the long-term solution of issues.
  11. Communicate the relevance of research outcomes effectively to all stakeholders, keeping in mind cultural, religious, and ethnic and gender diversity within the total community of stakeholders.
  12. Compare the outcome of the historical research project with the outcome of similar case studies in historical research in order to infer similarities and differences in context, solutions and future outcomes.
  13. Integrate different research techniques, including computers, the internet and conventional document analysis, in conducting the research.

Assessment Criteria

The following Associated Assessment Criteria applies across the Exit Level Outcomes:

  • Submit a written research problem relevant to the discipline and justify it verbally.
  • Apply the historical method of enquiry and critical analysis to formulate a meaningful research problem.
  • Plan and write a comprehensive research strategy for an individual or a research team, conveying the inclusion of all interested parties/stakeholders in the historical research strategy.
  • Compile a wide variety of sources from different origins as the basis for research.
  • Indicate that he/she can conduct historical research independently and complete the proposed research project.
  • Critically evaluate the originality and validity of source material using historical validation techniques of internal and external criticism.
  • Display the ability to select relevant information to solve the research problem in historical context.
  • Submit relevant information to solve the formulated research problem.
  • Submit a logical and systematic written account of the historical research, including exposition and findings. The report must solve the research problem.
  • Reflect in the research report and in further research projects.
  • Show that he/she can place the research outcome within the social and economic macro-context of the history of the specific research problem and future research problems.
  • The research outcome must contribute towards enhanced understanding of issues currently affecting communities.
  • Display that he/she can communicate the outcome of the historical research within historical context and with empathy to all stakeholders.
  • Display the intellectual capacity to relate and compare the research outcome to similar research outcomes of studies in different historical contexts.
  • Display the capacity to utilize different research techniques.

Integrated Assessment: Formative assessment practices that will be implemented: Formative assessment is conducted continuously by means of essays, seminars, class group discussions, independent research assignments, formal semester/module tests, oral examinations, group projects, and practical projects.

Summative assessment practices that will be implemented: Integrated assessment, focusing on the achievement of the exit-level outcomes, will be done by means of oral examinations in the course of each module, written examinations at the end of each module, practical examinations in the course of each module, and mini-dissertations, in the case of the specialization course.

Qualification Details

Type
Honours Degree
NQF Level
08
Min. Credits
120
SAQA Source
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University of Johannesburg
University of Johannesburg
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Description
The University of Johannesburg (UJ) is a public university located in Johannesburg, South Africa. It was established in 2005 through the merger of the Rand Afrikaans University, Technikon Witwatersrand, and the Soweto and East Rand campuses of Vista University. UJ is one of the largest universities in South Africa, with over 50,000 students enrolled across its four campuses. The university offers a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate programs in various fields, including arts, humanities, sciences, engineering, business, and health sciences. UJ is known for its commitment to providing quality education, promoting social justice, and fostering innovation and entrepreneurship.

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