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Undergraduate & honours qualifications

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Bachelor of Arts Honours in Archives and Records Management

Qualification code: 90168
NQF level: 8
Total credits: 120
SAQA ID: 112524
APS/AS: 60
Rules:
This qualification consists of 5 modules. This 120-credit qualification can be completed full-time (notional hours required: 32-36 hours of study per week for a year) or part-time (16-18 hours of study per week for two years). Students who plan to complete the qualification part-time should register for the Research Report in their last year of study. Students should note that during the course of their studies they would be required to have access to a computer or laptop, printer and the internet.
Purpose statement:
The Bachelor of Arts Honours in Archives and Records Management ensures learners develop effective, efficient and innovative archives and records management practices. South Africa needs learners who will be able to engage in: *Digital preservation. *Sound archival repository management and information security. *Guardians of authenticity. This qualification will have a significant impact on the competency of practitioners in archives and records management in South Africa and beyond. The qualification will strengthen the capacity of the archivists and records managers in the field. Learners completing this specialisation will critically solve problems in their vocation and integrate issues such as transformation, globalisation, new technologies and other archive and record concerns in their workplace and field. These include trending issues related to data curatorship, information and knowledge governance and archival diplomatic and digital records forensics as dynamics in the growing field of archives and records management. Professionals in the field will have the relevant knowledge, skills and values to remain abreast with changes in archives and records management practices, despite rapid technological advances.
This qualification will be presented using both online and distance learning modes.

Who can register?

  • Applicants (new applicants & Unisa students who applied for admission to a new qualification) may only register if they have received an offer of placement from Unisa and have accepted the offer online. Unisa reserves the right to not process and / or to cancel your registration if it is found that you were incorrectly admitted to a qualification. 
  • Re-registering students may register for the 2026 academic year once the registration period opens.

Please note: Should you wish to start a new qualification, please apply online for the alternative qualification during the prescribed application period.


How to choose your modules

Each Unisa qualification is structured in such a way that you need to pass a certain number of NQF level credits within a certain amount of time in order to graduate.

  • Co-requisite: Module A is a co-requisite for Module B. You want to register for Module B, but have not yet passed Module A. You must then register for both Modules A and B simultaneously. You may NOT cancel your registration for Module A unless Module B is also cancelled.

  • Pre-requisite: If Module A is a pre-requisite for Module B, you must pass Module A before you may register for Module B.

You may not register for more than the allowed maximum number of credits / modules per academic year and / or semester: 60 credits per semester or 120 credits per academic year.

The maximum number of credits do not include supplementary and / or aegrotat examinations from a previous semester. Modules taken for non-degree / non-diploma purposes also count towards the maximum number of credits allowed.

You must take your available time into consideration when choosing your modules, as this will impact your academic performance. You need approximately

  • 6 to 8 hours per week for semester modules.
  • 4 to 6 hours per week for year modules.

Click here for more information on managing your studies.

Curriculum for this qualification

While you are deciding on the modules for which you will be registering, write down the module names and codes so that you have something to refer to when completing your registration.

Please click on the modules below to see further information (eg semester/year module, NQF level)

Module (Please click on the module to see further information) Pre-requisite/Co-requisite/Recommendation
Group A. Compulsory
ARM4801 - Information and knowledge governance
ARM4802 - Digital Records Forensics and Archival Diplomatics
ARM4803 - Data Curatorship and Management
HIN4801 - Research Methodology in Information Science
HRARM82 - Research Report in Information Science