Undergraduate & honours qualifications

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. 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 current global information and knowledge economy calls for effective, efficient and innovative archives and records management practices. Therefore South Africa is in need of archival practitioners who will go the extra mile in ensuring proper digital preservation, sound archival repository management, information security and become 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. It will also strengthen the capacity of academic staff specialising in archives and records management in higher education to train and educate more archivists and records managers. Students completing this advanced specialisation will be able to conduct research in order to solve problems in their vocation and integrate issues such as transformation, globalisation, new technologies and other archiving and records concerns in their workplace and field. These include trending issues in the archives and records management field that cover data curatorship, governance, archival diplomatics and digital records forensics as dynamics in the growing discipline of Archives and Records Management (not previously fully integrated into curricula in South African tertiary institutions). Specialised professionals in the field of archives and records management will have relevant knowledge, skills and values to remain relevant in spite of rapid technological advances and be able to write research report. It is for such reasons that the teaching and assessment mode of this qualification will include e- learning to a great extent. Well-educated practitioners in this field will provide much needed leadership and guidance as managers in the companies, government institutions, and academic institutions within South Africa, Africa and internationally where many job opportunities exist, such as archivists, record managers, data curators, information security, knowledge managers, and others. The Honours qualification allows students to vertically articulate to the Masters, which is a qualification on NQF level 9.
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 2024 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)