Program Overview

University Program Information

The university offers a range of programs, including undergraduate and honors qualifications, master's and doctoral degrees, and short learning programs.

Undergraduate and Honours Qualifications

The university provides various undergraduate and honors qualifications, each with its own set of requirements and regulations.

• Bachelor of Arts Honours in Biblical Studies
  • Qualification stream: Old Testament Period
  • Qualification code: 99409 - OTP
  • NQF level: 8
  • Total credits: 120
  • SAQA ID: Not specified
  • APS/AS: 60
• Rules:
  • This qualification consists of 5 modules.
  • The 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.
• Purpose statement:
  • The primary purpose of the qualification is to provide Honours BA graduates with systematic knowledge, specialized skills, and theoretical competence focusing on or within a particular discipline or within an interdisciplinary framework to prepare them for specialist training at an advanced level.
  • A second purpose of the qualification is to provide South Africa (and other countries) with graduates who have in-depth knowledge and the confidence to identify and define complex problems and to apply their skills in finding solutions to those problems, especially within unfamiliar contexts.
  • A third purpose of the qualification is to provide South Africa (and other countries) with people who can demonstrate thorough familiarity with a particular discipline or interdisciplinary framework and have the ability to perform independently as intellectual leaders in their society.
• This qualification will be presented using both online and distance learning modes.

Registration Requirements

• Applicants (new applicants and 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.
• 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.

Choosing 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.
• 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.

Curriculum for Bachelor of Arts Honours in Biblical Studies

• The curriculum consists of 5 modules, including a research proposal and a research report.
• Group A: Compulsory modules
  • HPOTS81 - Research Proposal in the Old Testament
  • HROTS85 - Old Testament Research Report
• Group B: Select 3 from the following modules
  • CHS4801 - Decoloniality: Africana Thought, Discourse and Critique
  • OTS4802 - Understanding the Old Testament
  • OTS4803 - Reading the Old Testament
  • OTS4804 - Contextualising the Old Testament

Research Areas

The university has various research areas, including:

• Problem-solving research with relevance and impact
• People in research
• Research and innovation initiatives
• Directorate of Innovation, Technology Transfer and Commercialisation
• Research support
• Research ethics

Colleges

The university has several colleges, including:

• College of Accounting Sciences
• College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences
• College of Economic and Management Sciences
• College of Education
• College of Human Sciences
• College of Law
• College of Science, Engineering and Technology
• College of Graduate Studies

General Information

• The university has a range of support services, including student support, library services, and career counseling.
• The university has various partnerships and collaborations, both locally and internationally.
• The university has a strong commitment to community engagement and outreach.