FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Post-Graduate Certificate in Education
Undergraduate BA/BTH
Undergraduate BCom
BA Honours in Psychology (Academic)
BA Honours in Psychology (BPsych Equivalent)
BA Honours in Community Development
Registration
International Students
Extended Learning Programmes/Short Course
Post-Graduate Certificate in Education
- Application Requirements
- 3 Year BA Degree in any field other than Education or a National Diploma NQF Level 6 with 360 Credits
- Application Fee
- R300
- Semester Intakes
- 2 Semester Intakes per year, January and July
- Study Mode
- Fully Online Only
- PGCE Phases Offered
- PGCE in Foundation Phase and PGCE in Intermediate Phase
- Which Grades can I teach with PGCE
- Foundation Phase: Grades R – 3; Intermediate Phase: Grades 4 – 6
- Teaching Subjects for Intermediate Phase
- The prior qualification must provide a broad knowledge base adequate for teaching in the intermediate phase (IP) i.e. English, Afrikaans and two IP teaching subjects, at first or second year degree level. The IP teaching subjects are Mathematics, Science and Technology, Social Science and Life Skills. Holders of focused qualifications that do not have specialisations in IP subjects can register simultaneously for BA teaching subjects. This will extend the PGCE beyond one year of study. BA subjects offered at Cornerstone to undergird Life Skills are Psychology I, Counselling I, Philosophy I or Sociology I (12 credits per module) and to undergird Mathematics Introduction to Research Methods and Statistics (16 credits) and Research Methods and Statistics (12 credits).
- Teaching Subjects for Foundation Phase
- The prior bachelor’s degree (or approved diploma) must include a selection of subjects/disciplines that will provide a teacher with appropriate disciplinary knowledge to effectively teach Literacy, Numeracy and Life Skills to young learners and lay foundations for learning in future grades. Holders of focused qualifications that do not have specialisations in FP subjects can register simultaneously for BA teaching subjects. This will extend the PGCE beyond one year of study. BA subjects offered at Cornerstone to undergird Life Skills are Psychology I, Counselling I, Philosophy I or Sociology I (12 credits per module) and to undergird Mathematics are Introduction to Research Methods and Statistics (16 credits) and Research Methods and Statistics (12 credits).
- Hours for study
- 1 credit is equivalent to 10 hours of study
- Teaching Practical Schools
- Students are expected to complete 3 school practicals at 3 different schools that offer the CAPS curriculum in South Africa.
- Accreditation for the PGCE Foundation Phase
- Accreditation Registered as Cornerstone Institute (RF) NPC with the Department of Higher Education and Training as a private higher education institution under the Higher Education Act, 1997, Registration Certificate No 2001/HE08/006; NQF 7; SAQA ID 101972.
- Module Description for the PGCE in Foundation Phase
- Module Description for the PGCE in Intermediate Phase
- To Apply
- You can either complete an online application form from the website or you can manually download an application form which can be found on the website.
- Documents to attach when applying
- Copy of ID/Passport
- R300 Application
- School Leaving Certificate
- Official Academic Record or Certificate of Conduct
- 1 000 word Personal Statement Essay
- Fees Information
- Can I register with SACE once I have completed this programme
- Yes
Undergraduate BA/BTH
- Applications Requirements
- National Senior Certificate (NSC) with a bachelor’s pass or equivalent. A Matriculation Certificate (with university exemption) or equivalent. A Higher Certificate or an Advanced Certificate or Diploma in a cognate field
- Semester Intakes
- 2 Semester intakes per year, January and July
- NBT
- The National Benchmark Tests (NBT) measure your academic readiness for University. (https://www.nbt.ac.za/)
- Study Mode
- No evening classes On-campus and Online January and July intakes
- Time Commitment
- Minimum 3 years and 6 years part-time
- Fees Information
- How to Apply
- To apply you are able to complete an Online application form or you are able to download and manually complete an application form and send it to the following email address:applications@cornerstone.ac.za
- Documents to attach when Applying
- Copy of ID/Passport
- School Leaving Certificate
- R300 Application Fees
- NBT Results
Undergraduate BCom
- Applications Requirements
- National Senior Certificate (NSC) with a bachelor’s pass or equivalent, A Matriculation Certificate (with university exemption) or equivalent, A higher certificate or an Advanced certificate or diploma in a cognate field National Benchmark Test (NBT) results, The prior qualification must include a minimum of 50% in Mathematics or Math’s Literacy.
- Semester Intakes
- 2 Semester intakes per year, January and July
- Study Mode
- Online only, January and July intakes
- Time Commitment
- Minimum 3 years and 6 years part-time
- Fees Information
- Click Here
- How to Apply
- To apply you are able to complete an Online application form or you are able to download and manually complete an application form and send it to the following email address:applications@cornerstone.ac.za
- Documents to attach when Applying
- Copy of ID/Passport
- School Leaving Certificate
- R300 Application Fee
- NBT Results
BA Honours in Psychology (Academic)
- Application Requirements
- A candidate must have complied with all the requirements of an appropriate Bachelor’s Degree or Post Graduate Diploma from a DHET registered higher education institution before the beginning of the academic year for which he/she has enrolled. Psychology 3 must have been passed with a minimum of 65%
- Semester Intakes
- 2 Semester intakes per year, January and July
- Study Mode
- On-campus only, January and July intakes
- Time Commitment
- Minimum one year, a maximum of three years
- Fees Information
- Click Here
- How to Apply
- To apply you are able to complete an Online application form or you are able to download and manually complete an application form and send it to the following email address: applications@cornerstone.ac.za
- Documents to attach when Applying
- Copy of ID/Passport
- R300 Application Fees
- School Leaving Certificate
- Official Academic Record or Certificate of Conduct
- 1 000 word Personal Statement Essay
BA Honours in Psychology (BPsych Equivalent)
- Application Requirements
- A candidate must have complied with all the requirements of an appropriate Bachelor’s Degree or Post Graduate Diploma from a DHET registered higher education institution before the beginning of the academic year for which he/she has enrolled.
- Time Commitment
- 18 months at a full-time campus study
- Study Mode
- Full-time, on-campus study only and 1-semester intake
- Can I apply for the practicum only if I have already completed an Honours in Psychology
- You cannot apply for the Practicum only you need to apply for the full programme. You may receive credit for modules that you have already done this is determined by the selection committee
- Can I register with the HPCSA with this programme?
- Yes you are able to register as Registered Counsellor with the HPCSA
- Can I apply for further studies once I completed this programme?
- This programme prepares students to pursue careers that require an in-depth understanding of human behaviour, as well as apply for further studies in psychology (Masters)
- How to Apply
- Applications for this programme only open in August of every year and you will be able to apply. You will need to download and complete an application form from our website.
BA Honours in Community Development
- Application Requirements
- A three year Bachelor of Arts degree (or equivalent) with social science as a major subject, minimum of 60% average in third-year key modules
- Time Commitment
- Minimum one year, a maximum of three years
- Study Mode
- Both Part-time and full-time study, On-Campus only
- How to Apply
- To apply you are able to complete an Online application form or you are able to download and manually complete an application form and send it to the following email address: applications@cornerstone.ac.za
- Documents to attach when Applying
- Copy of ID/Passport
- Proof of Application Fee Payment
- School Leaving Certificate
- R300 Application Fee
- 1 000 Personal Statement Essay
Registration
- Can I register if I have not applied
- You need to apply first and only then you will be able to register
- How can I Register?
- You need to have your acceptance letter as a reference and you are able to register either online if you are an online student and On-campus if you are a campus student
- Online Registration
- You can register online by completing the online registration form which is found on the Cornerstone Institute Website
- Which modules should l select?
- You select modules according to your acceptance letter.
- How will I know when to register?
- You will be given dates every intake when you are expected to register
- Do you register every semester?
- Students who commence their studies in January only register once a year. For students that commence their studies in July, they will need to register in July and in January.
- Should I complete both the manual and the online registration form?
- You only need to complete 1 form. Either an Online application form or a Manual form which will be sent to you by the registrar’s department when registration opens.
- The registration process
- The registration process consists of completing a registration form, which allows you to select modules that you will be studying at Cornerstone Institute. Then you will need to pay the initial payment of R5000 as part of your registration.
- I stopped my studies and would like to register for this semester intake
- You are able to register, you will need to send through your request to the admissions department. The email address is as follows: admissions@cornerstone.ac.za
- I have just been accepted as a campus student how do I register
- You are able to register on-campus. You will receive information in regards to registration dates from your acceptance letter as well as from the Cornerstone Institute website.
- I require proof of registration
- You are able to request your proof of registration once you have paid the R5000 application fees and completed a registration form
- Minimum credits that you allowed to register for per year
- A student can register for a minimum of 60 credits per year and 32 credits per semester if you commence your studies in July.
- How much is the application fee?
- R300
- Banking details
- How much must I pay for my registration?
- R500
- How are the fees calculated?
- Click Here
- The fees are charged per credit, Please do visit our website to view how much each credits according to the programme cost.
International Students
- International qualifications
- Students who acquire their qualifications outside South Africa will need to provide a SAQA evaluation certificate
- International students Information
- Click Here
Extended Learning Programmes/Short Course
- Are the programmes Accredited?
- Cornerstone Institute is registered as a private Higher Education Institute with the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET). All our programmes that lead to formal qualifications are accredited by the Council on Higher Education (CHE).
- In General, Extended Learning Programmes do not lead to qualifications or part qualifications on the Higher Education Qualifications Sub-Framework (HEQSF) . These courses serve different developmental purposes to the participants. They are ideal for the mature person who wants to acquire new skills and knowledge, advance their career or even make a career change.
- However, learning acquired from short courses offered outside the HEQSF can be used for credit exemption purposes and can count for Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL).
- Who offers the Programmes?
- Experts in their field who are either staff of Cornerstone or contracted to Cornerstone for the purpose of delivering the courses.
- Will I receive a Certificate at the end of the course?
- Certificates of attendance or participation are issued to those who have participated in classes and other learning activities associated with the respective short courses, including formative assessments. These certificates do not denote achievement of the learning outcomes, and thus participants cannot use them as confirmation of their competence in the subject matter of the respective short courses.
- Certificates of competence are issued on the basis of the outcome of formal structured summative assessments. These certificates signify that the participants have attained the required learning achievement from the specific short courses, and thus they are taken to denote the bearers’ competence in the subject matter of the respective short courses.
- What are the requirements to apply for these programmes?
- Short Courses require no formal qualifications. However, we ask that you carefully read the eligibility section on each course page to determine whether it is suitable for you.
- What is the deadline for enrolment?
- Enrolment is possible while there are places available, and until just before the second class of a 10-week course. It’s advisable to enrol as soon as you can because courses often fill up long before the start date. Please note that for most courses you need to activate your computer access in advance of the course start date.
- Can I take more than one Short Course at a time?
- Yes, you can enrol on more than one Short Course in the same term. Check the start days of each course which you are interested in on the course pages.
- Is there an exam or other formal assessment?
- Some courses will have work to complete between sessions and tutors may offer feedback. Some courses conclude with and individual presentation and/or group work as discussed with your tutor.
- Can I cancel my enrolment and get a refund?
- Course registration may be cancelled more than three (3) weeks before the commencement of classes and will incur a 10% penalty. If a registration is cancelled within three (3) weeks of the start of the course, the participant will be entitled to a 50% refund of the tuition fee. Cancellations thereafter will not be entitled to a refund and we do not permit automatic attendance at the next round of the course.
- What happens if I register for a course, but there are not enough people enrolled in it?
- Cornerstone reserves the right to cancel a course, if, for example, there are insufficient numbers. If this occurs, we will refund your course fee in full.
- I don’t live in South Africa. Can I enrol for Short Courses?
- Courses which are offered in Distance mode can be taken remotely from anywhere in the world. Some courses are offered only in Contact Mode.
- Do I need to apply for a Visa to come to study on the Short Courses?
- For courses less than three months (90 days), and which are only offered in Contact Mode, you will require:
- A visitor’s Visa
- Proof that the course fees and related costs are paid on or before registration.
- For courses less than three months (90 days), and which are only offered in Contact Mode, you will require: