• National Senior Certificate (NSC) with a bachelor’s pass or equivalent
• A Matriculation Certificate (with university exemption) or equivalent
• A Higher Certificate or Advanced Certificate or Diploma in a cognate field
• Matriculation Certificate (with university exemption) or equivalent 
• National Benchmark Test (NBT) results

• A National Senior Certificate or National Certificate Vocational with a diploma pass (or equivalent)
   combined with the NBT results
• Mature age of 23 and over during the first year of studies and a National Senior Certificate
   (or equivalent). The conditions of the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) Policy for access and the
   results of the NBT are determining factors for admission. Contact the admissions office regarding RPL
• Mature age of 45 years can be admitted, determined by the RPL conditions and the results of the NBT
  
  Applicants in the first category under Alternative Admission Requirements must register for the Extend ed Programme for Academic Development. The Programme extends the completion of the prescribed subjects over a minimum of four years.
  
  Students who are admitted on the basis of prior learning and who want to complete the degree in three years, but who fail more than 20% of modules taken during the first semester, are required to take the first year over two years.

Susan Gredley

Deputy Dean: School of Education

Dr. Susan Gredley is the primary lecturer and departmental lead for Cornerstone’s BA Alternative Education programme. She holds a Master’s in Adult Education from the University of Cape Town and a Ph.D. from the University of the Western Cape. Her doctoral research explored socially just pedagogies in higher education through the lens of participatory parity. Before joining Cornerstone in 2022, Susan worked at UCT and UWC in a range of convening, lecturing, and research roles, including, at UCT, in the Writing Centre, Disabilities Studies Unit, English Department, Language Development Group, Global Citizenship Programme, and Cases of Open Learning project and, at UWC, in the Women’s and Gender Studies department, convening and lecturing on two undergraduate gender studies courses. Her published research spans students’ teaching and learning experiences in higher education, open learning to promote access to higher education, and socially just teaching and assessment practices. Susan’s teaching and research continue to reinforce her interest in exploring socially just ways of teaching, learning, and engaging with students who are, in turn, motivated to contribute to social transformation in South Africa today. When not involved in academic pursuits, she loves running, reading, exploring local spaces, hanging out with her dogs, and quality time with family and friends.

BA students must choose between a major in Psychology, Sociology, Theology or Alternative Education. Each focus has its own specified core and elective modules from the curriculum below. Outcomes are set for each area of focus, as outlined below. Each module within the curriculum also has its own set of outcomes

The BA aims to provide access for those who have completed Grade 12 to a degree programme equipping them with skills to be more effective leaders in the community in the areas of Psychology, Theology, Media Studies, Alternative Education and Sociology and Community Development.  In addition to a career path for sociologists, psychologists, and media specialists. The programme is also intended to provide students who are considering a career as teachers to advance to a Post-Graduate Certificate in Education with the required teaching subjects at an undergraduate level.

Are you passionate about community upliftment and development? Do you want to tackle issues of pov erty, globalisation or conflict? Do you want to be able to influence behaviour in a way that brings about positive change?
The range of Bachelor of Art degrees offered at Cornerstone provides students with transferrable skills that are available for almost any career choice.

A Bachelor of Arts degree offers students a broadly formative education that is useful in any occupation requiring a meaningful understanding of contexts and perspective.

The Cornerstone Institute Bachelor of Arts qualification has been designed to be a career path for sociol ogists and psychologists specialists. The programme is also intended to enable students who are considering a career as teachers to advance to a Post-Graduate Certificate in Educations with the required teaching subjects at an undergraduate level. This degree provides students with a broad but solid educational foundation in the field of Humanities, including various key discipline areas such as:

• Psychology & Counselling
• Sociology & Community Development
• Theology & Ethics
• Alternative Education
• Communication
• Sociology & Psychology

Communication students who complete this qualification will be able to:

• Understand the principles, concepts, history, and major approaches in the study of communication.
• Integrate knowledge from across the communication discipline to create messages tailored to diverse audiences, contexts, and purposes.
• Conduct research to advance knowledge and learning in the field of communication.
• Demonstrate intercultural awareness by confronting bias, using inclusive language, and challenging stereotypes.
• Accurately represent scholarly positions and express their own opinions clearly and coherently in both written and oral communication.
• Critically evaluate the discipline’s received knowledge, its societal manifestations, and develop coherent positions on the relationship between communication, social structures, justice, economic contexts, ethics, and morality.
• Communicate effectively across different media, and critically reflect on the evolving media environment, media products, and audience media consumption.