• 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 departmental lead for Cornerstone’s BA with Alternative Education programme, and Deputy Dean of the School of Education at Cornerstone Institute. She holds a Master’s in Adult Education from the University of Cape Town and a PhD from the University of the Western Cape. Her doctoral research examined pedagogies in higher education through the lens of social justice as participatory parity. Before joining Cornerstone in 2022, Dr Gredley worked at UCT and UWC in various convening, lecturing and research roles. Her published work explores socially just approaches to teaching, learning and assessment; students’ experiences of ‘alternative’ and ‘transformative’ pedagogies; and the role of ‘open learning’ in promoting access to higher education. 

In Cornerstone’s School of Education, Dr Gredley leads a team of educators committed to supporting students in becoming critically engaged and motivated to advance transformation and social justice in their own contexts. Her work with lecturers, and her own teaching and research, continue to reinforce her interest in socially just ways of engaging with students and colleagues who are, in turn, motivated to contribute to social transformation in South Africa today.

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 programme provides access for students who have completed Grade 12 to pursue a degree that equips them with the knowledge and skills to become effective and socially engaged leaders, contributors and change-makers in the fields of Alternative Education, Psychology, Theology, Media Studies, and Sociology and Community Development. 

BA students are encouraged to think critically, engage with real-world challenges, and apply their learning to make a positive difference in their contexts. In the Alternative Education stream, you will explore non-traditional, innovative, creative and socially just pedagogies; consider the design of learner-centred curricula relevant to today’s world; and gain practical experience through a hands-on project in the Work-Integrated Learning module. 

The BA offers a strong foundation for those seeking career paths in psychology, education, counselling, social research, media and communications, policy analysis, community development and related fields. While not a professional teaching qualification, the Alternative Education programme equips you with a solid grounding in the theory and practice of effective learning and teaching. Further, the Alternative Education stream enables students who are considering a career in Foundation Phase (FP) or Intermediate Phase (IP) teaching to progress to a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE), having completed the required undergraduate subjects necessary for entry into the FP or IP PGCEs.

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