Duration
Minimum three years full-time. Extended Programme option available for eligible applicants (4 years).
NQF 7 · 360 Credits · Undergraduate Degree
BA in Alternative Education
An undergraduate NQF 7 degree preparing graduates for innovative, inclusive, and socially just educational practice. Explore non-traditional pedagogies, learner-centred curricula, and practical change-making through the Work-Integrated Learning module.
- Accredited by the CHE
- Registered with DHET
- Ref: H/PRO96/E011CAN
Aim of the Programme
Innovative pedagogies. Socially just futures.
The Cornerstone BA is a general formative undergraduate NQF 7 degree. Bachelor of Arts students customise their majors and courses, keeping their career goals and interests in mind, to ensure they're fully equipped for specific professions.
The BA creates access for those who have completed Grade 12 by equipping them with skills to be more effective leaders in the community across humanities and social sciences — including Psychology, Sociology, Theology, and Alternative Education.
- Understand the principles, concepts, histories and major approaches in Alternative Education
- Identify problems in mainstream educational thought and practice
- Know past and present schools of thought within the field
- Articulate the ideas of hallmark theorists and educationists
- Develop, implement, and evaluate Alternative Education projects
- Engage critically with debates about possible futures of education in South Africa and globally
- Conduct basic practice-based research into questions of alterity in education
Watch the programme overview
Time Commitment & Mode
How you can study.
Delivery Mode
The BA with Alternative Education is currently offered in Distance Mode only. Contact Mode currently inactive.
Intakes
Two intakes per year — January and July. Apply early to secure your place.
Target Groups
Who this is for.
The BA 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 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.
While not a professional teaching qualification, this programme equips you with a solid grounding in the theory and practice of effective learning and teaching. It also enables students considering Foundation Phase (FP) or Intermediate Phase (IP) teaching to progress to a PGCE, having completed the required undergraduate subjects.
Admission Requirements
Standard entry.
- 01 National Senior Certificate (NSC) with a bachelor's pass or equivalent.
- 02 A Matriculation Certificate with university exemption, or equivalent.
- 03 A Higher Certificate, Advanced Certificate, or Diploma in a cognate field.
- 04 National Benchmark Test (NBT) results.
- 05 NSC or NCV with a diploma pass combined with NBT results.
- 06 Mature age of 23+ during first year with NSC (RPL conditions and NBT results determine admission).
- 07 Mature age of 45+ can be admitted, determined by RPL conditions and NBT results.
- 08 Applicants in the first category must register for the Extended Programme for Academic Development (minimum 4 years).
Programme Coordinator
Dr 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. 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 research examines pedagogies in higher education through the lens of social justice as participatory parity. Before joining Cornerstone in 2022, she worked at UCT and UWC in various convening, lecturing, and research roles.
Explore the School of Education
Accreditation
Fully accredited.
Registered by the DHET and accredited by the CHE as a 360-credit higher education programme at NQF Level 7. Bachelor of Arts (BA): Distance Mode, CHE Reference: H/PRO96/E011CAN.
- SAQA ID87406
- CHE Ref (Distance)H/PRO96/E011CAN
- NQF Level7
Resources
Everything you need, in one place.
Ready to reimagine education?
Applications are open for the January and July intakes.