• A 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
• 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 Extended Programme for Academic Development. The Programme extends the completion of the prescribed subjects over a minimum of four years.

  Academic Development concentrates on the skills needed for successful tertiary study. Special attention is paid to listening and reading for comprehension, writing clearly and logically and giving proper credit to sources utilised. Students will develop these essential skills through exposure to readings and talks, and practice these skills in a supportive environment where they will receive detailed feedback. 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.

The outcomes are programme-specific for the various degrees in a) Christian Ministry, b) Psychology for Christian Counseling, and c) Sociology for faith-based ministries.  The Programme focusses on  the following core outcomes:

1. Harnessing the skill to interpret the Bible as an ancient text and the Word of God relevant today
2. Enhance the ability of students to articulate faith expressions of main doctrines and thus learn to dialogue meaningfully about convictions relevant to the community.
3. Orient students to good ministerial and leadership practices that can affect and manage changes and conflict.
4. Engage in ministerial practices and learn appropriate communication and counseling skills for pastoral care, witnessing, and dialogue in the public sphere.
5. Enhance students’ skills to think and act ethically in a global context.

Sociology and Community Development students who have completed the qualification must be able to:

• Understand their own culture and appreciate the values of other cultures
• Understand the competing paradigms of Community Development with a strong emphasis on South Africa
• Demonstrate effective interpersonal communication skills
• Understand the psycho-social problems facing South Africans today, with an emphasis on poverty and poverty alleviation
• Understand community development and the role of faith-based organisations
• Develop a ministry plan for a faith-based organisation, secure the necessary human and fiscal resources, execute the plan and assess the outcomes
• Demonstrate skill in interpreting the Bible and showing its relevance for community development issues in South Africa

Cornerstone Institute has taught Theology for over 50 years and strives for students to concretely embody their theology in various contexts that honor God and speak love to their neighbour.

Our contemporary learning approach to the study of Theology celebrates interdisciplinary, dialogical, and contextual methodologies that create opportunities for impactful work in the academic, church, community, and public spheres.

Students are enabled to develop vision, creativity, interpretation, religious sensitivity, and leadership skills, which will enable them to work in various occupations and bring about change in an unjust world.

Our program prepares students for a variety of career paths, namely

• Christian Ministry for Church and Christian faith organizations.
• Psychology and theology for Christian Counseling.
• Sociology & Community Development for work in faith-based ministries.

The Bachelor of Theology (BTh) in Community Leadership aims to provide access for Grade 12 learners to a degree programme equipping them with skills to be more effective leaders in the community in the areas of psychology, church and parachurch leadership and community development. The programme can be taken part-time (maximum 9 years), for those who are only able to pursue part-time studies.