Applications for BEd Honours 2024 (Makhanda) are being assessed. Because we received an unusually large number of applications - over 1100 for 65 places - this process will take time. We appreciate your patience. 

WAITLISTING means that your application has been screened and is now ready for a final decision to be made by the Honours Specialism lecturers. If you wish to join the 2024 programme, once you have applied and received an OFFER, you must ACCEPT the OFFER on the Rhodes student system, ROSS.

APPLICANTS, PLEASE NOTE: 

Applications open in July 2023 for study in Makhanda, South Africa, in 2024/25 and close on 15 October 2023.

Applications open in July 2024 for study in Okahandja, Namibia in 2025/26.

If you have questions regarding study in Makhanda (previously Grahamstown), please contact Dr Caroline van der Mescht c.vandermescht@ru.ac.za

If you have  questions regarding studying in Okahandja, Namibia, please contact  Dr Zintle Songqwaru z.songqwaru@ru.ac.za  OR Willemien Wannberg (Okahandja, Namibia) wwannberg@gmail.com

Our department recognizes the importance of providing post-graduate courses for educators who facilitate an engagement with important educational issues in South Africa today. The Bachelor of Education (Honours) degree – BEd(Hons) – has critical engagement as its central goal.

The BEd(Hons) is the first degree after initial teacher qualification, and the Rhodes BEd(Hons) is a general postgraduate degree that prepares students for research-based postgraduate studies in education. It aims to consolidate and deepen students’ education knowledge and develop their ability to research educational contexts using appropriate methodologies and techniques. The qualification demands a high level of theoretical engagement and intellectual independence, resulting in an NQF Level 8 exit qualification. It provides a pathway to a Master’s in Education (MEd).

About the Course

The BEd Honors is a part-time qualification with tuition over two years. A new course is started yearly, with one in Makhanda, formerly Grahamstown, South Africa, and one in Okahandja, Namibia. Students attend five week-long teaching sessions each year and are expected to complete assignments between sessions. Attendance at all sessions and submission of all assignments is compulsory.

This qualification is not offered online. Attendance at contact sessions is mandatory.

In addition to a General Bachelor in Education degree with electives in the second year of study, Rhodes is accredited to offer the following specialist degree options. In any given year, these specialisms depend on viable class size and staff availability.

Bilingual Education for Diversity & Access - this degree is offered by the Institute for the Study of Englishes of Africa (ISEA) in Makhanda only.

Educational Leadership & Management

English Language Teaching

ICT Education

Mathematics Education

Primary Education

Science Education

Programme Structure: Part-Time

Year 1 comprises two courses. In the first course, students examine contemporary issues and related ideas in education from philosophical, psychological and sociological perspectives. The second course introduces students to the fundamentals of educational research.

Year 2 comprises two courses in the specialism. Course A deepens students' theoretical understanding in their chosen field of specialism; Course B is usually a research project conducted under supervision and culminating in a research report. 

Entry Requirements

1. The minimum academic requirement is an M+4 or NQF Level 7 qualification on the current 10-level South African National Qualifications Framework*. This is usually obtained through either

A. a four-year teaching degree (e.g. BEd), or

B. an appropriate Bachelors degree (e.g. BSc) with a recognised teaching qualification (e.g. PGCE), or

C. a four-year professional teaching qualification with an Advanced Diploma at NQF Level 7. The Advanced Certificate in Education alone does not give access to a BEd Honours.

*Please contact SAQA to verify your qualification if it is not an NQF level 7 South African qualification: https://www.saqa.org.za/services/evaluation-of-foreign-qualifications/

2. Two years' classroom experience or equivalent work in an educational context is advantageous.

3. Applicants should have at least two years of undergraduate study in the specialist field of their chosen degree if the specialism is a school subject, e.g. Science.  In the case of Primary Education, ICT Education, or Education Leadership & Management, the applicant should have a relevant teaching qualification with appropriate experience.

4. Applicants may be required to write an application assessment test as part of the application process.

BEd Honours candidates must have access to a laptop or computer and a stable internet connection.

In all cases, the previous academic record is taken into consideration.

* PLEASE NOTE, regarding qualifications:

1. If you received your qualifications before 2000, it is important that you check their current status and recognition. Details appear in the Government Gazette No. 40610, Policy on the Recognition and Evaluation of Qualifications for Employment in Education, 10 FEBRUARY 2017, page 45. This Gazette is also available free online at www.gpwonline.co.za. Your District Office may also be able to help you.

2. If you are applying with qualifications obtained in a country other than South Africa, you will need to check their current status and recognition in South Africa. You may need to submit your qualifications to SAQA for an equivalence certificate. Details appear in the Government Gazette No. 40610, Policy on the Recognition and Evaluation of Qualifications for Employment in Education, 10 FEBRUARY 2017, page 64. This Gazette is also available free online at www.gpwonline.co.za

As these processes may take time, we urge interested applicants to begin this investigation early in the year in which they intend to apply.

Application Procedure

If you meet the minimum entry requirements, please complete the online application at ROSS.

On the ROSS portal, click on Admissions, and if you have not previously registered for online applications at Rhodes, please click the link in the red text.

Only if you are unable to access the online application process, please complete the following two forms:

The BEd Honours Departmental Application Form for 2022 and the Rhodes EXTERNAL HONOURS application form.

Submit these two forms, together with academic transcripts of your previous degree/diploma course(s), and certified copies of your degree/ diploma certificates, to: registrar@ru.ac.za 

Registrar's Office - registrar@ru.ac.za phone 046 603 8276

Rhodes University

Makhanda, 6140
Tel: 046-603 8276
Fax: 046- 603 7350
Email: registrar@ru.ac.za
Website: http://www.ru.ac.za/

Candidates who meet the initial application requirements will be notified of the application assessment test if it is taking place. Final selections will be based on performance in this.

Successful applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application by the end of January 2024. 

Session dates :  

Proposed contact sessions BEd Honours Makhanda 2024

As far as possible, the dates of the five contact sessions are scheduled during school holidays to minimise disruption to students’ work commitments. Applicants should ensure that their employers are supportive of their study plans and should also be prepared to arrange and fund their own accommodation during contact sessions. 

Successful applicants are also required to access literature online, complete assignments and submit them electronically over the course of the year. For these reasons, it is compulsory for all successful applicants to arrange their own reliable access to a personal computer or laptop as well as internet connectivity. 

Costs and Payments 2024 

The tuition fee for each year is listed in the Student Fee Booklet, which can be found on the Student Fees and Financial Aid website. In addition, there will be a "Resale" fee of approximately  R2 000 in the first year and R1 500 in the second year to cover departmental expenses. 

Please note: Students must pay the BEd Honours Year One fee in full before being allowed to view their results or to register for BEd Honours Year Two. No exceptions are made. Applicants should, therefore, ensure that the necessary financial arrangements are in place before registering for BEd Honours Year One.

An application fee of R 100 is payable as a non-refundable administrative fee and  must be deposited into the following account:  

Account Name: Rhodes University FNBFEES 

Account Number: 62145504553 

Branch: First National Bank Makhanda 

Branch Code: 210717 

Use your surname or previous Rhodes University student number as the reference for the deposit. The bank deposit slip of the application fee must be attached to the front of your application form. 

BEd Honours Flyer

Last Modified: Thu, 02 Nov 2023 15:38:07 SAST