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honours programme
postgraduate degree overview

The Cape Town Creative Academy’s honours programmes are ideal for BA graduates in the fields of Visual Communication, Contemporary, Visual, and Fine Art, or any related design degrees who wish to further their studies on postgraduate level. Both Honours programmes are offered either as a 1 year full-time or 2 year part-time option that commence at the start of February and conclude at the end of November.

The Honours programmes will lead you through a process of practice-based research aimed at developing your conceptual, critical, and creative competencies. These programmes produce well-rounded, articulate, nuanced, highly-skilled and in-demand practitioners who are prepared to undertake their own entrepreneurial venture, enter the creative industries, or continue their education with Master’s level studies.

As an Honours student, you will interrogate and investigate pertinent questions and concerns, not only through theoretical research, but also through the deepening of your creative and artistic practices. As practice-based programmes, the Honours is aimed at developing the creative leaders of tomorrow by instilling a sense of curiosity, resilience, and the joy of lifelong learning, and positioning our graduates for successful, meaningful, and sustainable careers.

BA honours visual communication

BA Hons (Visual Communication) is aimed at graduates wanting to further their specialisation in either Communication Design, Illustration, Interaction Design, Motion Design/Animation, or Photography through practice-based research to deepen their critical and conceptual thinking skills alongside their creative practice.
BA honours contemporary art
BA Hons (Contemporary Art) allows a range of graduates from the humanities or design fields to enter into an Honours level degree with the opportunity to deepen their critical and conceptual thinking, and to hone an unique artistic practice through practice-based research.

outcomes

Both of these programmes conclude with the presentation of a comprehensive body of work as well as a research project, preparing students for entry into the creative industries and further academic engagement at Master’s level.

admission process

Admission to the CTCA is a selection-based process and, owing to the nature of the programme’s ethos of individual-focused guidance, we have limited space available. Applications for Honours studies must be submitted by no later than 30 November of the year prior to the intended commencement of study.

admission requirements

the minimum admission requirement for a BA Hons (Visual Communication) or BA Hons (Contemporary Art) is an appropriate Bachelor’s Degree or appropriate Advanced Diploma (NQF level 7) in a relevant field, for which the candidate obtained an aggregate of 65% on exit level.

applicants must be proficient in English. If the applicant has completed their tertiary education in a non-English speaking country, a language proficiency certificate might be required.

applicants whose qualifications were issued by an international institution must submit their qualifications – translated to English – to SAQA for evaluation to determine/validate the NQF level of the qualification. Students are advised to submit their qualifications to SAQA as soon as possible in order for them to issue the evaluation certificate as it is required before registration. Please visit www.saqa.org.za for more information.

applicants without a BA Degree or appropriate Advanced Diploma (NQF level 7), but with relevant industry experience, will need to apply for Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL).

in addition to the formal admission requirements, applicants are selected based on their ability to satisfy the following selection criteria, done through a portfolio of evidence:

  • a high probability of successfully completing the BA Hons programme;
  • a passionate interest in creative practice and scholarly research;
  • self-motivation, ambition, commitment, and strong work ethic.

portfolio of evidence

In order to determine an applicant’s standing in relation to these selection criteria, candidates are required to submit a portfolio of evidence with the application that includes the following:

a letter of motivation for study in order to determine the applicant’s interests and intentions;

the applicant’s academic transcripts obtained for a relevant BA Degree or equivalent qualification on NQF7 in order to determine academic proficiency. Candidates with a final mark of 65% (or higher) for research-based subjects/courses on NQF level 7 are given preference during the selection process;

a sample of academic writing;

a portfolio of recent creative works completed by the applicant, in their chosen field of specialisation.

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Please note that our degrees are accredited for in-person instruction. Classes take place on campus which is located in the Silo district at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town

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