Fequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

• How to apply for the part-time studies programme
• What is the part-time studies programme?
• Who should register for this programme?
• What degrees will be offered?
• Why choose Wits?
• What are the admission requirements for the BA for the world of work ?
• What are the admission requirements for the BCom?
• How long will it take to earn a degree?
• May I transfer credits earned at another university?
• Are bursaries from Wits available for part-time study?
• Can I register as an occasional student
• What is my study commitment?
• What is the timetable?
• Is the part-time degree recognized by the South African Qualifications Authority?

• Are Wits degrees internationally recognized?
• How will the courses be taught?
• What about class size?
• Who are my lecturers?
• How will I be assessed?
• What facilities are available for part-time students?
• Are career guidance and curriculum planning available?
• Is on-campus residential accommodation available to part-time students?
• When may I register for the part-time programme?
• What do students on the programme say about their studies?
• What do our lecturers say about teaching on the programme?

Please come in person to Wits Plus offices in the Plus Building on West Campus. Bring with your ID book, original matric certificate and original transcripts and/or certificates of all other qualifications you have obtained as well as your marriage certificate if you are a married female (we need this to verify name changes). You will obtain a Wits Plus application form which you can complete while you are here or it can be printed from the website. The application and documents must be presented together with R230 application fee.

Wits Plus is open weekdays from 09h00 to 18h00 (except Fridays when we close at 17h00) and we close between 13h00 and 14h00 daily.

This programme enables the working person to study for a degree at Wits. It is an after-hours undergraduate degree programme. It is career directed and flexible, offering a range of our most popular courses in Arts and Commerce. Lectures are held in the evening and on Saturday mornings. The same Wits standards and challenges in the after-hours programme as the full-time programme will earn you a leading degree. Wits commerce graduates are ranked amongst the top graduates in the country and compete easily in the global market.

Wits Plus offers a part-time programme designed specifically for people in full-time employment wishing to enhance performance prospects, improve qualifications and acquire new skills. Working people in business and in government will all benefit from this undergraduate degree programme. We are targeting people with mature attitudes to learning seeking the dual challenge of successfully combining work and study. It is a programme suitable for both the mature adult learner seeking a fresh educational start and for the younger indepedent matriculant wishing to get ahead in a job without missing out on tertiary study opportunities.

THE B A FOR THE WORLD OF WORK:
This is our B A degree with a career/vocational focus - offering a diversity of courses from Arts and Commerce. You can build the degree that combines an Arts Major or specialisation (eg Psychology, Sociology, Economic Studies) and a Commerce Major (eg Human Resources Management, Marketing) and support your majors with a combination of subjects.

THE B COM DEGREE:
This degree is a 11 course degree and is built around six first year subject areas - Economics, Accounting, Commercial Law , Business statistics and Computational Maths and Information Systems. Your major at 300 level could be Economic Studies, Accounting, Commercial Law, Marketing, Human Resource Management and one of your majors could be from the Arts selection: eg Psychology or Sociology.

The part-time programme of the University of the Witwatersrand widens your choice of careers in business, international commerce, information technology, marketing, human resource management and management consultancy. We give you the edge in information literacy, problem solving and decision making.

Applicants aged 18-22: For automatic admission: You need a matriculation exemption certificate with a Wits rating of 22 points on your grades.

Applicants aged 23-44, or with foreign qualifications (and South African IDs or permanent residence permits), without a matriculation exemption certificate may qualify for a mature age conditional exemption issued by the Matriculation Board. This dispensation is normally based on the school-leaving certificate.

Applicants older than 45 may qualify for the conditional exemption solely on an age criterion.

There are various selection requirements and procedures which applicants must fulfil before being admitted. These include a matriculation exemption certificate or a certificate of ordinary conditional exemption may be accepted in Wits Plus for mature students. An applicant has to meet the minimum requirements of the Faculty of Commerce and have successfully completed matriculation level Mathematics (minimum D symbol on higher grade and minimum of B symbol on standard grade) and English at higher grade (minimum D symbol). In addition, work and career experiences of mature adult learners are taken into account in considering applications.

You proceed at your own pace. We advise you on the number of courses you should attempt in a single year. This depends on your lifestyle, working commitments and previous study record. We normally recommend two for a working person. Full time study for a degree normally extends over three years, with students earning credits ineleven courses. Part-time students usually manage to obtain their degree in five to sixyears studying and passing two courses per year.

We are ready to consider and review your credits obtained at another South African university in the state system and wherever possible will grant you a credit. However, for you to earn a Wits degree you need to complete more than half the credits, including your majors at Wits. An applicant who wishes to complete a degree at another institutional might find our programme to be the ideal answer, as Wits credits could be transferred to your original institution.

Unfortunately Wits does not offer financial assistance or bursaries for the part-time programme, but check with your employer as many companies have study assistance facilities in place. Another option is to contact Eduloan at 0860 5555 44

We will only consider applications from graduates requiring pre-requisites for post-graduate studies.

Generally, working people on the part-time programme will study no more than two full courses (two terms) or four modular courses (one term long each) per year for five to six years. Your commitment will be to attend classes on two evenings a week or one evening and one Saturday morning per week. We expect a student to study 10 hours a week for each course. Completing your final majors is challenging in your last two years, but you will be helped to plan the curriculum to suit your lifestyle and available time.

Lecture and tutorial sessions are held each evening, Monday to Thursday, between 17h15 and 21h00; refreshment breaks are scheduled to suit each class. On Saturdays, the lecture/tutorial session takes place between 9h00 and 13h00, with suitable refreshment breaks.

Yes, all Wits degrees are registered with SAQA on the National Qualifications Framework. The part-time programme offers flexibility and the high standards of all Wits degrees. The programme enables you to plot your progress on the NQF. All first year courses are Level 5, with final majors on Level 6. Each course will carry a credit-hour rating: first and second year modules extending over a term will earn 15 credits (an average of 150 learning hours. A part-time student will normally earn 60 credits (equal to 600 study hours) in a year after successfully completing four modules or two full courses.

Yes, Wits degrees are internationally recognised and our top students often win prizes and scholarships at universities abroad. In independent surveys the Wits BA and the BCom have been recognized for their excellence. Our graduates are in demand by employers. Top corporate employers come onto campus in August and September each year to recruit our final year students.

In lectures, seminars and tutorials, you will work on assignments, projects and presentations. You will access material in textbooks, reading packs and find additional reference material in the library. You will use the computer resource room. Information may be placed on web pages on the Internet. Guest lecturers will present special seminars and some courses may be taught on weekend seminars.

Each course will clearly set out the course objectives, outcomes and its syllabus in guides, booklets and information handouts at the start of the year, including your tasks, assignments and examination details. The system of using reading packs or a textbook will be explained.

Classes vary between 10 students and 50 students in a course depending on registrations. The minimum registration for any course will be ten students; in these circumstances Wits Plus reserves the right to cancel a course.

You will study under the guidance of professional, highly qualified lecturers and teaching assistants.

Through your performance in essays, assignments and projects (the year s work component) and examinations in June and November. Each course sets out its marking structure and minimum performance requirements at the start of the year. Standards in the part-time course are identical to full time courses and we use the same external examiners and moderators.

We offer a one stop administration service to our part-time students in the Wits Plus Building. Secure well lit parking with a security guard present during evening classes. Access to a 32 seat computer laboratory. The Educom library remains open at night for your use. Refreshments are available in the coffee shop.

Yes, the full-time staff members of the Centre for Part-time Study are experienced in all aspects of academic life and administrative procedures and will help you to get ahead in your study choices, offering you study skills, curriculum planning and career advice.

We are unable to offer on campus residential accommodation to our part-time students as our part-time students are in full time employment with homes and families in Gauteng.

Registrations and entry into class takes place twice a year - in February and July, for lectures commencing in Term 1 (February) and Term 2 (July). In term 1, you may register for all courses on the programme. In term 2, access for new students is restricted to certain specified modular courses on the BA programme.

"The programme brought discipline and purpose to my working life".

"This has been a life-changing experience".

"I recommend this course very highly".

"It is a privilege to study at Wits".

"Our lecturers are wonderful and make a real effort to understand our problems".

"I have made many new friends in the classes. We are all trying to improve our lives through studying".

"Studying part-time can be tough but it s a rewarding experience".

"Working people have a drive and commitment to career advancement". (Commercial Law lecturer)

"I have never previously had students requesting an extra lecture after the end of the course". (Sociology lecturer)

"These students have the maturity to converse with me on meaningful social issues". (Sociology lecturer)

"The written work of this class is worthy of publication". (Communications lecturer)

"Students on this course are a delight to teach." (Psychology lecturer)

"Standards of performance in this group are impressive. I wish all first year students were as competent, capable and interested. (International Relations lecturer)