BEd (Hons)

Strengthen your practical professional experience and develop areas of specialisation.

Overview

This programme is aimed at teachers who have completed either a Bachelor of Education (BEd) or a one-year Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE).

Teachers with a teacher's diploma and a sufficient number of years' experience may be accepted to the programme on the grounds of Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL).

Our enrolment capacity is limited, please ensure your application is completed and submitted timeously. Applications that are late, incomplete or that do not meet the minimum academic requirements will not be considered. 

The general BEd Honours degree five-module honours programme is designed to enable students to:

  • Strengthen practical professional competence
  • Engage critically with new educational reforms
  • Strengthen academic competence in terms of foundational knowledge and reflective thinking
  • Develop areas of specialisation in one or two of the roles of an educator.

The programme in the general field comprises:

  • Educational Theory, Research and Enquiry I - compulsory
  • Educational Theory, Research and Enquiry II - compulsory
  • Two modules chosen from the options available in any particular year. These options are normally related to each other in a "Specialism”
  • One module - Research Project in Education (Parts 1 & 2) - compulsory

All specialism modules for the general programme will not necessarily be offered each year, depending on staff availability and student numbers.

Aside from the general programme, three additional BEd Honours programmes are available:

  • BEd Honours in Language Education
  • BEd Honours in Mathematics Education
  • BEd Honours in Science Education

If one of these programmes is taken, then Educational Theory, Research and Enquiry II is not taken and replaced by an additional programme-specific specialism.

Curriculum

A number of specialisms are offered and each of these consists of two optional modules. The specialisms offered may differ from one year to the next. Please contact the School for a list of specialisms available in the year of application. 

Entry Requirements

Honours:

  • A Bachelor degree in Education, or a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) with an overall average of 65% or more.
  • For applicants with BEd degrees, please take note of the additional criteria:
    • 65% or more in Education IV and Being a Teacher, including:
    • Foundation Phase: 65% or more in Childhood Studies,
    • Intermediate Phase: 65% or more in any 4th year compulsory modules
    • Senior Phase/Further Education and Training Teaching: 65% or more in either two major courses or one major course and one sub-major.

Additional requirements may apply.

University Application Process

  • Applications are handled centrally by the Student Enrolment Centre (SEnC). Once your application is complete in terms of requested documentation, your application will be referred to the relevant School for assessment. Click here to see an overview of the Wits applications process.
  • Please apply online. Upload your supporting documents at the time of application, or via the Self Service Portal.
  • Applicants can monitor the progress of their applications via the Self Service Portal.
  • Selections for programmes that have a limited intake but attract a large number of applications may only finalise the application at the end of the application cycle.

Please note that the Entry Requirements are a guide. Meeting these requirements does not guarantee a place. Final selection is made subject to the availability of places, academic results and other entry requirements where applicable.

International students, please check this section.

For more information, contact the Student Call Centre +27 (0)11 717 1888, or log a query at www.wits.ac.za/askwits.

University Fees and Funding

Click here to see the current average tuition fees. The Fees site also provides information about the payment of fees and closing dates for fees payments. Once you have applied you will be able to access the fees estimator on the student self-service portal.

For information about postgraduate funding opportunities, including the postgraduate merit award, click here. Please also check your School website for bursary opportunities. NRF bursaries: The National Research Foundation (NRF) offers a wide range of opportunities in terms of bursaries and fellowships to students pursuing postgraduate studies. External bursaries portal: The Bursaries South Africa website provides a comprehensive list of bursaries in South Africa.