Vega School Entry Requirements for 2024/2025

Higher-Certificate Admission Requirements

• A National Senior Certificate (NSC) with Higher Certificate Admission: A minimum of 30 % for English is required; OR
• A National Certificate (Vocational) NC(V) with Higher Certificate admission: A minimum of 40 % in English on either First Additional Language or Home Language level;
• A Senior Certificate (SC) (without endorsement) ; OR
• A Senior Certificate (Amended) SC(A) with Higher Certificate admission: A minimum of 30% in LOLT in NSC/SC (a) OR with a minimum . of 33.3% in SC; OR
• For international qualifications: A SAQA Evaluation Certificate with NSC L4 equivalence with at least 30% or equivalent for English.

Senate Discretionary Admission

Mature Age Exemption:

• Candidates must have attempted the Senior Certificate, attained the age of 23 before or during the first year of registration with three years’ work experience and proven ability relating to the proposed programme, as well as adequate communication skills; OR
• Candidates must have attained the age of 45 before or during the first year of registration.
• Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL): demonstrate suitability for admission in terms of Senate’s resolution 6.6 of October 20, 2005, which allows for Senate’s discretionary conditional admission (if applicable).

General Education Development (GED): An USA qualification developed by the American Council on Education (ACE)

• Candidates with a GED qualification may be admitted if they have a SAQA Evaluation Certificate with NSC L4 equivalence as well as NBT: AQL results and have obtained a score of at least 37 for Academic Literacy (AL) and a score of at least 37 for Quantitative Literacy (QL).

Advanced Diploma Programmes

• An appropriate Bachelor’s Degree diploma, or relevant equivalent (at least 360 credits, NQF level 6).
• If the discipline of the degree or diploma is not considered sufficiently cognate, a student may still be admitted but may be required to do additional coursework. This assessment will be made by the relevant Head of Faculty and/or or Head of programme, or equivalent.
• Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL): demonstrate suitability for admission in terms of Senate’s resolution 6.6 of October 20, 2005, which allows for Senate’s discretionary conditional admission (if applicable).

International Admission

• A SAQA NQF L6 Evaluation Certificate in an appropriate field.

Postgraduate Diploma Admission Requirements

• An appropriate HEQSF Level 7 Bachelor’s degree; OR
• An appropriate Advanced Diploma
• Recognition of Prior learning (RPL): demonstrate suitability for admission in terms of Senate’s resolution 6.6 of October 20, 2005, which allows for Senate’s discretionary conditional admission (if applicable).

International Admission

• A SAQA NQF L7 Evaluation Certificate in an appropriate field.

Honours Admission Requirements

BA Honours in Interior Design

• An appropriate Bachelor’s Degree; OR
• An appropriate Advanced Diploma, provided that a 360-credit Diploma OR appropriate equivalent qualification has been completed.

Please Note:

• Candidates are normally required to have a minimum final-year average of 60% in the qualification final-year (NQF L7) modules. Those with a final-year average of 55–59% will be admitted if they attain 60% or higher for the designated cognate/core discipline final-year (NQF L7) modules
• All candidates are required to submit an Interior Design portfolio.
• Graduates of The IIE who do not meet the conditional admissions requirements for admission to Honours can enrol in and repeat all or some of their NQF Level 7 modules in order to improve their marks so that they can meet the entry requirements for Honours. These graduate students will then receive an additional transcript after the completion of the repeat module(s), where the repeat module(s) will appear as a second iteration of the module(s) on the transcript. The marks from the second iteration can then be used for admission to Honours in the subsequent academic year. This option is only available to graduates from The IIE and does not apply to graduates from other Higher Education institutions.

Senate Discretionary Admission

• Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL): Candidates who fall outside the above criteria but who can demonstrate, to the satisfaction of The IIE, that they have an appropriate, related qualification or work-based learning which has taken the candidate to the equivalent of an NQF level 7 equivalent qualification may be considered for admission into this programme through an RPL process.

International Admission

• A SAQA NQF L7 Evaluation Certificate in an appropriate field and meeting the additional admission requirements.

BA Honours in Strategic Brand Communication

• An appropriate Bachelor’s Degree; OR
• An appropriate Advanced Diploma, provided that a 360-credit Diploma or appropriate equivalent has been completed.
• An appropriate Degree or Advanced Diploma would normally be in the fields of either Marketing, Branding or Communication.

Please Note:

• Candidates are normally required to have a minimum final-year average of 60% in the qualification final-year (NQF L7) modules. Those with a final-year average of 55–59% will be admitted if they attain 60% or higher for the designated cognate/core discipline final-year (NQF L7) modules.

Undergraduate qualification in a non-cognate field.

• If the discipline of the degree or diploma is not sufficiently cognate, a candidate may still be admitted if they achieve a minimum final year average of 60% in their final year modules and at least 65% in the essay and presentation assessment of the compulsory Introduction to Brand Building short course.
• There are two short course intakes in 2020 (dates to be released shortly), and only one opportunity is available to students.
• Graduates of The IIE who do not meet the conditional admissions requirements for admission to Honours can enrol in and repeat all or some of their NQF Level 7 modules in order to improve their marks so that they can meet the entry requirements for Honours. These graduate students will then receive an additional transcript after the completion of the repeat module(s), where the repeat module(s) will appear as a second iteration of the module(s) on the transcript. The marks from the second iteration can then be used for admission to Honours in the subsequent academic year. This option is only available to graduates from The IIE and does not apply to graduates from other HE institutions.
• Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL): Candidates who fall outside the above criteria but who can demonstrate, to the satisfaction of The IIE, that they have an appropriate related qualification or work-based learning which has taken the candidate to the equivalent of an NQF Level 7 Marketing, Branding or Communication-related qualification may be considered for admission into this programme through an RPL process.

International Admission

• A SAQA NQF L7 Evaluation Certificate in an appropriate field and meeting the additional admission requirements.

BA Honours in Graphic Design

• An appropriate Bachelor’s Degree; OR
• An appropriate Advanced Diploma, provided that a 360-credit Diploma OR appropriate equivalent has been completed.

Please Note:

• Candidates are normally required to have a minimum final-year average of 60% in the qualification final-year (NQF L7) modules. Those with a final-year average of 55–59% will be admitted if they attain 60% or higher for the designated cognate/core discipline final-year (NQF L7) modules.
• All candidates are required to submit a Graphic Design portfolio.
• Candidates who have completed an Advanced Diploma after an NQF Level 5 Diploma must be admitted as a Senate Discretionary admission.
• Graduates of The IIE who do not meet the conditional admissions requirements for admission to Honours can enrol in and repeat all or some of their NQF 7 modules in order to improve their marks so that they can meet the entry requirements for Honours.These graduate students will then receive an additional transcript after the completion of the repeat module(s), where the repeat module(s) will appear as a second iteration of the module(s) on the transcript. The marks from the second iteration can then be used for admission to Honours in the subsequent academic year. This option is only available to graduates from The IIE and do not apply to graduates from other HE institutions.
• Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL): Candidates who fall outside the above criteria but who can demonstrate, to the satisfaction of The IIE, that they have an appropriate, related qualification or work-based learning which has taken the candidate to the equivalent of an NQF level 7 equivalent qualification may be considered for admission into this programme through an RPL process.

International Admission

• A SAQA NQF L7 Evaluation Certificate in an appropriate field and meeting the additional admission requirements.

Masters Admission Requirements

• An appropriate NQF level 8 Honours degree; OR
• A relevant Postgraduate Diploma or appropriate equivalent; OR
• An appropriate Level 8 Bachelor’s Degree (480 credits) may also be recognised as meeting the minimum entry requirements to a cognate Master’s Degree programme
• All applicants who are eligible for admission to the Master’s in Creative Brand Leadership degree are required to register for the Research Proposal Writing Short Learning Programme (SLP) (REPW018), successfully complete a Research proposal, and receive ethics clearance for the proposed study in order to be registered for this qualification.
• Even if an applicant meets the above requirements, registration may be refused if:
  • an appropriate and suitably qualified supervisor cannot be identified; or
  • the interdisciplinary nature of the proposed research falls outside of the scope of the accredited qualification.
• The applicant has the right to request a written reason for any refusal admission and may appeal to the Research and Postgraduate Studies Committee in writing. If the Research and Postgraduate Committee upholds the refusal, the decision is final. The candidate may re-apply in the following academic year if s/he has been able to address the issues concerned and The IIE may invite the candidate to reapply if a suitable supervisor is employed.
• In addition, applicants without an undergraduate or postgraduate degree in the fields of Marketing, Branding or Communication or another cognate degree where marketing, branding, Communication was taken up to NQF level 7, will also be required to successfully complete the SLP in Strategic Brand Building (STBB018) in order to be registered on the Master’s in Creative Brand Leadership degree.
• Applicants are normally required to have a minimum average of 65% in their NQF 8 qualification.

International Admission

• A SAQA NQF L8 Evaluation Certificate in an appropriate field and meeting the additional admission requirements.