Undergraduate Admission

Admission Information

G.1 Admissions

• A candidate for the degree must have obtained the Matriculation certificate of the Committee of University Principals (SAUVCA) Matriculation Board, a certificate of exemption granted by the Board or any other certificate that the Senate may approve.
• A student must have obtained at least an E Higher Grade or D Standard Grade in English.
• Appropriate prior learning in the relevant field of study will also be recognized as a criterion for admission.

G.2 Minimum Duration of Study

• A student will indicate on registration, where Schools requires it, whether he/she is a full-time or part time student.
• Full-time students shall register not more than six (6) modules per semester and part-time students not more than three
• A student will be required to complete his/her degree within a period not exceeding three years of the minimum required. Extension may be granted by Senate.

Bachelor's Degrees

Students registering for a B. Degree shall be required to enrol for three compulsory university wide core modules

• African Civilisation (AFC),
• English Communication Skills (ECS) and
• Scientific Methods and Theory of Knowledge (STK)

G.3 Simultaneous Registration for Two Curricula

A student shall not register for a degree, diploma or certificate simultaneously with another degree, diploma or certificate at either under -graduate or post graduate level at this or any other university.

G.4 Time-table Clashes

Students may not register for modules which at any time clash on the time-table.

G.5 Recognition of Attendance and Credit

• Senate may grant a student exemption from attendance or examination in a module by virtue of recognition obtained in the same or an equivalent course or module for another degree, diploma or certificate of the University.
  
  
• With approval of Senate, courses or modules passed at other tertiary institutions may be recognized as part of a curriculum for a degree or diploma subject to the following:
  
  
  • Acceptance by Senate of certificates of competence issued by the outside institution.
  • At least half the minimum number of modules prescribed for the degree or diploma or certificate, including all final year modules of major programmes must be passed at the University of Venda.
  
  
• Subject to rule G 5.2.2 not more than two honours courses or 4 modules passed at another university may be recognised towards honours degree studies at the University of Venda.

 G.6 Cancellation of Modules

Cancellation of a module after the commencement of the following/next term shall not be allowed.

G.7 Completion of Curricula at another University

Senate may permit a student who lacks a single/one or two modules to complete a degree or diploma, to complete this course or two modules at another university, on condition that such a student satisfies the Senate that he cannot , for sound reasons, attend such lectures at this university.

G.8 Application of Old and New Rules in the Event of Rule Amendments or Interruption of Studies

• A student who registers for a curriculum and fails to renew his/her registration for such studies in the following calender year, shall be judged to have interrupted his studies.
  
  
• Where a rule relating to the composition of a curriculum is amended, a student who began his/her studies under an old rule and did not interrupt his/her studies may complete his/her curriculum under the old rule, A student who interrupts his/her studies forfeits the right to continue his/her studies according to the old rule.
  
  
• Senate may, in exceptional circumstances, permit a student who interrupted his/her studies before a new rule came into force to continue his/her studies under such conditions as a school Academic Board may recommend.

G.9 Modules Taken for Non-degree Purposes

• Modules taken for non-degree purposes, at this university, shall not be acknowledged for degree purposes without the approval of Senate.
  
  
• A student who fails to obtain a degree because of failure in one or two modules may not present that module after taking it for non-degree purposes at any other university, subject to rule G 7.

G.10 Re-admission of Students who have Failed Courses / Modules

• A student shall not be permitted to repeat a module more than once without the approval of Senate provided that the student shows a good general progress in his/her curricula.
  
  
• A student who failed to obtain at four semester modules credits after his first two years of study will not be allowed to register the following year.
  
  
• If a student fails a first-semester module which is a prerequisites for a second semester module but qualifies for a supplementary examination, he shall be admitted to the second semester in such course, pending receipt of the results, but his registration for this module will be cancelled if he fails the supplementary.
  
  
• A student who is awaiting the outcome of an assessment exam may attend lectures, but will not be allowed to register for the following year, until such time as the results are available, and handed in with the relevant academic record.

G.11 Switching from One School or One Degree to Another

No students will be allowed to switch from one school or degree to another without approval of the relevant Deans.

G.12 Admission for Assessment

• Subject to School rules, a candidate will only be continuously assessed in a particular module if he/she attended lectures, tutorials and prescribed practicals satisfactorily and obtained a semester mark of at least 40 %.
  
  
• A candidate shall not be entitled to his/her assessment results unless he has paid the prescribed fees.
  
  
• A student must acquire a subminimum of 40% in each of the three components of assessment. A student who fails one of these components, will be allowed to repeat only that component. The written examination component will be rewritten during the next normal examination period for that specific module.
  
  
• Details concerning subminima in sections of module, where these are required, appear in the rules of the School concerned.
  
  
• All written examinations will be written only during official examination sessions.

G.13 Minimum Pass and Distinction

• The minimum final mark to pass in any semester or year is 50%. Subject to Departmental rules, a sub-minimum of 40% in the assessment is required.
  
  
• A course/module is passed with distinction if the final mark is 75% or higher. Bachelor's degrees and diplomas are awarded with distinction if the average of the major subjects over all years of study is 75% or higher.

G.14 Aegrotat examinations, Tests and Other Forms of Assessment

• An assessment may be granted to a student who has been prevented from sitting for the examination:
  
  
  • by illness on the day of the examination/assessment, or during or immediately before the examination/assessment, provided that a medical certificate from a registered medical practitioner is submitted to the satisfaction of the Senate, and provided further that the student's application is supported by the invigilator concerned or another responsible person; or
    
  • as a result of domestic circumstances such as serious illness or death of a close relative during the examination/assessment, or other reasons, provided that the Senate judges it to be a bona fide case, and the student can provide satisfactory proof of such extraordinary circumstances.
  
  
  
• The School Academic Board Examination Committee will determine whether the whole or only part of the examination in the subject concerned shall be written.
  
  
• Where a candidate is permitted to write a part of the examination or present himself/herself for assessment that part of the examination/assessment presented before the illness or relevant circumstances shall remain valid.
  
  
• Application for such a special examination and assessment must be made on the prescribed form within 14 days of the date on which the examination was held, and the student must pay the applicable fees as determined by the Council.
  
  
• No supplementary examinations are awarded on aegrotat examinations except if the course/module is the only outstanding course/module for the award of the degree.

G.15 Special and Supplementary Examinations

• The Examinations Committees of the School Academic Board may admit a student to a supplementary examinations.
  
  
• Admission to a supplementary examination is subject to the relevant School rules.
  
  
  • A candidate who fails the main examination may be considered for a supplementary examination provided that the final mark (year/semester mark) plus examination mark is 40% or above.
    
  • A final year student who, after the main (November) examination, has failed only one two modules for which he/she was registered for that year, and only requires that one or two modules to obtain (complete) a degree, may write a supplementary examination in that subject in January once only, whether or not he qualifies for a supplementary examination for that module as per G15. However, this concession does not apply to students who have one outstanding module after passing one or more supplementary examinations in January.
    
    
  • Students who have one outstanding odule to qualify for a degree after an aegrotat examination in January may be awarded a supplementary examination in June. These students will not be required to pay any registration fees. However, if the student fails in June, a registration fee will be required for admittance to the next assessment period. (Refer to G. 10.4)
    
    
  • A student who fails to write a supplementary or an aegrotat examination in January due to illness or other domestic circumstances as outlined in rule G14.1(a) and (b), may, with the approval of the Dean, be allowed to write these examination in June.
    
  • A student who passes a module after re-writing it does not qualify for any further supplementary or additional examinations in another module for any reason.
  
  
• A candidate wishing to take the supplementary examination granted to him/her shall pay the required examination fees.
  
  
• Fees are to be paid before sitting for supplementary
  
  
• A candidate must obtain at least 50 % for a pass in the supplementary examination.
  
  
• The semestermark is not taken into consideration.
  
  
• No aegrotat examinations are awarded to a supplementary or aegrotat examination .

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