The University of South Africa (Unisa) is an open distance e-learning university which reaches into places where other institutions do not, making a difference to everyone.
Unisa offers a combination of career-orientated courses usually associated with a university of technology, combined with general formative academic programmes typically linked to a traditional university.
This university offers many certificates, degrees and diplomas at the bachelor, master and doctoral levels.
Unisa offers a variety of postgraduate qualifications in different faculties.
A postgraduate qualification is completed after an undergraduate qualification or an equivalent to this is completed. Therefore the postgraduate qualification must be in line with the major subjects you took in your undergraduate qualification.
According to Unisa, a postgraduate qualification should only be pursued once the student has considered the career opportunities they want to prepare for and they understand what will be required from them as a postgraduate student.
Unlike an Honour’s degree the postgraduate qualification does not involve a research module as this module is required for a master’s degree level. If a student completes a postgraduate diploma, they will need to do a bridging module to get admission to a master’s degree.
"Postgraduate studies require a deepening of your academic skills," states the university.
Students pursuing this qualification will be expected to work independently most of the time, such as doing readings and research to show that they have a deeper understanding of the subject they are focusing on.
Open Distance e-learning at Unisa means that learning will take place where the student and the university are physically distanced and the student will connect with the university mostly via the internet from a laptop, tablet or other device.
At Unisa the student will be provided with study material which consists of written content via textbooks or online via myUnisa. Unisa provides access to computers and internet at some of their facilities but students should have their own computer and access to the internet.
Studying will take place wherever the student is on a schedule which they set up for themselves.
Students are allowed to study full-time or part-time while making use of the resources provided by Unisa. The university does provide support services such as libraries, tutorial support, counselling and other online tools to students while they are studying.
