UNISA Law
Schools, departments, centres & institutes
The College of Law consists of the Schools of Law and Criminal Justice, the Institute for Dispute Resolution in Africa and the Centre for Basic Legal Education, the Centre for Business Law, the Centre for Criminological Sciences, the Centre for Foreign and Comparative Law and The VerLoren van Themaat Centre for Public Law Studies.
College of Law
Qualifications
Formal qualifications
Formal qualifications refer to those qualifications that are subsidised by the Department of Higher Education and Training, and therefore offered under the DHET policies and legislation. The following formal qualifications are offered by the college:
Qualification information for everyone planning to start a new qualification:
- Undergraduate degrees, higher certificates and higher diplomas, and postgraduate certificates
- Honours degrees and postgraduate diplomas
- Master’s & doctoral degrees
Short Learning Programmes (non-formal qualifications)
Short Learning Programmes offered by Unisa focus on “just in time” and “just enough” learning to meet a specific learning need identified by society. This need can focus on enabling access to other Short Learning Programmes or to improve access to the study of formal qualifications at Unisa, or it can address a specific need in the workplace.
Short Learning Programmes can update or broaden skills and knowledge in a specific area to enable life-long learning. In this manner, Short Learning Programmes assist students with their continuing professional development by upgrading their skills and knowledge in newly developed areas or by sharing the results of research.
Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)
During your lifetime, you will have acquired various skills, competencies and experiences. This learning – which may have taken place outside of formal education and training – is valuable regardless of where or when it was obtained. You may have acquired skills or knowledge from a combination of training conducted while at work, experience you gained in the workplace, short courses or from community work in a relevant field.
RPL permits you to gain credits within formal certificate, diploma and degree qualifications offered by Unisa based on the level and extent of your knowledge. Your prior learning will be measured against specified prescribed learning outcomes.
Visit www.unisa.ac.za/rpl for more information.
About the college
Vision
Towards the leading College of Law and Justice in Africa.
Mission
The College of Law provides comprehensive open distance learning in a socially responsible and distinctive manner that produces excellent scholarship and research, provides quality tuition and fosters active community engagement.
We are guided by the principles of lifelong learning, student-centredness, innovation and stakeholder engagement within the African and global arena.
Origins
The origins of Unisa’s College of Law can also be traced back to 1873. At that time, the Board of Public Examiners was replaced by the University of the Cape of Good Hope, and the Certificates in Law and Jurisprudence offered by the Board were replaced by the University’s Certificate of Proficiency in Law and Jurisprudence and the LLB degree (Bachelor of Laws).
Schools and Departments
The College comprises two schools: the School of Law (housed in the Cas van Vuuren Building on Unisa’s Muckleneuk Campus) and the School of Criminal Justice (housed in Brooklyn House in Pretoria).
The College consists of eight teaching departments (five in the School of Law and three in the School of Criminal Justice).