On Wednesday 4 January 2023 Akademia announced that the institution will be launching its very first honours qualification this year. A BComHons (Business Management) qualification will be presented in Afrikaans via the after-hours distance model as from 1 March 2023, which means that students would still be able to work during the day or pursue other interests.

Since 2014 the institution has successfully been offering a BCom (Business Management) qualification via the after-hours distance model, and has also done so on the full-time campus model since 2022. According to Elize-Mari Coetzer, head of departement Management Sciences at Akademia, the next step following from this would te rolling out an honours qualification of excellent quality to further equip students for their career.  

According to Coetzer the purpose of the BcomHons qualification is to enhance the undergraduate business management knowledge and skills of students by equipping them with the latest knowledge and skills in the same field. “We also want to prepare our students to do research within the field of Business Management and to be able to write and present a research report.”

The BcomHons qualification is at NQF level 8 and provides the student exposure to core managment tasks as well as supportive management functions. It includes planning, organising, leading and controlling strategies, change, integrated supply chains and finance.

The typical career that can be taken up after completion of this qualification include that of a general manager, business analyst, business advisor, operational manager, buyer, supply chain manager, team leader or business consultant. The qualification will also offer students access to further post graduate programmes such as a master’s degree.

According to Coetzer the qualification will help students stand out in the workplace because they will have research, critical thinking and problem solving skills that will meet the requirements of the industry. “At Akademia the intellect and heart of our students are shaped so that they can make a real difference in their communities.”

To be eligible for admission to Akademia’s BComHons (Business Management) programme, a relevant baccalaureus degree or applicable advanced diploma (NQF level 7) is required. The applicant should also have obtained a minimum of 65% at an NQF level 5, 6 and 7 Business Management module, as well as an average of 60% for all third-year modules.

According to Coetzer the hearts and particularly the grounded thinking of lecturers who present the modules and serve as study leaders, form part of the DNS shaping each module. “They are truly passionate and intent on developing the student as an individual, and to see to it that they observe parts of the whole and can think independently.”

Coetzer’s advice to prospective students who are considring this qualification is to take up the mindset of lifelong learning, to become hungry to enhance their knowledge and skills and in so doing to distinghuish themselves from others. “The BCom (Business Management) qualification was the first degree that Akademia offered and this is now the first honours qualification at the institution, in the same field. We are making history and invite you to be part of it.”

If you are interested in obtaining an honours qualification in the field of Business Management, do not hesitate to visit Akademia’s web page for more information. Study applications for the BComHons (Business Management) qualification are already open and will close on Wednesday 22 February 2023. Please note that only a limited number of students will be admitted to the programme. Akademia – your Afrikaans study environment!