Future of studying in 2021

Admission process to universities based on new curriculum
Monique Adams and Mariselle Stofberg





With the changes to the Namibian curriculum in schools, the senior secondary phase will start in grade 10 and the National Senior Secondary Certificate Ordinary Level (NSSCO) will be a two-year course, covered in grade 10 and 11.

The National Senior Secondary Certificate Higher Level (NSSCH) will be replaced by the Advanced Subsidiary (NSSCAS) level, a one-year course to be covered in grade 12.

This raises some questions amongst parents and learners about the admissions process and requirements for universities in 2021.

International University of Management

The International University of Management (IUM) said learners who will apply with their grade 11 results and have met the basic minimum entry requirements for the programme will be admitted provisionally. They will be issued with provisional admission letters as an administrative norm, pending the outcome of their final end-of-the-year NSSCO examinations results.

“Applications are required to bring their final results together with their provisional admission letters to the university during the registration period, which will start on 18 January 2021. However, should the applicant for some reason not have received his or her provision admission letter, he or she could approach the admissions office at any nearest IUM campus on such,” said Gerry Wilson Munyama, the director of marketing, communication and stakeholders engagement at IUM.

The university's evaluation scale is based on the best five school subjects inclusive of English, at ordinary level or higher level (phasing out) or Advanced Subsidiary (AS) level or a combination of both. “As you may be aware the first AS level output is only expected at the end of 2021 for the admissions in 2022. Therefore, learners applying with grade 12 AS level are also expected to attach their NSSCO results as both results will be used to evaluate the best 5 subjects. As a practical example, IUM admission to bachelor degrees and integrated bachelor honours degrees program, requires 25 points in the best 5 subjects with at least, a D symbol in English at NSSCO/H or equivalent,” Munyama adds.

The Namibia University of Science and Technology (Nust) admissions process are the same as for learners that are currently in grade 12. “The faculty will check if the applicant qualifies, and based on that; the applicant will receive either a rejection or successful letter by the end of November. The registration for first time applicants will be as from February 2021 and returning students in March 2021,” says Kuda Brandt, the acting director of marketing and communication at Nust.

Applicants will be informed about the date in November 2020. Learners with NSSCAS levels can apply in 2021 for the 2022 academic year. They need to attach both results for Grade 11 and 12 since both results will be considered.

Studying abroad

The Stellenbosch University (SU) confirmed that learners need to complete grade 12 for them to become eligible to study at SU.

SU says that the current requirement for the students to be eligible for the university is that they have four higher level subjects passed with a 1-3 and one standard level subject with an A-C symbol. This has to be subjects that are recognised by the Universities South Africa (USAf), which is a membership organisation representing South Africa’s universities.

“We allow candidates to apply with their grade 11 marks and they are given conditional admission, with the condition being their final grade 12 meets exemption and course requirements,” says Carmelita Talmarkes, the International Education Officer for full time degrees at Stellenbosch University

Talmarkes adds that courses like Engineering, BCom, Science, Law and some of BA degrees requires that the core subjects be completed at grade 12 level.