The final step in the accreditation process is the registration of the qualification on the NATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS FRAMEWORK, which includes the qualification being allocated a SAQA ID. Until a SAQA ID is allocated, a qualification cannot be advertised, and the application/admissions cycle cannot be opened.
The two postgraduate professional programmes offered by the department of psychology (MA clinical psychology and MA counselling psychology) were subjected to this accreditation process. Consequently, they cannot be advertised, and the application/admissions cycle cannot be opened until a SAQA ID has been allocated. The department is legally not allowed to open applications and/or register students for these programmes without a SAQA ID.
The accreditation process for the MA counselling programme seems to have moved faster than the accreditation process for the MA clinical programme. Should the ID be received from SAQA before the end of November 2019, the department intends to offer the MA counselling programme in 2020 while waiting for the accreditation process of the MA clinical programme.
The undergraduate BPsych counselling programme was also subjected to an accreditation process by the HPCSA professional board for psychology and the department is waiting for a report. Applications cannot be open, and selections cannot be conducted until this report is received by the department.
The Admissions Office together with the Psychology Department will determine a mechanism to deal with applications, once approval has been obtained. Students intending to apply for the MA counselling and BPsych counselling programme will be informed by the Admissions Office when and how to submit an application.
Additionally, students can submit their details to the research lab located in the psychology Department to be informed by email or text when applications open.