The Independent Institute of Education (The IIE) Bachelor of Laws The IIE Bachelor of Laws or LLB degree is a professional degree preparing graduates for work and practice in the field of law in South Africa. The degree comprises the necessary substantive legal modules required by graduates to, upon compliance with additional legislative requirements, be admitted as attorneys and advocates of the High Court of South Africa. Graduates will also be enabled to follow a variety of alternative careers in law. Graduates will consequently possess both the theoretical depth and applied skills relevant to the world of work together with the insights and competencies necessary for further specialised study in support of the principles of life-long learning. Students of this qualification will be equipped to graduate as socially conscious, skilled, knowledgeable and value driven citizens able to contribute meaningfully to the organisations that employ them. The programme design thus facilitates the development of a well-rounded legal practitioner. This degree will therefore equip graduates with the necessary theoretical background, professionalpractice skills and thorough understanding of the distinct methodologies required for the professional practice of law and the administration of justice in the modern South African constitutional state. The qualification will also prepare students for further postgraduate academic studies and continuing lifelong professional development. What is this Degree s accreditation status? The IIE s Bachelor of Laws degree is accredited by the Council on Higher Education (CHE) and is registered with the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) as a 530-credit qualification on level 8. (SAQA ID: 101647)
Who is this Degree aimed at? If you love to read and apply your mind to complex questions of a legal nature, you should consider studying this degree. It will appeal to those who have a strong sense of justice and wish to transform society. It will also appeal to those who like to blend their problem solving skills with their tenacity in the arenas of commerce or government. What professional qualifications can the Bachelor of Laws articulate into? The degree is structured in accordance with the new HEQSF guidelines and will provide students with the knowledge, skills and applied competencies identified by the Law Society of South Africa as necessary for the practice of law in South Africa. This qualification will therefore prepare graduates for access into the traditional careers of legal practice the attorneys and advocates professions - within the minimum allowed periods. The qualification will also facilitate entry into a wide range of alternative career-paths and vocations requiring the application of law and practical legal skills. In addition, this degree will prepare students for postgraduate studies and for ongoing lifelong professional development. What entry requirements will I need to study this Bachelor s degree? A National Senior Certificate (NSC) with Degree admission- A minimum of 60% for English AND 50 % for Mathematics OR 60 % for Mathematical Literacy coupled with a minimum of 50% for two x DESIGNATED NSC subjects (This excludes LO which is a 10 credit subject); OR A National Certificate (Vocational) NC(V) with Degree admission A minimum of 60% in English on either First Additional Language or Home Language level AND Mathematics or Mathematical Literacy AND Life Orientation, with a minimum of 70% in the four vocational subjects is required; OR A Senior Certificate (SC) (with endorsement) or equivalent with a minimum of 60% in English on higher grade AND 50% for Mathematics on higher grade OR 60% for Mathematics on standard grade; OR Alternatively a Higher Certificate or an Advanced Certificate or 240 or 360 credit Diploma in a cognate field may satisfy the minimum admission requirements to degree studies. If a Higher Certificate, Advanced Certificate or 240 or 360 credit Diploma is not in a cognate field, then at least 20% of the credits of such qualification must relate to academic literacy or academic skills in order for an applicant to be admitted to degree studies. Such applications will be reviewed by the relevant Head of Faculty in collaboration with the Registrar. Mature Age Exemption: Candidates having attained the age of 23 before or during the first year of registration with a Senior Certificate with a minimum of 40% in at least four higher or standard grade subjects, at least three of which shall have been passed simultaneously and one of which shall be a recognised higher grade subject; OR Candidates must have attained the age of 45 before or during the first year of registration. RPL Candidates who fall outside the above criteria, but who can demonstrate, to the satisfaction of The IIE that they have an appropriate, related qualification or work-based learning, which has taken the candidate to the equivalent of an NQF Level 6 law-related qualification, may be considered for admission into this programme through an RPL process.
What must I pass in order to graduate with this Bachelor s degree? In order to be awarded this qualification, you must have achieved a minimum final year mark of fifty percent (50%) for each module of the programme. With what qualification will I graduate? You will graduate with The IIE Bachelor of Laws degree. Career opportunities: what career areas can I pursue once I have completed this Bachelor s degree? Graduates will be able to apply for admission as a legal practitioner in accordance with the applicable legislation. Careers include, but are not limited to: Advocate Attorney Prosecutor In keeping with the purpose of professional Bachelors degrees, this programme will also enable graduates (who may also have obtained admission as an attorney or advocate) to apply a well-rounded theoretical and practical knowledge base and professional entry practice across a broad range of alternative specialisations, careers, enterprise types and industries in both the public and private sectors. Career opportunities for graduates of this degree exist in, amongst others: Advisor at one of the institutions supporting constitutional democracy Alternative dispute resolution Community law advising / Advice office advisor Corporate governance Corporate legal advising Divorce and family-law mediation General commercial mediation Legal advisor in the public sector Legal education / academia Legal researcher Legal writer or editor Non-governmental organisation legal advising
How do I become an attorney/advocate after completion of the IIE LLB degree? On completion of the LLB degree, successful students can serve articles with a law firm for a period of 2 years. An external board exam consisting of four (4) papers must be written thereafter. Once the Attorneys Board Exam has been completed, the successful applicant can apply to the High Court to be admitted as a practicing attorney in South Africa. In addition, in terms of the Attorneys Act, 53 of 1979 as amended, an applicant applying for admission as an attorney must supply proof of satisfactory attendance of a course approved by the relevant statutory law society. These courses will be attended during your Articles of Clerkship and are run by the Legal Education and Development (LEAD) branch of the Law Society of South Africa. Students have the option to attend the full-time day or night courses at the School for Legal Practice, a division of the Law Society of South Africa for a period of 6 months. On successful completion, this attendance will count as one year towards your Articles of Clerkship. Another option available to graduates is to serve a period of pupillage with a member of the Bar in their particular province. The pupil will be closely monitored by their mentor and undergo extensive practical training in this field, once pupillage training has been completed the applicant will need to write the national Bar Exam to be admitted as an Advocate. Would it be possible to study further to obtain a postgraduate qualification once I have completed The IIE LLB degree? The IIE LLB degree will allow LLB graduates to articulate into programmes at South African public universities, subject to the particular admission requirements of the university applied to being met. In this respect, The IIE LLB degree is specifically intended to provide opportunities for vertical articulation into a postgraduate LLM degree. The degree is also designed to facilitate entry horizontally into appropriate Postgraduate Diplomas and similar vocationally orientated programmes. It is further envisaged that graduates of the degree may enrol for master s degrees in non-law disciplines such as business (MBA s) or in the field of higher education. The degree will also allow graduates to proceed to further study in a postgraduate certificate or diploma or honours degree at Varsity College itself. How do I find out more about these further study opportunities? As a registered student at Varsity College, we will support you to explore the possible postgraduate options that align to your chosen career area. Each year we also provide our students with a postgraduate information pack. It is important to remember that your academic results remain a key factor when applying for further studies.
What is The Teaching and Learning Strategy of the IIE s Varsity College, and how will it help prepare me for the 21st century working world? At the IIE s Varsity College we are proud of and passionate about our shift away from the traditional lecturing methodology to our blended-learning strategy the VC Blend. This blended-learning strategy extends learning beyond the confines of the classroom and creates opportunities for our students to work collaboratively, with peers and their educators, to construct their understanding of concepts. Student engagement is supported by the use of a learning management system (LMS) and the online learning materials that have been developed to underpin our teaching strategy. This student-focused approach compels our students to be accountable for their learning while developing the critical skills they will need to thrive in the rapidly changing 21st Century work environment. As such, academic life for our students is dynamic, challenging and relevant. How is this Bachelor s degree structured at Varsity College? The IIE LLB degree is a four year degree. The academic year runs from February to November. The modules are delivered on a full-time basis with lectures and tutorials being scheduled during the day from Monday to Friday. Due to the VC Blend approach, you will be expected to spend time conducting your own research, study for assessments and work on assignments. To gain the most from the blended learning experience, VC s Wireless classrooms and campuses, students are required to BYOT (Bring Your Own Technology) such as mobile devices, netbooks, laptops or tablets, etc. so as to develop the necessary academic and digital literacies over the three years of this degree. The curriculum below is correct at the time of print. Please note that in line with academic practice, The IIE s curriculum is annually reviewed thus changes may occur in module structure and sequence in order to ensure that the qualification remains relevant. The exit level outcomes of the programme do not change. Registered students receive an updated programme curriculum on an annual basis.
Bachelor of Laws YEAR 1: Semester 1 Semester 2 Law of Persons and the Family 1A Law of Persons and the Family 1B Fundamentals of the South African Legal System English for Law Introduction to Scholarship General Principles of Criminal Law Introduction to Personal Computing Foundations of the South African Law Electives* (choose 1 subject-a and B module) Business Management 1A Business Management 1B Psychology 1A Psychology 1B Communication Science 1A Communication Science 1B Sociology 1A Sociology 1B Year Modules Work Integrated Learning 1 YEAR 2: Constitutional Law Fundamental Rights Accounting for Law Practical Administrative Law Law of Succession Criminal Procedure Specific Offences Law of Delict Work Integrated Learning 2 Interpretation of Statutes Legal Diversity YEAR 3: Law of Contract Specific Contracts Labour Law Law of Property Law of Insolvency Law of Evidence Methods of Payment Law Intellectual Property Law Year Modules Civil Procedure Work Integrated Learning 3 YEAR 4: Electives** (students must choose 4) International Law Integrative Law** Law of Enterprise Structures E-Commerce Law** Jurisprudence Corporate Governance** Legal Ethics Tax Law** Research Methodology Capita Selecta: Private Law** Year Modules Legal Research Practice Work Integrated Learning 4 Prerequisites/ co-requisites: Prerequisites and co-requisites apply to several of the modules in this programme, and must be met in order to progress through the qualification. Prerequisites There are no pre-requisites
Co-requisites Module Business Management 1B Communication Science 1B Law of Persons and the Family 1B Psychology 1B Sociology 1B Specific Offences Criminal Procedure Fundamental Rights Practical Administrative Law Law of Property Specific Contracts Capita Selecta:Private Law Corporate Governance E-Commerce Law Legal Ethics Co-requisite Business Management 1A Communication Science 1A Law of Persons and the Family 1A Psychology 1A Sociology 1A General Principles of Criminal Law General Principles of Criminal Law and Specific Offences Constitutional Law Constitutional Law Law of Contract and Law of Delict Law of Contract Law of Contract and Specific Contracts Law of Enterprise Structures Law of Contract Jurisprudence What about timetables? Our full-time programmes are aimed at students who wish to dedicate themselves to full-time faceto-face studies for the duration of their qualification. This means that students are expected to be available for classes during the morning and/or afternoon throughout the academic year depending on how the timetable is structured. Unfortunately, students are not necessarily able to select a morning or afternoon format to suit their personal circumstances. We absolutely encourage students to take up part-time employment outside of class time, weekends and in the evenings, but full-time students must prioritise their studies and avoid committing to work schedules until after they have received their timetables and academic calendar from the institution. Students must understand that timetables remain subject to change throughout the year. While we strive to offer time efficient timetables (where classes are grouped together into the morning or the afternoon), we cannot guarantee that either format will necessarily be available for all programmes every semester. Where students are repeating modules, these modules may be offered in the evenings or weekends. Students are required to attend classes or, should the module be offered online or via distance, workshops may be provided. Students may also be required to write assessments or submit coursework or assignments outside of normal class-time. Call your nearest Varsity College campus to discuss your career options with one of our Student Advisors. LLB 2018 V2 17.11.2017 Disclaimer: This factsheet is valid for the 2018 intake of students only. All programme information is correct at the time of printing and is subject to change.
The IIE is accredited by The British Accreditation Council The IIE is internationally recognised and accredited by The British Accreditation Council (BAC). The BAC has been responsible for setting standards within the independent further and higher education sector for 25 years. Their accreditation is held by hundreds of colleges in the UK and overseas. They provide the leading mark of educational quality for the sector, which is used by students, parents, agencies and beyond as a guarantee of standards. For more information please visit http://www.the-bac.org/