Higher Certificate in Banking and Financial Services

The admission requirement for the Higher Certificate in Banking and Financial Services programme is as follows:

The minimum entry requirement is the National Senior Certificate or the National Certificate Vocational as certified by the Council for General and Further Education and Training (Umalusi), with appropriate subject combination and levels of achievement as defined in the Minister’s policies: Minimum Admission Requirements for Higher Certificate, Diploma and Bachelor’s Degree Programmes Requiring a National Senior Certificate, Government Gazette, Vol 751, No 32131 of 11 July 2008 and Minimum Admission Requirements for Higher Certificate, Diploma and Bachelor’s Degree Programmes requiring a National Certificate (Vocational), published in the Government Gazette, Vol. 533, No. 32743, November 2009.

To be considered for admission into MANCOSA’s the Higher Certificate in Banking and Financial Services programme, applicants may qualify with any one of the following credentials, meeting the minimum requirement:

• A Higher Certificate pass, Diploma pass or a Bachelor’s pass in their National Senior Certificate (NSC) or
• A Senior Certificate (for applicants who completed matric pre-2008) can either have a Standard grade pass or an Endorsement or
• An equivalent accredited NQF 4 (120 credits) qualification with English language proficiency or
• An accredited NQF Level 5 higher certificate in related fields or
• Achievement of relevant higher education qualifications at the required NQF level or
• South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) or Universities’ South Africa (USA) certification of equivalence or
• Proof of prior qualifications which contributes to eligibility into the programme and
• Personal interviews

Selections Requirements

Central to MANCOSA’s dedication to excellence is maintaining a consistently implemented selection and admission process that is fair, transparent, and explicit, aiming to support broad and diverse access for individuals with the potential to benefit from higher education. Thus, MANCOSA’s admission and selection procedures are fair, clear, and explicit, and promote broad and diverse access wherever practically possible for those with the potential to benefit from higher education. All applications are managed and processed by the MANCOSA Admissions and Selections Department. Thereafter, it is reviewed by the Student Recruitment, Admission and Selection Committee for final approval. These processes adhere to the requirements set forth in the Higher Education Qualifications Sub-Framework (HEQSF, 2014).

The Admissions and Selections Policy and Terms of Reference outline clear guidelines and regulations for admitting and selecting prospective students, both nationally and internationally, to advance MANCOSA’s strategic objectives as stated in its vision and mission statements. MANCOSA sets minimum academic requirements for admission to its programs, detailed in the Admissions and Selections Policy. All applications are processed by the MANCOSA Admissions and Selections Department and then reviewed by the Student Recruitment, Admission and Selection Committee for final approval. MANCOSA acknowledges the complexities of student selection, which include promoting and marketing programs to prospective students, organisations, industries, and other stakeholders, and identifying and selecting applicants for specific study programmes

For applicants to be eligible for the Higher Certificate in Banking and Financial Services programme, students are required to meet the pre-requisites in the admission criteria above. The selection criteria for this programme are in accordance with the MANCOSA Admission and Selection Policy. Selection criteria for study at MANCOSA include one or more of the following depending on the individual application:

• Achievement of relevant higher education qualifications at the required NQF level;
• Applicants having completed and passed N4; N5 and N6 theory only (without the practical aspect of the programme) will gain entry onto Higher Certificate on the condition that certified academic records are provided;
• Applicants currently in grade 12, will need to submit a certified copy of their ID, final grade 11 results as well as the most recent grade 12 results to receive a provisional letter of acceptance with relevant terms and conditions applied;
• International Applicants having completed their school leaving examinations may qualify for higher certificate programmes;
• Applicants from external higher education institutions, applying for credits must submit certified academic records including module outcomes and syllabus breakdown per module. Credits will only be granted for modules done 5 years to date of application. For numerical modules (Finance, Maths and Statistics), credits may be granted for modules done up to 10 years prior to date. Further terms and conditions apply;
• Applicants who do not meet the mature age exemption criteria can apply via the RPL route provided that they are 23 years of age or older and must not have obtained an accredited higher education qualification in the last 5 years. The application must be accompanied by all qualifications, short courses completed and award/accomplishment certificates, detailed CV with dated working experience and a signed motivation letter;
• Admission and placement tests;
• Personal interviews;
• Biographical information;
• Portfolio of evidence;
• Recognition of prior learning (RPL);
• South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) or Universities’ South Africa (USA) certification of equivalence;
• English Language proficiency 40% (Level 4); and
• Numerical Literacy: 40% (Level 4)
• For mature age exemption, the applicant should be over the age of 23 (with a pass in Matric), be at least 45 years of age (not in possession of school leaving certificate) and not be in possession of an accredited post-matric qualification (120 credits)

Applicants who do not meet the minimum requirements as outlined above but have demonstrable equivalent knowledge and skills acquired through work or other life experiences may apply for alternative access by proving competency through a formal RPL process to be admitted to the programme.

Who Should Apply?

• Individuals looking to pursue a career in financial banking and services sector
• Individuals working in the financial banking and services sector looking to upskil