Student Admission Policy

 

Admission Requirements and Criteria for Selection

The academic prerequisites for admission to the nominally one-year, postgraduate programme are as follows:

• A Bachelor's degree, preference being given to B.Sc or BEng (and including Chemistry at least on first year level).
• Candidates holding any other Bachelor's degree may also qualify if an appropriate chemistry bridging course[1] is successfully completed.
• Recognition of prior learning (RPL) will be considered for candidates not holding any Bachelor's degree.

In addition to the requirements stated above, the following selection criteria will apply:

• Good proficiency in English.
• Good visual sensitivity and manual skills.

Procedures for Student Admission

The process for admission to the Postgraduate Diploma in Technical Conservation Studies starts with application by prospective students, proceeds to an interview with each qualifying applicant, leading to a formal indication of admission granted / denied.

Round 1: Application

Candidates seeking admission to the Postgraduate Diploma in Technical Conservation Studies will be required to initiate their application online. Enrolment prerequisites, programme outline, fees, student contract, institutional policies, available interview dates and so forth will be readily accessible on the Institute's website. The application form needs to be completed and submitted by the applicant in time for the interview opportunity for which he/she wishes to qualify. Online submission of the completed application will only be possible after the applicant has indicated that he/she has read the Institute's Student Code of Conduct and Student Contract and is willing to accept them as binding. The online process will similarly ensure that the applicant is made aware that an application fee in the prescribed amount will be receivable as a precondition for the Admissions Panel's prima facie review of the application. Following receipt of the completed online submission, the Institute's administration desk will engage applicants by direct correspondence, clarifying the application content where needed and coordinating the settlement of the requisite application fee.

Round 2: Interview

Upon review of applications, the Admissions Panel will identify candidates suitable for interviewing. Such candidates will be invited to attend an interview by the Admissions Panel. Documentation for submission at registration will be negotiated with the candidate during the interview. If possible, the interview will also be preceded by a standardised bench test to determine the candidate's basic ability in colour recognition, technical ability and dexterity. In the case of an online interview, these exercises may be conducted upon arrival at the beginning of the academic year.

Round 3: Confirmation of admission

Within 14 days of the interview, the respective candidates will be advised in writing regarding the outcome of the interview and evaluations, and will be informed of any remaining conditions that still need to be met, if any. The informing letter will also indicate a cut-off date by which the candidate should, by return correspondence, accept or decline the offer to study at the Institute.

Additional Requirements for Admission on the basis of RPL

Verifiable experience as a conservator is an essential requirement for admission on the basis of RPL. Candidates requiring admission on this base must provide the following at the interview:

• Official transcript of the senior certificate or equivalent obtained.
• Official transcripts of all relevant certificates obtained for training courses attended in the course of employment.
• A detailed employment record (Curriculum Vitae) with substantiating evidence detailing work experience and any training received, together with at least two letters of recommendation.
• A properly assembled and indexed portfolio of accomplished work in the area of conservation with a detailed description of skills acquired, methodologies applied and results obtained, together with images of the completed work and any other related documentation. The portfolio must be representative of the skills and experience of the applicant.

Re-admission after incomplete or unsuccessful study:

• Should a student fail to meet the deadline for submission of the research dissertation, the student may re-register at a fee equal to the application fee in order to submit the dissertation in the subsequent academic year.
• Should a student fail in one or more modules in the programme, the student may re-register at a fee equal to the application fee plus an additional amount for each of the failed modules. For each failed module the amount will be calculated as follows: credit value of the module divided by the total credits multiplied by the total tuition fee. Such calculated amount will be discounted at a percentage equal to the mark previously awarded for the failed module.

Special students / Multi-year, blended learning admissions:

A candidate in good academic standing, desiring to take one or more selected modules, may be allowed to register as either a formally enrolled distance learning candidate OR merely a special student. Should a special student at a later stage wish to enrol for the postgraduate diploma programme (in other words, follow the multi-year, blended learning programme format to completion of the minimum credit requirements for purposes of graduation) a new application shall be initiated. In such cases, the candidate will be exempted from repeating any module which he/she has already passed.

Review:

This policy will be reviewed from time to time as circumstances dictate.