If you change your mind halfway through your degree and decide to study at UNISA (University of South Africa), you can apply for a UNISA credit exemption.
What is a UNISA Credit Exemption or a Transfer of Credits?
A transfer of credits is when take credits from one course to a different course. You show that because you did some work at one campus, you won’t have to start at the beginning of your course. If they decline your credit transfer you may have to start all over anyway.
Who Can Apply for a UNISA Credit Exemption?
- Anyone who is registered for a formal qualification at UNISA.
- The credits you need must be for the same course you register for at UNISA.
- You can’t be registered for a NDP (non-degree purposes) qualification and get credits.
- If you need a matriculation exemption, it must first be in effect before they process your application.
- Students studying a non-formal qualification must first talk to their campus before they apply for credits.
- Anyone not doing a signature UNISA course.
What Do You Need to Apply?
- A completed online application form for exemption submitted via myUnisa (or a DSAR04 form)
- Give an original academic transcript (digital copies of transcripts are not allowed)
- Your course outline (syllabus)
- If are applying with a foreign qualification, SAQA (South African Qualifications Authority) must evaluate it before they can transfer your credits to UNISA.
If you are applying for credit exemption at Unisa for any postgraduate qualifications, you will have to submit the following documentation:
- Completed CGS04 form (incomplete applications will be discarded) submitted to [email protected] (for honours degrees) and [email protected] (for postgraduate diplomas).
- An official academic record at honours/postgraduate diploma level from a recognised higher education institution, showing your marks obtained.
- Your course outline (syllabus)
When is the Closing Date for a UNISA Credit Transfer?
The opening and closing date for the UNISA credit transfer is the same as the UNISA registration opening and closing date. You cannot apply for a UNISA credit exemption during any other period. After the registration period is done and admission is granted, they will begin to look at your credit exemption application.
How Long Does Your Credits Last?
You can expect your credits to have their same value for up to 10 years. Some modules or colleges within UNISA may change this over the years. These modules in the College of Accounting Sciences expire after 5 years: Auditing; Financial Accounting; Management Accounting; Taxation.
If you obtained credits from a previous incomplete Unisa qualification, it’s possible to transfer those credits to your new Unisa qualification by simply doing the following:
- Log onto your myUnisa account
- Click/tap on the myAdmin menu
- Click/tap on the Student Admin sub-menu
- Click/tap on the Apply for Exemptions sub-menu – and there you go.
It’s not necessary to submit an academic record for modules that you have already passed since it is already on Unisa’s system.
Feedback on your Unisa Credit Exemption application can take between four to twelve weeks to process and will only receive feedback once all due processes are complete. Applicants will be contacted by Unisa through their myLife email accounts.
What’s the Difference Between Earning Credits through RPL and Applying for Credit Exemption?
The Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) takes into account the skills and work experiences that you have learned over the years. With RPL, you would gain credits for any formal certificate, diploma or degree qualification offered by Unisa based on your skills and knowledge.
The difference between RPL and applying for credits and/or exemption is that with applying for credits, this is only applicable when you are trying to apply for modules that you passed at other higher education institutions.
Other Important Things to Note
- You can only have a maximum of 50% of your credits from a qualification you completed transferred to another qualification.
- You can’t use the same credits twice.
- They can ask you for other documents if they need to. Things like a conduct certificate or sworn translations if your qualification is not in English.
- They will only look at your exemption form if you handed in ALL the forms.
- You won’t be able to pass with cum laude if you get your credits.
- If you are a postgraduate or honours student you can only apply if your admission was accepted.
Also Read: Unisa Aegrotat and Special Exams
Last Updated: 5 September 2022
