QUALIFICATIONS OFFERED

Two courses are currently presented at Cedara College:   1.  Higher Certificate in Agriculture     This is a two-year qualification, for which a Senior Certificate or equivalent is the minimum requirement for admission (refer to “Admission to the College”).   2.  Diploma in Agriculture     The Higher Certificate course constitutes the first two years of study for the Diploma, with the full duration of the Diploma course being three years.   Both qualifications have been accredited by the HEQC (Higher Education Quality Committee) and are recognised nationally.   The Higher Certificate course starts annually in January and ends at the end of November, two years later.  Third-year students in the Diploma year are not required to be resident at the College for the full year, but have to attend the required courses on a predetermined basis. The remainder of the time is spent completing assignments and projects.  But much of the time is best spent at the College.

Higher Certificate in Agriculture Higher Certificate in Agriculture   The academic programme is made up of many courses, each with an allocated number of credits.  A student may choose to specialize in either Animal or Crop Production.  Within each of these specializations there are a number of compulsory courses which the student must complete.  The student may then select a number of elective courses to complete the necessary credits to attain the Higher Certificate.    Students are advised to select their courses after examining the timetable for the academic year.  Some courses are run concurrently due to timetable restraints.  A student will not be able to register for both courses during the same year.   Each theoretical course consists of a number of modules (and usually a number of related practicals).  At least one assessment will be written for each module, with a minimum of two assessments per course.  An examination will be written to complete each course.  Block examinations are scheduled at the end of each term (where possible).   A student must attain a class mark of 40% to be eligible to write the final course examination.  The class mark is based on the evaluation of the student’s performance by any one or more of the following: tests, practicals, tutorials, learning portfolios and assignments (or as outlined in the course Study Guide).  Examinable practicals, projects and assignments are regarded as separate courses.   A weighted average of the class mark and the examination mark is used to calculate the course mark for each course.  The course mark is calculated as follows:      [0.5 x (class mark as a percentage)] [0.5 x (examination mark as a percentage)]   To pass a course a student must obtain a course mark of at least 50%, subject to a subminimum examination mark of at least 40%.   PASS/FAIL CRITERIA WITHIN THE HIGHER CERTIFICATE   1.  A student has a maximum of four  years, from date of first registration, in which to complete a Higher Certificate. 2.  At the end of each semester a student must have obtained a certain minimum number of credits. Diploma in Agriculutre Diploma in Agriculture   The Higher Certificate in Agriculture constitutes the first two years of the Diploma.  A student may proceed into the Diploma course if he / she has attained 85% of the credits in the Higher Certificate and has passed all prerequisite courses in the Higher Certificate.   PASS/FAIL CRITERIA WITHIN THE DIPLOMA 1.  A student has a maximum of five years, from date of first registration (including Higher Certificate), in which to complete the Diploma.

Cedara College of Agriculture