STADIO Higher Education, one of South Africa’s largest consolidated private tertiary education institutions, has announced that it has received approval from the Department of Higher Education (DHET) to present the Bachelor of the Arts in Law degree in the first semester of 2021.
STADIO Higher Education came into existence in October last year following the consolidation of Southern Business School, Embury, LISOF, and Prestige Academy, and has five faculties across ten campuses in South Africa and Namibia.
“The BA Law rounds off our undergraduate offering in the Faculty of Law quite nicely now with students being able to choose between the Bachelor of Arts in Law (BA Law) and the Bachelor of Commerce in Law (BCom Law),” says Christo Swart, acting head of the STADIO School of Law.
According to Swart, all their law degrees are exclusively offered in distance learning mode, which has become increasingly popular as students’ studies aren’t interrupted by any outside factors, as was the case with Covid 19 in 2020.
“The BA Law means a great deal for STADIO and it reaffirms the regulator’s belief in our credibility as a leading higher education institution. Our track record of excellence since introducing law at Southern Business School six years ago is illustrated by the fact that the STADIO Faculty of Law is the fastest growing faculty within STADIO Higher Education.
“With more than a month left until our registration closes, we already have more LLB students enrolled than what we had in total for last year’s first semester intake. “I truly believe that a degree in law equips students for a variety of life’s challenges as well as challenges they will face in their careers, even if they choose to pursue something outside of the law as a career option. It’s a valuable foundation for life,” he says.
The introduction of the BA Law now provides access to a legal career for a different type of student at STADIO; someone who previously might not have considered this field of study.
“We are seeing a dramatic increase in school leavers who are deciding to take the distance learning route within the Faculty of Law, and this provides another option for them to further their studies with STADIO.”
With scores of last year’s matric learners facing rejection in 2021 as South Africa’s state-funded public universities are unable to meet the demand for spaces, more and more parents and matric learners are considering tertiary qualifications outside of the public system with institutions which are registered with DHET, such as STADIO.
STADIO Higher Education offers more than fifty accredited qualifications to more than 20 000 students via contact learning or distance learning. It also provides qualifications up to doctorate level in several faculties.
Both the Bachelor of Commerce in Law and the BA Law provide an undergraduate route to enrol for a post graduate Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree, which can be obtained within two years after completion of the BA Law or Bachelor of Commerce in Law at STADIO.
The BA Law, which is a three-year degree, is ideally suited to students who have an interest in languages or social sciences. The BA Law complements the LLB, as it provides a foundation for disciplines related to law, such as Political Science, Philosophy and Criminology.
BA Law graduates can also choose to specialise in a field in the social sciences or languages instead of law, and could then register for an honours’ degree in humanities The Bachelor of Commerce in Law, which is also a three-year degree, focuses on the core subjects of economics and management. Graduates can also specialise in a field within economics and management instead of the law, and could then register for an honours degree with the STADIO Faculty of Commerce Administration and Management.
“Which law degree you choose depends on your aptitude and personal interests. I’m delighted that students now have the choice at STADIO,” concluded Swart.