Language Policy at Stellenbosch University

Afrikaans is the default language; Stellenbosch U. has a responsibility to promote it as an academic language

English is used under limited circumstances in undergraduate instruction and more extensively at the postgraduate level

In general, questions may be posed and papers written in Afrikaans or English, and students may answer in Afrikaans or
English (other than for courses in which language acquisition/study is the main goal)

Some academic departments use the following language designations to denote language options in learning and
teaching situations:
o A: lectures mainly in Afrikaans
o T (bilingual classes): at least 50% of lectures conducted in Afrikaans
o E: lectures primarily in English
o A&E: Separate portions of course conducted in Afrikaans and English
o
Some departments offer courses with E specification for international students as part of normal course offerings, or as
part of International Programmes Stellenbosch University (IPSU)
o
Courses for Speakers of English: either offered through the academic departments (see Undergraduate English Course
Booklet) or IPSU; the following are the IPSU undergraduate courses offered:
Language Courses
Afrikaans for Beginners
Afrikaans for Beginners Intermediate Level
Afrikaans Language and Culture for Dutch and Belgian Students
Intensive Afrikaans for Beginners: Pretproe (January) / Kaggelklets (June/July)
French for Beginners
German for Beginners
Mandarin for Beginners
Portuguese for Beginners
Spanish for Beginners
Spanish Intermediate
Xhosa: Language & Culture
IPSU Certificate Program in Community Engagement in South Africa
Service Learning in Community Development
General Topics
Business Management
Geology
Jewelry Design
Photography
Philosophy of Culture
South African Issues/Topics
Economic and Development problems in South Africa and sub-Saharan Africa
English Elective: Re-enacting Truth and Reconciliation
English Elective: South African and the Literary Imagination
Introduction to the South African Wine Industry
Overview of South African History
Public Theology in Post-Apartheid South Africa
Sociology: Politics and Cultural Change in Contemporary SA
Southern African Music
Studies and issues in African and South-African Art
The Truth & Reconciliation Commission
Political Science
Political Science: Introduction to African Politics
Political Science: International Organizations
Political Science: Comparative Politics
Political Science: Conflict Resolution
Political Science: Justice in Post-Conflict Societies
Political Science: South African Politics
Political Science: Democratic forms of Government
Political Science: International Relations
Political Science: Political and Foreign Policy of the USA
Political Science: African Politics
Courses for which Incoming Students (to Stellenbosch) have been confirmed:
Departments
Conservation Ecology √
English √
Geography
History √√
Information Science √√
Political Science?
Psychology
Sociology
South African Culture (?)
Regular Courses
Africa and South Africa: Colonialisation and the Rearrangement of Societies (History 244) √√√√√√
Applied English Language Studies (English 348)
Base Module in Logistics Management
Biodiversity and Ecology (Biology 144)
Creative Writing (English)
Decision-Making and Values in the Knowledge Economy (Information Science 144)
Democratization in Africa √√√√
Interpretation of Personal Narratives (Psychology 358)
√ = additional confirmation
Justice in Post Conflict Societies √√
ndin sd m otrr sneduts = ۞
Marketing Communication √
Negotiating Transition √√
Social-Anthropological Perspectives on Society and Culture (Sociology 162) √
South Africa in the 20th Century (History 348) √√√
Survey of South African History (History 144) √√√
Textual Analysis: Media and Film (Drama 344)
The South African Mental Health Context (Psychology 348)
Visual Arts √
War and Civic Life (English)
Wars, Decolonixation and Globalisation (History 318)
IPSU Courses
Afrikaans for Beginners √√√√√√√√
Basic Afrikaans: Level One
Business Management (graduate level)
Business Management
Economic and Development Problems in SA √√√√ ۞
Introduction to the SA Wine Industry √√√√ ۞
Overview of SA History √√√√√√
Philosophy of Culture √√√
Photography √√√√
Policital Science: Conflict Resolution √
Political Science: International Relations
Political Science: Introduction to African Politics √√√√√
Political Science: Political and Foreign Policy of the USA √√
Political Science: South African Politics √√√ √ ۞
Political Science: African Politics ۞
Political Science: US Foreign Policy
Public Theology in Post-Apartheid SA √√
SA Music √√
Sociology: Political and Cultural Change in Contemporary SA √√√√
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission √√ ۞
Xhosa: Language and Culture √√√√
Graduate IPSU: students can take graduate IPSU courses if prepared
Sophomore Students: Stellenbosch accepts sophomore level students
Journalism: journalism not offered at the undergraduate level, graduate is only in Afrikaans
Business: not available in English at the undergraduate level (with the exception of a few IPSU courses)