The requirements for business management depend on the level you study at. Unisa, whose published figures are used below, offers a Higher Certificate in Supervisory Management (NQF 5), a Diploma in Small Business Management (NQF 6) and a BCom in Business Management (NQF 7). Each asks for a National Senior Certificate (NSC) with the matching endorsement, a minimum mark in the language of teaching and learning, and a minimum mark in Mathematics or Mathematical Literacy.
If you don’t have matric, or your results fall short, there are other routes in: a National Certificate (Vocational), an alternative basis such as a higher certificate, or recognition of prior learning based on work experience.
Entry Requirements at a Glance
- An NSC endorsed for the level you are applying for: higher certificate, diploma or bachelor’s degree
- At least 30% in the language of learning and teaching of the institution, the national minimum, although many programmes ask for more
- Mathematics for the degree, with Mathematical Literacy accepted at a higher mark for the Unisa certificate and diploma
- The Admission Point Score (APS) the institution sets for the programme
- An alternative basis for admission if you have no NSC: an NC(V), the old Senior Certificate, a higher certificate from a business faculty, or recognition of prior learning
Academic and Minimum Admission Requirements
The national minimum for admission is set separately from the NSC pass itself. According to the Department of Basic Education, the minimum depends on the level:
- Higher certificate: an NSC with at least 30% in the language of learning and teaching of the institution
- Diploma: that minimum, plus achievement rating 3 (40-49%) or better in four recognised 20-credit subjects
- Bachelor’s degree: that minimum, plus achievement rating 4 (50-59%) or better in four recognised 20-credit subjects
These are only minimums. Institutions may add programme-specific subject and achievement requirements, so meeting the national floor makes you eligible to apply but does not guarantee a place.
Each rung also has its own entry rule. Unisa’s diploma and BCom accept a higher certificate from its College of Economic and Management Sciences as an alternative basis for admission, and applicants who miss the diploma requirements are pointed towards one of those higher certificates. For admission to NQF 8 or advanced certificate level in business management, confirm the entry requirement with the institution offering the qualification, because it is set programme by programme.
Subjects, APS and Qualification Requirements
Mathematics is the subject that most often decides which qualifications for business management you can get into. The business management Unisa requirements show how much the bar rises with each level:
- Higher Certificate in Supervisory Management (NQF 5, 120 credits): 30% in the language of teaching and learning and 30% in Mathematics or 70% in Mathematical Literacy (APS 15). This is the business management higher certificate route if you are starting from matric.
- Diploma in Small Business Management (NQF 6, 360 credits): diploma endorsement, 50% in the language of teaching and learning, and 40% in Mathematics or 70% in Mathematical Literacy (APS 17)
- BCom in Business Management (NQF 7, 360 credits): degree endorsement, with 50% in the language of teaching and learning and 50% in Mathematics (APS 21)
Other universities use their own APS formulas, so an APS score only means something to the institution that calculated it.
If you wrote the old Senior Certificate, Unisa sets requirements in symbols: for the BCom, matriculation exemption with at least a D on Higher Grade or a C on Standard Grade in both the language of teaching and learning and Mathematics. If you hold an NC(V), Unisa’s route to the Higher Certificate in Supervisory Management asks for 40% in the language of teaching and learning and 30% in Mathematics.
Documents and Application Requirements
Have these ready before you open the application:
- A certified copy of your South African ID, or your passport if you are not a South African citizen
- Your NSC, Senior Certificate or NC(V) certificate, or your latest results if you are still in Grade 12
- Certificates and academic records for any higher certificate or other studies you want considered for admission or credits
- A SAQA evaluation and the syllabus if you studied outside South Africa, where the institution asks for them
- Proof of your age, schooling and five years’ relevant work experience if you are applying through recognition of prior learning
Unisa takes applications online, through the qualification page on its website, and its BCom page shows a non-refundable online application fee of R160 (the page does not state the year, so confirm the current amount). Universities and TVET colleges set their own closing dates and fees, so check them on the institution’s admissions page.
Selection, Intake and Eligibility Considerations
Recognition of prior learning (RPL) is the main route for adults without the school results. On Unisa’s BCom in Business Management, RPL applicants must be at least 30, have completed at least Grade 10 and have at least five years’ relevant work experience in the field.
Credit transfer is decided case by case, so do not assume a previous certificate will shorten a degree. Ask the institution to evaluate your earlier modules before you rely on exemptions.
Space is the last hurdle. Meeting the general or specific admission requirements does not guarantee a place, so apply to more than one programme level if you are close to a cut-off.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the requirements for business management at university?
You need an NSC with bachelor’s endorsement for a degree, diploma endorsement for a diploma, or a basic NSC pass for a higher certificate, plus the institution’s minimums for language, Mathematics or Mathematical Literacy and APS. At Unisa, the BCom in Business Management needs 50% in the language of teaching and learning and 50% in Mathematics.
Do I need Mathematics to study business management?
For the degree, yes. Unisa’s BCom in Business Management requires 50% in Mathematics. Its higher certificate and diploma options accept 70% in Mathematical Literacy instead.
Can I study business management without matric?
Not through the normal route. Unisa does consider RPL applicants who are at least 30, have Grade 10 and have five years’ relevant work experience.
What APS do I need for business management?
It depends on the institution and the level. At Unisa, the published APS is 15 for the Higher Certificate in Supervisory Management, 17 for the Diploma in Small Business Management and 21 for the BCom in Business Management.
What NQF level is a business management certificate?
Unisa’s Higher Certificate in Supervisory Management is NQF level 5 with 120 credits. Its Diploma in Small Business Management is NQF 6 and its BCom in Business Management is NQF 7. Other providers name and level their business management certificates differently, so check the level on the provider’s qualification page.
Which qualifications are available in business management?
At Unisa the ladder runs from a higher certificate (NQF 5) through a diploma (NQF 6) to a BCom (NQF 7). For a comparison of providers, see business management courses requirements.
Admission requirements, APS scores and application periods are revised every intake cycle. Confirm the current requirements for your chosen programme on the institution’s own admissions page. Unisa lists its requirements on each qualification page, such as the one for the BCom in Business Management.
See admission requirements and browse all education requirements.