Distance Education

Certain students may, for logistical reasons, be unable to begin or complete study on one of SACAP’s two campuses or may prefer the flexibility of time and study pace that Distance Education enables. SACAP offers a Distance Education alternative geared towards the needs of such students.

Distance Education is currently only offered in respect of the Diploma in Counselling and Communication. SACAP’s accreditation of its Distance Education offering for the Higher Certificate in Counselling and Communication Skills is still pending.

Given the interactive and skills based nature of SACAP’s training, our Distance Education materials and methodology have been designed to evoke and enable the necessary development of Distance students that would otherwise take place through the classroom experience. The materials are therefore highly engaging and encourage the student to use a combination of the material content and their immediate environments to absorb, analyse, reflect on and internalize the requisite knowledge and skills.

Assignments further re-enforce an active, engaging and reflective approach to learning. Practical elements in the assessments are achieved by means of DVD recordings of role-play scenarios, where students are required to make use of their friends and family members as “clients” within mock counselling, coaching or facilitation sessions.

Each Distance student is allocated a supervising tutor from our pool of expert Educators for each module of study. Distance students are able to regularly engage with their supervisor where they are having difficulty with the subject matter or where they are in need of guidance and direction.

Distance students also have ready access to SACAP’s Distance Education co-ordinator to assist them with any logistical or general study related matters. The co-ordinator also provides guidance to Distance students on their sequence and pace of study.

Additional support options available to Distance Education students include Peer Support Groups, where students are able to correspond with fellow students across the country completing the same module within a given term. For students who would prefer more individual focussed support Peer Mentors are available for additional assistance. Peer Mentors are students who have previously completed the module and who have received outstanding results for the assessments.

Distance students are provided with electronic copies of the study materials, and are able to purchase their textbooks directly from Juta bookstores. Juta offers an online purchasing option with free delivery to SACAP students studying within South Africa.

Distance Education students are required to submit three assessments for each module. These assessments are submitted, marked and returned online.

Fieldwork placements are available across the country for Distance Education students, but the option to source ones own placement is also supported by the Fieldwork Coordinator. Regular telephonic and Skype supervision is ensured, as well as support within the chosen Fieldwork placement.

For certain modules that are not offered on the Distance Education programme, intensive modules spanning four to five days are offered on campus during summer and winter school.