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Dear Belinda 

Thank you for your question regarding how to go about getting a matric as an adult and about MBA admission requirements.

Let us start with the end in mind, by looking at the MBA admission requirements first and then working back to the National Senior Certificate (NSC), which is what a matric is now called. 
 
MBA
Consult the web page http://www.mba.co.za/ for a summary of the institutions offering MBA qualifications in South Africa. Access the institution’s websites to ascertain their particular admission requirements. In summary the following entry requirements seem to be common to most insitutions:

• Hold a Bachelors degree
• Have at least 3 years relevant work experience after getting your degree
• Attain appropriate results in the admission assessment process

Bachelors Degree
The minimum admission requirement for the Bachelors degree is a National Senior Certificate (NSC) with an achievement rating of 4 (Adequate Achievement, 50 - 59 %) or better in four subjects chosen from a designated list of subjects. These designated subjects are:

Accounting, Agricultural Sciences, Business Studies, Dramatic Arts, Economics, Engineering Graphics and Design, Geography, History, Consumer Studies, Information Technology, Languages (English, Afrikaans, Xhosa, Zulu, other official languages), Life Sciences, Mathematics, Mathematical Literacy, Music, Physical Sciences, Religion
Studies, Visual Arts.

In addition, applicants must meet subject and points requirements for admission into specific programmes. Applicants must also obtain a pass in English (home language or first additional language) in the NSC.

The subject requirements, as well as the means of allocating points, which converts learner achievement in to an Academic Points Score,  are provided on university websites. Read the Pretoria University admission requirements brochure for a clear description of NSC admission requirments, designated subject requirements and Academic Point Scores: http://web.up.ac.za/sitefiles/file/33/A4%20Admission%20requirements%202010_lr_1.pdf
 
National Senior Ceritificate (NSC)
To obtain an NSC you need to take two official South African languages, mathematics or mathematical literacy, life orientation and 3 subjects drawn from the recognised list. Explore the Department of Education document for details of recognised. http://www.education.gov.za/Documents/policies/NSCNQF4.pdf.  Remeber the recognised subjects that are approved by universities are called designated subjects.

There are a number of different options available to adult learners who want to obtain a NSC: 

• Public Adult Learning Centre: We suggest you contact the Gauteng Department of Education (011) 355 0000  to find out  which centre is nearest to you.

• You could also try a private correspondence college like Damelin (http://www.dcc.edu.za/800/highschool/highschool.htm ) or  Intec College http://www.intec.edu.za/high-school/. Consult the Department of Education’s website to identify potential private FET colleges who offer NSC subjects: http://www.education.gov.za/dynamic/dynamic.aspx?pageid=421&tabfield=index_id&tabval=27 . 

We hope this information will help you to develop a career plan.

The Career Planet Team