The BEd in Foundation Phase Teaching at the University of Johannesburg is a four-year professional degree that prepares student teachers to teach Grades R to 3 in South African primary schools. The programme is offered at the Soweto Campus (SWC) in partnership with the Funda UJabule School — a purpose-built teaching school and education laboratory on campus, unique in South Africa. Student teachers integrate coursework with practical teaching experience across all four years, receiving mentorship from experienced educators.
The programme focuses on child development, early literacy, numeracy, and life skills in the foundation phase, equipping graduates with the subject content knowledge and pedagogical skills to teach Home Language, First Additional Language, Mathematics, and Life Skills. South Africa has an urgent national need for well-qualified foundation phase teachers, particularly in under-resourced contexts, and UJ graduates are in demand across public and private school sectors.
Admission requires a minimum APS of 28 (excluding Life Orientation), English Home Language at 60% or English First Additional Language at 70%, and Mathematics at 40% or Mathematical Literacy or Technical Mathematics at 60%. NCV applicants require 3 fundamental subjects at 60-69% (including English) and 3 vocational subjects at 70-79%. The programme is offered on a full-time basis at the Soweto Campus only.
