The Bachelor of Social Science Extended Curriculum degree is popularly known as BSS4 or the Humanities Access programme. The programme is offered at both the Howard College and the Pietermaritzburg Campuses. The BSS4 provides students from disadvantaged educational backgrounds to redress historical inequalities, access challenges, and diversity. The BSS4 gives students with low matric points and those from schools (categorised by the Department of Basic Education as quintiles 1, 2, or 3 schools) located in under-resourced and disadvantaged communities an opportunity to study at UKZN. 

This degree is a four-year (a minimum of eight semesters) programme. The programme provides students with a planned and formal foundation, augmented modules, and psycho-social support services. In the first-year students take compulsory modules such as Academic Literacy, English Language Development, Basic Computer Skills, Basic Numeracy, and Life Skills. In addition, students can accumulate 48 credit points towards their degree and choose any one of the three mainstream subjects in semester one, and they add a second one in semester two. They have a choice of Sociology, Political Science, or Psychology. Students attend augmenting lectures for their selected mainstream subjects.

Selection criteria: Students should achieve between 20-27 matric points and be from schools described as quintiles 1, 2, and 3. A pass in English is required. A student must indicate this degree programme as a 1st, 2nd, or 3rd choice of study on the application form.  Please note that a limited number of spaces are available on both campuses. For further details: Contact Mr Feruzi Ngwamba (Ngwamba@ukzn.ac.za) for Pietermaritzburg and Mr Skhumbuzo Mtolo (Mtolos@ukzn.ac.za) for Howard College.