Undergraduate Assignments:

Assignment guidelines and

Submission instructions
STUDENT
This document provides Milpark students with guidelines and
instructions for online submission of assignments.
SUPPORT:
[email protected]

Important:

To be eligible to write the corresponding Once completed, the assignment needs to be

semester/cycle exam, you must complete the uploaded on myMilpark. Please ensure that you
assignment(s) for the applicable module(s) for which receive confirmation that your assignment was
you have registered. You can check your examination successfully uploaded. Claiming after the closing date
date and assignment details on your Registration that your assignment upload was not successful, and
Confirmation letter or in the ‘Assessment Guidelines’ that you were not aware of this, is not an excuse for a
on myMilpark. late submission.

The work you submit should be original and not Only assignments written in English will be accepted.
infringe on the copyright of any other person.
Assignments should be typed in Arial 12 pt. font with
Plagiarism will be penalised and may lead to serious
1.5 line spacing.
disciplinary action such as suspension or expulsion
from the institution. Shared assignments or work that It is highly recommended that you keep a copy of your
is identical to the work of other students will not be assignment for your personal records.
accepted. In such cases, both students will receive
zero for their assignments and will not be eligible to Once the formative assessment results are published,
write the exam. Disciplinary action will also be taken. you can view your marked assignment and marking
guidelines on myCourses.
You are required to adhere to the rules relating to the
use of artificial intelligence tools in assessments, as
stipulated in the Milpark Education Good Conduct
and Disciplinary Policy for Students.
 ASSIGNMENT GUIDELINES FOR UNDERGRADUATE STUDIES

Students may sometimes be uncertain about what Term Explanation

constitutes work of an acceptable standard when
Name the most important
submitting an assignment. Naturally, programs Identify characteristics, phenomena, or
offered at different NQF Levels require different topics.
types of responses. For instance, an NQF Level 4 or
5 qualification may require the student to Summarise Give the key points.
demonstrate the ability to describe, explain, and Give a detailed, logical and
apply a concept, whereas at a senior undergraduate well-structured account of
level (NQF Level 6/7), students must be able to Describe the topic, mentioning
analyse, evaluate, and synthesise information. An characteristics, components,
structures, etc.
even higher level of independent and critical
thinking, analysis, and synthesis is required at the Clarify to ensure that the reader
clearly understands you. Make
postgraduate level (NQF Level 8 and above). use of illustrations, descriptions
Explain
Therefore, it is important to familiarise yourself with or simple but logical
the NQF Level on which your specific program is explanations.
registered. Identify similarities/differences
between facts, phenomena,
Compare structures, ideas, viewpoints,
The following provides some useful guidelines for
the successful completion of assignments: influences, etc.
Write in detail, using a critical
STEP 1: ANALYSE WHAT IS REQUIRED OF YOU approach with arguments in
Discuss favour of or against the
To begin, identify the verbs or doing words in your statement.
task. Here are some examples of doing words that Discuss the topic from various
are commonly used in assessments. Understanding viewpoints, giving the
Debate arguments in favour of and
what each of these words means can help you
against each viewpoint.
approach questions correctly and assist you with
Give complete examples and
your exam questions: Illustrate
comparisons.
Divide into sections or elements
Analyse and discuss them and their
relation to one another.
Point out the positive and
negative characteristics and give
Criticise your own opinion after taking all
the facts into account.
 ASSIGNMENT GUIDELINES FOR UNDERGRADUATE STUDIES

STEP 2: PLANNING AND STRUCTURING YOUR STEP 3: WRITING YOUR ASSIGNMENT

ASSIGNMENT ANSWER
Consider the following pointers when answering the
• When answering a question, identify the questions:
keywords that indicate the parameters of the
Begin by structuring your arguments in a logical
question.
fashion.
• Only include relevant information in your
response. You will not receive marks for Consult as many sources as possible, from your
irrelevant information, regardless of how well textbooks/study material as well as further
you may have written it. resources – remember to reference your material
• The structure of your assignment will depend on correctly (please refer to the section on Referencing
the type of assignment. For essay-type and Plagiarism for some guidelines). Use examples
questions, where you need to discuss a specific
and explanations to justify your arguments.
topic, ensure that your response includes the
following: One sentence should contain one idea; more than
one idea in a sentence will make your answer
o Introduction: short paragraph leading the cumbersome.
reader into the topic of discussion.
o Body: discussion of the topic. You can One paragraph should contain one main idea
include main headings and sub-headings. supported by arguments and facts.
Ensure that your headings are linked to the
Always use your own words unless you are directly
question/ topic of discussion.
quoting from a source (refer to the section on
o Conclusion: the outcome of your
referencing and plagiarism that follow).
discussion. The list of references used.
Don’t assume that the marker understands what you
are saying. The marker wants to see that you
• Direct questions, where there is only one correct
answer (e.g. in Taxation, Accounting). understand the issues (i.e. a demonstration of
• Ensure that your questions are clearly marked competence).
and that your answers are neatly typed so that it is Finally, always read through your assignment on
easy for the marker to mark. completion to ensure that your answers are clear
and concise. It is also very important to ensure that
there are no spelling or grammatical errors in your
assignment. Technical presentation and precision
make an important contribution to the quality of an
assignment and must therefore not be neglected or
disregarded.
 ASSIGNMENT GUIDELINES FOR UNDERGRADUATE STUDIES

Guidelines for referencing:

Precise and accurate referencing is important:
Acknowledgment: It is your responsibility to acknowledge the source of ideas, concepts, models and
arguments used in your assignment. The person who developed the idea or concept should be recognised
and acknowledged.

Scholarship: Academic referencing is important as it teaches skills of careful and painstaking scholarship.
An assignment that sets out all sources accurately and consistently, according to an agreed-upon
referencing style, immediately sets a high standard for the piece of work.

All work that is referenced in the assignment needs to be listed in a Reference List. If the assignment consists
of one long essay question, the reference list will appear at the end of the assignment. If there is more than
one question, you must list your references at the end of each question and not at the end of the assignment.

You are expected to cite sources in support of your own answers and arguments. You may not simply
copy and reference (however accurately) reams of material taken from elsewhere and submit this as
your own academic work.

What needs to be referenced?

You should reference:

Direct quotations: it is sometimes necessary to provide the exact words used by an author, for example in a
definition or to highlight a specific comment made by an author. The extract must be enclosed in inverted
commas and referenced. When using direct quotations, retain the exact words (including spelling/
grammatical errors).

Paraphrasing: this means that original work published by an author, is rewritten by you in your own words
without changing the original meaning. Paraphrasing should always be in your own writing style, but it still
needs to contain the original author’s ideas or knowledge.

Milpark Education follows the most commonly used way of referencing, namely the Adapted Harvard
Referencing Method. A full guide to this method is available on myMilpark as the Milpark Reference Guide.
Please do not finalize your assignment before reading through this guide and ensuring your referencing is
compliant.

The following are a few examples on how to apply the Harvard Referencing Method:

Single-author book:

In the reference list:

Author. Date. Title: subtitle. Place: Publisher.
Example:
Khola, J. 1999. The Essence of Banking.
Johannesburg: ABC Publishing House.

In the body of the assignment answer:

Example:
Muller (2005:12) emphasises the use of… Or “In terms of the services rendered by …” (Muller, 2005:12)
Two-author book:
 ASSIGNMENT GUIDELINES FOR UNDERGRADUATE STUDIES

In the reference list:

Authors. Date. Title: subtitle. Place: Publisher.

Example:
Khumalo, V.& Thela, T.1985. The Essence of Corporate Banking: Johannesburg: ABC Publishing House.

In the body of the assignment answer:

Example:
According to Muller and Steyn (2003:12), most people are merely interested in the outcomes.
Or
“Leaders have to provide guidance to their staff members.” (Smith and Cronje, 2003:45).

Internet reference:

In the reference list:

Author. Date (last updated). Title of website. [Online]. Available: URL (Internet address). [Date you accessed
the site].

Or if author unknown:
Title, Available: URL (Internet address). [Date you accessed the site].
Example:
Arde, A. 2011. Agents can refuse to take your offer to purchase. [Online]. Available: www.
iol.co.za/business/personal-finance/ agents-can-refuse-to-take-your-offer-to- purchase-1.1172007
[16 November 2011].

Or

Frequently asked questions relating to the regulatory exams, Available: www.fsb. co.za/. [16
November 2011]

In the body of the assignment answer:

Arde (2011:67) is of the opinion that….

Journal reference:

In the reference list:

Author. Date. Title of article. Title of journal, volume of journal (number of issue): page reference, date of
issue.
Example:
Pavlov, S. 1998. Sofia’s Choice, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, 54(3): 52–57.
May/June 1998.

In the body of the assignment answer:

Example:
Pavlov (1998:53) argues that …
 ASSIGNMENT GUIDELINES FOR UNDERGRADUATE STUDIES

Quoting your Milpark Education study material:

In the reference list:

Milpark Education. 2023. Management of Credit Risk. Claremont: Milpark Education.

In the body of the assignment answer:

Milpark Education (2023:12) provides an overview….

An interview:

In the reference list:

Name of person interviewed. Date. [Description of interview] with day, month and year.
Example:
Theron, E. 2011. [Personal interview]. 18 April 2011.

In the body of the assignment answer:

Theron (Personal communication, 2011) explained that…

Law cases:

The standard reference format is:

Case name Law Report Page case Exact reference

Year Volume series begins Court
Venter v Van der Westhuizen 2001 4 258 934 F at 968A-G

The following aspects are important when referencing law cases:

• The names of the parties are always in italics.
• When a page or paragraph is cited, the page and paragraph number have to be preceded by the word
‘at’:
Venter v Minister of Higher Education and Training 1995 (3) SA 665 (C) at 688 G
• Sometimes the court numbers the paragraphs of a judgement. The paragraph of the court can be cited as
well:
Van der Westhuizen v Castrillon 2004 (1) SA 111 (CC) par 43 at 456 M

In-text referencing Reference list

First appearance in document: Venter v Minister of Higher
Education and Training [1995 (3)
SA 665 (C) at 688 G] Venter v Minister of Higher Education and
Training 1995 (3) SA
Second appearance in document: 665 (C) at 688 G
Venter v Minister of Higher Education and Training (1995)

If you need any assistance with referencing, you can request assistance from your tutor. You may post your
question on the Tutor Forum of your module on myCourses, where your tutor will post a response within two
business days. Please supply the following subject line: REFERENCING.
 ASSIGNMENT GUIDELINES FOR UNDERGRADUATE STUDIES

Guidelines for using artificial intelligence tools:

The Milpark Good Conduct and Disciplinary Policy for students provides detailed content and context
relating to the use of artificial intelligence tools in any form of assessment.

Please ensure that you read through section 6. Technology and Artificial Intelligence (AI) Ethics before you
start your assignment planning process.

Pay attention to the guidelines relating to the responsible use of technology as well as the ethics principles
discussed and ensure that you apply the principles throughout your assignment process. The use of
technology for cheating is prohibited at Milpark and is considered unethical behaviour because it
undermines the integrity of the learning process.

Whilst you may wish to use or consult artificial intelligence tools to enhance your understanding of a topic
or in your research process, you are not permitted to use the tool output to formulate your answers. All
answers must be in your own words.

To this end, the above policy stipulates that ‘misconduct’ includes instances where a student ‘makes use of
any artificial intelligence and/or machine learning tools to assist in formulating answers to assignments, tests
and examinations. This will be seen as a form of plagiarism and is strictly prohibited. All academic content
submitted is to be the Student’s own authentic work. The only instance when this rule will not apply is where
express written instructions are issued by Milpark permitting the use of such tools in specific circumstances,
in which case contravention of the rules issued with the instruction will be deemed as misconduct’.

Should you be allowed to use artificial intelligence tools for your specific module’s assessments a clear and
unambiguous instruction to that effect will be provided.

Failure to comply with this rule may result in you receiving zero for your assignment or potentially face more
serious disciplinary action.

If you are unsure at any time whether your conduct is permitted or prohibited, please consult with the
Academic Owner of your module.