Overview

Universities are required by the DoHET to submit, for inclusion in the Higher Education Management Information System (HEMIS), annual data returns on students and staff. The notions of “fields of study” and “course” are used extensively in these data returns. Because universities tend to use unique titles for their offerings, they have been required to classify the subject matter embedded in their fields of study and courses in standard ways. These standard classifications are set out in Classification of Education Subject Matter (CESM) manuals. The first manual was published in 1982, and a revised version in 2008. The revised manual has to be implemented by all institutions from the 2010 HEMIS reporting year. Below are the standard "fields of study":

• 01 Agriculture, Agricultural Operations and Related Sciences
• 02 Architecture and the Built Environment
• 03 Visual and Performing Arts
• 04 Business, Economics and Management Studies
• 05 Communication, Journalism and Related Studies
• 06 Computer and Information Sciences
• 07 Education
• 08 Engineering
• 09 Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences
• 10 Family Ecology and Consumer Sciences
• 11 Languages, Linguistics and Literature
• 12 Law
• 13 Life Sciences
• 14 Physical Sciences
• 15 Mathematics and Statistics
• 16 Military Sciences
• 17 Philosophy, Religion and Theology
• 18 Psychology
• 19 Public Management and Services
• 20 Social Sciences