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SOUTH AFRICAN QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY 
REGISTERED QUALIFICATION: 

Master of Arts in English Language Studies 
SAQA QUAL ID QUALIFICATION TITLE
96552  Master of Arts in English Language Studies 
ORIGINATOR
University of Venda 
PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QUALITY ASSURANCE FUNCTIONARY NQF SUB-FRAMEWORK
CHE - Council on Higher Education  HEQSF - Higher Education Qualifications Sub-framework 
QUALIFICATION TYPE FIELD SUBFIELD
Master's Degree  Field 04 - Communication Studies and Language  Language 
ABET BAND MINIMUM CREDITS PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL NQF LEVEL QUAL CLASS
Undefined  180  Not Applicable  NQF Level 09  Regular-Provider-ELOAC 
REGISTRATION STATUS SAQA DECISION NUMBER REGISTRATION START DATE REGISTRATION END DATE
Registered-data under construction  EXCO 0324/24  2024-07-01  2027-06-30 
LAST DATE FOR ENROLMENT LAST DATE FOR ACHIEVEMENT
2027-06-30   2029-06-30  

Registered-data under construction

The qualification content is currently being updated for the qualifications with the status “Registered-data under construction” or showing “DETAILS UNDER CONSTRUCTION” to ensure compliance with SAQA’S Policy and Criteria for the registration of qualifications and part-qualifications on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) (As amended, 2022). These qualifications are re-registered until 30 June 2027 and can legitimately be offered by the institutions to which they are registered.

 

In all of the tables in this document, both the pre-2009 NQF Level and the NQF Level is shown. In the text (purpose statements, qualification rules, etc), any references to NQF Levels are to the pre-2009 levels unless specifically stated otherwise.  

PURPOSE AND RATIONALE OF THE QUALIFICATION 
Purpose:
The Degree will provide training in research techniques, data gathering and analysis and scholarly presentation appropriate to language and literature studies. The Degree will equip the learner with the skills necessary either for employment in the Educational or Cultural sectors or for further Independent Research for a Doctoral Degree in the same or related field.

Rationale:
English has become a Lingua franca in the world, hence the need for such a qualification. English also plays a unifying role in South Africa as it is acceptable to all the linguistic groups in the country. A qualification in the field thus opens doors for employment opportunities locally and abroad. Some of the career opportunities open to students are: English Language teaching and Lecturing, Journalism, Advertising, Editorial work, Public Relations, Television, Film and Radio, Publishing, Internet Writing, Public Service, etc. The qualification also equips learners with adequate communication skills and this is very crucial in today's world. The programme will prepare students for further study, locally and/or abroad, at Doctoral level in English Language Studies and in related subject areas. 

LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING 
Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL):
Non-Honours Degree holders who have shown by examination or publication or a record of appropriate training that they have reached a level in the subject or a cognate subject equivalent to an Honours Degree in English Studies may be permitted to register for Master of Arts in English Language Studies.

Entry Requirements:
Honours Degree in the same or a related field at NQF Level 8. 

RECOGNISE PREVIOUS LEARNING? 
Y 

QUALIFICATION RULES 
Full dissertation. 

EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES 
1. Conduct advance literature searches and critique current literature in the form of a review, prepare a professional paper for peer review, write research and funding proposal. 

ASSOCIATED ASSESSMENT CRITERIA 
Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1:
  • Show skills in critical thinking, problem solving, data collection and organisation and effective written communication.
  • Demonstrate mastery over theoretically sophisticated subject matter, exhibiting deep and comprehensive knowledge of the field.
  • Apply relevant theory; evaluate critically the literature in the field, challenge orthodoxies and redefine existing knowledge, while being aware of the nature of knowledge in the field.
  • Communicate verbally and orally with professional audiences.
  • Use the solid content knowledge equipped with in the field.

    Integrated Assessment:
    The integration of skills learned in the Master of Arts (MA) in English Language Studies is assessed by means of a dissertation of a word length stipulated by the Department of English and approved by the School of Human and Social Sciences.

    Assessment is based on criteria, which include:
  • Scope and quality of literature reviewed from a variety of text and other media.
  • Accuracy with which the literature is represented and applied to the research questions.
  • The formulation of a research question/s and the development of a research proposal based on the literature review. The proposal must specify a research design, and the method/s to be applied to answer the research question/s and be of appropriate scale and complexity of a Masters dissertation.
  • The demonstration of a professional working relationship by responding to the comments of the dissertation supervisor/s.
  • The execution of the research proposed.
  • Presentation of the research in an acceptable manner in English Language Studies. 
    		•

    INTERNATIONAL COMPARABILITY 
    The qualification is comparable to other similar qualifications around the world with regards to outcomes and assessment criteria, Degree of difficulty and notional learning time. Standard is assured among other things, by a requirement for assessment by external examiners who hold a university academic position, and where at least one is based outside South Africa.

    University of Zimbabwe, University of Ghana and the University of Ibadan are some of the universities which are offering similar programmes. 

    ARTICULATION OPTIONS 
    The qualification serves as an entry point to a Doctoral study in English Language Studies and also in related fields. 

    MODERATION OPTIONS 
    N/A 

    CRITERIA FOR THE REGISTRATION OF ASSESSORS 
    N/A 

    NOTES 
    N/A 

    LEARNING PROGRAMMES RECORDED AGAINST THIS QUALIFICATION: 
    When qualifications are replaced, some (but not all) of their learning programmes are moved to the replacement qualifications. If a learning programme appears to be missing from here, please check the replaced qualification.
     
    NONE 


    PROVIDERS CURRENTLY ACCREDITED TO OFFER THIS QUALIFICATION: 
    This information shows the current accreditations (i.e. those not past their accreditation end dates), and is the most complete record available to SAQA as of today. Some Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionaries have a lag in their recording systems for provider accreditation, in turn leading to a lag in notifying SAQA of all the providers that they have accredited to offer qualifications and unit standards, as well as any extensions to accreditation end dates. The relevant Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionary should be notified if a record appears to be missing from here.
     
    1. University of Venda 


    All qualifications and part qualifications registered on the National Qualifications Framework are public property. Thus the only payment that can be made for them is for service and reproduction. It is illegal to sell this material for profit. If the material is reproduced or quoted, the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) should be acknowledged as the source.