SAQA 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.
SOUTH AFRICAN QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY 
REGISTERED QUALIFICATION THAT HAS PASSED THE END DATE: 

Bachelor of Commerce in Human Resource Management 
SAQA QUAL ID QUALIFICATION TITLE
101095  Bachelor of Commerce in Human Resource Management 
ORIGINATOR
University of South Africa 
PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QUALITY ASSURANCE FUNCTIONARY NQF SUB-FRAMEWORK
CHE - Council on Higher Education  HEQSF - Higher Education Qualifications Sub-framework 
QUALIFICATION TYPE FIELD SUBFIELD
National First Degree  Field 03 - Business, Commerce and Management Studies  Human Resources 
ABET BAND MINIMUM CREDITS PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL NQF LEVEL QUAL CLASS
Undefined  360  Not Applicable  NQF Level 07  Regular-Provider-ELOAC 
REGISTRATION STATUS SAQA DECISION NUMBER REGISTRATION START DATE REGISTRATION END DATE
Passed the End Date -
Status was "Reregistered" 		 SAQA 091/21  2021-07-01  2023-06-30 
LAST DATE FOR ENROLMENT LAST DATE FOR ACHIEVEMENT
2023-06-30   2025-06-30  

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.  

This qualification does not replace any other qualification and is not replaced by any other qualification. 

PURPOSE AND RATIONALE OF THE QUALIFICATION 
Purpose:
The primary purpose of the qualification is to provide qualifiers with graduate-level knowledge, specific skills, applied competence and the necessary attitudes in the field of human resource management that prepare them to be lifelong learners, employable workers/entrepreneurs and contributors to society and the business community.

The second purpose of the qualification is to provide South Africa (and other countries) with functional managers at the middle management level in all sectors of the economy. A further purpose of the qualification is to provide graduates with a self-sustaining understanding of the process whereby productive resources are mobilised and utilised to be gainfully employed in serving the material needs of society and a globalised world.

Qualifying learners can demonstrate applied competence at graduate-level in the mastering, analysis, interpretation and application of human resource management principles theories, procedures, operations and techniques as a foundational base for a career in human resource management. The qualification enables learners to reflect on and assess the effectiveness of their application of human resource management principles and methods in the holistic context of the discipline within the workplace as applied in the global and African and the global context and their everyday lives. The learner will be prepared for further studies in the field of human resource management. With this qualification, the learner shall meet the foundational competence requirements for registration as a Human Resource Professional (HRP) with the South African Board for People Practices (SABPP).

Rationale:
The first national Human Resource Development Strategy, South Africa: A nation at work for a better life, was articulated in 2001 and set as its ongoing goal to maximise the potential of the people of South Africa, through the acquisition of knowledge and skills, to work productively and competitively to achieve a rising quality of life for all, and to set in place an operational plan, together with the necessary institutional arrangements, to achieve this. The imperative of strategies for the relevant people development and management strategies and conducive workplace relations to achieve organisational goals and service delivery targets has been emphasised in countless government policy documents and organisational strategic plans. The development of the qualification has been in response to the need for entry-level graduates to the HRM profession that is demanding people management competence in the increasingly regulated and complex working place.

People management practitioners operate across all economic sectors and public service in the South African context and curriculum focus is largely informed by nationally derived and consulted competency levels and standards linked to the various levels of professional registration by the SA Board for People Practices (SABPP). The qualification seeks to address the professional competence standards linked to the HR professional (HRP) level of registration, taking, beyond the technical HRM competence, into account the transformative roles and change agent imperatives of people practices in the business and managerial context of private sector organisations irrespective of size, and service delivery support imperatives in the public sector organisations.

The consultation was conducted with a dedicated HRM advisory committee comprising senior industry and academic expertise through regular and extensive workshops, the active participation in the Higher Education Committee of the ETQA and professional body for the HRM profession (SA Board for People Practices), the active participation in the deliberations and annual workshops of the SA HR Universities Forum, and a comprehensive benchmarking exercise against national and international professional standards and competency frameworks.

The qualification resides essentially on a pathway that provides for entry and mid-level HRM professional practice with a strong generalist foundation and providing multiple access pathways to career focussed specialism areas such as HR Development, Labour Relations Management, Reward Management and Organisation Development at Chartered Practitioner professional registration level.

The qualification will equip successful learners to embark on a career in professional HRM practice at a Level of NQF 7 generalist competence and capacity to pursue further advanced studies in any of the HRM specialisation areas to ensure a progressive and sustainable career within the profession. Beyond the discipline-specific knowledge, skills and competencies such capacity will include broader graduateness and employability attributes which equip graduates to be innovative, ethical and effective in the workplace and active and informed citizens, contributing meaningfully to the transformation and economic empowerment of South African society at large. 

LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING 
Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL):
Various skills, competencies and experiences acquired outside of formal education during employment and training, maybe measured against specified prescribed learning outcomes of this Degree and receive resultant credits.

RPL will be applied in line with the regulations of the Council on Higher Education and all admission through RPL must be following the principles laid down in the institution's RPL Policy.

It is acknowledged that all learning has value and the institution accepts the challenge to assess prior learning and award credit that is aligned to the institution's qualifications to promote lifelong learning. Therefore, recognition may be granted for non-formal prior experiential learning. The RPL process may involve, among other things, the submission of portfolios with evidence of prior learning, challenge examinations, and interviews with assessment panels. Certified copies of documents confirming the number of years, and nature of, work experience will have to be submitted, as well as certified copies of any qualifications obtained where applicable.

RPL may be used to demonstrate competence for admission to this qualification.

Evidence of prior learning must be accessed through formally recognised RPL processes to recognise achievement thereof.

Learners submitting themselves for RPL should be thoroughly briefed prior to the assessment and will be required to submit a Portfolio of Evidence in the prescribed format to be assessed for formal recognition. While this is primarily a workplace-based qualification, evidence from other areas of learning may be introduced if pertinent to any of the Exit Level Outcomes (ELOs).

Entry Requirements:
The minimum entry requirement for this qualification is:
  • National Senior Certificate, NQF Level 4 granting access to Bachelor studies.
    Or
  • Senior Certificate, NQF Level 4 with endorsement.
    Or
  • Relevant Higher Certificate, NQF Level 5.
    Or
  • Relevant Diploma, NQF Level 6. 
    		•

    RECOGNISE PREVIOUS LEARNING? 
    Y 

    QUALIFICATION RULES 
    This qualification consists of the following compulsory modules at NQF Level 5, 6 and 7 totalling 360 Credits.

    Compulsory Modules, Level 5, 72 Credits:
  • Economics, 12 Credits.
  • Financial Accounting Principles, Concepts and Procedures, 12 Credits.
  • Introduction to Human Resource Management, 12 Credits.
  • Psychological Processes in Work Context, 12 Credits.
  • Sustainability and Greed, 12 Credits.
  • Business Management 1A, 12 Credits.

    Compulsory Modules, Level 6, 168 Credits:
  • Economics 1B, 12 Credits.
  • Labour Economics, 12 Credits.
  • Finance for Non-Financial Managers, 12 Credits.
  • Training and Development Practices, 12 Credits.
  • Human Resource Provisioning, 12 Credits.
  • Human Resource Maintenance and Retention, 12 Credits.
  • Personality in Work Context, 12 Credits.
  • Organisational Research Methodology, 12 Credits.
  • Organisational Psychology, 12 Credits.
  • Individual Labour Law, 12 Credits.
  • Collective Labour Law, 12 Credits.
  • Labour Relations Management: Macro, 12 Credits.
  • Business Management 1B, 12 Credits.
  • General Management, 12 Credits.

    Compulsory Modules, Level 7, 120 Credits:
  • Management of Training and Development, 12 Credits.
  • HR Information Systems and Technology, 12 Credits.
  • Contemporary Issues in Human Resource Management, 12 Credits.
  • Compensation Management, 12 Credits.
  • Performance Management, 12 Credits.
  • Career Psychology, 12 Credits.
  • Organisational Development and Change, 12 Credits.
  • Labour Relations Management: Micro, 12 Credits.
  • Strategic Planning IIIA, 12 Credits.
  • Strategic Implementation and Control IIIB, 12 Credits. 
    		•

    EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES 
    1. Apply general business principles to real-life situations.
    2. Interpret economic realities of the local community.
    3. Manage resources (financial, human and raw materials in organisations).
    4. Manage information appropriately.
    5. Arrive at informed assessment in terms of what happens to human beings and human knowledge in the new technological context in the business environment.
    6. Demonstrate people skills.
    7. Practice the ethics and standards pertinent to the HRM profession as per the Code of Ethics of the SA Board for People Practices (SABPP).
    8. Demonstrate entrepreneurial skills.
    9. Analyse financial information critically.
    10. Evaluate HR best practices critically in the knowledge areas of acquiring, developing and retaining talent. 

    ASSOCIATED ASSESSMENT CRITERIA 
    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1:
  • Analyse real-life situations to identify needs and opportunities.
  • Come up with strategic solutions within a variety of routine and non-routine contexts (but not in complex, variable, unpredictable and highly specialised contexts).
  • Choose correct procedures to solve specific HR problems.
  • Organise resources to achieve the maximum output with limited resources.
  • Apply appropriate principles to situations, whether in real life or simulated scenarios/case studies.
  • Evaluate the results of the application.
  • Show how they meet and maintain the required professional standards, as stated by the SA Board for Personnel Practice (SABPP).
  • Discuss and present information in appropriate ways (numerically, verbally, graphically).

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2:
  • Build an understanding of how HRM affects society and business.
  • Interpret specific current economic events.
  • Apply economic principles to real-life situations.
  • Compare current contexts with past and potential future contexts.
  • Relate learning gained from individual experience to knowledge encountered in an academic environment and vice versa.
  • Relate learning from experience and academic contexts to different contexts using present and future scenarios.
  • Interpret local conditions concerning international conditions.
  • Interpret the past and present about the future.
  • Reflect on personal experience and academic disciplines.
  • Make connections from personal experience to problems identified in the field of HRM.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 3:
  • Evaluate the economic and efficient use and flow of resources within and to an organisation.
  • Identify critical areas for resource allocation and management.
  • Follow the process in specified procedures.
  • Understand the systems approach the management of the entire organisation.
  • Convey Findings and recommendations to appropriate levels of management (inappropriate written and/or oral form).

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 4:
  • Relate information from one discipline to that of others.
  • Identify different cultural and economic systems.
  • Reconcile different management styles at supervisory and lower management levels.
  • Identify and select information specifically relevant to the field of HRM.
  • Interpret and analyse information specifically relevant to the field of HRM.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 5:
  • Compare knowledge from the past with new situations.
  • Draw upon known information to deal with unknown circumstances.
  • Use technology in appropriate contexts to access, process, and store or distribute knowledge.
  • Assess the applicability and limitations of various types of technology for particular fields and disciplines.
  • Analyse the impact of technology on the practice of HRM.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 6:
  • Interrelate with people on all levels of an organisation.
  • Apply knowledge to provide solutions to problems that arise in a culturally diverse society, both in SA and globally.
  • Show empathy and understanding of the problems and contexts of others and contexts in authentic and simulated contexts.
  • Develop human resources in any organizational context.
  • Manage the human resource function of an enterprise.
  • Demonstrate knowledge of the relationship between HRM and related disciplines.
  • Demonstrate applied knowledge of project management methodology and practices.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 7:
  • Explain the need to act professionally and ethically.
  • Demonstrate knowledge of the nature of e-HRM and its theoretical foundation.
  • Analyse and interpret the qualifications, characteristics, duties and liabilities of the HRM function.
  • Analyse and apply professional matters about dealing with human capital.
  • Adhere to the standards for the professional practice of HRM and the SABPP code of ethics.
  • Take responsibility within limits of competence.
  • Exercise judgement commensurate with knowledge and experience.
  • Be accountable for achieving output.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 8:
  • Analyse real-life situations to identify entrepreneurial possibilities.
  • Follow appropriate processes to evaluate opportunities (compile a business plan).
  • Apply appropriate processes to obtain funding for opportunities.
  • Comply with the legal requirements for establishing a small business.
  • Decide on the appropriate form of business.
  • Analyse real-life situations to identify the correct location of a business.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 9:
  • Demonstrate knowledge of accounting procedures and principles.
  • Interpret financial statements critically, showing evidence of sound principles and critical judgement.
  • Analyse real-life situations to determine the correct financing structure of a business.
  • Demonstrate knowledge of investment procedure and principles.
  • Analyse real-life situations to demonstrate knowledge of the principles of financial decision making.
  • Demonstrate knowledge of the operations of financial markets and institutions.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 10:
  • Apply best practices to acquire talent (workforce planning, talent management, recruiting, selection and placements).
  • Apply best practices to develop talent (organisational onboarding, training and development, career planning, HR outcomes measurement).
  • Apply best practices to retain talent (appraisal and feedback, reward and compensation, employment relations, occupational health, safety and wellness).

    Integrated Assessment:
    To be awarded the qualification, a learner must have successfully achieved the outcomes of each of the compulsory/core modules that constitute the qualification.

    Formative and summative assessment must comply with the rules outlined in the Assessment Policy and Procedures of the institution. Assessments must also comply with the rules outlined in the Policy for Copyright Infringement and Plagiarism and Research Ethics Policy.

    Assessors should assess and give credit for the evidence of learning that has been acquired through formal and informal learning. Formative and summative assessments will make use of case studies, practical assessments, group-based assessments, peer evaluations, simulation in a structured environment, self-evaluations, online collaborative learning tasks, online self-assessments, written assignments and real-life work-based case studies. The summative assessment consists of a two-hour venue-based examination, which is written at the end of each semester. This examination consists of a written paper with a section of questions and answers to test learners' knowledge of their application of theory to practice from all the study units.

    Assessments will ensure that specific learning outcomes, knowledge and critical cross-field outcomes are evaluated in an integrated way. 
    		•

    INTERNATIONAL COMPARABILITY 
    The qualification is accredited by the South African Board for People Practices (SABPP), which is the national quality assurance and HR professional body. Its composition is aligned with the National HR Standards that were published by the SABPP and the competency requirements for professional registration at Human Resource Professional (HRP) level.

    The qualification has been benchmarked against the Curriculum Guidebook and Templates for Undergraduate and Graduate Programs of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), which is the world's largest HR professional association as well as the Professional Standards of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) of the United Kingdom. It needs to be noted that comparable international bachelors' qualifications in HRM are mostly benchmarked against the competency frameworks of the respective professional bodies (e.g. SHRM in the USA and CIPD in the UK) since the industry requires such professional registration for professional practice in organisations. This has a similar effect to the South African qualification curriculum requirements of a largely similar curriculum structure focussing on the requisite national professional standards to be comprehensively covered at the appropriate NQF level.

    The qualification, compared to similar qualifications internationally (e.g. Rowan University) produces a learner who has a comprehensive and well-balanced knowledge of applied competencies in the practice areas of Operations Management.

    Rowan University (USA): B.S. In Human Resource Management.

    This qualification is similar to the Rowan University qualification with regards to the core competencies acquired, experience attributes, duration and modules.

    Common modules:
  • Principles of Accounting I & II.
  • Management Information Systems.
  • Legal Environment and Business.
  • Organisational Behavior.
  • Principles of Finance.
  • Management of Human Resources.
  • Recruitment and Selection.
  • Legal Aspects of Human Resource Management.
  • Management of Compensation.
  • Labor and Employee Relations. 
    		•

    ARTICULATION OPTIONS 
    This qualification allows possibilities for both horizontal and vertical articulation.

    Horizontal Articulation:
  • Bachelor of Commerce in Industrial and Organisational Psychology, NQF Level 7.
  • Bachelor of Commerce in Business Management, NQF Level 7.

    Vertical Articulation:
  • Postgraduate Diploma in Human Resource Management, NQF Level 8.
  • Postgraduate Diploma in Human Resource Development, NQF Level 8.
  • Postgraduate Diploma in Labour Relations Management, NQF Level 8.
  • Bachelor of Commerce Honours, NQF Level 8. 
    		•

    LEARNING PROGRAMMES RECORDED AGAINST THIS 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 South Africa 


    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.