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SOUTH AFRICAN QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY 
REGISTERED QUALIFICATION: 

Advanced Diploma in Information and Communications Technology in Applications Development 
SAQA QUAL ID QUALIFICATION TITLE
101177  Advanced Diploma in Information and Communications Technology in Applications Development 
ORIGINATOR
Walter Sisulu University 
PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QUALITY ASSURANCE FUNCTIONARY NQF SUB-FRAMEWORK
CHE - Council on Higher Education  HEQSF - Higher Education Qualifications Sub-framework 
QUALIFICATION TYPE FIELD SUBFIELD
Advanced Diploma  Field 10 - Physical, Mathematical, Computer and Life Sciences  Information Technology and Computer Sciences 
ABET BAND MINIMUM CREDITS PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL NQF LEVEL QUAL CLASS
Undefined  120  Not Applicable  NQF Level 07  Regular-Provider-ELOAC 
REGISTRATION STATUS SAQA DECISION NUMBER REGISTRATION START DATE REGISTRATION END DATE
Reregistered  EXCO 0821/24  2021-07-01  2027-06-30 
LAST DATE FOR ENROLMENT LAST DATE FOR ACHIEVEMENT
2028-06-30   2031-06-30  

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 replaces: 
Qual ID Qualification Title Pre-2009 NQF Level NQF Level Min Credits Replacement Status
80139  Bachelor of Technology: Information Technology  Level 7  Level TBA: Pre-2009 was L7  480  Complete 

PURPOSE AND RATIONALE OF THE QUALIFICATION 
Purpose:
The purpose of Advanced Diploma in Information and Communications Technology in Applications Development is to provide a professional and vocational qualification for the Information Communications and Technology (ICT) industry. This qualification will enable learners to apply advanced design, development, implementation and maintenance strategies and techniques in the development of software products and systems to meet specified industry needs, and effectively manage and administer them in a reliable and cost effective manner.

Rationale:
Applications Development manifests in every facet of life, that is, mobile phone apps, ATMs and banking, television, medical equipment, finance and accounting, education, geographical information systems, motorcars and aeroplanes, social media and internet.

This qualification will provide the learner with advanced knowledge and skills to pursue rewarding career in application development.

The qualification also seeks to satisfy the South African demands for both public and private sectors in ICT.

Information Technologists are required locally, nationally, and internationally in the scientific, business and manufacturing industries. This qualification also naturally leads to a research Postgraduate Degree/Diploma. 

LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING 
Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL):
Learners can use RPL demonstrate competence for admission to this qualification. This qualification is achievable in part through recognition of prior learning processes. Learners who already work in the ICT industry who believe they possess competencies to enable them to meet some or all of the Exit Level Outcomes listed in the qualification will be able to present themselves for assessment against those of their choice.

Recognition of Prior Learning facilitates access to an education, training and career path in ICT enabled fields and thus accelerates the redress of past unfair discrimination in education, training and employment opportunities.

Learners submitting themselves for RPL should be thoroughly briefed before the assessment and will be required to submit a Portfolio of Evidence (PoE) in the prescribed format.

The structure of this non-unit standard based qualification makes RPL possible if the learner can demonstrate competence in the knowledge, skills, values and attitudes implicit in this first stage ICT qualification.


Entry Requirements:
The minimum entry requirement for this qualification is:
  • National Diploma: Information Technology.
    Or
  • Diploma in Information Technology.
    Or
  • An equivalent qualification at NQF Level 6 in a cognate discipline. 
    		•

    RECOGNISE PREVIOUS LEARNING? 
    Y 

    QUALIFICATION RULES 
    This qualification consists of the following compulsory at NQF Level 7 totalling 120 Credits.

    Compulsory Modules, Level 7,120 Credits:
  • Research Methodology IV, 12 Credits.
  • Projects IV, 24 Credits.
  • Development Software IV, 12 Credits.
  • Functional Management IV, 12 Credits.
  • Software Engineering IV, 12 Credits.
  • Application Technology IV, 12 Credits.
  • Database Systems IV, 12 Credits.
  • Information Technology Management IV, 12 Credits.
  • Advanced Development Software IV, 12 Credits. 
    		•

    EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES 
    1. Demonstrate competency in applied research using appropriate research methodologies in the ICT environment.
    2. Demonstrate competencies to manage ICT to provide organisations with strategically increasing productivity and quality of service.
    3. Demonstrate competency in software engineering and modelling.
    4. Demonstrate competency in developing appropriate advanced data structures and searching algorithms.
    5. Integrate applications across heterogeneous platforms, particularly in a mobile environment.
    6. Manage an integrated approach to information security across all aspects of the application development lifecycle. 

    ASSOCIATED ASSESSMENT CRITERIA 
    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1:
  • Formulate a researchable problem.
  • Produce a research proposal that demonstrates competencies in conducting academic research.
  • Come up with questionnaire/s, collect and analyse data.
  • Analyse useful application of research methodology to do academic research.
  • Write a dissertation that includes (a minimum of) an introduction, literature review, research methodology, data analysis and result, and conclusion chapters.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2:
  • Demonstrate basic knowledge of management functions such as planning, organising, leading and controlling.
  • Demonstrate understanding of information infrastructure and architecture, benefits and issues of integrating functional information systems.
  • Demonstrate competencies to manage for competitive advantage, diversity, globalisation, information and communication technology, ethical standards and self-management and happiness.
  • Demonstrate skills to manage information technology to provide organisations with strategic advantage by facilitating problem-solving, increasing productivity and quality, increasing speed, improving customer service, enhancing communication and collaboration, and enabling business process restructuring adhering to the ethical standards.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 3:
  • Produce an accurate and compliant UML representation for a problem using an object-oriented principle for effective software reuse.
  • Produce a clear class diagram for completing OOAD process from a given scenario.
  • Choose an adequate software design methodology like RUP, Agile and Open Source Models from a given situation.
  • Produce an appropriate relational data model for a given scenario.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 4:
  • Produce a non-trivial mobile application exhibiting specific characteristics for a community of users.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 5:
  • Produce a non-trivial mobile application exhibiting specific characteristics for a community of users.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 6:
  • Use an appropriate cross-cutting concern such as security and authentication in a design pattern to solve recurring problem.
  • Identify a generalised abstraction model between the application logic and the system interfaces as software reuse criteria in the design.

    Integrated Assessment:
    Assessments are designed to evaluate knowledge, competencies and skills from an academic perspective and the applied competencies (practical, foundational and reflexive competencies) required by this qualification. Assessments take a variety of forms including assignments/projects (individual or team), quizzes, written and practical tests and final examinations. 
    		•

    INTERNATIONAL COMPARABILITY 
    International comparability of this qualification is by following the current standards for similar qualifications internationally, such as the ACM and IEEE curriculum. Standards are comparable with those of ICT qualifications in countries having comparable ICT education systems to South Africa. On completion of the programme, learners will not only have improved their knowledge of and skills in this field of studies, but they will also be confident that they will fit in easily with the graduates elsewhere around the world. 

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

    Horizontal Articulation:
  • Advanced Diploma in Information and Communications Technology in Communication Networks, Level 7.
  • Bachelor of Information Technology, Level 7.

    Vertical Articulation:
  • Postgraduate Diploma in Information Technology, Level 8.
  • Bachelor of Science Honours in Information Technology, Level 8. 
    		•

    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. Walter Sisulu University 


    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.