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SOUTH AFRICAN QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY 
REGISTERED QUALIFICATION: 

Master of Laws in Business Law 
SAQA QUAL ID QUALIFICATION TITLE
110202  Master of Laws in Business Law 
ORIGINATOR
University of KwaZulu-Natal 
PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QUALITY ASSURANCE FUNCTIONARY NQF SUB-FRAMEWORK
-   HEQSF - Higher Education Qualifications Sub-framework 
QUALIFICATION TYPE FIELD SUBFIELD
Master's Degree  Field 08 - Law, Military Science and Security  Justice in Society 
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
2028-06-30   2031-06-30  

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 purpose of the qualification is to enable learners to become effective legal researchers and to critically engage with legal principles within this broader context, so ensuring their professional development as legal scholars and/or practitioners The purpose is to engage relevant material for use in the national, African regional and international contexts, thus enabling learners to interpret law in the broader context to effect positive legal change. The aim is to develop various competencies and skills that facilitate life-long learning.

Rationale:
As the legal field is ever changing and developing within a broader constitutional, national and international context, new knowledge generated by trained researchers as professional practitioners is necessary for the enhancement of the broader legal profession, private and public practice, the judiciary and the court system, and government and the legislature. Learners are assisted to engage with the underlying legal theories and to assess the legal principles that ultimately impact on society as a whole. An opportunity is provided for learners to obtain detailed knowledge of a specific chosen legal area, and to critically reflect, analyse and synthesise divergent legal concepts in the chosen area. 

LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING 
Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL):
The institution accepts the principle underlying outcomes-based, source-based and life-long learning, in which considerations of articulation and mobility play a significant role, and subscribes to the view that Recognition of Prior Learning, whether acquired by formal education curricula at this or another institution or informally (by experience) is an indispensable element in deciding on admission to and awarding credits in an explicitly selected teaching-learning qualification of the institution.

An applicant who falls outside of the formal qualifications system, but who can demonstrate (through the production of substantial and satisfactory evidence) experiential or work-based learning or a non-formal qualification (or a combination), may be considered for admission and/or for the Recognition of Prior Learning for the achievement of the qualification in part or in full. An applicant who after such assessment, is deemed to have sufficient potential, but is in need of further academic development, must be directed to other suitable learning qualifications prior to admission or to parallel qualifications after admission.

Entry Requirements:
The minimum entry requirement of this qualification is a:
  • Bachelor of Laws, NQF Level 8. 
    		•

    RECOGNISE PREVIOUS LEARNING? 
    Y 

    QUALIFICATION RULES 
    This qualification consists of compulsory and elective modules at Level 9 totalling 192 Credits.

    Compulsory Modules at NQF Level 9 totalling 120 Credits:
  • Mini Dissertation, 96 Credits.
  • Research Methodology, 24 Credits.

    Elective Modules at Level 9 totalling at 72 Credits (Choose any three):
  • Advanced Tax I, 24 Credits.
  • Advanced Insolvency Law, 24 Credits.
  • Advanced Corporate Law, 24 Credits.
  • Advanced Contract Law, 24 Credits.
  • Consumer Law in South Africa, 24 Credits.
  • Sports Law 1, 24 Credits.
  • Advanced Labour Law, 24 Credits.
  • Advanced Tax II, 24 Credits.
  • International Trade Law, 24 Credits.
  • Intellectual Property Law, 24 Credits. 
    		•

    EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES 
    1. Identify, describe, critically evaluate and apply the main concepts and legal principles pertaining to the selected area of legal study within a broader constitutional and international context.
    2. Identify issues and solve practical and perceived legal problems through analytical thinking and evaluative techniques.
    3. Demonstrate advanced legal research skills pertaining to national, regional and international business laws.
    4. Apply a critical and evaluative approach to analysing complex issues in the field of business law.
    5. Analyse complex legal problems relating to business law and motivate the appropriate way of dealing with these problems, with reference to specific legal principles.
    6. Critically engage with legal principles specifically within the context of business law, and identify how they should be applied to complex legal problems in a business context.
    7. Undertake independent legal research and write a dissertation, which reflects advanced research skills, independent thinking, critical analysis and advanced insight into the selected areas of business law. 

    ASSOCIATED ASSESSMENT CRITERIA 
  • Demonstrate adequate knowledge and understanding of three substantive law modules from Advanced Corporate Law, Advanced Contract Law, Advanced Insolvency Law, Advanced Labour Law, Advanced Negotiable Instruments, Advanced Tax Law, Consumer Law, Intellectual Property Law, and International Trade Law.
  • Produce a dissertation or publishable articles, which make a contribution to knowledge by exploring an aspect of law and is satisfactory in form and content.

    Integrated Assessment:
    In terms of modules, learners will be assessed on their ability to write and research assignments, which must demonstrate skills such as assimilation, analysis and critical assessment of the content matter of the module and an examination. Dissertation - In preliminary drafts the work of learners will be developmentally-assessed by their supervisors: 0% weighting. The final draft will be summatively-assessed by an internal examiner: and his/her mark will constitute 50% of the final mark and by an external examiner and his/her mark will constitute 50% of the final mark. In order for all the assessment purposes to be achieved, assignments; examinations will form part of assessment methods. 
    		•

    INTERNATIONAL COMPARABILITY 
    This qualification is comparable with similar qualifications offered in various higher education institutions internationally.

    Australia:
    Southern Cross University offers the Master of Business Law.

    The entry requirement is Bachelor's a minimum Credit average, or equivalent or, or equivalent, and two years of documented relevant professional experience and proficiency in English is the minimum entry-requirement. This qualification provides an introduction to the legal system with a concentration on Corporate and Commercial Law, including consumer law, competition law, corporate responsibility, corporate governance and global business law.

    Modules are the following: Legal Institutions and Processes, Advanced legal Research, Nature and Objectives of Legal Research, Litigations and Corporations, Advanced Property Law, Advanced intellectual Property law, Competition Law, Consumer Law, Introduction To Consumer Law, The Law of Corporate Governance, Global Business Law and Tax Law.

    United Kingdom (UK):
    The University of Bristol offers a Master's Degree in Law in Commercial Law. This is an upper second-class honours qualification in law or a degree with a law component. Recognised Prior Learning is not currently accepted. Previous or professional experience is not required. It is a 1-year full time or 2 years part time course. This is a General Master's Degree in Law with specialisation in Commercial Law Contact. It has Course work and a research component (dissertation) (60 Credits).

    The Commercial Law (LLM) qualification offers learners an opportunity to engage in intensive study of specialist commercial and industrial topics. Learners may wish to concentrate on European commercial issues and international trade or aspects of domestic commerce. Learners are encouraged to explore their chosen areas of law at a deeper level - having the chance to see how these legal fields operate in different contexts, considering the relevant issues theoretically and practically and from a range of perspectives.
    Part 1 focuses on ensuring that learners grasp and demonstrate foundational knowledge and understanding of core methodological and theoretical approaches to the study of Commercial Law. In Part 2, via the dissertation learners develop an in-depth grasp of a particular aspect of relevant issues theoretically and practically and from a range of perspectives. Part 1 focuses on ensuring that learners grasp and demonstrate foundational knowledge and understanding of core methodological and theoretical approaches to the study of Commercial Law.

    Learners have the option of choosing three specialist Commercial Law units from, Carriage of Goods, Company Law, Regulation of Financial Markets and Institutions, Individual Employment Rights, Intellectual Property, Corporate governance in the UK, Information Technology Law \World Trade Law, International Corporate Finance, Insolvency Law, The Law and Policy of Mergers and Acquisitions, Maritime Security, International Sale of Goods, Banking Conduct and Law International Commercial Arbitration.

    The University of Birmingham offers a Master's of Law in Commercial Law:
    Applicants must have an Honours qualification in law, or a degree in another discipline augmented with a pass in the Common Professional Examination. This is a 1-year full time, 2 years' part time qualification with specialisation/pathway in Commercial Law. The qualification includes course and a research component (dissertation- 15,000 words) with credit weighting: 2/3 coursework 1/3 research via dissertation.

    Learners choose modules from the following: Banking Law, Carriage of Goods by Sea, Commercial Conflict of Laws, Company Law, Elements of Cyber Law, English Law of International Sale of Goods, Financing of International Trade, Intellectual Property Law, Maritime Law, Partnership and LLP Law. 

    ARTICULATION OPTIONS 
    This qualification allows for both vertical and horizontal articulation options:

    Horizontal Articulation:
  • Master of Laws in Labour Studies, NQF Level 9.

    Vertical Articulation:
  • Doctor of Laws, NQF Level 10. 
    		•

    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.
     
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    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.
     
    NONE 


    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.