SAQA

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SOUTH AFRICAN QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY

REGISTERED QUALIFICATION:

Advanced Diploma in Correctional and Rehabilitation Studies

SAQA QUAL ID	QUALIFICATION TITLE
110811	Advanced Diploma in Correctional and Rehabilitation Studies
ORIGINATOR
Tshwane University of Technology (TUT)
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 08 - Law, Military Science and Security		Safety in Society
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	2019-08-19	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 does not replace any other qualification and is not replaced by any other qualification.

PURPOSE AND RATIONALE OF THE QUALIFICATION

Purpose:
The purpose of the Advanced Diploma in Correctional and Rehabilitation Studies is to equip learners with the skills and competencies to conduct research not only on the challenges faced by the correctional system of South Africa but also on a wide range of issues in the field of correctional services in order to ensure that offenders are successfully reintegrated back into the society as law-abiding citizens and economic contributors. On completion of this qualification, learners will be able to run projects in a range of correctional and rehabilitation activities and be able to study individual and group behaviour and associated phenomena in the correctional services environment. Furthermore, learners will be able to administer community correctional policies. Once all these skills and competencies are acquired by qualifying learners, they will be able to work independently on a tactical and strategic level in a correctional services environment.

This qualification will also develop the learners analytical and research skills relevant to correctional services, with a particular focus on the wider criminal justice system. The need to introduce basic research at the undergraduate level was identified by the Department of Safety and Security Management. Many postgraduate learners struggle to plan research projects as well as conducting a decent study. These struggles are particularly evident for new Postgraduate, including those engaged in undergraduate studies. This has led to increased attention to the ethical complexities of research that interconnects with the criminal justice system practice. The qualification is targeted toward building a repertoire of conceptual, basic and practical research skills that will enable learners, once they are enrolled later at Postgraduate level, to successfully prepare for and subsequently complete independent research in the form of a dissertation or thesis.

The qualification also serves to provide learners with the basic introductory knowledge, cognitive and conceptual tools and practical techniques related to research methods within the criminal justice system. This qualification will also enable learners to progress through the professional path of correctional and rehabilitation studies.

Rationale:
The Academic Advisory Committee (AAC) composed of the institution and external lecturing staff as well as correctional officials delegated by the National Commissioner of Correctional Services was established in 2011 according to the institution policy on Academic Advisory Committee. It transpired during the inaugural AAC meetings in 2011 that the institution should consider introducing this qualification which has never been part of the institution's qualifications before. This was in the light of the need to make provision for a life-long learning in this field and that the Government Department of Correctional Services was looking for learners for many years at postgraduate level, due to the sensitive nature of working with offenders and victims in their programmes which requires officials with knowledge, skills and competencies at the post graduate level.

This qualification will equip learners with knowledge, skills and competencies to conduct research, run institutional projects, study the behaviour of offenders and be able to address the challenges of a typical correctional centre posed by overcrowding and correctional centre subculture in South Africa. The Advanced Diploma in Correctional and Rehabilitation Studies will source its students from the Diploma in Correctional and Rehabilitation Studies and National Diploma: Correctional Services Management or an equivalent NQF level 6 qualification.

LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL):
The institution has an RPL policy in place. Prospective learners can apply for Recognition of Prior Learning in order to be admitted in any of the qualifications it offers. This policy stipulates amongst others three types (as outlined below) of RPL application a prospective learner can make. These are deemed relevant to gain entry to this qualification and forms the basis which application for RPL will be considered.

Equivalence: this is an application for admission to a qualification based on the fact that the applicant's existing qualification is similar to the prerequisite qualification as stated in the admission requirements for that qualification.

RPL for advanced admission: this is an application for admission where the applicant does not meet the stated admission requirements but wishes to be admitted to an advanced qualification on the basis of RPL. As part of a rigorous assessment process the applicant would need to furnish evidence of exceptional experience, depth and scope before his/her application would be considered.

Status-this is an application to register for a qualification when the applicant does not hold the required admission qualification or an equivalent qualification but holds another qualification on the same National Qualifications Framework (NQF) Level as that of the prerequisite qualification.

Entry Requirements:
The minimum entry requirement for this qualification is:

National Diploma: Correctional Services Management, National Qualifications Framework (NQF) Level 6, 360 Credits.
Or

Diploma in Correctional and Rehabilitation Studies, Level 6, 360 Credits.

RECOGNISE PREVIOUS LEARNING?

QUALIFICATION RULES

This qualification consists of the following compulsory modules at Level 7 totalling 120 Credits.

Compulsory Modules, 120 Credits:

Correctional Services Administration IV, 30 Credits.

Correctional Services Management IV, 30 Credits.

Social Psychology in Corrections, 24 Credits.

Research Methods in Corrections, 12 Credits.

Corrections Criminology, 24 Credits.

EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES

1. Apply theoretical knowledge to address challenges faced by the correctional system of South Africa.
2. Apply management principles and concepts in a correctional environment.
3. Demonstrate theoretical knowledge of community corrections in South African context.
4. Demonstrate knowledge of criminological issues in corrections.
5. Plan, design and conduct research in the field of correctional services.
6. Apply basic social psychology principles and concepts in a correctional services environment.

ASSOCIATED ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1:

Identify and explain the challenges faced by the correctional system of South Africa.

Outline possible solutions to the challenges faced by the correctional system of South Africa.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2:

Apply the basic principles of project management in practice within the correctional services environment.

Analyse the current department of correctional services' strategic plan and its relevancy and application judged against the primary components of strategic management.

Carry out the process of strategic management in practice within the correctional services environment.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 3:

Outline a historical overview of parole.

Anayse and critique the parole system of South Africa.

Discuss parole supervision in detail.

Discuss correctional Supervision in detail.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 4:

Describe and assess the South African criminological issues in corrections against international standards.

Identify and recommend gaps between the South African criminological issues and international standards for improvement.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 5:

Apply basic research skills in practice.

Plan and design research in the field of correctional services to produce a research proposal.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 6:

Explain the behaviour, personality, attitudes and motivations of an offender as an individual.

Discuss the behaviour, personality, attitudes and motivations of individual offender gangs.

Integrated Assessment:
Integrated Assessment will be achieved by a variety of strategies. The qualification will be awarded to a learner who would have achieved the required fundamental and core modules. Evidence is also required to prove that the learner is able to completely achieve the purpose of the qualification at the time of the award of the qualification.

In order to determine whether learners have successfully achieved the stipulated outcomes and can demonstrate applied competence, an integrated approach incorporating formative and summative assessment procedure will be utilised. While Formative Assessment will include case study analysis, problem solving analysis, oral presentations and peer and self-assessments, summative assessments will be in a form of semester tests, semester assignments (including research proposal) and semester examinations. Summative Assessment calculations will be done as follows:

One semester test will be written and one assignment will be submitted per semester for the purpose of determining predicate mark. Predicate mark, for which a student must have an average of 40% for entrance to the examination.

INTERNATIONAL COMPARABILITY

A comparative analysis was conducted between the following international institutions' qualifications. The focus of this analysis was on admission requirements, industry needs, qualification articulation, assessments and modules packaging.

Country: Australia.
Institution: The Australian Government through the Department of Education.
Qualification Title; Advanced Diploma of Correctional Management.

This qualification has been designed to provide a package of broad and flexible competencies reflecting the workplace responsibilities of senior management and specialist practitioners. Such competencies articulate with graduate and post-graduate university qualification. Apart from work-based evidence, assessment is also done through assignments, research and learning activities. This qualification is packaged in terms of Units. These Units include amongst others Strategic Management and Research Methods as part of elective units.

Country: United States of America.
Institution: Minnesota State University.
Qualification Title: Bachelor of Science in Corrections.

The admission requirements to study this qualification are determined by an academic department but a minimum university admission requirements are:

A minimum of 32 earned semester credit hours.

A minimum cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.00.
Modules offered in this qualification includes amongst others, Social Psychology, Criminology, Community Corrections and Social Research. This qualification prepares learners for entry-level professional work in corrections. Once students achieve this qualification, they can pursue a Master of Science in Sociology: Corrections.

Country: United States of America.
Institution: Kaplan University.
Qualification Title: Bachelor of Science in Corrections.

The admission requirements to this qualification are as follows:

Must be a high school graduate.

Possess a General education Development certificate or state-specific equivalency Diploma.

Possess a Home Study certificate or transcript from a Home Study program that is equivalent to high school level and recognised by your home state and be beyond the age of compulsory attendance in that state.

Are a high school senior eligible to apply and submit proof of high school graduation.

This qualification focuses on correctional professionals who are able to conduct research and utilise analytical skills. These characteristics are much sought after by today's correctional staff and administrators. This qualification prepares qualifying learners to work at an entry level or supervisory position. Modules offered in this qualification are amongst others Criminological Theory, Research Methods in Criminal Justice as well as Probation and Parole.

Conclusion:
The foregoing information outlines qualification standards practiced by universities in other parts of the world. These standards and practices compares perfectly with that of the Advanced Diploma in Correctional and Rehabilitation Studies offered for the following reasons:

Like international qualifications, this qualification has entry requirements as determined by the university and in exceptional cases by the academic department.

This qualification also prepares learners to work on a tactical and strategic level and can also be considered for entry level in the South African correctional services.

Assessments are also done through assignments and other learning activities.

This qualification also articulates into Post-Graduate Diploma or Bachelor's Honours Degree up to a Doctoral Degree.

This qualification also includes modules on Strategic Management, Research Methods, Community Corrections, Social Psychology and Criminology.

It is however noticed that qualification tittles differ from one institution to the other but they are somewhat similar.

ARTICULATION OPTIONS

This qualification allows possibilities for both vertical and horizontal articulation.

Horizontal Articulation:

Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice, Level 7.

Vertical Articulation:

Postgraduate Diploma in Criminal Justice, Level 8.

Bachelor of Arts Honours in Criminal Justice, Level 8.

MODERATION OPTIONS

N/A

CRITERIA FOR THE REGISTRATION OF ASSESSORS

N/A

NOTES

N/A

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.	Tshwane University of Technology (TUT)