SAQA

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SOUTH AFRICAN QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY

REGISTERED QUALIFICATION:

Bachelor of Human Resource Development Honours

SAQA QUAL ID	QUALIFICATION TITLE
117982	Bachelor of Human Resource Development Honours
ORIGINATOR
North West University
PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QUALITY ASSURANCE FUNCTIONARY			NQF SUB-FRAMEWORK
-			HEQSF - Higher Education Qualifications Sub-framework
QUALIFICATION TYPE	FIELD		SUBFIELD
Honours Degree	Field 03 - Business, Commerce and Management Studies		Human Resources
ABET BAND	MINIMUM CREDITS	PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL	NQF LEVEL	QUAL CLASS
Undefined	120	Not Applicable	NQF Level 08	Regular-Provider-ELOAC
REGISTRATION STATUS		SAQA DECISION NUMBER	REGISTRATION START DATE	REGISTRATION END DATE
Reregistered		EXCO 0821/24	2020-12-04	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 Bachelor of Human Resource Development Honours qualification is to provide Human Resource Development (HRD) professionals with high levels of theoretical engagement and intellectual independence by developing integrated and applied knowledge of, and a critical disposition regarding HRD theories and conceptual frameworks, national and international HRD systems, global emerging and best HRD practices as well as the link between HRD and adult learning.

Furthermore, the qualification will develop research-capacity in methodology and techniques of the HRD discipline and learners will be introduced to scientific methods of enquiry that could be effectively applied during post-graduate research in HRD. This qualification would enable HRD professionals to effectively engage in current HRD discourse, to conduct independent HRD Postgraduate research) and to achieve some critical distance from conventional (including own) HRD practices and HRD systems.

The learners will be able to consolidate and deepen their expertise by critically evaluating their own, organisational, national and international HRD practices and systems, to select, recommend, apply and implement applicable, creative and effective evidence-based, theory-driven and practice-related HRD solutions and strategies to HRD problems within a variety of HRD contexts, thereby also contributing to the advancement of HRD as an academic discipline/science and applied field of professional practice.

Rationale:
This qualification is designed to bring higher education, specifically Postgraduate studies, within the reach of already employed HRD practitioners who had already completed the undergraduate Bachelor of Human Resource Development, but who cannot attend classes on a full-time basis due to work commitments.

This qualification is both internally and externally responsive. The qualification is designed to provide Postgraduate learners with access to cutting-edge developments in HRD and to develop their research competency, within a framework which respects socio-cultural diversity and encourage self-directedness and lifelong learning for them to contribute to their work, life in the twenty-first century and to serve the people of this country.

HRD entails the integrated use of training and development, organisation development, and career development to improve individual, group and organisational effectiveness. HRD is a key national priority (HRD Strategy of South Africa (SA, 2009), driven and supported extensively by government policies and legislation, including the National Skills Development Strategies (DHET, 2011), the National Skills Development Plan 2030 (DHET, 2017) and the HRD Strategy of South Africa 2010 - 2030 (SA, 2009) with the view to improve individual and organisational effectiveness and productivity, thereby addressing national skills shortages and unemployment.

The qualification will fulfil a niche in the market for an Honours Degree in HRD. The qualification will also prepare graduates for further study at Master's level in the field of HRD to address the national HRD research needs.

Qualifying learners will be able to operate as HRD professionals in a senior/management capacity such as HRD executives, training providers, senior training programme designers and evaluators, senior quality assurers/senior quality managers of training programmes, employed within all industries where HRD is applied. Applicable industries, for example, may include small, medium, and large enterprises, the Sectoral Education Training Authorities (SETAs), the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO), public and government institutions, and private and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), amongst other.

Further education and training of HRD professionals with advanced knowledge and critical understanding of HRD are essential to fulfil a leading role in the application and implementation of advanced HRD solutions in different contexts and to effectively address national HRD needs. Qualifying learners will be able to effectively address identified HRD gaps to the benefit of organisations, businesses and working individuals and ultimately society, as well.

LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL):
RPL will be applied according to the Recognition of Prior Learning, Credit Accumulation and Transfer, and assessment (CHE 2016) and the institution RPL policy. The process will be managed by the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences and specifically the HRD programme in which the qualification will reside.

The Faculty must ensure that quality assurance processes that address the specificities of the RPL process (including applications, assessment, and reporting and management systems) are implemented; and that administrative and support systems, both prior and after RPL assessment, are in place.

RPL may be used to grant access to a qualification or advanced standing/exemption from modules of a particular qualification.

Admission and advanced standing on grounds of RPL:

RPL will be applied in accordance with the university's Rules for Teaching, Learning and Assessment (2019), to grant access to learners who do not meet the minimum admission requirements of a qualification, or grant advanced standing to a learner by exempting the learner from the recognised modules required for the completion of a particular qualification.

Not more than 10% of a cohort of learners in a qualification can be admitted through an RPL process.

Exemption from modules through RPL

Where a learner was granted exemption for one or more modules because of RPL, the remaining credits required for the qualification must be obtained by completing the relevant qualification.

The maximum portion of a qualification from which a learner may be exempted by means of RPL is fifty percent (50%) of the credits of the full qualification.

Only proven informal or non-formal learning may be taken into consideration by means of RPL, the process of equivalence-setting between such learning and formal modules must be documented, and its outcome must be recorded on the official learner record.

RPL for credits:

Credits may only be granted for modules obtained during studies towards a formal qualification, including credits obtained for modules taken for non-degree purposes.

Credit recognition and transfer entails a documented process by means of which a learner receives credit for specified prescribed modules or coursework components of a formal learning offered by the institution. allowing the adjustment of the minimum study period for the completion of a qualification offered by the institution within the framework of General academic Rules.

For the purposes of credit recognition and transfer, distinctions are maintained between programmes leading to a qualification that have been completed and those that have not been completed, and between credits received in qualifications offered by the institution and credits received from other recognised higher education institutions.

Credit recognition and transfer applies to:

A learner of the university who is registered for, but has not completed a qualification, and who wishes to change to a different programme linked to the same qualification.

A learner of the institution who is registered for, but has not completed a programme, and who wishes to change to a different programme linked to a different qualification.

A learner registered at another recognised higher education institution who has not completed the programme at that institution, and who wishes to register for the same or a different programme at the institution.

A learner who has completed a qualification at the institution or at another recognised higher education institution who wishes to enrol for a programme leading to another qualification at the university.

Qualifications that consist entirely or partially of coursework modules or components, but not to qualifications that consist purely of a research component.

Credit can only be granted to a learner who meets the minimum admission requirements of the qualification and programme for which the learner wishes to register.

The procedure and form of written application, and the conditions for credit recognition and transfer in formal academic programmes and qualifications offered by a faculty must be provided for in the faculty rules.

The executive dean of a faculty has the final discretion regarding the granting of credit recognition and transfer and is responsible for overseeing the procedure provided for in rule and for ensuring appropriate record-keeping thereof.

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

Bachelor of Human Resource Development, NQF Level 7.
Or

Advanced Diploma in Human Resource Development, NQF Level 7.

RECOGNISE PREVIOUS LEARNING?

QUALIFICATION RULES

This qualification consists of the following compulsory modules at NQF Level 8 totalling 126 Credits.

Compulsory Modules, Level 8, 126 Credits:

Compulsory Challenges in HRD, 16 Credits.

Advanced Adult Learning, 16 Credits.

HRD in a Global Context, 16 Credits.

People Development in an Organisational Context, 16 Credits.

Research Methodology, 16 Credits.

Research Project, 30 Credits.

HRD in a Changing World, 16 Credits.

EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES

1. Apply and evaluate HRD theories, concepts, ideas, scientific methods of enquiry and engagement in current discourse relevant to HRD as an academic discipline and applied practice.
2. Critically interrogate, demarcate, and evaluate multiple sources of knowledge within the field of HRD and to display a critical understanding of knowledge transfer from related fields.
3. Select and implement applicable and effective evidence-based solutions, strategies and recommendations and theory-driven arguments to improve HRD systems and practices.
4. Reflect on, select, apply, and critically judge the effectiveness of a range of appropriate HRD procedures, techniques, theories.
5. Identify, judge, and address ethical issues based on critical reflection on the suitability of various ethical value systems to the field of HRD.
6. Access, process and manage information responsibly, including relevant current articles and prescribed material by using scientifically appropriate information-gathering processes.
7. Understand, evaluate, critique, and judge the suitability of different scientific methods of enquiry to the field of HRD.
8. Present and communicate academic, practice and professional HRD-related ideas and texts and effectively engage with the HRD body of scholarship.
9. Critically reflect on own learning strategies with the view to adjusting it where necessary to address own ongoing learning needs and professional development.
10. Operate effectively within and manage a system within the context of HRD by demonstrating a logical and critical understanding of the relationship between HRD and other related fields.

ASSOCIATED ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1:

Display integrated and applied knowledge to evaluate and critique HRD theories, concepts, ideas, and scientific methods of enquiry to effectively apply such knowledge.

Engage in current discourse relevant to HRD as an academic discipline and applied practice.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2:

Critically interrogate, demarcate, and evaluate multiple sources of knowledge, including prescribed articles and books, within the field of HRD.

Display an advanced and critical understanding of knowledge transfer from related fields such as adult learning and how the theories from related fields inform and enrich HRD as a multi-disciplinary field.

Display critical understanding of the interrelationship between and application of HRD theory, research, and practice, within a variety of HRD contexts.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 3:

Select and implement appropriate and effective evidence-based solutions, strategies, and recommendations.

Apply theory-driven arguments to improve HRD systems and practices within a variety of HRD contexts, in the learner's own country and organisation.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 4:

Critique and judge the effectiveness of a variety of HRD procedures, techniques, theories, and best practices, by reflecting and drawing systematically on the HRD body of knowledge and methods studied.

Analyse and apply specialised problem-solving skills in the selection and application of HRD procedures, techniques, theories, and best practices to address complex and challenging problems within the field of HRD.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 5:

Critique and judge the suitability of various ethical value systems to the field of HRD.

Reflect on and effectively address ethical issues in HRD.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 6:

Access, gather and process information, including relevant articles and prescribed material by using scientifically appropriate information-gathering processes.

Validate and evaluate information using applicable academic/scientific methods.

Manage own information (such as assignments and the research project) and the information of others responsibly and in line with the rules on ethics, intellectual property, accurate referencing, and plagiarism.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 7:

Evaluate, critique, and judge the suitability of different scientific methods of enquiry to the field of HRD.

Suggest the most suitable scientific methods of enquiry to inform and advance HRD as an academic discipline/science, an applied field of practice, as well as the professional status of HRD.

Develop and apply research skills to enable independent research in the field of HRD.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 8:

Present and communicate academic, practice and professional HRD-related ideas and texts in an academically acceptable format for Postgraduate HRD learners and professionals.

Effectively engage with the HRD body of scholarship to enable creative insights into and the proposal of solutions to identified problems, contemporary challenges and issues in the field of HRD.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 9:

Critically reflect on own learning strategies to enable adjustment for improvement, where necessary.

Assess and effectively address own learning needs and professional development.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 10:

Display a logical and critical understanding of the relationship between HRD theory, practice, and research.

Enable the effective operation and management of a system within the context of HRD.

Integrated Assessment:
Opportunities for both continuous formative and summative assessments are embedded in the learning design of the qualification throughout the years of study, in the form of written and practical assignments, portfolios and practical assessments and written and practical examinations.

Learners are assessed on the application of learned skills to assure that theory evolves into effective practice. Several outcomes of related specialisations across the different year levels are assessed in an integrated manner using a project in the 2nd year of the qualification, wherein not only the learner's evidence of the mastering of discipline-specific knowledge and skills are assessed, but also his writing and communication skills, his computer literacy and his ability to critically analyse and effectively evaluate a work-place related problem. Report-writing is an important aspect of such an assessment.

INTERNATIONAL COMPARABILITY

The two most prominent countries concerning HRD qualifications, specifically post-graduate qualifications, are the United States and the United Kingdom. Honours Degrees, specifically on Postgraduate level, could not be located within an international context and within the HRD field. A possible reason for the absence of Honours Degrees (in HRD) is that for example in the UK, a different structure is used than in South Africa, whereby a Bachelors' and in some cases (depending on whether it is an applied field) workplace experience is required for entry into Postgraduate studies. For example, in the UK, qualifications are divided into levels (from Level 1 to Level 8) where the first year of a three-year Bachelor's Degree equates to Level 4, the second year to Level 5 and the final year to Level 6.

The University of Minnesota is also significant in HRD since the mentioned university was at the forefront of establishing HRD qualifications within an international context. The International Academy of Human Resource Development (AHRD) (which is the global community for HRD scholars and scholar-practitioners across the globe) was also established at the University of Minnesota. More specifically, at the University of Minnesota' in the United States, a Bachelor's degree in HRD (Bachelor of Science in Human Resource Development) (similarly to the UK where a Bachelors' Degree also provides access to a Masters' Degree in HRD (Master of Arts in HRD or Master of Education in HRD). The aforementioned Masters' degrees in HRD at the University of Minnesota all having a solid grounding in research methodologies.

In the United Kingdom, three PGDip (HRD) offered could be located, which is to some extent similar and more or less on the same level as the qualification, except that these Postgraduate Diplomas do not have any research components. For example, a PGDip (Human Resource Development and Training Management) is offered at Portsmouth University that includes the modules training, learning and talent development; consultancy, coaching and mentoring; leadership and management skills; the training manager and the business context but notably no research modules. Also, a Postgraduate Diploma in Human Resource Development at Coventry University (United Kingdom) consists of mandatory modules including Leading, Managing and Developing People, Organisational Design and Development, Leadership and Management Development.

The content (modules) is contained in this qualification, specifically in the HRDT 627 module (People development within an organisational context). The University of Wolverhampton in the UK also offers a part-time Post Graduate Diploma in Human Resource Development and Organisational Change that extends over two years.

ARTICULATION OPTIONS

This qualification allows possibilities for both vertical and horizontal articulation.

Horizontal Articulation:

Bachelor of Administration Honours, Level 8.

Vertical Articulation:

Master of Philosophy in Human Resource Development, Level 9.

Master of Business Administration, Level 9.

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.

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