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: 

Bachelor of Commerce in Accountancy 
SAQA QUAL ID QUALIFICATION TITLE
118587  Bachelor of Commerce in Accountancy 
ORIGINATOR
University of Johannesburg 
PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QUALITY ASSURANCE FUNCTIONARY NQF SUB-FRAMEWORK
-   HEQSF - Higher Education Qualifications Sub-framework 
QUALIFICATION TYPE FIELD SUBFIELD
National First Degree  Field 03 - Business, Commerce and Management Studies  Finance, Economics and Accounting 
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
Reregistered  EXCO 0821/24  2021-07-01  2027-06-30 
LAST DATE FOR ENROLMENT LAST DATE FOR ACHIEVEMENT
2028-06-30   2033-06-30  

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
103106  Bachelor of Commerce in International Accounting  Not Applicable  NQF Level 07  360  Complete 

PURPOSE AND RATIONALE OF THE QUALIFICATION 
Purpose:
The purpose of this qualification is to develop learners' intellectual and practical skills to enable them to identify, analyse, interpret, assess, evaluate, apply and solve problems, which would be expected to be done by an entry level Accountant in international practice. This qualification provides learners with a comprehensive and fundamental knowledge base of the underlying core international principles of accounting, governance, risk management and control, auditing, financial management as well as management accounting. Qualifying learners should be ready to enter the job market as an entry level Accountant. This qualification will develop learners to become self-directed, lifelong learners. This qualification emphasises competence, integrity, and application of ethics in a professional business environment. It will prepare learners for further studies in international accounting, governance, risk management and control, auditing, financial management as well as management accounting as a science.

Rationale:
The motivation for this qualification stems from the drive of the institution to increase the extent of access to higher education to local and international learners against the backdrop of resource constraints. The targeted learner is an individual that wants to pursue a career in the broad fields of finance and accounting, but who, due to financial and geographical barriers, are unable to access contact education, or who would prefer the flexibility that is available through distance provision. Online distance learning erases the barriers of time, geography and economics. Learners have many choices with the proliferation of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) and other online offerings by universities world-wide. The Institution has an agreement with Academic Partnerships, who have an established and successful competitive model for high-demand online degree qualifications; therefore this qualification would provide an attractive, flexible option for far-flung learners.

The content scope of and skills developed by this qualification enable learners to fully capitalise on the strengths required to become relevant, successful professionals in commerce, responding and adding long-term value to challenged economies globally. This qualification will therefore meet the needs of many learners in preparing them to pursue a career as professionals in the broad field of finance and accounting. Consultation with professional bodies such as the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) and Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) have indicated the dire need for an increase in the number of members in this profession in response to the global skills-shortage experienced in this field. The subsuming of the outcomes of the CIMA and ACCA qualifications within this qualification will produce learners who will be beneficially elevated in the process of becoming members of these professional bodies.

The rationale for the name, "Bachelor of Commerce in International Accounting" stems from the skills and knowledge that would be associated with the graduates from the completion of this qualification as well as the association with the members of the qualifications' related professional bodies. Being two of the leading global professional bodies in the field of accounting, the qualifications associated with both ACCA and CIMA have a significant focus on the broader field of accountancy and the international principles thereof. The members of these bodies are recognised globally as Accountants who have the skills and knowledge relevant to the international practice. In addition, the major field of this qualification is Accounting and the various aspects thereof, and the syllabus of these modules are based on the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS).

Although this qualification would be attractive for international learners as an articulation route for those that want to follow a career as a Chartered Accountant (through ACCA), the Degree will be marketed locally as a degree that provides articulation to the career of a Professional Accountant. The reason for this distinction in how the qualification is marketed, is based on the success of the Bachelor of Accounting qualification within the Institution that already provides learners with the opportunity to articulate into the career of a Chartered Accountant in South Africa. The outcomes of this qualification and the Bachelor of Accounting qualifications are also different as a result of the difference between the outcomes of the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) and ACCA and CIMA. This qualification will not be aligned with the outcomes required by SAICA and therefore will not provide a direct articulation route to Chartered Accountancy for local learners. 

LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING 
Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL):
Prospective learners may apply for RPL by following the Faculty procedures. There are no differences in how the processes and procedures (as per policy) are different between the online distance education mode and the existing contact qualifications that the institution offers.

The Faculty accepts Recognition of Prior Learning as an integral part of education and academic practice. It is acknowledged that all learning has value and the Faculty accepts the challenge to assess prior learning and award credit that is aligned to the Faculty qualifications to promote lifelong learning.

The purpose of the Institution's RPL policy is to recognise prior learning in order to provide for access into qualifications, grant advanced placement in qualifications and grant credits for modules on the principles and processes that serve as basis for Faculty-specific RPL practices.

The Department follows the Institution RPL Policy which requires the formation of a departmental RPL Committee to review RPL applications. The Committee compromises of at least three appropriate members in a Department, including an Advisor, Assessor and Moderator. An advisor acts as a facilitator between the RPL role players or as an evidence facilitator who may or may not be the Head of Department. The functions of the committee are to:
  • Monitor and review the RPL policy and procedures within the Department.
  • Oversee the RPL process and establish quality management in the Department.
  • Manage the administration of the RPL process according to the RPL sub-committee guidelines as approved by the Faculty.
  • Advise the Faculty RPL sub-committee of the Department's recommendations.

    Entry Requirements
    The minimum admission requirements to this qualification are:
  • A Senior Certificate with endorsement.
    Or
  • National Senior Certificate granting admission to Bachelor Degree studies. 
    		•

    RECOGNISE PREVIOUS LEARNING? 
    Y 

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

    Level 5, 120 Credits:
  • Accounting 11, 15 Credits.
  • Accounting 12, 15 Credits.
  • Financial Management - Finance 11, 15 Credits.
  • Financial Management - Costing 12, 15 Credits.
  • Principles of Business 11, 15 Credits.
  • Principles of Business 12, 15 Credits.
  • Ethical Foundations to Commerce 11, 15 Credits.
  • Economics 11, 15 Credits.

    Level 6, 120 Credits:
  • Accounting Studies 21, 15 Credits.
  • Governance, Risk management and Control 22, 15 Credits.
  • Accounting 21, 15 Credits.
  • Accounting 22, 15 Credits.
  • Financial Management - Finance 21, 15 Credits.
  • Financial Management - Costing 22, 15 Credits.
  • Accounting Software Applications 21, 15 Credits.
  • Governance, Risk management and Control 21, 15 Credits.

    Level 7, 120 Credits:
  • Case study 32, 15 Credits.
  • Financial Management - Costing 32, 15 Credits.
  • Auditing 31, 15 Credits.
  • Auditing 32, 15 Credits.
  • Accounting 31, 15 Credits.
  • Accounting 32, 15 Credits.
  • Case study 31, 15 Credits.
  • Financial Management - Finance 31, 15 Credits. 
    		•

    EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES 
    1. Identify, analyse, interpret, assess, evaluate and solve advanced accounting, governance, risk management and control, auditing, financial management as well as management accounting related problems through a high level of critical thinking and application of subject related knowledge to practical scenarios.
    2. Reflect on the application of knowledge and the resulting decisions made to solve problems through the assessment and interpretation of the effect of such decisions in a holistic business context.
    3. Demonstrate the competence to work effectively as an individual, in teams and in multidisciplinary environments.
    4. Demonstrate competence to engage in independent learning through well-developed learning skills.
    5. Demonstrate critical awareness of the need to act professionally and ethically and to exercise judgment and take responsibility within own limits of competence. 

    ASSOCIATED ASSESSMENT CRITERIA 
    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1:
  • Perform ratio analysis on an entity's financial statements.
  • Draft annual financial statements.
  • Perform audit procedures.
  • Review the strategy of the entity.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2:
  • Critically review the financial decisions of an entity.
  • Draft a financial plan.
  • Critically evaluate business decisions of the entity.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 3:
  • Demonstrate communication, pervasive, management and leaderships skills through group projects in group tutorials.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 4:
  • Take responsibility for their own learning through self study, time management and through scheduling modules together.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 5:
  • Demonstrate ethical principals by ensuring they do their own work.
  • Avoid plagiarism in assignments.

    Integrated Assessment:
    Outcomes within a module will be assessed in an integrated manner, whilst the Case Study 31 and Case Study 32 modules, specifically, will be used to assess inter-modular outcomes in an integrated manner.

    The assessment strategy for all modules in this qualification, except for Case Study 31 and Case Study 32, is one of continuous assessment. Performance in this qualification is partly determined by the learners' performance in assessment tasks during the course of a term, which cumulatively count towards learners' final marks. In each of the modules, at least two appropriate summative assessment tasks are given, which, when combined, constitute a portfolio and amounts to 80% of the final period mark. Assessment Tasks form a coherent whole, and are authentic in nature. The balance (20%) of the final period mark is achieved by completing at least two formative milestone quizzes, or even the achievement of "badges" in an approximately 7 week (term) module, in accordance with Institution's Academic Regulations. A summative assessment opportunity, towards the end of a module, will be substantial and ensure that outcomes are assessed in an integrated manner. The summative assessment will be moderated in terms of the Institution's moderation policy and will represent 50% of the final mark.

    The Case Study 31 and Case Study 32 modules, specifically, will be used to assess inter-modular outcomes in an integrated manner. It will also consist of at least two case study based summative assessment opportunities constituting 100% of the final period mark. The final (third) summative assessment will be moderated in terms of the Institution's moderation policy and will represent 50% of the final mark. 
    		•

    INTERNATIONAL COMPARABILITY 
    ¿ The qualification will be comparable to other Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) accredited Degrees entitling students to exemptions for the F1 - F9 exams on the fundamentals level of the ACCA qualification.
    ¿ Likewise, the qualification will be comparable to other Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) accredited Degrees entitling students to exemptions for the BA1 - BA4, E1, P1, and F1 exams up to the operational level of the CIMA qualification.
    ¿ Monash has a similar qualification offered in Australia which is accredited with CIMA as well as other professional bodies. 

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

    Horizontal Articulation:
  • Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting, Level 7.
  • Bachelor of Commerce in Finance, Level 7.

    Vertical Articulation:
  • Postgraduate Diploma in Accounting, Level 8.
  • Postgraduate Diploma in Finance, Level 8.
  • Bachelor of Commerce Honours in Accounting, Level 8.
  • Bachelor of Commerce Honours in Financial Management, Level 8.
  • Bachelor of Commerce Honours in Internal Auditing, 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.
     
    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.