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 THAT HAS PASSED THE END DATE:

Master of Arts: English Studies

SAQA QUAL ID	QUALIFICATION TITLE
14950	Master of Arts: English Studies
ORIGINATOR
University of Natal
PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QUALITY ASSURANCE FUNCTIONARY			NQF SUB-FRAMEWORK
CHE - Council on Higher Education			HEQSF - Higher Education Qualifications Sub-framework
QUALIFICATION TYPE	FIELD		SUBFIELD
Master's Degree	Field 04 - Communication Studies and Language		Language
ABET BAND	MINIMUM CREDITS	PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL	NQF LEVEL	QUAL CLASS
Undefined	128	Level 8 and above	NQF Level 09	Regular-Provider-ELOAC
REGISTRATION STATUS		SAQA DECISION NUMBER	REGISTRATION START DATE	REGISTRATION END DATE
Passed the End Date - Status was "Reregistered"		SAQA 2663/05	2006-07-01	2009-06-30
LAST DATE FOR ENROLMENT		LAST DATE FOR ACHIEVEMENT
2010-06-30		2013-06-30

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 is replaced by:

Qual ID	Qualification Title	Pre-2009 NQF Level	NQF Level	Min Credits	Replacement Status
81243	Master of Arts: English Studies	Level 8 and above	Level N/A:Pre-2009 was L8+	128	Complete

PURPOSE AND RATIONALE OF THE QUALIFICATION

The purposes are more extensively pursued within a three track system that allows students to focus upon the three related main areas of study making up the discipline of English as it is understood today: Language/Writing; Literary Studies; Cultural Studies. Students may emphasise those tracks within English Studies that suit their vocational interests and support these with a selected range of ancillary and/or substitute courses from other disciplines (e.g. language skills to strengthen their Language/Writing interests; media and communication courses to strengthen their cultural studies interests; comparative literature courses to strengthen their literary interests). Students may also select all of the offerings within English in order to give themselves a thorough grounding in all the elements of contemporary English Studies.

LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING

Appropriate Honours degree. Entry is also possible through University of Natal's Rule 33 for postgraduate study.

RECOGNISE PREVIOUS LEARNING?

EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES

Demonstrate some insight into the role of literature as a representation of and formative influence on peoples' experiences, aspiration and searches for ways of living;

Understand the interpretation of written and oral literary and cultural texts;

Understand the analysis and criticism of written and oral literary and cultural texts;

Understand the social production of literary and cultural texts at various times in history;

Understand the discipline of literary studies and its role in society;

Demonstrate an acquaintance with some of the theories which underpin the production and the study of literary and cultural texts;

Demonstrate some knowledge of the current debates about literature, culture and society;

Demonstrate a capacity for self-directed study;

Work both individually and as a member of a group;

Communicate clearly in writing and in speech;

Absorb and organise a substantial body of information;

Interpret and evaluate primary literary and cultural texts;

Summarise and evaluate commentaries on those texts;

Demonstrate a capacity for historically contextualised understanding of primary and other texts;

Understand the concepts, underlying philosophies and concerns of literary and cultural criticism;

Understand and synthesise the formative relationship between the particular (literary-cultural and/or vocational) focus of his/her English studies and the ancillary disciplines selected for study, and to transfer the knowledge established in one discipline to another;

Use the language skills and the interpretative, critical and analytical skills, as well as the knowledge and the values taught in the programme in appropriate ways in educational and other institutions in society, or in other spheres of employment;

Demonstrate an advanced critical understanding of the range of literatures in English;

Engage at an advanced level with the concepts, underlying philosophies and concerns of literary and cultural criticism;

Apply these concepts in extended (proto-research) written assignments;

Understand the general requirements of research and use the particular methods appropriate to his/her own research;

Write a research article, or a mini dissertation, or a full dissertation that is based on independent research and which shows familiarity with the primary texts, engagement with the relevant theoretical and critical texts and with the current and/or historical debates about the primary texts.

ASSOCIATED ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

Demonstrate a thorough knowledge of the general field of inquiry;

Demonstrate a detailed knowledge of specific areas of inquiry in the programme: the production of literary-cultural texts in English in their context and the interpretation and criticism of those texts;

Understand the interrelationships amongst various areas of the field of knowledge: language, culture, textual production, history and criticism;

Independently analyse texts in their relations to contexts;

Demonstrate an understanding of the theoretical and philosophical underpinnings of the field of study;

Demonstrate a thorough knowledge of current critical debates;

Summarise, compare and evaluate a substantial body of knowledge;

Construct a sustained argument, formulate questions and work towards their resolutions;

Demonstrate a command of the conceptual discourse of literary-cultural studies;

Contextualise criticism within the present social environment and indicate an historical understanding of earlier criticism;

Develop a clear understanding of the historical and current state of literary-cultural studies and of their possible future development;

Demonstrate a command of academic English at an appropriate level;

Use information technology at an appropriate level;

Understand the social-cultural diversity of the place of study and of the objects of study;

Study individually and work in groups;

Present work at an appropriate level, both orally and in writing;

Carry out a substantial independent research project conforming to acknowledged scholarly protocols.

Integrated assessment appropriately incorporated to ensure that the purpose of the qualification is achieved:

The University of Natal is currently reforming its assessment strategies to include the assessment of applied competence for each qualification. In the meantime, a combination of continuous assessment and traditional written examinations serve to assess the integration of all/most of the learning outcomes for each module in a qualification.

ARTICULATION OPTIONS

Vertical -Below: recognised Honours degree

Above: PhD

Horizontal - Within the University: with the approval of the programme directors, modules from other approved disciplines may be incorporated into this qualification and modules from this discipline may be incorporated into other approved qualifications.

Outside the University: Subject to University recognition of qualification and/or credits obtained at other institutions.

MODERATION OPTIONS

The ETQA system for HE is not yet fully developed. Until such time as it is, procedures described under assessors criteria suffice.

CRITERIA FOR THE REGISTRATION OF ASSESSORS

Until the HEQC establishes a registration system for assessors in the HET Band, the University of Natal assumes that, on the basis of its rigorous selection criteria for the appointment of academic staff (who also have opportunities for staff development in assessment), staff are competent to assess students on the modules they teach. This assessment is quality assured via a university system of internal moderation and external examination. External examiners are appointed for their teaching and disciplinary expertise and subject to the approval of faculty Boards. The University of Natal ruling is that 66 % of all assessments at exit level, i.e. leading to qualifications are externally examined.

REREGISTRATION HISTORY

As per the SAQA Board decision/s at that time, this qualification was Reregistered in 2006.

LEARNING PROGRAMMES RECORDED AGAINST THIS QUALIFICATION:

When qualifications are replaced, some of their learning programmes are moved to being recorded against the replacement qualifications. If a learning programme appears to be missing from here, please check the replacement.

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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.

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