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 Social Science: Public Affairs and Administration

SAQA QUAL ID	QUALIFICATION TITLE
15449	Master of Social Science: Public Affairs and Administration
ORIGINATOR
University of Cape Town
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 03 - Business, Commerce and Management Studies		Public Administration
ABET BAND	MINIMUM CREDITS	PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL	NQF LEVEL	QUAL CLASS
Undefined	192	Level 8 and above	Level N/A:Pre-2009 was L8+	Regular-Provider-ELOAC
REGISTRATION STATUS		SAQA DECISION NUMBER	REGISTRATION START DATE	REGISTRATION END DATE
Passed the End Date - Status was "Reregistered"		SAQA 06120/18	2018-07-01	2018-12-31
LAST DATE FOR ENROLMENT		LAST DATE FOR ACHIEVEMENT
2019-12-31		2022-12-31

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

The degree provides training in the techniques of research, analysis and scholarly presentation appropriate to Public Affairs and Administration. The degree will equip the candidate with knowledge in the field of research and the skills necessary either for employment in the field of public and Management generally (including the civil service, national and international NGO's, research or consultancy positions in public policy analysis, strategic management, public project management, public financial management, public personnel management etc), for further independent research toward the degree of PhD in Public Administration.

LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING

Minimum entrance requirements

A degree of Honours Bachelor or its equivalent, in an economics field or a cognate discipline recognised by the Faculty.

School subject minimum requirements
None.

Assumptions (recognition of prior learning)
People who have shown by examination or publication or a record of appropriate training that they have reached a level in the subject or a cognate subject equivalent to an Honours degree may be permitted to register for the degree.

Senior certificate with Matriculation Exemption or Equivalent university admission qualification.

First degree: BSocSc

Honours degree: BsocSc (Hons

Recognition of prior learning

Non-Honours graduates who have shown by examination or publication or a record of appropriate training that they have reached a level in the subject or a cognate subject equivalent to an Honours Bachelors degree may e permitted to register for the degree.

RECOGNISE PREVIOUS LEARNING?

EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES

Critical cross-field outcomes:

i) The Masters graduate is able to demonstrate mastery to depth of a theoretically sophisticated subject matter.
ii) The Masters graduate is equipped with proficiency in research methodology sufficient to proceed to a PhD.
Graduates have mastered the skills of critical thinking, problem solving, collection and analysis of data, and effective professional written communication.

b) General outcomes (contextually demonstrated general knowledge, skills and values of the programme)

The Masters graduate is able to:

i) Conduct independent research in the area of specialisation;
ii) Apply in-depth and specialised disciplinary knowledge and research skills to specific empirical cases and topics;
iii) Demonstrate an awareness of the limitations of research and an ability to make claims with appropriate conditions;
iv) Draw on discipline based knowledge to identify appropriate cases to devise hypothesis creating and and answering comparisons;
v) Prepare research reports and literature studies to established academic standards required for publication in professional journals and effectively present research in readable form to lay audiences;
vi) Appreciate the ethical issues associated with research and knowledge production in the discipline.
vii) Understand the processes whereby knowledge in the Humanities is constructed.

c) Specific Outcomes, including professional outcomes, contextually demonstrated)

The MSocSc graduate in Public Affairs and Administration is able to:

i) Identify, interpret and apply Public and Development Management-related literature at an advanced level;
ii) Identify and apply the most important methodological approaches and key research techniques in Public and Development Management at an advanced level;
iii) Identify and solve more complex Public and Development Management problems in a critical and constructive way so as to ensure sustainable developmental outcomes;
iv) Work effectively with others as a member of a senior management team in the developmental and public sectors;
v) Prepare and present research proposals and to conduct independent research, write up and present it in academic form;
vi) Act as a research and policy consultant in the field of Public and development Management;
vii) Present and communicate complex Public Management-related issues effectively to professional and lay audiences.

ASSOCIATED ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

The achievement of these outcomes is assessed in the integrated assessment of the programme.

The achievement of these outcomes is assessed in the integrated assessment of the programme.

The outcomes are assessed as follows:

The completion of written assignments, oral presentations, projects and term papers in relevant competence areas;

The completion of a research dissertation that includes the components listed under 6 below.

Integrated assessment:

The integration of skills learnt in the MSocSc degree in Public Affairs and Administration is assessed by means of a supervised dissertation of a word length stipulated by the faculty. The dissertation must demonstrate competence in the following areas, all of which are assessed in the examination of the dissertation.

* adequate research problem formulation and development;
* application of relevant theoretical approaches and key research techniques for policy analysis / case studies in Public and Development Management at an advanced level;
* Systematic and sustained discussion and argumentation and integration of findings;
*ability to address the normative issues that might attend the study;
* Appreciation of the methodological limitations of the study;
* Use of the publication and style conventions of the discipline;

The dissertation is subject to external examination.

ARTICULATION OPTIONS

Title(s) of related qualification(s) PhD

This qualification serves as an entry point to the related qualification(s).

Entry to this qualification in mid-stream
Not possible.

Other higher education programmes which articulate with this qualification without "going back to square one:
The Masters degree articulates with the PhD in the Faculty of Humanities. When the dissertation progress is reviewed at the end of each academic year, the Faculty Board, on the recommendation of the supervisor and the Head of the Department, may recommend that the candidate's registration be upgraded to a PhD and that the period of Masters registration beyond the minimum period of one year be recognised towards the two year minimum period of study for the PhD

MODERATION OPTIONS

The University of Cape Town has a system of external peer review and evaluation of each course. One of the aspects of the system is an evaluation of the standards and assessment practices of the department.

CRITERIA FOR THE REGISTRATION OF ASSESSORS

The academic staff of the University of Cape Town will be used in a manner, which is consistent with the quality assurance system of the University.

REREGISTRATION HISTORY

As per the SAQA Board decision/s at that time, this qualification was Reregistered in 2006; 2009; 2012; 2015.

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.	University of Cape Town