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: Gender Studies

SAQA QUAL ID	QUALIFICATION TITLE
15922	Master of Social Science: Gender 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 07 - Human and Social Studies		General Social Science
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
81353	Master of Social Science in Gender Studies	Level 8 and above	NQF Level 09	128	Complete

PURPOSE AND RATIONALE OF THE QUALIFICATION

This qualification provides for graduate training in the field of gender studies. The purpose is twofold:

1. To develop capacity in research in the field of gender studies in Southern Africa.
2. To provide well educated and trained graduates to contribute to transformation in the new South Africa through their work in the public service, NGOs, research and development agencies, education, gender desks in the corporate sector, gender sensitive researchers and policy makers in both public and private sectors.

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 satisfactory competence in the substantive issues presented in the core course Gender, Politics and Theory

Demonstrate critical judgement in relation to theoretical debates in gender theory

Work in a collaborative capacity on research and / or development issues in gender studies

Understand the social construction of femininities and masculinities

Show evidence of gender sensitivity in relation to a diverse range of issues

Compare, analyse and synthesise academic sources from South Africa on gender issues

Locate questions of local and national significance in South Africa in the broader context of the region and the global context of contemporary South African life

Demonstrate knowledge and comprehension of a selected range of legislative and policy issues in post 1994 South Africa and the capacity to critique these using gender as a category of analysis

Provide evidence of the capacity to undertake research under supervision

Demonstrate a mastery of concepts, theories and substantive issues of relevance to development in South Africa through study of elective courses in gender studies

Demonstrate mastery of the literature in the field of inquiry and show the ability to compare and evaluate this literature as well as to synthesise

Select appropriate methodologies for the design and analysis of research data in gender studies

Demonstrate the ability to apply gender as a category of analysis to a selected range of issues in gender studies

Manifest an understanding of the intersection of gender with other important social variables such as class, race, age, ethnicity, religion and sexuality

Handle a range of sources of academic material on gender issues

Conduct independent research towards a dissertation

Where appropriate, demonstrate the capacity to translate research findings into policy recommendation and materials or develop instruments to disseminate the research in a manner that promotes transformation.

ASSOCIATED ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

Demonstrate knowledge and comprehension of the core elements of the programme as prescribed at each level

Demonstrate specific research skills such as the ability to critically evaluate text using one or more of a range of gender theories as categories of analysis

Present, using academic conventions, the findings of research

Address an audience based on background research and engage them in interaction on a topic in gender studies

Apply Gender Theory to personal and/or professional environment in written and oral presentations

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

Integrated Assessment

Assessment employs a range of methods including oral and written assignments, applications of theory to the work place and/or personal experience of student, multimedia presentations, essays and critical reviews.

Details are provided in the module template.

ARTICULATION OPTIONS

Vertical - below: Recognised Honours degree

Vertical - above: PhD

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

Horizontal - Outside the University: subject to University recognition of qualifications and/or credits obtained at other institutions.

MODERATION OPTIONS

Both internal and external moderation are in place and are subject to Faculty and Graduate School requirements and rules.

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), staffs 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 a qualification, 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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