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: 

Master of Public Health 
SAQA QUAL ID QUALIFICATION TITLE
21426  Master of Public Health 
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 09 - Health Sciences and Social Services  Preventive Health 
ABET BAND MINIMUM CREDITS PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL NQF LEVEL QUAL CLASS
Undefined  180  Level 8 and above  NQF Level 09  Regular-Provider-ELOAC 
REGISTRATION STATUS SAQA DECISION NUMBER REGISTRATION START DATE REGISTRATION END DATE
Registered-data under construction  EXCO 0324/24  2024-07-01  2027-06-30 
LAST DATE FOR ENROLMENT LAST DATE FOR ACHIEVEMENT
2028-06-30   2031-06-30  

Registered-data under construction

The qualification content is currently being updated for the qualifications with the status “Registered-data under construction” or showing “DETAILS UNDER CONSTRUCTION” to ensure compliance with SAQA’S Policy and Criteria for the registration of qualifications and part-qualifications on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) (As amended, 2022). These qualifications are re-registered until 30 June 2027 and can legitimately be offered by the institutions to which they are registered.

 

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.  

PURPOSE AND RATIONALE OF THE QUALIFICATION 
The first purpose of this qualification is to enable learners already working in fields related to public health or health care delivery, to advance their skills and effectiveness in their current jobs, to broaden their vision of possibilities within the sphere of public health and to provide opportunities for continued personal and career development.

The second purpose of the qualification is to enable learners who have previous preparation in fields outside the health professions or health sciences to enter public health training at a learner level, and to build on this to pursue careers in public health, health care management or related fields.

The third purpose of the qualification is to provide the country with learners in public health capable of contributing to the improvement of the health of the population and the reduction in health disparities, as researchers, managers, teachers, clinicians and health advocates. 

LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING 
Entry requirements:
The minimum entry requirement for this qualification is:
  • Bachelor of Public Health Honours, Level 8.
    Or
  • Postgraduate Diploma in Public Health, Level 8.
    Or
  • Cognate Bachelor's, Level 8. 
    		•

    RECOGNISE PREVIOUS LEARNING? 
    N 

    EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES 
    1. Is able to appraise critically information from various sources, and is able to make judgements and offer advice based on evidence and sound reasoning.
    2. Have communication skills: in concise writing and verbal presentation, computer and internet literacy.
    3. Shows numeracy skills, and is able to apply quantitative logic to problems.
    4. Contributes to the promotion of the highest possible state of health of the population.
    5. Contributes to the development of effective and equitable health care services and resources.
    6. Promotes the highest ethical practice in health care and research. 

    ASSOCIATED ASSESSMENT CRITERIA 
  • Shows competence in those curses requiring literature review, critical appraisal, policy and practice development and critique, as well as in the mini-dissertation;
  • Is able to produce work reflecting a multi-disciplinary perspective;
  • Shows competence in assignments requiring group work, written work, computer use, and electronic literature search, as well as in class presentations of prepared work;
  • Shows competence in those qualifications with a quantitative basis, particularly Epidemiology, Bio statistics, Research Methods and Health Economics, but shows effective numeracy in all qualifications;
  • Shows understanding of the causes of ill-health and disability, and of the mission of public health in applying critical analysis, evidence and advocacy to ameliorating health problems of social and individual importance;
  • Shows understanding of the organisation of health care and of the mission of public health in applying critical analysis, evidence and advocacy to improving effectiveness and equity in health care service delivery;
  • Shows competence in ethical review of research problems and health care scenarios posing ethical problems, and in preparing an ethics protocol for self-directed research.

    Integrated Assessment:
    Integrated assessment is based on a combination of summative and formative assessment: over 10 qualifications and a mini-dissertation:
    1. Classroom participation - attendance of 350 classroom hours. Of this, approximately 175 hours are didactic and 175 hours group work or discussion.
    2. Assignments - 3 assignments per qualification, for a total of 30 assignments. These include exercises, critical appraisal of studies or policy, literature reviews, and short projects (e.g. writing a research protocol), carried out either individually or in groups.
    3. Self-directed learning- Reading of prepared notes or assigned texts for each qualification. This is assessed in an end of qualification examination.
    4. One three hour written paper in each qualification, i.e. a minimum of 10 written papers for the qualification. These may be open or closed book, invigilated or take-home.
    5. A mini-dissertation in one or more of the public health disciplines in which the learner has completed qualifications, consisting of a substantial critical review of the literature and the presentation, analysis and interpretation of new information collected by the learner, using an accepted research methods; alternatively a formal systematic review of the literature using accepted methods.
    Overall achievement mark is 50%, with a 40% sub-minimum for both formative and summative assessment components. 
    		•

    INTERNATIONAL COMPARABILITY 
    This qualification compares with the international qualifications in terms of the range of competencies in the learning content offered. 

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

    Horizontal Articulation:
  • Master of Medicine in Public Health Medicine, NQF Level 9.

    Vertical Articulation:
  • Doctor of Public Health, NQF Level 10. 
    		•

    MODERATION OPTIONS 
    N/A 

    CRITERIA FOR THE REGISTRATION OF ASSESSORS 
    N/A 

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

    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.
     
    1. University of Cape Town 


    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.