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:

Bachelor of Social Science Honours: Economics

SAQA QUAL ID	QUALIFICATION TITLE
21457	Bachelor of Social Science Honours: Economics
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
Honours 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	120	Level 7	Level N/A: Pre-2009 was L7	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 honours programme is the first year of postgraduate study in Economics. The programme is designed to provide the opportunity for further intensive study in macro and microeconomics as well as specialised fields of economics. It will include training in concepts and research methods designed to equip the candidate with the skills necessary either of reemployment in public or private sector organisations concerned with the analysis of economic and related issues including economic policy. It will also prepare students for further study, locally or internationally, at Masters level in Economics or a related subject area.

LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING

A degree of Bachelor or its equivalent with a better than average pass in the major in the discipline or a cognate discipline.

Senior certificate with Matriculation Exemption or Equivalent university admission qualification.

Bcom (Economics and Finance);
Bcom (Economics and Finance);
Bcom (PPE)
BsocSc

Recognition of prior Learning

Non-graduates who have shown by examination or publication or a record of appropriate training that they have reached a level in the subject equivalent to a bachelor's degree may be permitted to register for the degree.

RECOGNISE PREVIOUS LEARNING?

EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES

Cross-Field outcomes:

The Honours graduate is competent to:

i) Understand and manipulate qualitative and quantitative data within an area of specialisation;
ii) Design and conduct research in his or her area of specialisation;
iii) Produce academic papers that reflect an ability to interrogate the professional literature and engage in critical debate;
iv) Find information of professional relevance efficiently and independently;
v) Use information-technology efficiently and independently;
vi) Embark on Masters level research study under supervision.

General outcomes:

The BsocSc (Hons) graduate is competent to:

i) Articulate an understanding of an area of specialisation at a high level of abstraction;
ii) Independently apply discipline-based knowledge and practices to an understanding of conceptual and practical problems;
iii) Design and conduct research utilising the methods of the discipline
iv) Apply the theory and research methods of the discipline to the development of research questions;
v) Produce theoretical and research communications that draw on a range of information bases.

Specific outcomes:

The Honours Economics graduate is able to:

Formulate a sophisticated argument drawing on appropriate theory and research;

Critically analyse the literature in the discipline

Produce critiques of economic research

Design a limited scope research project to answer an economic question

Utilise advanced quantitative and qualitative methods to address research questions

Represent hypothetical economic situations using formal models

ASSOCIATED ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

The learner's achievement of critical cross-field outcomes is assessed formatively during the ocurse through a range of activities, and summatively in the capstone activity outlined under 6 below.

The learner's achievement of general programme outcomes is assessed through a range of formative and summative assessments throughout the course, and particularly in the capstone activity outlined under 6 below.

Assessments include theoretical papers, practical reports, oral presentations and research projects. Formative assessment includes the preparation of short and long papers. Summative assessment takes the form of examinations and the Honours Long Paper, based on research and written under supervision (see section 6).

Integrated assessment:

The integration of skills learned in Economics Honours is assessed by means of the "Honours long paper," a piece of supervised economic research targeted at a specific academic journal chosen in consultation with the supervisor. An economic problem of clearly constrained scope will be chosen and formally modelled. Alternatively, a problem in normative analysis will be selected for discursive treatment. The student will initially produce a proposal reviewing the literature and outlining the methodology and objectives. Following further consultation with the supervisor, the research project will be completed and written up according to the style and tradition of the student's selected journal. Drafts of the work will be presented at a student seminar moderated by the supervisor and other staff members. Following final assessment, the student may be advised on tactics for seeking to have the work published.

The Honours Long Paper will be assessed on the basis of competence in reviewing the literature and on the depth of knowledge of problem-setting and problem-solving techniques it deploys. Formative assessment will occur continuously through the supervisor's feedback and through responses at the student's seminar. Summative assessment will involve assignment of an overall grade to the completed project.

Where the student intends to continue into the Masters programme, the Long Paper could constitute analysis of a problem that can subsequently be generalised to form the basis for a Master's dissertation.

ARTICULATION OPTIONS

Titles of related qualification(s)

1. MsocSc in Economics by coursework and dissertation;
2. Mphil (PPE);
3. Masters in Health Economics;
4. Masters in Economics and Demography;
5. MsocSc in Economics by dissertation;
6. Interdisciplinary coursework and research masters programmes (Mphil)

1 - 5
Yes, this qualification serves as an entry point to the related qualification(s).

Entry to this qualification in mid-stream is not possible.

Exit from qualification in mid-stream - credit is given for modules of the course completed

Other higher education programmes which articulate with this qualification without going back to square one
Subject to the provisions of the Joint Statute, this work may be recognised by another institution in part fulfilment towards a similar degree of honours bachelor.

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.

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