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 Dental Surgery in Community Dentistry 
SAQA QUAL ID QUALIFICATION TITLE
21639  Master of Dental Surgery in Community Dentistry 
ORIGINATOR
University of the Western Cape 
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 purposes of the qualification are:
  • To provide qualifiers with specialised knowledge, specific clinical skills and applied competence in a specific dental discipline that provide opportunities for continue personal intellectual growth, gainful economic activity and rewarding contributions to society.
  • To provide South Africa with significant numbers of post learners/specialists of specific dental disciplines in order to ensure that the local leadership base of innovative and knowledge-based economic and scholarly activity is widened. 
    		•

    LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING 
    Entry Requirements:
    The minimum entry requirements for this qualification areis a:
  • Bachelor of Dental Surgery, NQF Level 8.
    Or
  • Bachelor of Science Honours: Dental Science, NQF Level 8.
    Or
  • Bachelor of Dental Science, NQF Level 8 with a minimum of 3 years appropriate experience. 
    		•

    RECOGNISE PREVIOUS LEARNING? 
    N 

    EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES 
    1. Be able to perform all standard dental procedures.
    2. Be able to perform all specialised procedures related to the specific discipline.
    3. Competent in the design, methodology, implementation and publication of a research paper/project.
    4. Display specialised and basic research skills in a specific clinical dental discipline and to perform a full range of standard and non standard procedures often in non standard combinations across a major clinical dental discipline in complex and viable routine and non routine contexts.
    5. Communicate effectively in both oral and written modes with peers and the broader community using the appropriate structure, style and graphic support. 

    ASSOCIATED ASSESSMENT CRITERIA 
    1. Dental surgery is performed in accordance with set standards.
    2. Specialised scholastic and advanced research skills are displayed in Dental Surgery disciplines and a full range of advanced procedures are performed in complex, variable and highly specialised contexts.
    3. Specialised knowledge of Dental Surgery discipline is demonstrated, abstract data and concepts are processed at a level of analysis, transformation and evaluation and responses are created to resolve abstract Dental Surgery problems.
    4. Oral and written modes or communication with appropriate structure, style and graphic support are demonstrated effectively in the broader Dental Surgery community.
    5. Responsibility for planning, resourcing and managing are demonstrated within broad parameters and functions.
    6. Personal and/or group output is optimised by complete accountability for its determination, achievement and evaluation.

    Integrated Assessment:
    Integrated assessment appropriately incorporated to ensure that the purpose of the qualification is achieved:
    Assessment may consist of any of the following combinations:
  • A research report.
  • A research report and an oral examination.
  • A research report and written papers.
  • A research report and an oral and a written examination. 
    		•

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

    Horizontal Articulation:
  • Master of Dental Science in Oral Surgery, NQF Level 9.
  • Master of Dental Surgery in Orthodontics, NQF Level 9.
  • Master of Dental Surgery in Periodontics and Oral Medicine, NQF Level 9.
  • Master of Dental Surgery in Maxillofacial and Oral Surgery, NQF Level 9.

    Vertical Articulation:
  • Doctor of Dental Science, NQF Level 10.
  • Doctor of Philosophy in Dental Surgery, 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 the Western Cape 


    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.