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:

Postgraduate Diploma: Philosophy

SAQA QUAL ID	QUALIFICATION TITLE
21971	Postgraduate Diploma: Philosophy
ORIGINATOR
University of Transkei
PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QUALITY ASSURANCE FUNCTIONARY			NQF SUB-FRAMEWORK
CHE - Council on Higher Education			HEQSF - Higher Education Qualifications Sub-framework
QUALIFICATION TYPE	FIELD		SUBFIELD
Postgraduate Diploma	Field 07 - Human and Social Studies		General Social Science
ABET BAND	MINIMUM CREDITS	PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL	NQF LEVEL	QUAL CLASS
Undefined	480	Level 7	Level TBA: 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 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 does not replace any other qualification and is not replaced by any other qualification.

PURPOSE AND RATIONALE OF THE QUALIFICATION

This programme is designed to teach students to think clearly and systematically about issues. At each level in the course, students will study the rules of clear thinking or logic. It is the tool of the philosopher. But the same skills are prized also by business, government, and all other organisations.

A second feature in the programme is to teach the student to think rationally about some issues that are of interest in their own right, to any educated person. Is it rational to believe in the existence of God? Do human beings have minds? Are we free or determined in the choices that we make? And so on. We call these philosophical problems.
At each level in the programme, students will also be required to study some of the important cultural and scientific ideas in the intellectual development of mankind. We call this: The history of ideas. In our judgement, without this broad level of knowledge, a graduate is not a fully educated person.

LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING

For entry into the Honours phase, 360 credits obtained in the programme (BA Honours in Philosophy); or a degree qualification in a correlate subject (Diploma in Philosophy at Honours level). The latter student will be required to complete two additional courses from the existing 3-year probramme

RECOGNISE PREVIOUS LEARNING?

EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES

Exit level outcomes:

Students exiting having successfully completed the fourth (Honours) level or with a minimum of 480 credits, will be awarded an Honours Degree in Philosophy

Critical Outcomes:

Students taking the programme Logic and Philosophy will be trained in the rules and techniques of clear thinking. These are the tools-of-the trade for the student of Philosophy. We use them all of the time, as we construct, analyse and evaluate arguments.

Knowledge of the techniques of clear thinking, however, is something which is also of great practical value in our everyday lives. (These are 'the basic generative skills' mentioned in all the recent White Papers.) Students trained in Logic and Philosophy will be taught how to solve theoretical and work-placed problems. As a result they will deal competently with the business, political, scientific and social issues that face them.

In the programme Logic and Philosophy also students will have considered some of the major issues that have been discussed by philosophers in the past and which are still at the heart of philosophical inquiry. They will not be content simply to understand the problems and the proposed solutions to them. They will examine them critically; viz. they will use the tools of logic to decide the issue in question.
Together with the above, the programme Logic and Philosophy will provide students with a sound grasp of themes and issues in the History of Ideas. Students will be familiar with the major movements in world culture. Early Greek and Eastern mathematics and astronomy; the Roman empire and culture; Christian and Mohammedan ideas; the Italian renaissance, the rise of science, Romantic Movement, industrial revolution; etc. We hope to show that philosophical and scientific ideas are an outcomes of the social and cultural milieu of which they are part.

Specific Outcomes:

The student will be able:

to identify most of the common errors in thought and argument, (viz. fallacies);

to apply most of the techniques of natural deduction, by which we can show someone the conclusions which must follow from the beliefs (premises) they hold.

to apply many of the techniques of inductive reasoning, by which we can establish or justify the things we believe.

to use a range of problem-solving methods, by which we may rationally solve any type of problem.

to understand and employ the conditions by which we construct and evaluate good arguments.

to apply the conditions above to a wide range of practical problems, philosophical arguments and claims that have been made in the history of ideas.

to understand some major developments in the history of ideas and the social and cultural milieu of which they are part.

ASSOCIATED ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

Integrated assessment:

Essays will be required and assessed.
Students will be given assignments on which they will be examined in both written and oral form.
Seminar papers, essays, case studies, analysis exercises, examinations and the research essay will form part of the final assessment.

ARTICULATION OPTIONS

Generic articulation:
Successful students will have access to further studies at other institutions of higher learning. Graduates will have access to postgraduate studies at masters and doctoral level at other institutions of higher learning.

Specific articulation:
Students will be able to pursue further studies at higher levels in Logic, Philosophy and Moral theory at higher levels in the Philosophy programme. Graduates will be able also to pursue higher degrees in the Applied Ethics programme.

MODERATION OPTIONS

External examination

CRITERIA FOR THE REGISTRATION OF ASSESSORS

Masters degree in relevant field of specialisation.

REREGISTRATION HISTORY

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

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.

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