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 Dental Science

SAQA QUAL ID	QUALIFICATION TITLE
2363	Master of Dental Science
ORIGINATOR
Medical University of Southern Africa
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		Promotive Health and Developmental Services
ABET BAND	MINIMUM CREDITS	PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL	NQF LEVEL	QUAL CLASS
Undefined	240	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
79136	Master of Dental Science	Level 8 and above	NQF Level 09	180	Complete

PURPOSE AND RATIONALE OF THE QUALIFICATION

PRIMARY PURPOSE
To provide qualifiers with specific knowledge, skills and competence to do independent research in one of the branches of dentistry.

SUBSIDIARY PURPOSE
To provide future teaching staff for the dental schools of South Africa

LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING

Applicants who want to register for the MDS degree must be in possession of a BDS or equivalent degree and must be registered as dentists with the medical and Dental Profession Board of the health professions Council of South Africa.

RECOGNISE PREVIOUS LEARNING?

EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES

A newly qualified Master of Dental Sciences must:
1. Know how and be able to identify a research topic of his choice.
2. Know how and be able to write a protocol for a research project.
3. Know how and be able to do a literature search and review on the chosen topic.
4. Know how and be able to find the necessary funding for research project.
5. Know how and be competent to do and manage the field /laboratory/clinical work for the chosen research project.
6. Know how and be able to do the statistical analysis of the research data.
7. Know how and be ale to interpret the results of the research.
8. Know how and be able to write as dissertation based on the results of the research.
9. Know the laws and ethical rules and regulations controlling research South Africa.
10. Know how to engage in lifelong learning through well-developed learning skills.

ASSOCIATED ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

Integrated assessment.

In order to assess whether the exit-level outcomes have been achieved a range of formative, and summative assessments are carried out throughout the two years of study. These include written and oral tests, examinations and the writing of a dissertation based on research done by the student. The qualifier is evaluated on the aforementioned basis for both depth and width of knowledge and application and through the assessment must have proved that s/he has achieved the NQF level 8A standards.

INTERNATIONAL COMPARABILITY

Various masters degree programmes in Europe, the Americas and Australia.

ARTICULATION OPTIONS

1. Articulation with qualifications at other institutions
Presently None

2. The qualification toward which the MDS graduate may proceed is the PhD degree.

3. Exit level outcomes articulating with other qualifications are
None

MODERATION OPTIONS

The Faculty maintains a bank of external examiners as approved by Council, with the necessary knowledge, academic qualifications and clinical/practical expertise and national and international standing, from which the external examiners are appointed. Quality assurance is achieved by the internal and external examiners who must ensure that the material contained in the dissertation is of a standard that will be acceptable for publication in an accredited international scientific journal.

CRITERIA FOR THE REGISTRATION OF ASSESSORS

Staff members of the Faculty of Dentistry with the necessary academic qualifications and experience are used as internal assessors.

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.

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.

NONE