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:

Diploma: Information Systems

SAQA QUAL ID	QUALIFICATION TITLE
48840	Diploma: Information Systems
ORIGINATOR
Eduvos (Pty) Ltd (previously known as Midrand Graduate Institute and later to Pearson Institute of Higher Education)
PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QUALITY ASSURANCE FUNCTIONARY			NQF SUB-FRAMEWORK
CHE - Council on Higher Education			HEQSF - Higher Education Qualifications Sub-framework
QUALIFICATION TYPE	FIELD		SUBFIELD
Advanced Certificate	Field 10 - Physical, Mathematical, Computer and Life Sciences		Information Technology and Computer Sciences
ABET BAND	MINIMUM CREDITS	PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL	NQF LEVEL	QUAL CLASS
Undefined	289	Level 5	NQF Level 06	Regular-Provider-ELOAC
REGISTRATION STATUS		SAQA DECISION NUMBER	REGISTRATION START DATE	REGISTRATION END DATE
Passed the End Date - Status was "Reregistered"		EXCO 0415/23	2021-07-01	2023-04-18
LAST DATE FOR ENROLMENT		LAST DATE FOR ACHIEVEMENT
2024-04-18		2028-04-18

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

In January 1999, Midrand Graduate Institute introduced the degree of Bachelor of Science in Applied Information Technology, with its additional two exit points of Diploma in Information Technology (after successful completion of Levels 1 and 2) and Certificate of Information Technology (after successful completion of Level 1).

However, scrutiny of the employment market indicated that, with the use of computers changing the way in which business is conducted, there was need for graduates who could combine a theoretical and practical knowledge of information systems with business knowledge. Further, an analysis of the expectations and capabilities of students who registered for Level 1 of the Information Technology Programme in 1999, showed clearly that many of them were more suited to a career in Information Systems rather than Information Technology.

For this reason, Midrand Graduate Institute introduced the Information Systems Programme from 2000. The curriculum of this Programme aims to equip qualifying learners with the knowledge and practical skills required to perform effectively in a Information Systems role in business, as well as with an appropriate knowledge base as preparation for further learning.

Rationale

The Information Systems Programme at Midrand Graduate Institute provides a different and needed model of higher education in this discipline, some of its characteristics being:

As well as providing the students with a solid grounding in the academic theory underpinning the main concepts of the field of Information Systems, the curriculum includes a significant experiential component, culminating in an industry project which forms part of the final year curriculum.

In addition to Information Systems-related subjects, a student is required to select one of the subjects Accounting, or Investment Management, or Human Resource Management, and to study this subject through to Level 3. This business-related component obviously gives the qualifying learner a range of additional skills that can usefully be combined with a knowledge of information systems.

Also included in the curriculum are a range of more generalised modules, such as Business English and Business Management, which are regarded as essential to competent functioning in today's business environment.

Coupled with the curriculum model described above, the classes are small and thus the resulting staff : student ratio makes it possible for students to receive individual and specialised attention.

The result is a well-rounded graduate who, on successful completion of the curriculum, has the option either of entering the world of work immediately, or of continuing with further study in the field of Information Systems or in the field of his/her business-related subject

Further, the Programme contributes to regional and national goals in a variety of ways, including:

Broadening access to and success in higher education through flexible entry and fixed exit standards and through the inclusion of academic support components.

Recognition of multiple exit points.

Inclusion of certain generic competencies.

Encouragement of social responsibility.

Ensuring that students will be employable on graduation, but at the same time will have the knowledge base to continue with further learning.

LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING

Matriculation exemption, or an equivalent qualification, is the minimum requirement for admission to the degree programme. A Matriculation (Grade 12) certificate, or equivalent qualification, is the minimum requirement for admission to the diploma programme.

In addition, in order to gain admission, an applicant is required to have achieved at least an E symbol at Higher Grade or a D symbol at Standard Grade for English and Mathematics or Computer Science at matriculation level.

The curriculum for which a student may register is determined by the standard that he/she has achieved for English and Mathematics or Computer Science at matriculation level.

A student who successfully fulfils all the requirements for the diploma programme and who achieves the required academic standard, may proceed to Level 3 of the degree programme.

Mature Age applicants or applicants with non-South African school-leaving qualifications or with previous tertiary experience will be considered individually by the Faculty Head.

Those applicants who, for a variety of reasons, have not gained the academic qualifications necessary for admission to the full first year of an academic programme may be permitted to register for a Bridging Programme, where the curriculum for Level 1 is spread over two years. This programme includes skills courses to improve the student's proficiency in, for example, English, Study Skills, Analytical Thinking and Mathematics.

Recognition of prior learning

Prior learning is recognised in the following ways:

A student, who has completed a specific module/subject at Midrand Graduate Institute, may apply for credit for that module/subject;

A student, who has completed the equivalent of a specific module/subject either at Midrand Graduate Institute or at another recognised higher education institution, may apply for exemption from that module/subject;

In the case of a practically orientated module/subject, a student who is able to demonstrate appropriate competence may be granted exemption from that module/subject.

RECOGNISE PREVIOUS LEARNING?

QUALIFICATION RULES

The BSc (Applied Information Systems) programme is offered as a 3-year degree programme with 2 lower level exit points as follows:

A student who successfully completes Level 1 of the curriculum, and who exits from the programme at that point, will be awarded a Certificate in Information Systems.

A student who successfully completes Levels 1 and 2 of the curriculum, and who exits from the programme at that point, will be awarded a Diploma in Information Systems.

It is important to note that the Information Systems Programme is structured in such a way that, as well as constituting Levels 1 and 2 of the degree programme, the curricula for the Certificate and Diploma constitute genuine stand-alone qualifications.

It should also be noted that a student who registers for the Information Systems Programme will receive only one qualification, that is the highest level qualification for which he/she has completed the requirements.

EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES

Exit-level outcomes are divided into generic competencies, fundamental competencies and those core to the Information Systems Programme, as follows:

Generic competencies

The ability to work as a member of a team.

The ability to collect, analyse and present information.

A knowledge of the use of technology.

The ability to use technology and other methods of presentation for communication purposes.

The ability to identify and suggest possible solutions to a problem.

The ability to organise work requirements so as to meet set deadlines.

Fundamental competencies

End-User Computing

A sound knowledge of the theory of and practical skills in Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel and Microsoft PowerPoint.

Business English

The ability to communicate in English in a business-orientated environment.

Business Management IA

A sound knowledge of the theoretical principles underlying business management, general management and the functional management of an enterprise. This includes an understanding of the business organisation and its environment, leadership and control in management, public relations, the integrated marketing strategy and general business management.

Business Management IB

A sound knowledge of the theoretical principles underlying business management, general management and the functional management of an enterprise. This includes an understanding of financial management, asset management, financing decisions, operations management, purchasing management, human resource management and contemporary issues in management.

Business Management IIA

A sound knowledge of the theoretical principles underlying entrepreneurship and small business management, entrepreneurial success, business creativity and innovation and identifying opportunities.

Core competencies

Introduction to Information Systems

A sound understanding of how information systems support business requirements in a competitive environment.

A sound understanding of the information systems/technology issues managers and organisations have to consider.

Programming IA

A sound theoretical and practical knowledge of the Pascal programming language, including basic concepts of programming, debugging, trace tables and syntax checking.

Programming IB

A sound theoretical and practical knowledge of Visual Basic 6.0 as a programming language, including coding, debugging, error handling and databases.

PC Hardware

A sound understanding of computer hardware, including installation, configuration, upgrading, safety and preventive maintenance, memory management, and basic networking.

The ability to implement these principles in practice.

Financial Accounting IA

A sound understanding of the basic principles of accounting, including compiling income statements and balance sheets, proper recording of assets, and proper record of liabilities.

Financial Accounting IB

A sound understanding of the theoretical principles underlying the concepts of companies, close-corporations, partnerships, manufacturing, non-profit organisations and branches.

Human Resource Management I

A sound knowledge of the theoretical principles underlying human resource management, including perspectives on general and work behaviour, human development, learning, perception, cognition, motivation, attitudes and values, leadership, and aggression and conflict.

Industrial Relations I

A sound knowledge of the theoretical principles underlying the field of industrial relations, including the history of industrial relations, employment relationships, the systems approach, and industrial relations within the context of human resource management.

Quantitative Techniques

A sound knowledge of the theoretical principles underlying calculations of quantities that describe the nature of a population, grouping of data, probabilities, consequences of the actions of decision-makers, hypothesis testing and research.

Systems Analysis and Design

A sound understanding of how information systems support business.

A sound understanding of how systems analysts interact with users and management in a business organisation.

The ability to use real-world systems analysis and design skills in problem-solving.

Managing the Software Environment

The ability to initiate, plan, manage, control and report on IT projects.

Managing the IT Environment

A sound understanding of how to manage the IT environment, including hardware and software acquisition, charge-out and sorting, risk resolution, and computer security.

The ability to solve IT problems.

Databases

A sound understanding of the concepts of data and Database Management Systems (DBMS).

The ability to analyse, design, and construct raw databases.

The ability to use a database to transform raw data into valuable information.

Financial Accounting IIA

A sound theoretical and practical understanding of draft annual financial statements for certain recognised enterprises (companies and close corporations) in accordance with statutory requirements and generally accepted accounting practice.

Financial Accounting IIB

A sound theoretical and practical understanding of draft financial statements for certain recognised enterprises (simple groups and partnerships) in accordance with statutory requirements and generally accepted accounting practice.

Human Resource Management IIA

A sound understanding of the processes of attracting human resources, assessing and developing human resources, and retaining human resources.

Human Resource Management IIB

A sound understanding of human behaviour in organisations on an individual and group level, including the effect of organisational structure on behaviour.

Investment Management IA

A sound understanding of basic economic concepts and concepts such as financial institutions, financial instruments, and financial markets.

Investment Management IB

A good understanding of how to apply various types of analyses to a listed company to judge whether it is a good investment. This includes a focus on risk and return, equity analysis, bond evaluation, and derivative strategies.

Software Engineering

A sound understanding of the Object Oriented approach to Software Engineering.

Trends and Issues

A sound knowledge of current trends in Information Technology.

A sound understanding of the effect of IT on the way in which business is conducted.

HTML, Javascript and E-commerce

A sound understanding of the internet, elementary networking concepts, intranets, HTML, Javascript, Java and ASP, and E-commerce.

The ability to design a Web Page, including writing HTML, writing Javascript, and using the application generator "MS Front Page".

Project

The ability to put theoretical knowledge and expertise into real-world practice by designing a Web Page for an organisation.

External Financial Reporting

A thorough understanding of the preparation of annual financial statements of companies, in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act, 1973 and generally accepted accounting practice.

Group Financial Statements

A thorough understanding of the preparation of consolidated annual financial statements of companies, in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act, 1973 and generally accepted accounting practice.

Human Resource Management IIIA

A sound knowledge of the theoretical principles underlying compensation management, and human resource forecasting and modelling.

Human Resource Management IIIB

A sound knowledge of the theoretical principles underlying the changing role of human resource management and the future role of human resource management.

Investment Management IIA

A sound understanding of financial markets and instruments, how securities are traded, mutual funds, investors and the investment process, risk and return, efficient diversification, capital asset pricing, and the efficient market hypothesis.

Investment Management IIB

A sound understanding of bond prices and yields, managing fixed income investment, macroeconomic industry analysis, equity valuation, financial statement analysis, technical analysis, options market, options valuation, and futures market.

ASSOCIATED ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

Generic competencies

Group projects and assignments.

Tests, assignments and examinations.

Class and Project presentations.

Case-study based tests, assignments and examinations.

Deadlines set for various assessment components.

Fundamental competencies

Tests, assignments and examinations.

Core competencies

Tests, assignments and examinations.

Integrated assessment

Midrand Graduate Institute practices an integrated system of assessment, in terms of which students are assessed on an ongoing basis. Students are required to complete class tests, assignments (including practical work and projects) and examinations, the results of which count towards the final mark for each module. The components of the final mark are determined separately for each module.

INTERNATIONAL COMPARABILITY

To our knowledge, this Programme has not been assessed internationally. However, given that:

The curriculum incorporates the latest trends, standards and practices in the discipline,

Well-qualified academics and industry practitioners act as external examiners and moderators of the Programme,

We have no reason to doubt that the quality and content of our Programme would meet international standards.

ARTICULATION OPTIONS

With regard to vertical articulation, a student who wishes to proceed to postgraduate studies at another higher education institution, having completed the Information Systems Programme at Midrand Graduate Institute, should be able to do so based on the knowledge and skills acquired during the course of the programme, provided, of course, that his/her academic performance has been of the required standard.

In terms of horizontal articulation:

A student who transfers to another programme within Midrand Graduate Institute will be given credit for relevant modules successfully completed towards the Information Systems Programme;

Students who, having completed certain modules in the Information Systems Programme at Midrand Graduate Institute, wish to transfer to another tertiary level institution, are able to apply successfully for exemption from relevant modules on the basis of modules passed at Midrand Graduate Institute.

One of the objectives of our rigorous external moderation and examination procedure, and of our ongoing interaction with academic staff of other tertiary level institutions, is to ensure that the content and standard of our curriculum is such that our students will have the opportunity for both vertical and horizontal articulation, both within and outside of Midrand Graduate Institute.

MODERATION OPTIONS

All final assessments at all levels of the curriculum are moderated by academic staff of public higher education institutions or by appropriately qualified industry practitioners.

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.

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