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 Commerce: Health Economics 
SAQA QUAL ID QUALIFICATION TITLE
5089  Master of Commerce: Health 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
Master's 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 8 and above  Level N/A:Pre-2009 was L8+  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 degree provides training in the techniques of research, analysis and scholarly presentation appropriate to Economics and Health Economics. The degree will equip the candidate with knowledge in the field of research and the skills necessary either for employment in the public or private sectors or for further independent research for the degree of PhD at leading international universities. The curriculum has been designed to enable participants to acquire the necessary theoretical and more importantly, practical skills needed in addressing the socio-economic and political challenges facing African countries' health care systems. 

LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING 
A degree of Honours Bachelor or its equivalent, in the Finance field or a cognate discipline recognised by the Faculty.

School subject minimum requirements
None.

Assumptions (recognition of prior learning)
People who have shown by examination or publication or a record of appropriate training that they have reached a level in the subject or a cognate subject equivalent to an honours degree may be permitted to register for the degree.

Senior certificate with Matriculation Exemption or Equivalent university admission qualification.

First degree:
BCom (Economics and Statistics); or BCom (Economics and Finance); or BCom (PPE); or BBusSci (Economics)

Honours degree:
Economics; or PPE; or B.Bus. Sci (Economics)

Recognition of Prior Learning

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

RECOGNISE PREVIOUS LEARNING? 
Y 

EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES 
a) Critical cross-field outcomes (generic to all teaching and learning)


i) The Masters graduate is able to demonstrate mastery to depth of a theoretically sophisticated subject matter;
ii) The Masters graduate is equipped with proficiency in research methodology sufficient to proceed to a PhD Graduates have mastered the skills of critical thinking, problem solving, collection and analysis of data, and effective written communication.

b) General outcomes (contextually demonstrated general knowledge, skills and values of the programme)

THE MASTERS GRADUATE IS ABLE TO:

i) Conduct independent research in the discipline (or inter-disciplinary field);
ii) Communicate verbally and orally with professional audiences;
iii) Apply disciplinary knowledge and research skills;
iv) Analyse and critique communications of academic and popular nature.
v) Appreciate the ethical issues associated with research and knowledge production in the discipline.
vi) Challenge orthodoxies and redefine existing knowledge, while demonstrating awareness of the nature of knowledge in the field.

c) Specific outcomes, including professional outcomes, contextually demonstrated)

The MCom graduate in Health Economics will:

i) Be familiar with leading issues in macro and microeconomics and specialist fields of economics;
ii) Be able to apply the techniques of mathematical, statistical and formal logical analysis to a range of problems in the above fields;
iii) Be able to conduct advanced literature searches and critique current literature in the form of a review;
iv) Have gained an insight into health sector policy and developed an understanding of policy-making processes, implementation and analysis;
v) Have an understanding of recent health sector organisational reforms and decentralisation initiatives; an insight into the factors that contribute to successful health sector reform and an overview of the public/private mix issues.
vi) Be able to design and conduct analyses of demand, production and cost functions and to assess efficiency of production and cost functions and to assess efficiency of production and cost functions and to assess efficiency of specific health care services with a view of informing health care planning and policy;
vii) Be able to design and conduct economic evaluations of alternative preventive, treatment and delivery options, for specific health problems;
viii) Write research and funding proposals 

ASSOCIATED ASSESSMENT CRITERIA 
The achievement of these outcomes is assessed in the integrated assessment of the programme.

The achievement of these outcomes is assessed in the integrated assessment of the programme.

The outcomes are assessed as follows:
  • Competencies in the areas listed are examined;
  • Oral ability to explain concepts and texts;
  • Examination of a research Dissertation which includes the components listed below.

    Integrated assessment:

    The integration of skills learnt in the Masters of Commerce in Health Economics is assessed by means a dissertation of approximately 18 000 words. The dissertation must demonstrate competence in the following areas, all of which are assessed in the examination of the dissertation:
  • research problem formulation
  • integration of literature
  • appropriate design and execution of research
  • use of appropriate methods of data collection and analysis
  • integration of findings
  • appreciation of the limits of the study
  • use of the publication and style conventions of the discipline

    The dissertation is subject to external examination. A progress report by the supervisor is submitted to the Faculty office at the end of each academic year and, if satisfactory, the candidate is permitted to reregister in the following year. 
    		•

    ARTICULATION OPTIONS 
    Title(s) of related qualification(s)
    PhD

    This qualification serves as an entry point to the related qualification(s).

    Entry to this qualification in mid-stream
    Not possible.

    Exit from this qualification in mid-stream:
    The coursework component may be recognised at other institutions.

    Other higher education programmes which articulate with this qualification without "going back to square one:
    The M.Com articulates with the PhD in the Faculty of Humanities/Commerce respectively. When the dissertation progress is reviewed at the end of each academic year, the Faculty Board, on the recommendation of the supervisor and the Head of the Department, may recommend that the candidate's registration be upgraded to a PhD and that the period of Masters registration beyond the minimum period of one year be recognised towards the two year minimum period of study for the Ph.D 

    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. 

    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 


    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.