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:

Postgraduate Diploma in Accounting

SAQA QUAL ID	QUALIFICATION TITLE
5191	Postgraduate Diploma in Accounting
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
Postgraduate Diploma	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 7	NQF Level 08	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 main purpose of this programme is to provide qualifiers with post graduate knowledge, specific skills and applied technical competence in accounting and its related disciplines sufficient to practice as professional accountants in public practice and in commerce and industry.

The second purpose of this qualification is to prepare student for Part 1 of the Final qualifying Examination set by the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA).

LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING

A proven understanding of the principles of Financial Accounting.

Senior Certificate with Matriculation Exemption of Equivalent university admission qualification.

First degree:
BCom (Accounting)
BBusSci (Finance CA stream)
PGDM (Financial Accounting)

Recognition of prior learning:

For non-graduates, proof by means of a test prescribed by Senate that a level of competence adequate for the work of the diploma has been achieved.

RECOGNISE PREVIOUS LEARNING?

EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES

a) Cross critical outcomes:

The Postgraduate Diploma graduate is competent to:

Study and understand the South African business environments;
Apply classical and contemporary management theory to a variety of organisational environments;
Analyse and construct logical arguments and competing viewpoints
Research business issues
Form independent and research-based opinions about contemporary issues of theory and practice;
Understand and apply the fundamentals of the financial aspects of a business and the environment in which that business operates;
Operate an IBM-compatible personal computer;
Utilise the Windows operating system and work competently with Windows-based data management, word processing and spread sheeting applications to create, edit, save and print documents to professional industry standard;
Apply appropriate information technology to a variety of organisation situations;
Correspond through the use of electronic mail;
Conduct internet-based research;
Analyse and interpret the marketing process considering current trends in the South African context;
Formulate a marketing strategy that supports the objectives of an organisation using the marketing concept, target marketing and the marketing mix.

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

The holder of a Post-graduate diploma in a Commerce will

Have attained a level of knowledge and understanding of the relevant discipline equivalent to that of a student who has studied the subject for three years in the course of completing a 360-credit Bachelor's degree.

Have mastered items of theoretical knowledge of specific relevance to the commercial activity being prepared for.

Have acquired an understanding of the role of initiative and entrepreneurship in the relevant area of commercial activity.

Be qualified in terms of professional expertise to work in an entry level managerial post in the relevant industry or profession.

Have developed personal skills and work habits appropriate to working in a team.

Have internalised the norms of conduct relevant to the profession for which the diploma is a preparation.

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

The PGDA graduate is competent to: -

(Applicable to the integration of the following disciplines:

Financial Accounting
Management Accounting
Financial Management
Corporate Governance
Taxation)

1. Integrate and apply multi-disciplinary knowledge to financially related situations and information
2. Formulate and where applicable prioritise solutions to convergent and divergent financially related problems.
3. Analyse and interpret financial data and information and present reasoned conclusions.
4. Create financially related reports for complex organisational structures undertaking financially complex business activities.
5. Prepare written or oral presentations with objectivity, conciseness and clarity.
6. Design work to be performed to support professional opinions.
7. Adapt to new contexts and promote constructive change within the technical spheres of the accounting profession.

Specific to: -

Financial Accounting

1. Prepare and interpret financial statements for a complex organisational structure.
2. Critically analyse any professional accounting standard of statement.

Financial Management

1. Identify and justify the most effective method of financing
2. Describe the role of treasury/working capital management in a complex business structure

Management Accounting

1. Describe, illustrate and comment on the planning and control uses of standard costing, budgeting and variance analysis.
2. Identify relevant costs and appropriate techniques for decision making and use them in decision-making situations.
3. Apply appropriate performance measures to a range of business situations.

Corporate Governance

1. Identify the role of management, internal and external auditors in Corporate Governance.
2. Design, analyse and evaluate financial and related information systems for a complex business activity in a technologically complex environment.
3. Prepare audit programmes to achieve management or statutory objectives.

Taxation

1. Compute the total tax liabilities for individuals or complex business structures.
2. Structure business operations to minimise potential tax liabilities.

ASSOCIATED ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

The learner's achievement of critical cross-field outcomes is assessed formatively during the course through a range of activities, and summatively in the capstone activity outlined below.

The learner's achievement of general programme outcomes is assessed through a range of formative and summative assessments throughout the course, and particularly in the capstone activity outlined below.

The successful candidate or a post-graduate diploma in Commerce will.

Pass relevant undergraduate courses.

Undertake case studies in the relevant field of commercial activity.

Successfully complete practical tasks which require the mastery of skills identified by employers as important for managers in their industry.

Participate successfully in team projects which require a capacity to work cooperatively with others.

Successfully complete work which required an ability think independently and demonstrate initiative in practical problem solving.

Be able to participate in discussion of normative issues in relation to the relevant industry or profession.

The formative assessment in each discipline takes the form of tutorial questions, classroom debate, objective tests and written examinations. The summative assessment is explained.

Demonstrate ability to:
Financial Accounting

1. Prepare and interpret to set of financial statement for a complex organisational structure
2. Critically analyse any professional accounting standard or statement

Financial Management

1. Select and justify the most effective method of financing for a given situation
2. Describe the role of treasury/working capital management in a complex business structure.

Management Accounting

1. Describe, illustrate and comment on the planning and control uses of standard costing, budgeting and variance analysis.
2. Identify relevant costs and appropriate techniques for decision-making and use them in decision-making situations.
3. Apply appropriate performance measures to a range of business situations.

Corporate Governance

1. Identify the role of management, internal and external auditors in Corporate Governance.
2. Identify the strengths and weaknesses for a given financial/financially related information system for a complex business activity in a technologically complex environment.
3. Prepare an audit programme to achieve management or statutory objectives.

Taxation

1. Compute the total tax liabilities for an individual or a complex business structure.
2. Structure a business operation to minimise potential tax liabilities.

Integrated assessment:

Learners submit a project designed to constitute both a formative and a summative exercise for which they need to achieve a passing grade. Both in this piece of work and in the formal cumulative written examinations the learner's performance will be assessed on the basis of his or her demonstrated ability to integrate these competencies to the level expected of a financial accountant. In the above situations the learner will be required to reflect creatively on current real life problems. Successful solutions to these problems will allow integrated assessment of skills and comprehension in financial accounting, financial management, management accounting, taxation and corporate governance supported by foundation level knowledge in mathematics, statistics, commercial law, information systems, economics and the environment of business.

ARTICULATION OPTIONS

Title(s) of related qualification(s)

Master of Commerce (Accounting)
Master of Commerce (Financial Management)
Master of Bus Sci (Accounting)
Master of Bus Sci (Financial Management)

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

Part 1 of the Final Qualifying Examination offered by SAICA

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 assessed 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