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SOUTH AFRICAN QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY 
REGISTERED QUALIFICATION: 

Master of Built Environment 
SAQA QUAL ID QUALIFICATION TITLE
80027  Master of Built Environment 
ORIGINATOR
University of Witwatersrand 
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 12 - Physical Planning and Construction  Physical Planning, Design and Management 
ABET BAND MINIMUM CREDITS PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL NQF LEVEL QUAL CLASS
Undefined  180  Not Applicable  NQF Level 09  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 
Purpose:

This qualification will provide a sound basis for students who will go on to become housing specialists and obtain advanced and specialised employment in the housing sector. The degree provides an entry point for learners with an honours level degree in a cognate field to enter the field of housing, and to move onto qualifications with a particular focus on housing. The degree is designed to provide a broad understanding of housing issues. The course work component requires a high level of theoretical engagement and students will be expected to undertake advanced research which contributes to the body of knowledge in housing.

There are currently no formal national requirements for master level degrees in the housing field. However, current relevant legislation mandates the Minister support and develop the necessary capacity in relation to housing development at provincial and municipal level, while also mandating provincial legislature to `support and strengthen' the capacity of municipalities in relation to `housing development'. In this respect, the Master of Built Environment degree meets a legislated national requirement and indeed political priority.

The degree is tailored to meet the needs of students by engendering critical capacity in relation to housing development, linking the theoretical and conceptual engagement to practical programmes and realities at the local level. The strong international content (though using South Africa and in particular Johannesburg as a rich case study or laboratory) ensures that the needs of international students, particularly from the African continent, are met. The diverse range of topics that students analyse in their research reports respond to the needs of a range of stakeholders in the sector.

The degree articulates well with honours degrees in areas such as humanities, geography, law and administration from which it draws students.

Rationale:

Housing and its broader context of human settlements is a critical sector in South Africa with a dedicated Ministry and national as well as provincial departments supporting the work of local authorities and other stakeholders in housing delivery. Appropriate and adequate access to housing and basic services for all groups of society, but in particular the urban poor, remains a challenge and indeed an area of intense contestation in South Africa. Government has a constitutional obligation in this regard, and significant jurisprudence in this country is leading to a refined but increasingly complex interpretation of the right to housing. The fact that the global recession of 2007 was sparked through the mismanagement of housing mortgages by banking institutions in the United States of America is evidence of the direct relevance that a healthy housing sector has for the economy.

Meeting the challenge of housing requires critical skills at all levels of government as well as agencies, parastatals, research bodies, consultancies and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs). The Master of Built Environment degree is tailored to provide critical technical and analytical skills and knowledge necessary for this sector to develop, to keep abreast of global and local innovations, trends and challenges, and to scale up its activities. Through familiarisation with the housing sector and knowledge generation within this sector, graduates are provided with a basis for on-going learning.

The degree is critical in attracting much needed new people into the sector at a relatively high level. As an inter-disciplinary degree, it offers an opportunity to those with an interest in housing, but a background, including an honours degree, in other disciplines such as law, accounting, administration, sociology, politics, geography, planning, engineering, social work or even religious studies to gain the necessary skills and knowledge to make a significant contribution within the housing sector. It also enables those who already have work experience in housing to reflect on their practice, refine and up-date their knowledge, analyse the situation and make a stronger contribution to housing into the future.

The degree equips learners for middle management to management and leadership level positions in relevant departments of local, provincial and national government. It also equips learners to move into senior positions in other relevant areas such as parastatal organisations, research institutions, NGOs.

The degree provides all candidates with a pathway into further studies at doctoral level. It is at this level that an important analytical and intellectual contribution to the housing question can and must be made. 

LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING 
The learning assumed to be in place will vary across the different disciplines from which learners enter the degree. Across these disciplines, there is an expectation of Honours or Professional Bachelors competence, i.e. the learner should:
  • Have specialist knowledge in their chosen field of knowledge.
  • Have independent problem solving competencies.
  • Be able to communicate appropriately and effectively.
  • Have the capacity for independent thought and practice.
  • Demonstrate an ability to reflect and act upon a wide range of learning strategies, both existing and innovative.
  • Be able to reflect on his/her professional and ethical relationship with communities and individuals.
  • Be computer literate in the area of word processing.

    Recognition of Prior Learning:

    Applicants who fall outside of the normal admissions process, but who can demonstrate to the satisfaction of the University that they have a qualification or experiential, or work based learning at an equivalent level of a qualification as specified under access requirements, may be considered for admission. Applicants who, after such assessment, are deemed to have sufficient potential but are in need of further academic development, may be required to broaden their curriculum to include preliminary programmes prior to admission, or parallel programmes after admission.

    Access to the Qualification:

    The Master of Built Environment is an inter-disciplinary degree. The admission requirement is a four year university degree or a three year bachelor's degree with a one year honours or equivalent from a university. A minimum average mark of 65% is required in the fourth or honours year. In addition, adequate performance in a set written assignment is required. Adequate performance in an interview may be an additional requirement.

    The university's recognition of prior learning policy will be applied to assess differently qualified candidates. There has been a steady demand from differently qualified applicants already occupying important positions in the housing sector.

    Those with relevant experience at management level but no honours degree are assessed as differently qualified candidates and admitted as per the university policy on Recognition of Prior Learning. 
    		•

    RECOGNISE PREVIOUS LEARNING? 
    Y 

    QUALIFICATION RULES 
    The qualification consists of the following compulsory and elective components all at NQF Level 09:

    Fundamental Component (Compulsory):
  • Research Methods, 10 credits.

    Core Component (Compulsory):
  • Housing Theory Concepts and Policy, 20 credits.
  • Social and Technical Sustainability in Housing, 20 credits.
  • Housing Finance and Law, 20 credits.
  • Research Report, 90 credits.

    Elective Component:
  • Learners are to complete one of the following modules:
    > Advanced Housing Finance, 20 credits.
    > Housing Seminar, 20 credits.
    > Housing Construction Technology and Management, 20 credits.
    > Management of Existing Housing Stock, 20 credits.

    Total credits for qualification = 180 Credits. 
    		•

    EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES 
    1. Critically evaluate existing housing policy and develop new policy through the application of own theoretical and theoretical frameworks.

    2. Develop approaches to enhance the sustainability of housing and mitigate negative impacts.

    3. Apply existing and proposed legal and financial frameworks for housing and judge the appropriateness of legal and financial approaches in a given context and develop relevant approaches.

    4. Engage with complex housing challenges and identify and solve complex problems by developing theoretically grounded and reflected approaches.

    5. Collect, analyse, organise and evaluate data so as to be able to extend and modify existing bodies of knowledge and to evaluate different methods of data manipulation within a range of scenarios, and understand the social and academic consequences of choice of method.

    Critical Cross-Field Outcomes:

    The qualification enables all the Critical Cross-Field Outcomes to be addressed. They form an integral part of all the Exit Level Outcomes. 

    ASSOCIATED ASSESSMENT CRITERIA 
    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1:
  • Cite and analyse key local and international theories, concepts and ideas in the field of housing.
  • Develop theoretical and conceptual frameworks and apply these to housing policy and practice.
  • Critically evaluate existing policy and develop new policy.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2:
  • Critically analyse the interaction between housing and the social/cultural, economic and biophysical environment.
  • Develop approaches to enhance sustainability of housing and mitigate negative impacts.
  • Sensitively and constructively engage with local communities and service providers to identify and tackle housing challenges.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 3:
  • Analyse existing and proposed legal and financial frameworks for housing.
  • Cite and analyse key positions on legal and financial aspects of housing locally and internationally.
  • Apply these in judging the appropriateness of legal and financial approaches in a given context.
  • Develop relevant housing approaches.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 4:
  • Undertake analysis, synthesis and application in an area of housing specialisation, be it socio-cultural, managerial, technical or financial.
  • Engage with complex housing challenges and identify and solve complex problems by developing theoretically grounded and reflected approaches.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 5:
  • Access different sources of information.
  • Select and organise data related to a specific discipline.
  • Frame a research question and select an appropriate method for research.
  • Act ethically in research situations.

    Integrated Assessment:

    Integrated assessment will be both formative and summative.

    Formative integrated assessment will take place during seminar presentations, discussions and tutorials during which students are expected to participate in self-assessment, peer assessment and assessment by members of the academic staff.

    The summative component will take the form of a research project, which has design and technical components. Students will be required to formulate a research question, carry out a literature review, design an appropriate research strategy, present a research protocol, carry out the research, evaluate and interpret the results and present their findings as a scientific report. The assessment will thus integrate practical, theoretical and reflective competence and will be examined as an integrated piece of work in an oral examination incorporating verbal, written and visual submissions. In addition there will be objective and structured practical examinations and oral examination which will require integration of information from different areas of the course content. 
    		•

    INTERNATIONAL COMPARABILITY 
    An internationally comparable degree is the well known MSc Urban Housing Management offered by the Institute for Housing Studies (IHS) in Rotterdam, Netherlands. This is a 16 month full time degree with coursework and research, and is targeted at the developing world.

    In the United Kingdom, there are several available Masters degrees in housing, e.g. MA in Housing Studies (Central England University), MSc Housing, MSc European Planning and Housing, MSc International Housing Development (Edinburgh College of Art, Heriot Watt University), MSc Housing Practice (Salford University) and MSc Housing Studies (Stirling University).

    This qualification compares favourably with those named in terms of content, format and learner requirements. 

    ARTICULATION OPTIONS 
    This qualification allows vertical articulation with a PhD in the relevant field. 

    MODERATION OPTIONS 
    Internal University requirements govern how and by whom moderation is performed. For example, external examiners are appointed. Such moderation seeks, inter alia, to ensure that, where appropriate, graduates will be able to comply with professional and statutory requirements. Further, whether an academic entity has a professional orientation or not, the University ensures that its activities are moderated by internal and external review quinquennially. 

    CRITERIA FOR THE REGISTRATION OF ASSESSORS 
    Internal University quality requirements govern how and by whom assessment may be performed to ensure that assessors have the competence required to assess a qualification of this nature. The University has a Senate Policy on the Assessment of Students Learning which regulates such matters.

    The procedures for assessment are broader than an `assessor' focus: The Human Resources (HR) practices and procedures for selecting new staff set the standard and competence as an assessor is usually demonstrated by the experience of the individual, which is probed in the interview and through referees' reports. HR policies and practices encourage staff to study further, whether within their disciplines or as educators, e.g., postgraduate qualifications in tertiary education, science education. The HR performance management system places teaching and learning as a key performance area (KPA) for every member of the academic staff, and within in that KPA, the development of competence in assessment methods is encouraged. The Centre for Learning, Teaching and Development (CLTD) offers staff induction programmes where the University's policy and standing orders on assessment are explained to new academic staff. The CLTD offers targeted education and training courses, and there is a strong focus on improving assessment practices, e.g. the annual CLTD colloquium on assessment. CLTD also manages the evaluation of lecturer performance called Assessment for Lecturer Performance (ALP) and course surveys for student feedback on the quality of courses. Education Development Officers in each faculty assist staff with designing and updating their courses with the inclusion of new teaching and assessment practices. 

    REREGISTRATION HISTORY 
    As per the SAQA Board decision/s at that time, this qualification was Reregistered in 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.
     
    1. University of Witwatersrand 


    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.