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 Agriculture: Rural Resource Management

SAQA QUAL ID	QUALIFICATION TITLE
81223	Master of Agriculture: Rural Resource Management
ORIGINATOR
University of KwaZulu-Natal
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		Generic Management
ABET BAND	MINIMUM CREDITS	PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL	NQF LEVEL	QUAL CLASS
Undefined	128	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 091/21	2021-07-01	2023-06-30
LAST DATE FOR ENROLMENT		LAST DATE FOR ACHIEVEMENT
2024-06-30		2027-06-30

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 replaces:

Qual ID	Qualification Title	Pre-2009 NQF Level	NQF Level	Min Credits	Replacement Status
20915	Master of Agriculture: Rural Resource Management	Level 8 and above	NQF Level 09	128	Complete

PURPOSE AND RATIONALE OF THE QUALIFICATION

The purpose of this Masters qualification in Rural Resource Management is to build the capacity of rural communities by enhancing the skills, knowledge and attitudes of rural community development practitioners. The master`s degree is designed to develop rural development professionals and managers.

LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING

1. Sufficient exposure to physical Science or Biology.
2. An adequate level of development of knowledge and skills in mathematics.
3. Adequate literacy skills in English.

These can be demonstrated in the following ways:

Matriculation exemption with at least 40% at Higher Grade or at least 60% at Standard Grade for Mathematics and at least 40% at Higher Grade or at least 60% at Standard Grade for Biology or Physical Science.

Alternative access programmes such as the Science Foundation Program (SFP)

4. Continuation in, or access into, programmes at level 7 or above presupposes completion of the exit level requirements at level 6 at the required standard.
5. Students who have completed a diploma at an Agricultural college or Technikon may be admitted, provided they meet the criteria above.
6. The SFP provides access to students who do not have a formal or adequate Matriculation exemption.

RECOGNISE PREVIOUS LEARNING?

EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES

Students will be able to:

Communicate agricultural & ecological concepts (e.g. nutrition, crops, animal production, soils and resource management) in written form (using a variety of genres) as well as in oral form to both large and small groups.

Critically reflect on own learning strengths and weaknesses and take steps to improve these.

Establish, and participate in, a group for the purpose of completing a given task.

Plan and implement a basic research project and interpret the results.

Design a basic agricultural systems model.

Design an educational event.

Plan and evaluate a simple project.

Students will have a basic knowledge of:

Systems concepts

Project planning and evaluation

Experiential learning theory

Rural sociology, incl., the history of rural development interventions in South Africa, social institutions and in rural South Africa, race, class and gender power relations in rural South African systems model.

Design an educational event.

Plan and evaluate a simple project.

A range of agricultural subjects and/or small business management and/or water management and/or range management and/or geographic information systems.

Ecosystems

A knowledge of a range of research methods and the ability to choose appropriate research methods for given projects.

Knowledge of the policy environment for community development.

The ability to make community development interventions appropriate to the context and environment.

Complete a dissertation in any of the above areas.

ASSOCIATED ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

The learner will demonstrate knowledge of a range of research methods and the ability to choose appropriate research methods for given projects. The learner will complete a dissertation in systems and/or extension methodologies.

Integrated assessment:

The University of Natal is currently reforming its assessment strategies to include the assessment of applied competence for each qualification. In the meantime, a combination of continuous assessment and traditional written examinations serve to assess the integration of all/most of the learning outcomes for each module in a qualification.

A written report and oral examination on a field trip in which appropriate extension methods are used, e.g. particularly rural appraisal. This assessment is used to integrate key learning outcomes of the qualification.

ARTICULATION OPTIONS

Learners may shift into the programme at any level provided they meet all the prerequisite requirements for that level. Students from Agricultural Colleges and Technikons with completed Diplomas may carry credits into the programme.

MODERATION OPTIONS

The ETQA system for HE is not yet fully developed. Until such time as it is, procedures described under Assessor Criteria will suffice.

CRITERIA FOR THE REGISTRATION OF ASSESSORS

Until the HEQC establishes a registration system for assessors in the HET Band, the University of Natal assumes that, on the basis of its rigorous selection criteria for the appointment of academic staff (who also have opportunities for staff development in assessment), staffs are competent to assess students on the modules they teach. This assessment is quality assured via a university system of internal moderation and external examination. External examiners are appointed for their teaching and disciplinary expertise and subject to the approval of Faculty Boards. The University of Natal ruling is that 66 % of all assessments at exit level, i.e. leading to a qualification, are externally examined.

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:

When qualifications are replaced, some (but not all) of their learning programmes are moved to the replacement qualifications. If a learning programme appears to be missing from here, please check the replaced 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 KwaZulu-Natal