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: 

Master of Medicine in Public Health Medicine 
SAQA QUAL ID QUALIFICATION TITLE
81329  Master of Medicine in Public Health Medicine 
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 09 - Health Sciences and Social Services  Curative Health 
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
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 programme will provide people interested in pursuing a career in public health, whether as practitioners, managers or researchers, with the necessary knowledge, skills and attitudes.
The MMed (PHM) will provide medical practitioners with the required knowledge and skills to register with the Health professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) as medical specialists in public health medicine. 

LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING 
Applicants for the Mmed (PHM) programme must have:
i. A MBBCh degree
ii. Registration with the Health Professions Council as a medical practitioner.
iii. Meet the requirements of the Health Professions Council to enter specialist training
iv. Been qualified for a period of not less than four year including the year of internship.
v. Good writing and numeric skills

The number of places on the programme is limited. Applicants will be selected by a selection committee on the basis of:
  • prior work experience
  • future career plans
  • employer support
  • commitment to public health
  • academic merit
  • addressing representivity 
    		•

    RECOGNISE PREVIOUS LEARNING? 
    N 

    EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES 
  • Have greater breadth and depth of training in the core disciplines of public health medicine;
  • Be able to manage health services at executive level;
  • Have detailed knowledge of health problems of major public significance;
  • Be able to use their combined public health and clinical expertise to provide leadership in the following specific areas:
    o Preventive medicine
    o Occupational medicine
    o Rehabilitation medicine
    o Infectious disease medicine
    o Health services management
    o Clinical epidemiology
    o Conduct medical audits 
    		•

    ASSOCIATED ASSESSMENT CRITERIA 
    Evaluation of learner's vocational attachments:
  • Ability to answer integrated practical assignments and case studies;
  • Performance in written, practical and oral examination

    Integrated assessment appropriately incorporated to ensure that the purpose of the qualification is achieved:

    Integrated assessment will be used for formative and summative assessments. Assignments and examinations will primarily focus on the application of learning to specific problems and contexts rather than the reproduction of theoretical knowledge. Real problems and case studies will be used wherever possible.

    Assessment methods will include:
  • Evaluation of class preparation and participation
  • Individual and group written assignments
  • Individual and group oral presentations
  • Case studies
  • Written, practical and oral examinations
  • Computer-based examinations 
    		•

    ARTICULATION OPTIONS 
    Articulation possibilities will increase as public health modules and programmes are developed within the region and throughout the country.

    The MMed (PHM) has significant overlap with the Fellowship of the College of Public Health Medicine (FCPHM) offered by the College of Medicine of South Africa. Students who have obtained the FCPHM may be awarded the MMed (PHM) subject to comnpletion of the dissertation.

    The core formal learning of the MMed (PHM) will be fulfilled by students completing the core modules of the Masters in Public Health course. Credits obtained in the MPH programme can count towards other qualifications in the School of Family and Public Health Medicine such as the Diploma in Health Services Management (DHSM) and the Diploma in Occupational Health (DOH).

    The University of Natal is a member of the Eastern Seaboard Association of Tertiary Institutions (esATI). One important initiative of esATI is to cooperate on the development of public health training in the region. The School of Family and Public Health Medicine is participating in the development of a regional MPH programme and it is envisaged that modules would be transferable between postgraduate programmes of the esATI institutions. 

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


    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.