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 Social Science: Nursing 
SAQA QUAL ID QUALIFICATION TITLE
8571  Master of Social Science: Nursing 
ORIGINATOR
University of the Free State 
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  240  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 10105/14  2015-07-01  2016-10-20 
LAST DATE FOR ENROLMENT LAST DATE FOR ACHIEVEMENT
2017-10-20   2020-10-20  

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 is replaced by: 
Qual ID Qualification Title Pre-2009 NQF Level NQF Level Min Credits Replacement Status
101125  Master of Nursing  Not Applicable  NQF Level 09  180  Complete 

PURPOSE AND RATIONALE OF THE QUALIFICATION 
Apply educational knowledge, skills, principles and methods to render a function independently as an expert in professional nursing in the field of specialisation and will have proven independent research skills.

  • Responding to the needs of the community
  • In life-long learning and the appreciation of the value of education and society


    Qualifiers will demonstrate knowledge, skills and applied competence in the field of study that provide opportunities for continued personal growth, gainful economic activity and rewarding contributions to society. 
    		•

    LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING 
    Learners who register for this qualification can:

  • Learn from predominantly written material
  • Communicate what they have learnt comprehensively in the medium of instruction
  • Learn and take responsibility to their own progress

    Registration with the South Africa Nursing Council


    RECOGNITION OF PRIOR OF LEARNING


    The qualification recognises formal and non-formal prior learning (incorporating experiential learning) at a Higher Education and Training Certificate Level 7 in nursing or a functional equivalent 
    		•

    RECOGNISE PREVIOUS LEARNING? 
    Y 

    EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES 
    The planned combination of learning outcomes are integrated with critical cross-field outcomes for this qualification:


    Practical Competency

    The demonstrated ability/skill to achieve the major Skills/Applied Competency of the qualification.

    Foundation Competency

    The demonstrated understanding, by the Learner, of the embedded knowledge that underpins the end result/outcome.

    Reflective Competency

    1. The demonstrated ability/skill to integrate or connect our performances and to reflect on, evaluate and adopt the above competencies.

    2. To successfully complete the qualification the learner will have to demonstrate his/her learning via module specific learning outcomes as well as critical cross-field learning outcomes

    3. Module specific outcomes will include capabilities relating to module knowledge and the understanding thereof within a specific context, and capabilities relating to integrated knowledge and skills from a variety of disciplines within the field

    4. Critical cross-field outcomes will include those specified in the learning outcomes for approved modules in the certificate and as appropriate to the learner's field of practice.
  • Forming advanced functions as a professional nurse
  • Applying research skills and knowledge
  • Demonstrating the ability to meet the international standards of excellence


    The learner will be able to analyse and apply the basic principles relevant to the following:


    Demonstrate in-depth knowledge as an understanding of:

    1. A defined area of clinical nursing practise, administration or education.

    2. The validation of scientific enquiry and critique as the foundation for the advancement of nursing knowledge

    Demonstrate a proficiency in the essential skills for a nurse specialist in:

    1. A defined area of clinical nursing practice, administration or education

    2. The analytical skills to formulate research questions based on the evaluation of research and scholarly works

    3. The validation of scientific enquiry and critique as the foundation for the advancement of nursing knowledge 
    		•

    ASSOCIATED ASSESSMENT CRITERIA 
    A learner should provide evidence of learning competency (knowledge, skills and attitude) by means of the following:


    Learners should provide evidence of a specialised and high level of knowledge, skills and attitudes through a research report written to portray their specialised field of expertise and to comply with set research standards


    INTEGRATED ASSESSMENT


    Competence is achieved, through continuous assessment by demonstrating the ability to achieve the outcomes of the qualification.


    Formal and evaluation and continuing formal and informal evaluation will be used

    Assessment documents are moderated to ensure that:
  • They conform to the scope and context of the competency as stipulated in the qualification.
  • They are constructed in such a way that the Assessor assesses the critical outcomes applied, during the Learners activity performances, towards achieving an outcome.

    Assessors are:

  • To include confirmation of the embedded knowledge component to ensure that the Foundational Competency is achieved
  • To be verified by Internal Verifiers to ensure valid, credible, true and fair results 
    		•

    ARTICULATION OPTIONS 
    Vertical: It gives access to PhD at the UOFS as well as the other universities that present the PhD in this field of study.


    Horizontal: Articulation with other masters degrees in Nursing, Education degrees and higher diplomas, Public Administration degrees and higher diplomas, masters of Public Health and masters in Business Administration. 

    MODERATION OPTIONS 
  • A system of external peer review and evaluation of departments including evaluation of the standards and assessment practices per Department
  • Qualifications: The minimum academic and workplace experience requirements at a level above the level of moderation
  • Appropriate professional criteria will be drafted in the case of workplace assessment
  • Mentorship: All junior and new members of staff are mentored by senior members as they work together in teams. All assessment done by external assessors is quality controlled by internal staff
  • Any moderation criteria as determined by the ETQA
  • South African Nursing Council 
    		•

    CRITERIA FOR THE REGISTRATION OF ASSESSORS 
    The academic staff of the university of the Free State complies with standards set by Senate and will exercise their assessment within the approved quality assurance system of the university. Assessors will also meet all criteria as stipulated by the relevant ETQA.


    Assessors are:

  • Subject matter specialists
  • Registered with the awarding body
  • Accredited by the awarding body after achieving competency against Unit Standards of competence of Assessors
  • To be administrated, advised and coached by an Internal Verifier 
    		•

    REREGISTRATION HISTORY 
    As per the SAQA Board decision/s at that time, this qualification was Reregistered in 2006; 2009; 2012; 2015. 

    NOTES 
    N/A 

    LEARNING PROGRAMMES RECORDED AGAINST THIS QUALIFICATION: 
    When qualifications are replaced, some of their learning programmes are moved to being recorded against the replacement qualifications. If a learning programme appears to be missing from here, please check the replacement.
     
    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 the Free State 


    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.