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 Arts 
SAQA QUAL ID QUALIFICATION TITLE
9249  Master of Arts 
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 07 - Human and Social Studies  General Social Science 
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
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 
Apply educational knowledge, skills, principles and methods and:
  • Critically position him/herself regarding ideological perspectives, theoretical frames and traditions of practices in a special field of learning.
  • Develop special areas of interest, knowledge, expertise and research experience.
  • Conduct a supervised research project in the fields of art and culture and human and social studies.
  • Take an active part in civil society as a specialist in a particular field of learning and follow any career where advanced knowledge in such fields is in demand.

    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 for their own progress.

    Recognition of prior learning:

    The qualification recognises formal and non-formal prior learning (incorporating experiential learning) at a Higher Education and Training Certificate Level 7. 
    		•

    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.

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

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

    The learner will be capable of:

    1. Advancing an integrated perspective on a selection of theories, institutions and practices in a special field of learning.
    2. Establishing an individual area of research specialisation and expertise.
    3. Progressively developing independent perspectives.

    The learner will be able to:

    1. Access basic and advanced resources and databases; surveying critical positions in the relevant literature and being informed regarding current research developments and critical debates in a field of learning.
    2. Advance research priorities; shaping research designs; developing research hypotheses, defining concepts; formulating problem statements; mastering research procedures; integrating a research project within a framework of relevant theories and research findings.
    3. Write a research report on a specified field, with conclusions accounted for in terms of problem statements and with the text and data in accordance with technical requirements. 

    ASSOCIATED ASSESSMENT CRITERIA 
    Learners will demonstrate their knowledge and skills through:
  • Conducting mentored research on an individual basis.
  • Writing a research report tin dissertation, minor dissertation or three-article formats.
  • Scripted and tutored participation in teamwork research.
  • Contributions to research seminars.
  • Written or oral examination papers.

    The products have to demonstrate to assessors the learner's research initiatives, command in constructing and debating reasonable theoretical frames for the solution of set problems and report-writing abilities.

    Recognition of prior learning:

    Competence is achieved, through continuous assessment by demonstrating the ability to achieve the outcomes of the Qualification through any one of the following forms of assessment is available between the various academic departments in the Faculty of Humanities:
  • A dissertation on an approved subject.
  • Three related articles on an approved subject submitted in ready-to-be-published format.
  • A minor dissertation in combination with (oral or written) examination papers on three to five taught or tutored courses (the so-called 'structured' Master's degree).
  • Five or six (written or oral) examination papers on taught courses (the so-called 'taught' or 'coursework' Mater's degree).

    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.

    Assessments 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.

    Assessment includes research seminars with oral presentations and written reports on prescribed readings or research projects. 
    		•

    ARTICULATION OPTIONS 
    Vertical: Access to Ph.D. degree (accept for the 'taught' or 'coursework' Master's degree)

    Horizontal: Interdisciplinary M.A. degree in adjacent fields. 

    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.
  • Practical examinations are internally co-moderated together with the external examiner.
  • All practical and written examinations are internally moderated.
  • In the case of dissertations, articles and minor dissertations the moderating panels consist of internal and external moderators, with external moderators always in the majority.
  • At least one external moderator is used in the case of examination papers. 
    		•

    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 for 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: 
     
    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.