SAQA

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SOUTH AFRICAN QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY

REGISTERED QUALIFICATION:

Master of Arts in Visual Arts

SAQA QUAL ID	QUALIFICATION TITLE
96479	Master of Arts in Visual Arts
ORIGINATOR
Stellenbosch University
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 02 - Culture and Arts		Visual Arts
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
2027-06-30		2029-06-30

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 and Rationale of the Qualification:

To equip students with a specialised understanding of the issues and problems pertinent to the visual arts and design as fields of human endeavour and a domain of research, debate and artistic creation.

To this end it aims to supply them with the intellectual, cognitive, communicative and creative skills with which to participate successfully in such processes.

To ensure that South Africa has sufficient highly skilled and creative individuals to assume leading roles in and have an impact on, the arts and design industry as artists, designers or teachers.

To this end the aim is to equip students with a set of specialised artistic a technical skills, focus on an elected area of specialisation.

To provide students with the advanced academic training and communication skills required to qualify them for more specialised academic study at Doctoral level in the humanities (including the social sciences).

LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL):

Access may be gained to the qualification through the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL).

Entry Requirements:

Bachelor of Fine Arts Honours (BA(FA) Hons) or equivalent qualification, Level 8.

RECOGNISE PREVIOUS LEARNING?

EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES

Generic/ Critical cross-field outcomes:
The successful Master of Arts in Fine Arts MA (FA) student will have:
1. The ability to think in terms of theory, and to integrate such knowledge with an understanding of the practicalities and problems of the arts and humanities.
2. The ability to work systematically, independently and creatively.
3. The ability to organise ideas and communicate them effectively using visual, linguistic and kinetic skills in oral, written and media formats.
4. The ability to participate in scholarly, artistic, policy-making and other debates in the humanities.

Specific outcomes:
On completion of the programme, the successful MA (FA) student will have the ability to:
1. Create an innovative and coherent body of visual art work.
2. Present and co-ordinate a professional art exhibition.
3. Produced a well-researched and -written thesis which demonstrates an understanding of traditional and contemporary visual arts methodologies.
4. Pursue a career in the visual arts and/or related areas of cultural production.
5. Contribute to the community as creative and innovative thinkers.
6. Make unique contributions (also outside of the visual arts) in a wide range of societal contexts.

ASSOCIATED ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

The assessment of the Master of Arts in Fine Arts MA(FA) falls into two broad but related categories:
1. The assessment of scholastic skills and knowledge, which takes the form of a thesis and papers read in formal seminars, where the content is subjected to critical discussion by members of the academic staff. Competence in this category will be demonstrated if the information, conceptual thinking and communication by the student are correct, innovative and demonstrate a clear ability to interpret questions, to analyse and interpret information, and to communicate the resulting deductions clearly and logically, using the appropriate discipline-specific conventions.
2. The assessment of creative, technical and other practical skills, which takes the form of an assessment of practical work assignments. Throughout the course of study, students are required to present exemplary exhibitions of work in progress, and these are evaluated and criticised by competent members of the academic staff. At the end of the course of study, the student is required to submit and to present a professional exhibition of work completed during the course of study. The final submission is evaluated by two internal examiners and at least one external examiner. Competence in the practical work will be demonstrated if the student demonstrates a significant degree of competence in the specific skills required of the student's particular area of specialisation, a thorough knowledge of the related theoretical concepts and conventions, and a clear ability to apply these skills, theories and conventions in a persuasive and creative manner within the broader context of the practical works produced.

Integrated Assessment:

A thesis and an exhibition of work produced are submitted by the student at the end of the period of study, and an evaluation of the execution of the projects assessed the student's ability to integrate the theoretical knowledge and practical skills learnt over the course of the programme.

ARTICULATION OPTIONS

Vertical Articulation:

Doctor of Philosophy, Level 10.

MODERATION OPTIONS

N/A

CRITERIA FOR THE REGISTRATION OF ASSESSORS

N/A

NOTES

N/A

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.	Stellenbosch University