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SOUTH AFRICAN QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY 
REGISTERED QUALIFICATION: 

Master of Arts in Occupational Social Work 
SAQA QUAL ID QUALIFICATION TITLE
96535  Master of Arts in Occupational Social Work 
ORIGINATOR
University of Witwatersrand 
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  Human Resources 
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
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 
Purpose:
The purpose of the qualification is to produce a learner who is capable of sophisticated and resourceful thinking, knowledge building, leadership and decision-making in the context of social work practice.The purpose of the qualification is also to enhance the career of the Postgraduate by preparing him/her for professional leadership in social work and further doctoral study.

Further, the purpose of the qualification is to produce postgraduates who can contribute to the economy and social well-being of South Africa by conducting relevant research into the human welfare needs of people and the means of addressing these.

There are two routes which can be followed to achieve the Master of Arts in Social Work:
A. Master of Arts in Social Work (by dissertation).
B. Master of Arts in Social Work (by coursework and research report). 

LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING 
Recognition of Prior Learning:
Learners who fall outside of the regular admissions process who can demonstrate to the satisfaction of the Institution that they have a qualification or experiential- or work-based learning which has taken the learner to an equivalent level of a qualification specified above (under Formally Accredited Learning), may be considered for admission and/or for the recognition of prior accredited and/or prior experiential learning. Learners who, after such assessment, are deemed to have sufficient potential but need further academic development, may be required to broaden their curriculum to include preliminary qualifications before admission or parallel qualifications after admission. 

RECOGNISE PREVIOUS LEARNING? 
Y 

EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES 
A. Master of Arts in Social Work (by dissertation):

A1 The qualifying learner is able to access and process information using a range of technologies.
1. Possess the full range of terminology and key concepts in generic and specialised social work in South African and international literature.
2. Apply knowledge to primary and secondary research resources, materials and methodologies.
3. Possess an extensive in-depth meta-cognitive understanding of own position to debates in social work and social welfare.
4. Possess sophisticated understanding of academic conventions.
5. Understand current debates, research findings required for dissertation.
Apply knowledge to critical and analytical approaches to subject matter of generic and specialised social work.
7. Be competent in basic generic social work knowledge and specialised knowledge.
8. Possess advanced knowledge of research methods and their applications.
9. Show in-depth understanding of current literature.
10. Recognise the knowledge base of the social work profession, and show understanding of advanced methods of scientific inquiry, including problem-solving and the systematic pursuit of knowledge.
11. apply knowledge of the importance of individual responsibility in generating ideas for and executing a social work research study.
12.Know when to seek academic interaction with others in order to test own ideas or to gain stimulation.
13.Understand individual, group and community issues in relation to social welfare and social work.
14.Demonstrate an in-depth knowledge of the world ecosystemically.
15.Understand the inter-relatedness of issues and debates between social work and related fields.
17.Understand and use the concepts, methods, theories, analytical and creative processes which are accepted and or contested in social work and allied professions.
18.Possess the full range of terminology and key concepts in generic and specialised social work in South African and international literature.
19.Apply knowledge to primary and secondary research resources, materials and methodologies.
20. Possess an extensive in-depth meta-cognitive understanding of own position to debates in social work and social welfare.
21 Possess sophisticated understanding of academic conventions.
22. Understand current debates, research findings required for dissertation.
22. Apply knowledge to critical and analytical approaches to subject matter of generic and specialized social work.
Be competent in basic generic social work knowledge and specialised knowledge.
23. Possess advanced knowledge of research methods and their applications.
24. Show in-depth understanding of current literature.
25. Recognise the knowledge base of the social work profession, and show understanding of advanced methods of scientific inquiry, including problem solving and the systematic pursuit of knowledge.
26. Apply knowledge of the importance of individual responsibility in generating ideas for and executing a social work research study.
27. Know when to seek academic interaction with others in order to test own ideas or to gain stimulation.
28. Understand individual, group and community issues in relation to social welfare and social work.
29. Demonstrate an in-depth knowledge of the world eco-systemically.
30. Understand the inter-relatedness of issues and debates between social work and related fields.
31. Understand and use the concepts, methods, theories, analytical and creative processes which are accepted and or contested in social work and allied professions. 

ASSOCIATED ASSESSMENT CRITERIA 
The qualifying learner is able to:
  • Develop a sophisticated selection of search strategies for appropriate databases and information resources.
  • Demonstrate sophisticated critical evaluation of different kinds of data and texts.
  • Synthesise data within the contextual framework of generic and specialized social work.
  • Use appropriate conventions and representational technologies to sustain cogent arguments.
  • Present effectively ideas and theories from generic and specialised social work specific information.
  • Translate information into situation specific language.
  • Develop and critically examine innovative approaches in the scholarly and professional field.
  • Integrate information, theory and context to further knowledge.
  • Design, execute and write-up a scholarly dissertation that contributes to the advancement of knowledge in social work and social welfare.
  • Instruct and mentor others in the design, implementation and evaluation of social work research studies.
  • Be a purposeful, self-directed, resourceful scholar and researcher and social work practitioner.
  • Demonstrate a capacity to become a mentor/tutor in developing scholarly knowledge and skills in others.
  • Demonstrate a capacity to balance and manage a range of commitments-life tasks.
  • Recognise the limits of professional competence.
  • Demonstrate independence initiative, creativity, purposefulness and leadership in professional relationships.
  • Advanced ability to plan, execute and evaluate social research within an eco-systemic paradigm.
  • Demonstrate mastery of the methods of scholarly research as they apply to the dissertation and the social work profession.
  • Demonstrate advanced application of concepts, methods, theories and analytical processes to situations of social work and social welfare concern across a broad range of contexts.
  • Educate relevant systems on the specific contribution of the social work profession towards individual, group, community and organisation development.
  • Demonstrate ability to mentor and instruct others in the design, implementation and evaluation of social work research studies.

    B. MASTER OF ARTS IN SOCIAL WORK (BY COURSEWORK AND RESEARCH REPORT):
  • Develop a sophisticated selection of search strategies for appropriate databases and information resources.
  • Demonstrate sophisticated critical evaluation of different kinds of data and texts.
  • Synthesise date within the contextual framework of generic and specialized social work.
  • Use appropriate conventions and representational technologies to sustain cogent arguments.
  • Present effectively ideas and theories from generic and specialized social work specific information.
  • Translate information into situation specific language.
  • Develop and critically examine innovated approaches in the scholarly and professional field.
  • Integrate information, theory and context to further knowledge.
  • Design, execute and write-up and scholarly research report that contributes to the advancement of knowledge in social work and social welfare.
  • Be a purposeful, self-directed, resourceful scholar and researcher and social work practitioner.
  • Demonstrate a capacity to become a mentor/tutor in developing scholarly knowledge and skills in others.
  • Demonstrate a capacity to balance and manage a range of commitments/life tasks.
  • Recognise the limits of professional competence.
  • Demonstrate independence, initiative, creatively, purposefulness and leadership in professional relationships.
  • Advanced ability to plan, execute and evaluate social research within an eco-systemic paradigm.
  • Demonstrate mastery of the methods of scholarly research as they apply to the research report and the social work profession.
  • Demonstrate advanced application of concepts, methods, theories and analytical processes to situations of social work and social welfare concern across a broad range of contexts.
  • Educate relevant systems on the specific contribution of the social work profession towards individual, group, community and organisation development.

    Integrated Assessment:
    The dissertation or research report are forms of integrated assessment. 
    		•

    INTERNATIONAL COMPARABILITY 
    This qualification compares with the following international qualifications in terms of the range of competencies in the learning content offered. 

    ARTICULATION OPTIONS 
    This qualification offers both possibilities of horizontal and vertical articulation.

    Horizontal Articulation:
  • Master of Arts, Level 9.

    Vertical Articulation:
  • Doctor of Philosophy in Occupational Therapy, Level 10.
  • Doctor of Occupational Therapy, 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. University of Witwatersrand 


    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.