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: 

Postgraduate Diploma in Fine Art 
SAQA QUAL ID QUALIFICATION TITLE
96641  Postgraduate Diploma in Fine Art 
ORIGINATOR
University of Cape Town 
PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QUALITY ASSURANCE FUNCTIONARY NQF SUB-FRAMEWORK
CHE - Council on Higher Education  HEQSF - Higher Education Qualifications Sub-framework 
QUALIFICATION TYPE FIELD SUBFIELD
Postgraduate Diploma  Field 02 - Culture and Arts  Visual Arts 
ABET BAND MINIMUM CREDITS PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL NQF LEVEL QUAL CLASS
Undefined  120  Not Applicable  NQF Level 08  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 Postgraduate Diploma in Arts provides an advanced, graduate study path for artists and teachers who hold fine art Degrees and wish to upgrade their academic status, or for those who have not acquired Degree status, but who hold recognised Diplomas in aspects of the visual arts.

Rationale:
The Postgraduate Diploma in Art provides training in concepts and research methods that equip the candidates with the skills necessary either for employment in the field of visual arts or for further study at Masters level in visual art.

The qualification helps meet the cultural and intellectual needs of South Africa in the important areas of visual arts practice and interpretation, and provides society with a cadre of trained visual arts practitioners. 

LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING 
Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL):
Non-graduates who have shown by examination or a record of appropriate training that they have reaches the required level in the discipline will be permitted to register for the Diploma.

Entry Requirements:
The minimum entry requirement for this qualification is:
  • A Bachelor of Art in Fine Art. 
    		•

    RECOGNISE PREVIOUS LEARNING? 
    Y 

    QUALIFICATION RULES 
    N/A 

    EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES 
    1. Formulate personal approaches, at an advanced level, to complex aesthetic problems relating to, (a) basic design, pictorial and spatial elements; (b) the understanding and interpretation of past aesthetic practices, processes and technologies.
    2. Competent in contemporary developments in new media, and use computer aided design packages at a high level of personal competency.
    3. Competent in visualizing thought processes and enable to communicate orally and visually with visual art audiences. 

    ASSOCIATED ASSESSMENT CRITERIA 
    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome:
    1. Understand and manipulate qualitative and quantitative data within an area of specialisation.
    2. Design and conduct research in his or her area of specialisation.
    3. Produce academic papers that reflect an ability to interrogate the professional literature and engage in critical debate.
    4. Articulate an understanding of an area of specialisation at the high level of abstraction.
    5. Find information of professional relevance efficiently and independently.
    6. Use information-technology efficiently and independently.
    7. Embark on supervised postgraduate level research.
    8. Independently apply discipline-based knowledge and practices to an understanding of conceptual and practical problems.
    9. Design and conduct research utilizing the methods of the discipline.
    10. Apply the theory and research methods of the discipline to the development of research questions.
    12. Produce theoretical and research communications that draw on a range of information bases.

    Integrated Assessment:
    Integrated Assessment of the Postgraduate Diploma in Art graduate includes measurement of foundational, reflexive and practical competencies.

    Candidates are required to work under the close supervision of a supervisor appointed by the School. Consequently, a week by week assessment of the following elements is available to learners; refinement of the research proposal; compilation of an opposite bibliography; research and collation of appropriate visual referents. In addition, two formal reviews are held. In June of each year of registration, candidates are required to present their creative research results in a simulated exhibition environment. After assessment by a marking panel, candidates are appraised of the assessment and given an opportunity to explicate their creative work verbally.

    In November candidates are required to submit, for examination, a body of creative work in a simulated exhibition format. 

    INTERNATIONAL COMPARABILITY 
    N/A 

    ARTICULATION OPTIONS 
    This qualification allows for vertical articulation:
    Vertical Articulation:
  • Master in Fine Art.
  • Master of Fine Art. 
    		•

    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 Cape Town 


    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.