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:

Doctor of Economic Science

SAQA QUAL ID	QUALIFICATION TITLE
9877	Doctor of Economic Science
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
Doctoral Degree	Field 03 - Business, Commerce and Management Studies		Finance, Economics and Accounting
ABET BAND	MINIMUM CREDITS	PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL	NQF LEVEL	QUAL CLASS
Undefined	360	Level 8 and above	NQF Level 10	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

This qualification recognises distinguished, original contributions, over a number of years, to advancement and consolidation of knowledge in discipline of Economics. Applicants for a D.EconSc are recognised internationally in a particular field and will have demonstrated comprehensive knowledge of, and expertise in, this field.

LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING

Learning achieved by meeting the outcomes of a qualification of the University listed below (under Formally Accredited Learning) is assumed to be in place. Such learning includes:

the ability to conceive and plan original academic research, to execute the research and to write it up for publication

Doctoral-level knowledge and understanding of both the structure and the context of the disciplines studied, or related concepts and knowledge systems underlying the discipline and of the research methods appropriate to the issue addressed.

Formally Accredited Learning and Subsequent Experience:
The typical applicant has extensive experience and output, either accepted for publication or published, of a quality acceptable to the University and has one of the following:

an Honours degree of the University in an appropriate discipline, of at least five years standing, or

a Masters degree of the University in an appropriate discipline, of at least four years standing, or

a Doctor of Philosophy of the University of at least two years standing,

or equivalent University-approved qualification.
Consult the application information for the year of study for which application is being made.

Recognition of Prior Learning:

Applicants who fall outside of the normal admissions process who can demonstrate to the satisfaction of the University 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.

RECOGNISE PREVIOUS LEARNING?

EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES

1. The applicant has made a distinguished contribution to knowledge in the field of Economics made through the cumulative impact of original research either published or of a publishable standard.

2. The applicant has sophisticated examples of the construction and advancement of knowledge which have been put into the public domain.

Critical Cross-field Outcomes:

a) "Identifying and solving problems in which responses display that responsible decisions using critical and creative thinking have been made" - see Exit Level Outcomes (ELO) 1.

b) "Working with others as a member of a team, group, organisation, community" - see ELO 1 & 2.

c) "Organising and managing oneself and one's activities responsibly and effectively" - see ELO 1 & 2.

d) "Collecting, analysing, organising and critically evaluating information" - see ELO 1.

e) "Communicating effectively using visual, mathematical and/or language skills in the modes of oral and/or written persuasion" - see ELO 1 & 2.

f) "Using science and technology effectively and critically, showing responsibility towards the environment and health of others" - see ELO 1 & 2.

g) "Demonstrating an understanding of the world as a set of related systems by recognising that problem-solving contexts does not exist in isolation" - see ELO 1.

h) "Contributing to the full personal development of each learner and the social and economic development of society at large, by making it the underlying intention of any programme of learning to make an individual aware of the importance of:

(i) "Reflecting on and exploring a variety of strategies to learn more effectively" - see ELO 1.

(ii) "Participating as responsible citizens in the life of local, national and global communities" - see ELO 2; note also that learners act in accordance with the code of conduct of the University and, where relevant, that of the professional discipline being studied.

(iii) "Being culturally and aesthetically sensitive across a range of social contexts" - see ELO 2.

(iv) "Exploring education and career opportunities" - see ELO 1.

(v) "Developing entrepreneurial opportunities" - see ELO 1 & 2.

ASSOCIATED ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

The applicant demonstrates, through a coordinated compendium of original, relevant, published work (or work accepted for publication) submitted for examination, a distinguished contribution to the discipline of international standard.

Integrated Assessment:

The assessment of the compendium of work referred to under Associated Assessment Criterion above, represents an integrated assessment. The applicant is awarded the degree on approval of a submission of a portfolio of original published work (or work accepted for publication) in a focused area of the field of study.

ARTICULATION OPTIONS

This section specifies with which other qualifications of the University the qualification was designed to articulate, i.e. formal articulation; therefore the qualification can articulate informally with equivalent qualifications offered by the University, or with other qualifications offered nationally and internationally.

Entry to the qualification:
The typical applicant has extensive experience and output, either accepted for publication or published, of a quality acceptable to the University and has one of the following:

an Honours degree of the University in an appropriate discipline, of at least five years standing, or

a Masters degree of the University in an appropriate discipline, of at least four years standing, or

a Doctor of Philosophy of the University of at least two years standing,

or equivalent University-approved qualification.

Articulation during the qualification:
No formal articulation.

On completion of the qualification:
No formal articulation - this senior doctorate is one of the most senior awards of the University. A graduate may proceed to other senior doctorates.

MODERATION OPTIONS

Internal University requirements govern how and by whom moderation is performed. For example, external examiners are appointed. Such moderation seeks, inter alia, to ensure that, where appropriate, our graduates will be able to comply with professional and statutory requirements. Further, whether an academic entity has a professional orientation or not, the University ensures that its activities are moderated by internal and external review quinquennially. The moderating body for qualifications of the University is the Higher Education Quality Committee of the Council on Higher Education, currently represented by the Interim Higher Education Quality Committee.

CRITERIA FOR THE REGISTRATION OF ASSESSORS

Internal University quality requirements govern how and by whom assessment may be performed to ensure that assessors have the competence required to assess a qualification of this nature. Once the Higher Education Quality Committee of the Council on Higher Education is constituted and ready to pronounce on issues of quality, the University will respond to the HEQC guidance on the registration of assessors. In the interim, the academic staff of the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, are regarded as registered assessors since SAQA has registered the institution as a public higher education provider.

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 Witwatersrand