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SOUTH AFRICAN QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY 
REGISTERED QUALIFICATION: 

Doctor of Philosophy in Media and Communication 
SAQA QUAL ID QUALIFICATION TITLE
120988  Doctor of Philosophy in Media and Communication 
ORIGINATOR
Cape Peninsula University of Technology 
PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QUALITY ASSURANCE FUNCTIONARY NQF SUB-FRAMEWORK
-   HEQSF - Higher Education Qualifications Sub-framework 
QUALIFICATION TYPE FIELD SUBFIELD
Doctoral Degree  Field 04 - Communication Studies and Language  Communication Studies 
ABET BAND MINIMUM CREDITS PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL NQF LEVEL QUAL CLASS
Undefined  360  Not Applicable  NQF Level 10  Regular-Provider-ELOAC 
REGISTRATION STATUS SAQA DECISION NUMBER REGISTRATION START DATE REGISTRATION END DATE
Registered  EXCO 0917/23  2023-07-04  2026-07-04 
LAST DATE FOR ENROLMENT LAST DATE FOR ACHIEVEMENT
2027-07-04   2030-07-04  

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.  

This qualification does not replace any other qualification and is not replaced by any other qualification. 

PURPOSE AND RATIONALE OF THE QUALIFICATION 
Purpose:
The purpose of the Doctor of Philosophy in Media and Communication is to allow learners to contribute to the development of the field of media and communication by encouraging innovation in thinking within the global systems of the local, regional, and continental African context and the globalised spaces in which media and communication play out. The new knowledge produced will be inter- and cross-disciplinary and will include innovative thinking pertaining to all kinds of visual and written media and communication spanning the film and photographic arts, news and actuality, entertainment media on broadcast and networked media channels, and public relations communications within a complex business, cultural and social environment.

The interdisciplinary qualification will allow learners to develop high-level research capabilities and to make a significant and original academic contribution at the frontiers of the field of media and communication. It seeks to encourage critical engagement to the highest, internationally competitive level of cognitive complexity and research skill, as benchmarked against comparable programmes both locally and internationally. Learners will have a deep understanding of the interconnectedness of relevant fields and ethical awareness of research and professional conduct. They will be equipped with skills in the evaluation, selection and application of appropriate research approaches, methodologies, and processes in the pursuit of a research objective. Learners will have strong abilities in self-reflection and autonomy; as well as excellent communication skills and honed critical and analytical thinking skills for problem-solving.

In line with the HEQSF, the qualification will provide training for an academic career by developing proficiencies in undertaking research at the most advanced academic levels. Graduates' original contributions to both media and communication studies will prepare them to become the next generation of lecturers, scholars, and industry thought leaders, thereby building the field, the profession of media production, the creative arts and the business of cultural production more broadly.

On the completion of the qualification, the qualifying learners will be able to:
  • Specialise in a specific area of the discipline.
  • Conduct the original research work.
  • Expand the borders of the discipline.
  • Apply theoretical knowledge on the subject.
  • Obtain competencies and skills for future decision-making and strategic thinking on the corporate level.

    Rationale:
    The media, creative and cultural industries are undergoing radical change locally and internationally due to the complex shifts between politics, economics, social and cultural norms on the one hand, and changes in technology on the other. Previously different sub-disciplines like journalism, film production, photography and public relations communications are responding to drastic changes in the kinds of communication produced, the means of production and distribution, and the effects such communication has on society broadly. To produce deeply theorised knowledge that speaks productively to both local and international shifts and trends in what constitutes media and communication, how it is produced and the effects it has on society, the economy and the world, scholars and industry leaders in media and communication alike must be able to critically analyse the economic, socio-cultural, technological, political and creative environments, and must have an advanced understanding of the influences and flows of practice across a range of disciplines.

    There is a strong need for a qualification offering that encourages and supports the discipline of media and the field of communication at the highest level, in support of the values and objectives of the National Development Plan (2030) of South Africa, the aim of which is to empower learners to become active participants in national economic development through the prioritizing of "improving the quality of education, skills development and innovation". The need was conveyed through focus groups with academic staff who are active in the field of media and communication, informal consultation with industry experts and both local and international academics at benchmark institutions that host comparable programmes. This need was further informed by discussions with alumni and the advisory boards that represent a broad base of industry specialisations in film and photography, (including corporate films, documentaries, commercials, feature films, and film and photographic servicing of foreign productions), as well as in journalism (including text-based, broadcast, and online media) and public relations.

    Communication and media are listed as critical skills in a Technical Report for the 2020 Critical Skills List. The qualification is intended to attract candidates who want to obtain the highest-level knowledge of media and communication that they can use as lecturers, scholars and industry thought leaders. They will have had substantive experience working in the media and communication sector and might have been trained as journalists, photographers, videographers, archivists, public relations professionals, and graphic designers. Learners will benefit from the qualification's clear focus on the field of media and communication that provides a space for theoretical engagement with the intersections between the social sciences and arts in the context of where meaning is constructed through the design, production and distribution of media and communication artefacts, whether digital or analogue. They will be welcomed to explore media and communication-based research in Human, Health, and Social Dynamics; The Digital Society; and The Environment, Climate Change and Sustainability. They will benefit from the skills they obtain in conducting complex research and developing innovative knowledge in these areas, especially as it relates to the growth of the media industry, the international media sphere, and new media products that encourage sustainable business.

    Learners from disadvantaged backgrounds will benefit from the qualification as it will widen access and achieve the appropriate levels of demographic diversity in the learner profile regarding class, gender, race, and economic circumstances. Access will further be widened through admitting doctoral candidates who do not meet the formal admission requirements but have made significant professional achievements in the media and communication sphere or have other relevant high-level prior learning and have demonstrated relevant understanding and skills in research and knowledge production at the appropriate level of cognitive complexity. Given the need for funding offered for qualification for people from previously disadvantaged groups and the need to upskill and change the demographic profile of scholars in the field of media studies, partnerships with various funding organisations to provide scholarships will be established.

    Graduates will benefit society by being able to exhibit the technological, ethical, and relational capabilities identified in the Charter of Graduate Attributes, which include:
  • The ability to optimally communicate and follow through with technological solutions.
  • The ability to use practical knowledge, which involves the ability to transform knowledge and technology to new situations.
  • An awareness of social priorities and responsibilities which may have technological solutions.
  • An ability to discern whether professional practices are within ethical boundaries.

    The qualification will focus on responding to the scholarship of media and communication in ways that feed into graduate attributes relevant to postgraduate qualifications of resilience and research capability. Graduates will have technological capability and foresight, resilience and problem-solving, relational capability, and ethical capability, which are central to the institution's Graduate Attributes (2017) aims at the construction of knowledge that is innovative and driven towards technological and environmental awareness and social responsibility. As contributors to knowledge production in the field and discipline, graduates will conduct research that is theoretical and practice-focused in the media and cultural spheres, thereby honing skills as scholars, high-level strategists and thought leaders who have a high level of autonomy and critical thinking skills obtained through a carefully supervised understanding of research methodology, epistemology, and ontology.

    Graduates will, in turn, benefit the economy by producing new knowledge that supports the values and objects of the National Development Plan (2030) of South Africa with its aim to empower learners to become active participants in national economic development through their high-level understanding of media and communication. This is in line with the NDP's prioritizing of "improving the quality of education, skills development and innovation". The qualification is central to developing a key area of specialisation in the knowledge economy. The qualification will enable the production of new knowledge that addresses the shifts and changes in the field of media and communication through the development of high-level skills in research processes, analysis and synthesis of knowledge related to the discipline, and high-level communication skills. Graduates with these skills will shape both scholarship and the creative and cultural industries through their deep level of understanding of and ability to produce high-level critical and creative contributions to the theories and practices that relate to the communication and media industry in South Africa, which is touted to reach R177bn in turnover by 2022 (Price Waterhouse Coopers' Entertainment and media outlook: 2018-2022). 
    		•

    LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING 
    Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL):
    The institution has an approved Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) policy which applies to equivalent qualifications for admission into the qualification. RPL will be applied to accommodate applicants who qualify. RPL thus provides alternative access and admission to qualifications, as well as advanced standing within qualifications. RPL may be applied for access, credits from modules and credits for or towards the qualification.

    RPL for access:
  • Learners who do not meet the minimum entrance requirements or the required qualification at the same NQF level as the qualification required for admission may be considered for admission through RPL.
  • To be considered for admission in the qualification based on RPL, applicants should provide evidence in the form of a portfolio that demonstrates that they have acquired the relevant knowledge, skills, and competencies through formal, non-formal and/or informal learning to cope with the qualification expectations should they be allowed entrance into the qualification.

    Entry Requirements:
    The minimum entry requirements for this qualification are:
  • Master of Communication and Media, NQF Level 09.
    Or
  • Master of Arts in Communication Science, NQF Level 09.
    Or
  • Master of Arts in Communication Studies, NQF Level 09.
    Or
  • Master of Public Relations and Communication Management, NQF Level 09.
    Or
  • Master of Arts in the cognate field, NQF Level 09. 
    		•

    RECOGNISE PREVIOUS LEARNING? 
    Y 

    QUALIFICATION RULES 
    This qualification consists of the following compulsory modules at National Qualifications Framework Level 10 totalling 360 Credits.

    Compulsory Modules, Level 10, 360 Credits:
  • Thesis, 360 Credits. 
    		•

    EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES 
    1. Demonstrate expertise and critical knowledge in an area at the forefront of media and communication studies.
    2. Demonstrate the ability to conceptualise ethically new research initiatives and create new knowledge or practice in the field of media and communication studies.
    3. Demonstrate the ability ethically to make independent judgements about managing information, including incomplete or inconsistent information or data in an iterative process of analysis and synthesis.
    4. Demonstrate the ability to apply specialist knowledge and theory in critically reflexive, creative, and novel ways to address complex practical and theoretical problems, and to develop significant original insights into new, complex, and abstract ideas, information, or issues.
    5. Demonstrate the ability to contribute to scholarly debates around theories of knowledge and processes of knowledge production in an area of study or practice, through a communication strategy for dissemination and defence of research, strategic and policy initiatives and their implementation to specialist and non-specialist audiences using the full resources of academic and professional or occupational discourse.
    6. Demonstrate the ability to produce a complex media or communication product that exhibits a novel response to the defined research problem and/or its potential solutions based on knowledge of the scholarship of the field and complex argumentation.
    7. Demonstrate the ability to produce substantial, independent, in-depth, and publishable work which meets international standards, is new or innovative by peers, and makes a significant contribution to the discipline, field, or practice. 

    ASSOCIATED ASSESSMENT CRITERIA 
    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1:
  • Debate the key ontological and epistemological stances within the existing scholarship of an area within media and communication studies.
  • Critically analyse the existing scholarship of an area within media and communication studies.
  • Describe and explain theoretical underpinnings in the management of complex systems to achieve systemic change within the context of media and communication studies.
  • Evaluate and explain the conflicting debates within the existing scholarship of an area within media and communication studies.
  • Make context-based statements of conclusion concerning debates within the existing scholarship of an area within media and communication studies.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2:
  • Critically analyse and apply the key theoretical frameworks and methodological approaches within the scholarship of an area within media and communication studies.
  • Demarcate, describe, and persuasively argue a novel and significant research problem that is coherent in relation to a similarly coherently described in Ontology, Epistemology, Theoretical framework, Literature review/analysis, Research aim, Research question, Significance and Relevance of Study, Assumptions and Limitations.
  • Explore, address, and manage emerging ethical issues in research design.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 3:
  • Obtain information from the iterative research process.
  • Analyse the in-depth information obtained in the research process.
  • Compare and contrast different items of information obtained in the research process.
  • Analyse the conflicts between different sets of information obtained in the research process.
  • Make evaluative assessments of the different sets of information obtained in the research process.
  • Engage in ethical decision-making, including monitoring and evaluation of the consequences of these decisions.
  • Demonstrate intellectual independence, research leadership and management of research and research development.
  • Work independently and take full responsibility for the work, and lead, oversee and be held ultimately accountable for the overall governance of processes and systems.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 4:
  • Compare and contrast different sets of information obtained in the research process.
  • Identify gaps in the existing specialist knowledge within the scholarship of an area within media and communication studies.
  • Examine the conflicts between sets of information obtained in the research process and existing specialist knowledge within the scholarship of an area within media and communication studies.
  • Critically apply unusual analytic lenses to sets of information and specialist knowledge within the scholarship of an area within media and communication studies.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 5:
  • Analyse the different sets of information obtained in the research in a coherent manner.
  • Identify and address the gaps in the scholarship of an area within media and communication studies that relate to different sets of information obtained in the research.
  • Describe and evaluate relationships between different sets of information obtained in the research and the scholarship of an area within media and communication.
  • Argue logically and coherently the value of a conclusion derived from a comparison between information obtained in the research and the scholarship of an area within media and communication.
  • Explain and support new methods, techniques, processes, systems, or technologies in original, creative, and innovative ways appropriate to specialised and complex contexts.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 6:
  • Identify a defined research problem suitable for addressing a complex media or communication product.
  • Identify the resources, conceptual approaches and alternatives required to develop a complex media or communication product.
  • Develop a plan of production of a complex media or communication product.
  • Follow a plan of production in the development of a complex media or communication product.
  • Exhibit a complex media or communication product in a public space.
  • Communicate in specific communication and media problem-solving situations effectively.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 7:
  • Identify a conceptual problem suitable for investigation and argument in the form of one or more scholarly journal articles.
  • Identify key points of dispute within the epistemology within which the problem resides.
  • Conceptualise an argumentation point suitable for expression in one or more scholarly journal articles.
  • Write a complex argument that logically leads from a research problem to a scholarly point in a way suitable for scholarly journal articles.
  • Identify an approach appropriate to scholarly journals for publication.
  • Confirm publication requirements and effect revisions to peer review requirements.
  • Write a thesis demonstrating the useful application of appropriate theoretical knowledge and research methodology.
  • Submit research papers to be presented at local, national and or international conferences and submit articles for publication in accredited journals.
  • Present research papers at local, national and or international conferences.
  • Publish articles in accredited journals. 
    		•

    INTERNATIONAL COMPARABILITY 
    The international comparison was conducted to explore similar offerings at similar institutions as per institutional requirements and guidelines that include determining the scope of the comparison exercise, and the selection of a variety of reputable Higher Education international institutions. The selection of comparable qualifications and aspects from these qualifications; analysis and evaluation of qualification design of the selected qualifications; conclusions and recommendations for the qualification.

    Country: United Kingdom
    Institution: University of Brighton
    Qualification Type: Doctor of Philosophy in Media and Communications
    Duration: Three years full time
    Entry Requirements:
  • A recognised Master's degree with a significant research component, for example, MPhil from another university, or a similar qualification

    Rationale:
    Media and communication studies is a multi-faceted research area that examines the ways in which the media represent and influence social, cultural, and political lives. Research in media and communications critically analyses the role of media institutions, as well as the changing landscape of media industries and cultural production. The research examines audiences and reception, television and screen studies, digital media, gender, and communication, communication, and democracy, as well as media history, policy, and law.

    Critical investigations of media phenomena or practice-based work through digital arts and sciences, photography and film can also be aligned to cross-disciplinary work with, for example, art practices, architecture, heritage technologies, cultural studies, human geography, politics, and philosophy.
    The university supports Media and Communications PhD learners to research their area of interest across a wide spectrum of media research, drawing on the expertise of cutting-edge academic research. Successful graduates of these programs will be employable, ethical, and competent communicators in the always-evolving communication industry environment.

    Exit Level Outcomes:
    On completion of the qualification, qualifying learners will be able to:
  • Create effective communication and media solutions and applications using qualitative and quantitative tools.
  • Synthesize theoretical and applied concepts and approaches based on research and knowledge of the literature of the communication and media discipline.
  • Conduct original research that adds to the applied knowledge base of strategic media fields.
  • Apply emerging communication and media technologies and the complex causes and opportunities of that evolution.
  • Analyze and explain the moral, ethical, and cross-cultural dimensions of messages.
  • Evaluate and apply communication and media theories to critically analyze real world issues and employ practical, innovative solutions.

    Similarities:
  • The University of Brighton (UB) and the South African (SA) qualifications are offered over three years of full-time study.
  • Both qualifications require candidates who completed the Master's Degree in the relevant field with the research component.
  • In addition to more traditional media and communication approaches, both the UB and SA qualifications encourage innovative, interdisciplinary, and transdisciplinary approaches.
  • Both qualifications share the same exit learning outcomes.
  • Both qualifications culminate in the Research Thesis.

    Country: Germany
    Institution: Humboldt University Berlin
    Qualification Type: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Communication, Cultural and Media Studies
    Duration: Three years full-time
    Entry requirements:
  • Master's degree or Honours degree (2:1 or above) or equivalent, normally with a classification of merit or distinction, in a discipline appropriate to the proposed programme to be followed.
    Or
  • Appropriate research or professional experience at the postgraduate level, which has resulted in published work, written reports, or other appropriate evidence of accomplishment.

    Purpose:
    This qualification allows learners to explore and pursue a research project built around a substantial piece of work, which must show evidence of original contribution to knowledge. Completing the qualification can give learners a great sense of personal achievement and help them develop a high level of transferable skills which will be useful in their subsequent careers, as well as contribute to the development of knowledge in the chosen field. The qualification will develop a critical perspective on how communication, media and film represent and shape our lives. You will also gain marketable research and communication skills. This thesis-based degree is designed for learners who want to pursue a research or scholarly career.

    This qualification of research culminates in the production of a large-scale piece of written work in the form of a research thesis that should not normally exceed 80,000 words. Research in Communication, Cultural and Media Studies focuses on a wide range of aspects of the interplay between media audiences, industries, technologies, and texts. The institution has significant expertise in contemporary digital media and culture, including the internet and social media, and its impact on legacy media, such as journalism, film, and TV. As well as focusing on contemporary developments, the institution can also supervise projects interested in exploring the histories of communication, culture, and media. The institution is well-placed to supervise topics across a range of media and cultures, as well as interdisciplinary topics that cross the boundaries between different forms of communication, culture, and media.

    Audiences, Fans and Participatory Culture: addressing how people are engaging with and responding to a rapidly changing media culture; exploring people's affective relationships with media and how these are created, managed, and enabled by industry; examining the cultures, practices and identities associated with cultural participation, social media use and fandom. Politics, Journalism, Gender, and Identity: addressing the global political upheaval characterised by the rise of populism, identity politics and new forms of media and communication; exploring questions of gender, identity, equality, diversity, and inclusion as they pertain to media industries, audiences/fans, technologies.

    Exit Level Outcomes:
    Upon graduating with the qualification, learners should be able to:
  • Identify and describe the foundations and characteristics of mass media. Graduates should have an understanding that mass media operates as a system of interrelated forces, including historical foundations, technological advances, economic dynamics, legal and regulatory constraints, and ethical concerns.
  • Engage in media studies scholarship. Graduates should be able to interpret, evaluate, and apply for media studies scholarships. Graduates will be able to engage in the scholarship of discovery (or original research) scholarship of integration (or the synthesis of information), and/or scholarship of engagement (or the sharing of research with the community).
  • Demonstrate proficiency in the process and practice of media writing. Graduates should demonstrate proficiency as a writer in various media writing genres, including both writing for and about the media.
  • Create and critique media content. Graduates should be able to create and critique media content based on appropriate production, design, and aesthetic principles. Graduates should be able to produce media messages appropriate to the audience, purpose, and context.
  • Interpret, evaluate, and apply for a communication scholarship.
  • Formulate questions appropriate for a communication scholarship.
  • Engage in Communication scholarship using the research traditions of the discipline.
  • Differentiate between various approaches to the study of Communication.

    Similarities:
  • The Humboldt University Berlin (HUB) and the South African (SA) qualifications are offered over three years of full-time study.
  • Both qualifications require applicants who hold a master's degree in the cognate field.
  • The HUB and SA qualifications allow learners to pursue a research project which must show evidence of original contribution to knowledge.
    Both qualifications share similar exit-level outcomes.
  • Both qualifications culminate in the production of a large-scale piece of written work in the form of a research thesis.

    Difference:
    The HUB also allows applicants who completed the Honour's Degree in the cognate field while the SA qualification does not consider applicants who hold the Honour's Degree

    Country: Australia
    Institution: University of Sydney
    Qualification Title: Doctor of Philosophy n Media and Communication
    Duration: Three years
    Entry Requirements:
    Master's degree with honours
    Or
    Bachelor's degree with honours (equivalent to 4 years of study)

    Purpose:
    Candidates for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) research and write a thesis on an approved topic. It is also possible for candidates to conduct a practice-led PhD with the thesis made up of a written component and substantial creative work. All research is conducted with the support of a supervisory team of academics. The researcher graduate qualities focus on building deep disciplinary expertise and a range of broader, transferrable skills that will enhance the research activities and career possibilities.

    The eleven qualities cover cultural competence, interdisciplinary effectiveness, professional, ethical, personal identity, influence, critical thinking and problem-solving, communication, information and digital literacy, inventiveness, engagement and project planning and delivery.

    Similarities:
  • The University of Sydney and the South African (SA) qualifications take three years of full-time study.
  • Both qualifications require applicants who completed the Master's Degree in the cognate field.
  • Both qualifications culminate in the research thesis on an approved topic.

    Country: Kenya
    Institution: Moi University
    Qualification Title: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Communication Studies
    Duration: Three years full time
    Entry Requirements:
  • A Master's Degree in any other field with a Postgraduate Diploma in Communication Studies, Public Relations, Journalism, Mass Communication, Media Studies or any other similar PGDs considered relevant by the Departmental Graduate Faculty.
  • A Master's Degree in any other field with active professional and academic practice in Communication, Public Relations, Diplomacy, Journalism, and related engagements as evidenced by publications in refereed journals, presentations in conferences and research outputs.
  • Candidates whose Master's Degrees and other admissions considerations are not deemed as directly related to the programme will be expected to take at least four relevant level 8ight (8) courses as determined by the Departmental Graduate Faculty.

    Purpose:
    The qualification aims to provide expertise in theories of Communication Studies in relation to the broader Philosophies of Social Science while also exploring the link between these philosophies/theories with principles and techniques of Communication in various platforms and contexts.

    The specific objectives of the qualification are to:
  • To produce professionals capable of providing empirically and theoretically grounded expert leadership and management services in Corporate Communication, Public Relations, Diplomacy, and related contexts.
  • To facilitate the graduates to acquire the ability to interrogate contemporary communication policies, strategies, and practices in diverse contexts.
  • Develop graduates' ability to critically discuss social, contextual, and academic implications for policy and practice in Corporate Communication, Public Relations, Diplomacy, and similar contexts.
  • To provide graduates with advanced research skills to independently design, implement and evaluate research in Social Sciences generally and specifically in Communication Studies.

    Exit Level Outcomes:
    At the end of the qualification, the graduates will have gained:
  • Empirically and theoretically grounded expert knowledge of relevant leadership and management services in Corporate Communication, Public Relations, Diplomacy, and related contexts.
  • Advanced knowledge of contemporary communication policies, strategies, and practices in diverse contexts.
  • Critical conceptualization of social, contextual, and academic implications for policy and practice in Corporate Communication, Public Relations, Diplomacy, and similar contexts.
  • Expertise in design, implementation, analysis, and evaluation of research in the Social Sciences in general and Communication Studies.

    Qualification structure:
  • Theory and practice of communication
  • Communication, Gender, and Politics.
  • Organizational Behaviour and Communication.
  • Communication Advocacy and Campaigns.
  • Advanced Research Methods in Communication Studies.
  • Management of Communication and Media Practice.
  • Communication, Governance and Human Rights.
  • Educational issues in Communication and Media Studies.
  • Contemporary Perspectives in Communication and Public Relations.
  • Research Proposal Writing.
  • Field Research.
  • Graduate Seminars and Research Dissemination.
  • Thesis Writing.

    Similarities:
  • The Moi University (MU) and the South African (SA) qualifications take three years of full-time study.
  • Both qualifications require applicants who completed a Master's Degree in the cognate field.
  • Both qualifications aim to provide graduates with advanced and specialized theoretical and conceptual perspectives in Communications and Journalism policy formulation, management, practice, and research.
  • The MU and SA qualifications share the same exit-level outcomes.
  • Both qualifications culminate in thesis writing.

    Difference:
    The MU qualification consists of both compulsory and elective modules while the SA qualification is by research only and no course work. 
    		•

    ARTICULATION OPTIONS 
    This qualification allows possibilities for horizontal articulation.

    Horizontal Articulation:
  • Doctor of Philosophy in Audio-visual Communication, NQF Level 10.
  • Doctor of Strategic Communication, NQF Level 10.
  • Doctor of Philosophy in Marketing Communication, NQF Level 10.
  • Doctor of Communication in Language Practice, NQF Level 10. 
    		•

    MODERATION OPTIONS 
    N/A 

    CRITERIA FOR THE REGISTRATION OF ASSESSORS 
    N/A 

    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.
     
    NONE 


    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.