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 THAT HAS PASSED THE END DATE: 

Master of Public Administration: Research 
SAQA QUAL ID QUALIFICATION TITLE
5147  Master of Public Administration: Research 
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
Master's Degree  Field 03 - Business, Commerce and Management Studies  Public Administration 
ABET BAND MINIMUM CREDITS PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL NQF LEVEL QUAL CLASS
Undefined  120  Level 8 and above  Level N/A:Pre-2009 was L8+  Regular-Provider-ELOAC 
REGISTRATION STATUS SAQA DECISION NUMBER REGISTRATION START DATE REGISTRATION END DATE
Passed the End Date -
Status was "Reregistered" 
SAQA 06120/18  2018-07-01  2018-12-31 
LAST DATE FOR ENROLMENT LAST DATE FOR ACHIEVEMENT
2019-12-31   2022-12-31  

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 
The degree provides advanced training in the field of study including techniques of research, data analysis, and scholarly presentation appropriate to the discipline. The degree will equip the candidate with the knowledge and the skills necessary either for employment in a related field (including teaching and research positions) or for further independent research toward the degree of PhD. 

LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING 
Minimum entrance requirements:
A degree of Honours Bachelor or its equivalent, in a PPE field or a cognate discipline recognised by the Faculty.

School subject minimum requirements
Not applicable.

Assumptions (recognition of prior learning)
Students who have shown by examination or publication or a record of appropriate training that they have reached a level in the subject or a cognate subject equivalent to an honours degree may be permitted to register for the degree.

Senior certificate with Matriculation Exemption or Equivalent university admission qualification.

First degree:
Bachelors degree

Honours degree:
Honours Bachelor Degree

Recognition of Prior Learning

Non-Honours graduates who have shown by examination or publication or a record of appropriate training that they have reached a level in the subject or a cognate subject equivalent to an Honours degree may be permitted to register for the degree. 

RECOGNISE PREVIOUS LEARNING? 

EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES 
a) Critical cross-field outcomes (generic to all teaching and learning)


i) The Masters graduate is able to demonstrate mastery to depth of a theoretically sophisticated subject matter;

ii) The Masters graduate is equipped with proficiency in research methodology sufficient to proceed to a PhD Graduates have mastered the skills of critical thinking, problem solving, collection and analysis of data, and effective written communication.

b) General outcomes (contextually demonstrated general knowledge, skills and values of the programme)

Depending on the discipline, the research masters graduate is able to:

i) Conduct independent research in the discipline (or inter-disciplinary field);
ii) Apply in-depth and specialised disciplinary knowledge and research skills to specific empirical cases and topics;
iii) Demonstrate an awareness of the limitations of research and an ability to make claims with appropriate conditions;
iv) Draw on discipline based knowledge to identify appropriate cases to devise hypothesis creating and answering comparisons;
v) Analyse and critique communications of academic and popular nature.
vi) Prepare research reports and literature studies to established academic standards required for publication in professional journals and effectively present research in readable form to lay audiences;
vii) Appreciate the ethical issues associated with research and knowledge production in the discipline.
viii) Understand the processes whereby knowledge in the specific field of Humanities is constructed

c) Specific outcomes, including professional outcomes, contextually demonstrated)

Depending on the discipline the research masters graduate is able to:

i) identify and understand at an advanced level the main trends, themes and debates within the field;
ii) identify, debate and apply at an advanced level the main theoretical approaches developed in related knowledge areas,
iii) apply relevant methodological approaches and key research techniques
iv) conduct advanced literature searches to inform reviews of specialised literature in the field;
v) prepare professional papers for peer review;
vi) where relevant, apply cross-disciplinary knowledge to respond to practical problems facing societies in transition in Africa generally and South Africa in particular.
vii) Prepare and present research proposals and to act as a research and policy consultant in relevant fields. 

ASSOCIATED ASSESSMENT CRITERIA 
The achievement of these outcomes is assessed in the integrated assessment of the programme.




The achievement of these outcomes is assessed in the integrated assessment of the programme.



Modes of integrated assessment are outlined in section 6 below.

The outcomes are assessed as follows:

* the completion of written assignments, oral presentations, projects and term papers in relevant competence areas;
* the completion of a research dissertation that includes the components listed under 6 below.

Integrated assessment:

The integration of skills learnt in the Masters degree is assessed by means of a supervised dissertation not exceeding 50,000 words. The dissertation must demonstrate competence in the following areas, all of which are assessed in the examination of the dissertation:

* adequate research problem formulation and development;
* familiarity with and integration of the relevant and specialised literature that informs the research question; I
* application of relevant theoretical approaches and key research techniques at an advanced level;
* systematic and sustained discussion and argumentation and integration of findings;
* ability to address the normative issues that might attend the study;
* appreciation of the methodological limitations of the study;
* use of the publication and style conventions of the discipline.

The dissertaiton is subject to external examination. 

ARTICULATION OPTIONS 
Title(s) of related qualification(s) PhD

This qualification serves as an entry point to the related qualification(s).

Entry to this qualification in mid-stream
Not possible.

Other higher education programmes which articulate with this qualification without "going back to square one:
The Masters Degree articulates with the PhD in the Faculty of Humanities. When the dissertation progress is reviewed at the end of each academic year, the Faculty Board, on the recommendation of the supervisor and the Head of the Department, may recommend that the candidate's registration be upgraded to a PhD and that the period of Masters registration beyond the minimum period of one year be recognised towards the two year minimum period of study for the Ph.D 

MODERATION OPTIONS 
The University of Cape Town has a system of external peer review and evaluation of each course. One of the aspects of the system is an evaluation of the standards and assessment practices of the department. 

CRITERIA FOR THE REGISTRATION OF ASSESSORS 
The academic staff of the University of Cape Town will be used in a manner, which is consistent with the quality assurance system of the University. 

REREGISTRATION HISTORY 
As per the SAQA Board decision/s at that time, this qualification was Reregistered in 2006; 2009; 2012; 2015. 

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 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.