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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: 

Master of Philosophy in Old Age Psychiatry 
SAQA QUAL ID QUALIFICATION TITLE
79311  Master of Philosophy in Old Age Psychiatry 
ORIGINATOR
Stellenbosch University 
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 09 - Health Sciences and Social Services  Curative Health 
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 elderly (60 years and older) in South Africa currently account for 8% (3.8 million) of the total population (48 million); the figure is projected to rise significantly. While 30% of the elderly are psychiatrically impaired (e.g. 150 000 with dementia); 80% have a physical illness, and many both. 80% of the elderly are on medication, of these 40% on three or more.

Years of healthy life lost due to disability amount to 8% among the wealthy but rises to 18% among the impoverished. While some of the ailments, are common to the younger age group; most are not requiring specialised psychogeriatric intervention and liaison with other gerontological health professionals and organizations.

Only seven dedicated university-associated outpatient facilities are meeting this need. This programme will provide graduates who are adequately prepared to work in the psychogeriatric unit of Stellenbosch University and other similar units.

Graduates from this programme will be able to deal with complex issues intelligently, solve problems creatively and be autonomous in their field of specialization in terms of knowledge, skills and understanding.

Rationale:

The programme will help to address the needs of stakeholders such as the provincial government, non-governmental organisations and health services that need to deal with mental health problems associated with head injuries, HIV, the aging population and other medical and surgical conditions. Graduates from this program will also have the ability to generate new knowledge in this growing field, as they will have been enabled with excellent research skills. 

LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING 
It is assumed that learners are:
  • Fluent in written and spoken English.
  • Fluent in at least one other official South African language commonly used in the Western Cape.
  • Computer literate.

    Recognition of Prior Learning:

    The qualification conforms to the University of Stellenbosch's policy regarding Assessment and Recognition of Prior Learning. The policy stipulates that the responsibility for implementation of the Assessment and Recognition of Prior Learning resides with the Dean of the Faculty. Assessment and Recognition of Prior Learning policy and practices at departmental level is subject to an in-depth and thorough process of self-evaluation and external peer evaluation as a compulsory requirement in the process of periodical and comprehensive departmental evaluation. The Faculty of Health Sciences has an Assessment and Recognition of Prior Learning policy, to which any application for Recognition of Prior Learning must comply.

    Access to the Qualification:

    Access to the qualification is open to learners in possession of a MDCHB, or a Masters in Medicine (Psychiatry) or who have successfully completed the exit examination from the College of Psychiatrists, South Africa (FC Psych) or FCP (SA) Neurology which allows the graduate to practice as a psychiatrist.

    Learners must also be eligible for Registration as a professional with the appropriate Health Sciences related body (the Health Professions Council of SA).

    At least two or more year's professional experience will be an advantage. 
    		•

    RECOGNISE PREVIOUS LEARNING? 
    Y 

    QUALIFICATION RULES 
    Level, credits and learning components assigned to the qualification:

    All learning is at NQF Level 9. 

    EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES 
    Graduates will be able to:

    1. Be an independent learner and will have accepted the responsibility for lifelong continuous professional development.

    2. Perform independent analysis of new data and clinical problems using a wide range of methods and techniques appropriately.

    3. Plan, execute, interpret and publish research relevant to the discipline.

    4. Read and interpret computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging scans of the brain, understanding the output in terms of relevant clinical diseases in Old Age Psychiatry.

    5. Accurately assess and incorporate new, evidence-based research results when these are disseminated to the mental health field. 

    ASSOCIATED ASSESSMENT CRITERIA 
    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcomes:

    Graduates will demonstrate:

    1. Comprehensive and specialized knowledge of applied medicine in the area of their subspecialty, and mastery of the relevant advanced theories.
    2. Mastery of advanced technical and procedural skills required for the independent practice of Old Age Psychiatry.
    3. Well-developed research skills within their chosen subspecialty, and a mature appreciation for the international standards of Good Clinical Practice in Clinical Research.
    4. Familiarity with the literature and state of research in areas related to Old Age Psychiatry.
    5. A comprehensive and specialized knowledge of the need and application of neuropsychological assessments in clinical practice.
    6. Knowledge of the physical principles underlying clinical imaging methods in Old Age Psychiatry, as well as the clinical indications and limitations of each of these methods.

    Integrated Assessment:

    The University of Stellenbosch has a specific policy to ensure high standards in assessment practices. The programme coordinator is responsible for ensuring that staff involved in the programme adheres to the policy and to ensure explicitness, validity and reliability of assessment practices. Module assignments, as well as the thesis, will be assessed by faculty appointed internal and external examiners. The University also employs a system of internal and external moderation of assessment of all exit level modules.

    The Senate decision that all programmes be re-evaluated and improved on a yearly basis is implemented at all levels. The programme coordinator is responsible for initiating this process and reports to the faculty's programme committee. The evaluation process includes an internal and external evaluation as well as a self-evaluation process.

    The exit examination is under the auspices of The College of Psychiatrists of South Africa. 

    INTERNATIONAL COMPARABILITY 
    This qualification complies with the requirements for a masters degree as required internationally in terms of both the carrying out and reporting of research and the developing of appropriate and relevant knowledge to enable the graduate to operate ethically and professionally in the field. 

    ARTICULATION OPTIONS 
    The qualification articulates vertically with a Doctor of Philosophy. 

    MODERATION OPTIONS 
  • The policy for External and Internal Moderation regulates the practices and procedures around moderation in programmes. The document "Quality Assurance of learning and teaching programmes at faculty level: Duties and responsibilities of Programme Committee Chairs and Programme Coordinators" spells out the details of these practices.
  • Ongoing monitoring and appropriate intervention based on the informal and formal monthly feedback system has been common practice in the Department of Psychiatry for the past 20 years and is firmly based on ethical considerations relevant to clinical practice. Reports from moderators and external examiners are discussed in detail at a series of workshops held by the department of Psychiatry each year. 
    		•

    REREGISTRATION HISTORY 
    As per the SAQA Board decision/s at that time, this qualification was Reregistered in 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. Stellenbosch University 


    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.