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SOUTH AFRICAN QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY 
REGISTERED QUALIFICATION: 

Postgraduate Diploma in Business Administration 
SAQA QUAL ID QUALIFICATION TITLE
97541  Postgraduate Diploma in Business Administration 
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
Postgraduate Diploma  Field 03 - Business, Commerce and Management Studies  Generic Management 
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
Reregistered  SAQA 1141/23  2021-07-01  2024-06-30 
LAST DATE FOR ENROLMENT LAST DATE FOR ACHIEVEMENT
2025-06-30   2028-06-30  

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 is replaced by: 
Qual ID Qualification Title Pre-2009 NQF Level NQF Level Min Credits Replacement Status
111477  Postgraduate Diploma in Business Administration  Not Applicable  NQF Level 08  120  Complete 

PURPOSE AND RATIONALE OF THE QUALIFICATION 
Purpose:
The Postgraduate Diploma in Business Administration (PDBA) is a management development and general business administration qualification l and enables learners to have access to the Master of Business Administration (MBA) qualification.

The PDBA focuses on enhancing the learner's problem solving, information management and people management expertise necessary for private-and public sector managers. The qualification covers all the basic business disciplines, and because of the interactive teaching method used at the Business School, the learners also learn about themselves which gives them a level of insight which is vital in management.

In addition, the qualification is designed to prepare learners for professional/and or managerial leadership roles in the private, public, development and not-for-profit sectors.
Upon completion of the qualification, the learner will be able to:
  • Demonstrate an understanding of a comparative range of management frameworks and to evaluate their applicability to South Africa and African contexts.
  • Demonstrate ability to access, use and manage information.
  • Apply appropriate conceptual and analytical frameworks within different organisational management conditions.
  • Demonstrate enhanced leadership, problem solving skills and expertise appropriate to complex and rapidly changing organisational environments.
  • Develop ethical and practical leadership skills including abilities to exercise judgment within an environment of competing values.

    Rationale:
    The Postgraduate Diploma in Business Administration (PDBA) is one of the feeder mechanisms for gaining entrance to the MBA qualification. The typical learner must have an undergraduate three year Degree and wish to develop an expertise in generalist business management. The PDBA fills an important niche in the education spectrum for the development of generalist managers. It is compact and intense and provides accelerated learning for those who wish to progress their careers in business management. Qualifying learners may find employment as managers in both the private and non-profit sectors, as consultants or entrance level professionals.

    The qualification is also aimed at middle managers who want to enrich their careers, junior managers with proven leadership potential and specialised individuals moving into general management roles.

    The learners who graduate with a PDBA will contribute to the social and economic transformation of South Africa in that they will become effective managers in both the private and public sectors. One of the inhibiting factors in the South African economy is the lack of competent managers. Thus, these learners will alleviate that problem and contribute to the economic growth and thus the creation of jobs and the amelioration of poverty. 
    		•

    LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING 
    Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL):
    Applicants who do not meet the admissions requirements but they are to demonstrate that they the necessary experiential - or work based learning that is of an equivalent level of a qualification specified above may be considered for admission and/be credited for certain modules. Applicants who, after such assessment, are deemed to have sufficient potential but are in need of further academic development, may be required to broaden their curriculum to include preliminary qualifications prior to admission or parallel qualifications after admission.

    Entry Requirements:
  • 360 Credits Bachelors' Degree at NQF Level 7.
    Or
  • Advanced Diploma at NQF 7 with at least two years verifiable work experience. 
    		•

    RECOGNISE PREVIOUS LEARNING? 
    Y 

    QUALIFICATION RULES 
    This qualification comprises compulsory modules at NQF Level 8, totalling 120 Credits.
  • Critical Business Skills, 15 Credits.
  • Management and Financial Accounting, and Finance, 15 Credits.
  • Economics for Business, 15 Credits.
  • Technology and Operations Management, 15 Credits.
  • Strategy, 15 Credits.
  • Business Law, 15 Credits.
  • Marketing and Sales, 10 Credits.
  • People Management, 10 Credits.
  • Entrepreneurship, 10 Credits. 
    		•

    EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES 
    1. Demonstrate understanding of a comparative range of management frameworks and to evaluate their applicability to South Africa and African contexts.
    2. Demonstrate ability to access, use and manage information.
    3. Apply appropriate conceptual and analytical frameworks within different organisational management conditions.
    4. Demonstrate enhanced leadership, problem solving skills and expertise appropriate to complex and rapidly changing organisational environments.
    5. Develop ethical and practical leadership skills including abilities to exercise judgment within an environment of competing values. 

    ASSOCIATED ASSESSMENT CRITERIA 
    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1:
  • Complex and ambiguous problems are analysed and solved.
  • Knowledge of a broad range of conceptual and analytical fields within management is demonstrated.
  • The consequences of business and management solutions generated are comprehensively understood in both the South African and African contexts.
  • Interventions at an appropriate level in a system, based on an understanding of hierarchical relations in the system are done, the intended and unintended consequences of the proposed business and management interventions are addressed.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2:
  • Information is accessed, used and managed.
  • Information in a range of written and oral modes and genres appropriate to the audience is presented.
  • Information and communications technology is used effectively both to support learning and effective communication.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 3:
  • Planning and decisions to benefit the organisation are made.
  • A wide range of business and management skills are used to address complex and challenging business and management problems.
  • The consequences of business and management solutions generated are comprehensively understood.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 4:
  • Processes are put in place, solved and evaluated.
  • Skills in critical thinking are demonstrated and the validity and reliability of evidence in a wide range of contexts is analysed and assessed.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 5:
  • Divergent leadership and managerial problems are analysed and solved.
  • Ethical scenarios to support effective decision making are proposed and defended.
  • Ethical accountability to other individuals, the community, the discipline, the profession, and society as a whole based on various perspectives are considered.

    Integrated Assessment:
    Integrated assessment will be achieved by a variety of strategies. These include written examinations, group and individual assignments. Some of the criteria may be assessed through observation of the learners during their presentations in class.
    Integrated assessment will be both formative and summative. Formative assessment will take place during seminar and class presentations, discussions and project sessions. Self and peer assessment will contribute to formative assessment.
    The written examinations will require integration of information from the different areas of the course content. 
    		•

    INTERNATIONAL COMPARABILITY 
    The qualification is compared to other international qualifications; examples from the UK and Australia are given below:

    Birbeck College, University of London offers a Postgraduate Diploma (Management). The qualification aims to create an opportunity for learners to explore specialist management issues within the fields of human resource management, strategic management, marketing, and accounting and finance, along with a variety of options. The 1 year full time or 2 years part time study qualification comprises:
    5 compulsory modules:
  • Accounting and Financial Management.
  • Human Resource Strategies.
  • Principles of Marketing.
  • Principles of Organisation and Management.
  • Strategic Management (Postgraduate).

    3 option modules, selected from the following:
  • Corporate Governance.
  • Corporate Responsibility.
  • Entrepreneurial Finance.
  • Entrepreneurship and Innovation.
  • European Management.
  • Innovation: Management and Policy.
  • International Business and Economic Development.
  • International Business Strategy.
  • International Human Resource Management.
  • International Marketing.
  • Marketing Management.
  • Marketing Research.
  • Public Relations.
  • Qualitative Research Methods.
  • Research Methods in Management I.
  • The Business Environment: International and Comparative Perspectives.
  • The Diploma can be used to progress directly to the MSc in Management.

    McQuarie Graduate School of Management offers a Postgraduate Diploma of Management. The qualification comprises eight moduless specifically chosen to ensure that learners develop a deep knowledge of essential core business areas. A manager must be able to understand money, people, markets and strategy, and be able to successfully apply this knowledge in the workplace.
    6 compulsory courses:
  • Marketing Management.
  • Accounting for Management.
  • Economic Contexts of Management.
  • Strategic Frameworks.
  • Organisational Behaviour.
  • Information and Decision Analysis.
  • Completed courses can be credited towards a Masters level qualification, including an MBA.

    Conclusion:
    The Postgraduate Diploma in Business Administration (PDBA) is comparable to international qualifications in terms of purpose modules and articulation and modules. 
    		•

    ARTICULATION OPTIONS 
    Horizontal articulation:
  • Bachelor of Administration Honours Human Resources Management at NQF Level 8.

    Vertical articulation:
  • Master of Business Administration at NQF Level 9. 
    		•

    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 of their learning programmes are moved to being recorded against the replacement qualifications. If a learning programme appears to be missing from here, please check the replacement.
     
    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 


    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.