Bachelor of Business Administration

Purpose

The Bachelor of Business Administration seeks to develop skills for professionals and equip them to enhance business performance through being effective business administrators with a deep sense of the business, what it consists of and how it operates. Ever-increasing demands on businesses for excellence require the types of business practitioners that can provide a robust internal business environment that will allow businesses to be responsive to market- and other external needs to deliver top quality products and services. The purpose of the qualification is to provide an all-around well-developed, entrepreneurial business administrator that can support management, manage operations at the executive level and view the business from a fresh and original perspective. Business Administration, as a result, forms the core of the qualification to provide learners with the generic business skills to support the management of the other business areas.

Rationale

This qualification was developed based on the identification of the need for a business degree focusing on the development of business administration knowledge, skills and aptitudes, with the business being the focus of study as opposed to a business management degree that develops learners' abilities to manage a business. This qualification aims to enhance learners' understanding of the business itself.

The qualification meets requirements from the sector to enhance the anticipated development of the impact that digital transformation, industrial revolutions, disruptive technology, artificial intelligence and the internet of things may have on business processes.

Learners that are typically expected to benefit from this qualification would be those who are interested in taking up a management support role and executing management at the administrative, operational and practitioner level and seek to pursue a career pathway into Postgraduate studies. The qualification therefore will play a pivotal role in upskilling practitioners with a solid understanding of how a business operates.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

The institution recognises the importance of the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) in ensuring that applicants that possess skills acquired through life or work experience and non-formal education are catered for. The RPL assessment will focus on ways of evaluating a learner's lifelong experiences (formal and informal) against a set of pre-determined criteria.

RPL for credits

• Credit is granted for RPL in the assessment of the institution's selection committee, whereby the assessment determines whether the learners' knowledge and skills correspond to the exit level outcomes of the qualification or specific module for which credit is applied.
• The selection committee will focus on the quality and not the quantity of prior learning and/or experience.

RPL for exemption from modules

• An exemption is granted for modules, the learner's acknowledged skills correspond to the learning outcomes of the qualification or specific module for which credit is applied. Applications for exemption are made for specific modules within the qualification.

RPL for access

Some of the criteria that are used in considering applicants for admission through RPL include

• The applicants' motivation, maturity, and realistic approach to their studies.
• The job description, covering a relevant area of work, giving examples of tasks carried out, possibly supplying references.
• The nature and level of life/work experience and prior study, and the learning which has resulted from such experience.
• Details of in-company short courses, length, the content of material covered, standard achieved.
• The clarity of the applicant's educational goals and objectives.
• The extent to which the applicant can provide evidence of the threshold skills and knowledge for the qualification.

Entry Requirements

The minimum entry requirement for this qualification is

• National Senior Certificate, NQF Level 4 granting access to Bachelors studies.
• National Certificate Vocational, NQF Level 4 granting access to Bachelors studies.
• Senior Certificate, NQF Level 4 with endorsement.
• Higher Certificate in Cognate field, NQF Level 5.

This qualification consists of the following compulsory and elective modules at National Qualifications Framework Level 5, 6 and 7 totalling 360 Credits.

Compulsory Modules, Level 5,100 Credits

• Business Administration 101, 20 Credits.
• Business Process Management 101, 20 Credits.
• Business Communication and Social Media Management 101, 20 Credits.
• Business Administration 102, 20 Credits
• Fundamentals of Information Technology 102, 20 Credits.

Elective Modules, Level 5, 20 Credits (Select one module)

• Financial Administration 102, 20 Credits.
• Operations Management Practices 102, 20 Credits.

Compulsory Modules, Level 6,80 Credits

• Business Administration 201, 20 Credits.
• HRM, Labour Relations and Organisational Development Practices 201, 20 Credits.
• Business Administration 202, 20 Credits.
• Business Information Systems 202, 20 Credits.

Elective Modules, Level 6, 40 Credits (Select two modules)

• Financial Planning and Reporting 201, 20 Credits.
• Statistics 201, 20 Credits.
• Operations Risk Management Practices 202, 20 Credits.
• Legal and Commercial Practice 202, 20 Credits.

Compulsory Modules, Level 7,100 Credits

• Business Administration 301, 20 Credits.
• Enterprise Resource Planning 301, 20 Credits.
• Business Administration 302, 20 Credits.
• Supply Chain Management Operations 302, 20 Credits.
• Ethics and Corporate Governance Practices 301, 20 Credits

Elective Modules, Level 7, 40 Credits (Select two modules)

• Marketing Operations Management 301, 20 Credits.
• International Business Best Practices 302, 20 Credits.
• Project Management Practices, 20 Credits.

1. Demonstrate knowledge, insight and ability to support the relevant business areas.
2. Conduct financial administrative, planning and reporting processes.
3. Execute and manage the execution of operations, the risks involved in this as well as supply chain management operations.
4. Implement information technology and business information systems.
5. Advise the business with regards to human resources management, labour relations and the design and support of organisational development initiatives.
6. Manage marketing management operations with knowledge of project design and management whilst demonstrating the values required by communication patterns and social media.
7. Display an understanding of international business best practices and the lessons to be learnt from this for local business practices.
8. Maintain and assist the business to adhere to accepted levels of performance when conducting legal and commercial transactions.
9. Communicate effectively in the business environment and conduct relevant research.
10. Administer marketing and supply chain operations.

Associated Assessment Criteria are applied in an integrated manner to the Exit level Outcomes

• Demonstrate a well-developed knowledge, insight and ability to support the relevant business areas at the logical business administrative level.
• Conduct financial administrative, and planning and reporting processes informed by statistical ability.
• Execute and manage the execution of operations, the risks involved in this as well as supply chain management operations with cognisance of well-designed business processes, and the importance of thorough and well-thought-through enterprise resource planning processes, systems and relevant application software.
• Perform at an advanced level with regards to the implementation of applicable information technology, and business information systems with cognisance of the broader impact of industrial revolutions on these
• Provide expert advice to the business with regards to human resources management, labour relations and the design and support of organisational development initiatives to such an extent that intelligent business decisions can be made.
• Manage complex marketing management operations with a sound knowledge of project design and management whilst demonstrating the values required by effective communication patterns and social media for business performance.
• Display an informed understanding of international business best practices and the lessons to be learnt from this for local business practices based on the case study presented.
• Maintain and assist the business to adhere to ethical levels of performance with an in-depth understanding of the requirements of good corporate governance when conducting legal and commercial transactions.
• Administer the execution of operations with cognisance of well-designed business processes and the importance of thorough and well-thought-through enterprise resource planning processes, systems and relevant application software.
• Utilise applicable information technology and business information systems to contribute to business decision-making.