Bachelor of Business Administration Honours

Purpose

The qualification aims to develop an in-depth conceptual understanding, synthesis and critical application of strategic perspectives of management in a national and international context.

The Bachelor of Business Administration Honours (BBA Hons) enables learners with sufficient and relevant work experience and appropriate qualifications to further develop their functional and reflective competencies in business management and administration.

The qualification aims to develop an integrated conceptual understanding, synthesis and critical application of specialised qualitative and quantitative issues in business management.

The qualification is directed towards learners having relevant work experience and occupying middle and senior management positions and who have completed a cognate Bachelor's Degree qualification. It also provides for the accomplishment of research and decision-making skills.

The BBA Hons is a Postgraduate qualification, which will enable learners to develop in-depth, discipline specific skills and applied competence in the private and the public sectors that will provide opportunities for personal intellectual growth, more purposeful employment and making a contribution to society.

Rationale

Research reveals that no other higher institution in South Africa offers the Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) Honours Degree. The reason for this is evident as in the past graduates of the BBA degree could automatically articulate directly onto the Master of Business Administration Degree (MBA). With the new Higher Education Qualifications Sub-Framework (HEQSF) in place since 2008, this is no longer the case. BBA graduates now require a cognate Honours Degree or postgraduate diploma to progress onto an MBA programme. The BBA Hons Degree will therefore serve this purpose for this institution's BBA graduates and BBA graduates of other Higher Education Institutions.

The course work is designed to provide the student with an understanding and working application of the principles essential to dealing with effective management within the private business sector. However, it is not exclusive of the public sector. This programme is designed for graduates and professionals from a wide range of business contexts and backgrounds who wish to productively participate in the challenges of twenty-first century management. The programme is intended to provide students with higher level management skills and knowledge of management frameworks, theories and tools and to employ these effectively in order to make a real difference in their work places.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

This qualification may be obtained in whole or in part through the recognition of prior learning. Prior learning is also recognised for purposes of access to the qualification.

It is assumed that the learning derived from work or life experience will be a major element in the profiles of non-standard entrants primarily by means of a portfolio of evidence. Such 'non-standard' candidates will be selected on the recommendation of a senior manager from applicants' organisations/companies.

Where prior learning is recognised for advanced standing, credit will be given for prior certificated learning in accordance with established practice at South African higher education institutions. The maximum amount of 'specific' credit granted is 50%.

The minimum entry requirements are

• Bachelor's Degree or an Advanced Diploma in a related field.

This qualification consists of compulsory modules at NQF Level 8 totalling 120 Credits.

Modules

• Contemporary Human Resource Management, 15 Credits.
• Accounting and Financial Management, 15 Credits.
• Marketing Management, 15 Credits.
• Quantitative Methods and Business Research Methodology, 15 Credits.
• Operations and Supply Chain Management, 15 Credits.
• Corporate and Business Strategy, 15 Credits.
• Research Report, 30 Credits.

1. Develop business policies and strategies for organisations to meet stakeholder requirements.
2. Demonstrate awareness of ethical and global issues in business.
3. Identify, formulate and solve business/decision making problems using appropriate qualitative and quantitative tools.
4. Conduct research into business/management issues for project work, using a variety of sources and appropriate methodologies that inform the learning process.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1

• Ways to build an organisation capable of effective strategy execution and sound strategic alignment are suggested.
• The importance of leadership, culture and teamwork in strategy development and its implementation is explained.
• The choice of strategy or strategies in a given industry, competitive, comparative and organisation situations is defended.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2

• The increasing importance of reflecting an ethical stance in the development of strategic marketing is appreciated.
• The role of corporate governance and ethics in strategy development and implementation is critically understood.
• The consumer is considered in a systematic and integrated manner.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 3

• Simple statistical tools and analyses to solve business-related problems are applied.
• Quantitative methods and techniques are applied to other management disciplines as part of implementing and monitoring strategic objectives.
• Sound inventory management principles which reduce the total cost of ownership and improve organisational profitability are applied.
• Core numeracy and information technology skills to specific problems are applied.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 4

• Available research methodologies to answer the study questions, and achieve study objectives are critically applied.
• Current literature in a specialised business area is reviewed and summarised.
• Contending theoretical standpoints are analysed and synthesised.
• Recommendations for business related problems aligned to leading practices in the field are provided.

Integrated Assessment

• All assessments will integrate knowledge, skills and attitudes and applied competence.

Both formative and summative modes of assessments will be used

Formative Assessment

• The scheme of work includes assignments based on the learning material and students are given feedback. The process is continuous and focuses on smaller sections of the wok and limited number of outcomes.

Summative Assessment

• Examinations or equivalent assessment such as a portfolio in order to determine a representative selection of the outcomes practiced and assessed in the formative stage. Summative assessment also tests the learner`s ability to manage and integrate a large body of knowledge to achieve the stated outcomes of a module.