Bachelor of Commerce

Purpose

The main purpose of qualification is to provide learners with broad background knowledge and expertise in the field of business, commerce and industry, which includes the public sector. Learners will also engage in self-employment opportunities as entrepreneurs.

Learners successfully completing this qualification will master the foundational competencies associated with

• Accounting.
• Strategic business management.
• Commercial law.
• Economics.
• Entrepreneurship and small business management.
• Quality management.

Further, the successful learner will be able to specialise, through the elective component of the qualification, in a selection of the following fields:

• Accounting.
• Financial Management.
• Human Resource Management.
• Industrial Psychology.
• Performance Management.
• Public Relations.
• Sales Management.
• Strategic Marketing.
• Taxation.
• Training and Development.

The qualifying learner will be capable of

• Demonstrating an integrated understanding of strategic business management.
• Evaluating Commercial Law within a South African context.
• Demonstrating an integrated understanding of global economics.
• Applying accounting systems and processes in the business environment.

Rationale

This qualification meets the needs of the business and public sectors by providing learners with a broad understanding of strategic management in business, commerce and industry. The needs of these sectors is further met in that learners will also master a range of managerial competencies in specialised areas, which include economics, commercial law, accounting, human resources management and marketing. Further, the qualification fulfils an on-going need in the provisioning of entrepreneurial business managers.

The qualification will contribute to the development of the country and the economy through developing learners who are capable of applying critical and analytical thinking and innovation in business, commerce and industry.

The typical learners attempting this qualification would migrate from the schooling system with the necessary admission requirements. This qualification enables graduates to pursue an Honour's degree in accounting, business management, business administration, human resource management, public administration or any other cognate field.

This qualification is a combination of learning outcomes which, along with the Work Integrated Learning (WIL) component, will have the defined purpose of capacitating the learner with workplace-applicable competencies.

It is assumed that the learner has the following knowledge and skills

• Communication in the language of learning and teaching of the institution at NQF Level 4.
• Mathematics at NQF Level 4.
• Computer Literacy at NQF Level 3.

Recognition of Prior Learning

This qualification may be achieved in part or completely through the Recognition of Prior Learning, which includes formal, informal and non-formal learning and work experience. Care will be taken that the mechanism used provides the learner with an opportunity to demonstrate competence and is not so onerous as to prevent learners from taking up the Recognition of Prior Learning option towards gaining a qualification.

Recognition of Prior Learning may also be used to grant access to the qualification to those learners who do not meet the admission requirements.

Access to the Qualification

There is access to this qualification for learners who have

• Successfully completed the National Senior Certificate, NQF Level 4 with the relevant admission requirements.

OR

• Successfully completed the National Certificate: Vocational, NQF Level 4 with the relevant admission requirements.

OR

• Successfully completed a cognate qualification at NQF Level 6.

To be awarded the qualification learners are required to obtain a minimum of 372 Credits, as detailed below

• 96 Credits at NQF Level 5.
• 156 Credits at NQF Level 6.
• 120 Credits at NQF Level 7.

The following modules at NQF Level 5 are compulsory (96 Credits)

• Accounting 101, 16 Credits.
• Commercial Law 101, 8 Credits.
• Commercial Law 102, 8 Credits.
• Business Communication, 8 Credits.
• Business Management 101, 16 Credits.
• Business Statistics 101, 8 Credits.
• Economics 101, 16 Credits.
• Economics 102, 16 Credits.

The following modules at NQF Level 6 are compulsory (96 Credits)

• Accounting 102, 16 Credits.
• Business Information Systems, 8 Credits.
• Business Management 102, 16 Credits.
• Economics 201, 8 Credits.
• Economics 202, 8 Credits.
• Management 201: Products and Operations Management, 16 Credits.
• Management 202: Logistics and Supply Chain Management, 16 Credits.
• Marketing Research, 8 Credits.

The following modules at NQF Level 7 are compulsory (60 Credits)

• Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management, 8 Credits.
• Global Business Environment, 16 Credits.
• Strategic Management, 16 Credits.
• Total Quality Management, 8 Credits.
• Work Integrated Learning (WIL), 12 Credits.

A cognate selection must be made from the following elective modules at NQF Level 6 and 7 to the value of 120 Credits, of which 60 Credits must be at NQF Level 7:

NQF Level 6

• Accounting 201, 16 Credits.
• Accounting 202, 16 Credits.
• Business Statistics 201, 8 Credits.
• Consumer Behaviour, 8 Credits.
• Human Resource 201, 16 Credits.
• Human Resource 201(Labour Relations), 16 Credits.
• Industrial Psychology 201, 8 Credits.
• Product and Pricing Management, 8 Credits.
• Public Relations, 8 Credits.
• Rewards and Compensation Management, 8 Credits.
• Rewards and Compensation Management, 8 Credits.
• Strategic Marketing 201, 16 Credits.
• Strategic marketing, 16 Credits.
• Taxation of Individuals, 8 Credits.
• Taxation of Business Income, 8 Credits.

NQF Level 7

• Accounting 301, 16 Credits.
• Accounting 302, 16 Credits.
• Human Resource Management 301 (International), 16 Credits.
• Human Resource Management 302(International), 16 Credits.
• Industrial Psychology 301, 8 Credits.
• Industrial Psychology 302, 8 Credits.
• Marketing 301(International Marketing), 16 Credits.
• Marketing 302(International Marketing), 16 Credits.
• Relationship Marketing, 8 Credits.
• Training and Development, 8 Credits.
• Corporate Finance Policy, 8 Credits.
• Financial analysis, Valuations and Restructuring, 8 Credits.
• International financial Management301, 8 Credits.
• International Financial Management 302, 8 Credits.
• Performance Management, 8 Credits.
• Sales Management, 8 Credits.
• Services Marketing 301, 8 Credits.
• Services Marketing 302, 8 Credits.

1. Demonstrate an integrated understanding of strategic business management.
2. Evaluate Commercial Law within a South African context.
3. Demonstrate an integrated understanding of global economics.
4. Apply accounting systems and processes in the business environment.

Critical Cross-Field Outcomes

This programme aims to develop all the Critical Cross-Field Outcomes.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1

1.1 Management principles, approaches and practices are analysed in order to determine the business manager's roles and tasks in terms of providing strategic direction to an organisation.

1.2 The basic principles, concepts and theories of strategic management are analysed within the business context.

1.3 The principles, concepts and theories of entrepreneurship are analysed in order to identify new business opportunities.

1.4 Small business management practices and principles are analysed within a South African and an international context.

1.5 Information systems and technologies are analysed for their value in the business management environment.

1.6 Quality management principles, approaches and practices are analysed in the business environment.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2

2.1 The legislative and legal framework of South Africa is analysed from a business, commerce and industry perspective.

2.2 Relevant legislative and legal practices of South Africa are analysed in order to determine their implications on business, commerce and industry.

2.3 Business related contracts are evaluated against the relevant legal framework.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 3

3.1 Standard economic theory and behavioural economic theory are compared from a global perspective.

3.2 The nature of diverse forms of enterprise and economic systems are analysed from a global perspective.

3.3 Market behaviour is analysed with reference to volume, volatility and predictable from a global perspective.

3.4 Proposals to solutions for various economic, organisational, business and social challenges are analysed from a business, commerce and industry perspective.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 4

4.1 The basic concepts and principles of financial accounting as applied in a business are analysed.

4.2 The different source documents used in a business are analysed in order to determine the purpose of each.

4.3 Basic financial transactions are performed within a business environment.

4.4 Financial statements are analysed using ratio analysis.

4.5 Applicable financial software is selected for use in a business context.

Integrated Assessment

Formative assessment will be applied continually throughout the learning process. Summative assessment will be applied to ensure the achievement of each learning outcome and/or module. Integrated Assessment will be applied extensively across the modules of learning so as to ensure the integrated achievement of the Exit-Level Outcomes.