Diploma: Administrative Management

Purpose

The purpose of this qualification is to equip the qualifying student with the basic skills of administrative management to function effectively in an administrative or financial environment. This qualification is intended for persons who can function as junior and middle level managers in any organisation.

Rationale

This qualification was designed to meet the industry need for administrative or information managers. It is designed to provide the learner with general skills regarding the management of information that can be applied in all types of organisations. It provides the student with skills to become competent in applying selected principles and techniques in supporting and implementing information systems and will be able to deal effectively with contemporary issues on a tactical (functional) level.

Learners should

• Have good reading and writing skills in English.
• Be able to analyse and respond to a variety of texts.
• Be able to learn independently in an Open and Distance Learning context with minimum support.

Recognition of Prior Learning

Recognition of Prior Learning can be used to

• Grant admission to learners who do not meet the minimum entry requirements.
• Grant credits towards the qualification.

The Unisa Recognition of Prior Learning office supplies full details of processes relating to the assessment and accreditation of learning from prior experiences. Evidence can be presented in a variety of forms, including international or previous local qualifications, reports, testimonials mentioning functions performed, work records, portfolios, videos of practice and performance records.

All such evidence will be judged according to the general principle of assessment described in the notes to assessors. Unisa lecturers will act as assessors for Recognition of Prior Learning purposes.

Access to the Qualification

• Learners should be in possession of a National Senior Certificate (NSC) certified by the Council for General and Further Education and Training (Umalusi) granting admission to Diploma studies, with an achievement rating of 3 or better in four recognised National Senior Certificate 20 Credits subjects containing English, at either Home, or First Additional, or Second Additional Level selected as a recognised 20 Credit subject for the National Senior Certificate.
• Any recognised Grade 12 equivalent that complies with the entry requirements for this qualification.
• Candidates with a relevant Higher Certificate will also be admitted to this diploma.

All the modules have 12 Credits each.

NQF Level 5 modules - 120 Credits

Compulsory

• Administrative Management IA.
• Business Management IA.
• Work Study I: Module 1.
• Fundamentals of Communication.
• Introduction to Business Information Systems.

Electives

Choose any five modules depending on the specialisation

• Introduction to Human Resource Management.
• Micro Economics.
• Financial Accounting.
• Basic Statistics.
• Management Accounting.
• Taxation.

NQF Level 6 modules - 168 Credits

Compulsory

• Management Accounting (pre-requisite: Financial Accounting).
• Administrative Management IB.
• Business Management IB.
• Work Study I: Module 2.
• Financial Accounting (pre-requisite: Financial Accounting).
• Administrative Management IIA.
• Administrative Management IIB.

Electives

Choose any seven modules depending on the specialisation. Note that the modules selected in year 3 are dependent on the choice of modules in year 2:

• Human Resource Provisioning (pre-requisite: Introduction to HRM).
• Work Study II: Module 1.
• Work Study II: Module 2.
• Human Resource Maintenance and retention (co-requisite: Human Resource Provisioning).
• Human Resource Management for line managers.
• Performance Management Practice (pre-requisite: Business Management IA).
• Business Management IIA.
• Business Management IIB.
• Taxation (pre-requisite: Financial Accounting A).
• Financial Accounting A.
• Financial Accounting B.
• Financial Management C (pre-requisite: Financial Accounting A and Business Management IB).
• Enterprise Risk Management (pre-requisite: Business Management IB).

NQF Level 7 modules - 72 Credits

Compulsory

• Administrative Management IIIA.
• Administrative Management IIIB.
• Administrative Practice III: Experiential training (pre-requisite: Administrative Management I and II).

Electives

Choose any 3 modules depending on the specialisation, and provided the pre-requisites are met

• Contemporary Issues in (HRM) Human Resource Management (pre-requisites: Human Resource Provisioning and Human Resource Maintenance and Retention or HRM for line managers).
• Financial Management.
• Risk Financing and Insurance.
• Business Management IIIA.
• Business Management IIIB.

1. Manage information and perform administrative functions in an office.
2. Manage an administrative section.
3. Develop a holistic overview and understanding of the establishment and functioning of an enterprise.
4. Execute a method, work and time study to ensure the productive functioning of the administrative office.
5. Develop an understanding of the human resources management function.
6. Apply communication principles to a variety of communication activities and contexts and demonstrate appropriate verbal and written communication skills.
7. Classify record and apply transactions according to basic accounting principles.
8. Logically process financial data with a view to assessing and planning the financial position of a business.

Critical Cross-Field Outcomes

This qualification develops all the Critical Cross-Field Outcomes.

The following Assessment Criteria are applied in an integrated manner to determine competence against the Exit Level Outcomes:

• Demonstrate knowledge of the different skills needed to be an information manager.
• Identify different classes of business information systems.
• Demonstrate understanding of systems development and information systems in business and the wider society.
• Create and manage office systems.
• Demonstrate knowledge of office design, facilities management and the virtual office.
• Demonstrate knowledge of quality administrative management.
• Apply the management functions of planning, organising, leading, and control.
• Demonstrate ability to organise and chair meetings.
• Manage an administrative section by taking cultural diversities and ethical issues into account.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the basic principles of communication.
• Demonstrate knowledge of skills and competencies needed to communicate effectively.
• Identify and explain how to start a small business enterprise with the necessary assistance and support.
• Demonstrate a good understanding of relevant small business processes.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the internal functions of the business, the interrelationships between and among the different functional areas as well as the influence of the external environment on the business.
• Demonstrate the ability to facilitate change within a business so that it can become more competitive.
• Demonstrate the basic knowledge of the field of human resource management.
• Effectively realise the human resource provisioning goals of an organisation.
• Apply and evaluate human resource provisioning practices, processes and techniques to provide an organisation with talented people.
• Identify, use and apply appropriate human resource maintenance and retention practices.
• Explain how human resources can be managed constructively to contribute to organisational goal achievement.
• Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of fundamental concepts and principles of financial accounting.
• Analyse and interpret financial statements.
• Prepare a set of annual financial statements.
• Explain and apply basic cost and management accounting principles relating to, inter alia, cost classification and material and inventory holding.
• Define and classify risks.
• Define and implement corporate governance.
• Propose and implement Enterprise Risk Management for a company.
• Define the nature and principles of short-term and life insurance as risk financing techniques.
• Explain other alternative risk financing techniques.
• Demonstrate a working knowledge of the fundamental principles of the various taxes that apply to salaried persons in South Africa.
• Demonstrate a sound knowledge of the Income Tax Act, applicable to individuals (natural persons).
• Apply the principles governing individuals in order to determine their income tax liability.
• Demonstrate the ability to apply, analyse and interpret knowledge relating to basic microeconomic concepts and principles.
• Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of basic statistic and construct meaning from decision-making and prediction via sampling distributions.

Integrated Assessment

Formative assessment

Learning and assessment are integrated. The study guides contain self-assessment tasks with feedback. The scheme of work includes a combination of written and multiple choice assignments based on the learning material which learners have to submit and for which they earn year marks. Learners are given feedback in the form of written comments in the assignments and suggested solutions and mark plans presented in a formal tutorial letter. The process is continuous and focuses on smaller sections of the work and a limited number of outcomes.

Assignment marks contribute 10% towards the learner's final mark.

Summative assessment

Examinations of a representative selection of outcomes practiced and assessed in the formative stage are written. 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:

• One two-hour examination per module per semester.
• Unless otherwise stated, a subminimum of 40% must be obtained in the examination.
• The mark obtained in the examination contributes 90% to the learner's final mark.

Supplementary examinations at the end of the following semester are available for learners who obtained at least 45% as a final examination mark.

Integrated assessment

All assessment will integrate knowledge, skills and attitudes and applied competence.