Diploma in Entrepreneurship

Purpose

The purpose of this qualification is to enhance learners' creativity and innovativeness; develop individual's ability to convert ideas into action as well as the ability to plan and direct action towards the achievement of goals. Qualifying learners who have developed an entrepreneurial mind-set will have applied competence to conceptualise, start and manage a sustainable business enterprise.

Qualifying learners will demonstrate detailed knowledge of the principles of entrepreneurship and business systems/functions and will be able to relate that knowledge to other disciplines. Learners will further demonstrate an ability to evaluate, select and apply appropriate methods, procedures or techniques in processes of investigation or application within the field of entrepreneurship.

Qualifying learners will also be able to identify, analyse and solve problems independently in unfamiliar contexts, gather evidence and apply solutions based on evidence and procedures appropriate to the field of entrepreneurship. They will communicate complex information reliably and coherently using appropriate academic and professional or occupational conventions, formats and technologies in the development and presentation of a congruent business plan.

Rationale

Entrepreneurship is a multi-disciplinary field that provides for the dynamic socio-economical needs of local and global businesses and societies. The socio-economic contribution of qualifying learners will be to add to economic growth, create employment opportunities and improve productivity as well as social stability by starting their own businesses, assisting others to start businesses, or to manage existing businesses.

The rationale is to inculcate appropriate learning orientations and to impart knowledge, skills and values suitable for current and future challenges and opportunities to achieve entrepreneurial success.

This qualification, with its broad fundamental base, is the foundation for career paths in many areas of entrepreneurship specialisation. Qualifying learners will be deeply aware of entrepreneurship as career choice, able to engage in entrepreneurial activities, and contribute to economic activity on national and global development.

Relevant stakeholders, including academic peers from outside the institution and employers represented on the Advisory Committee, were involved in the development of the qualification. This qualification follows on the vocational qualifications pathway.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

This qualification may be achieved in part through the recognition of relevant prior learning which includes formal, informal and non-formal learning and through prior experience as a practitioner in the field of business administration.

Providers are required to develop structured means for the assessment of individual learners against the Exit Level Outcomes of the qualification on a case-by-case basis and assessment is done by means of Integrated Assessment strategies.

If the learner is able to demonstrate competence in the knowledge, skills, values and attitudes implicit in this qualification, the appropriate credits will be assigned to the learner.

The RPL process is outlined in the institution's Policy on RPL, Equivalence and Status document.

Entry Requirements

The minimum entry requirement for this qualification is

• Senior Certificate, National Qualifications Framework (NQF) Level 4.

Or

• National Senior Certificate, NQF Level 4, passed with Diploma studies.

Or

• National Certificate Vocational, NQF Level 4.

This qualification consists of the following compulsory modules at Level 5 and 6 totalling 360 Credits.

Compulsory Modules, Level 5: 104 Credits

• Communication for Academic Purposes, 10 Credits.
• Computer Literacy, 10 Credits.
• Life Skills, 2 Credits.
• Information Literacy, 2 Credits.
• Entrepreneurship I, 30 Credits.
• Business Management for Entrepreneurs I, 30 Credits.
• Applied Economics, 20 Credits

Compulsory Modules, Level 6: 256 Credits

• Entrepreneurship II, 30 Credits.
• Business Management for Entrepreneurs II, 30 Credits.
• Macro-Economic Indicators II, 20 Credits.
• Entrepreneurship Management Information Systems IIA, 12 Credits.
• Entrepreneurship Management Information Systems IIB, 12 Credits.
• Communication for Entrepreneurs II, 20 Credits.
• Entrepreneurship III, 30 Credits.
• Business Management for Entrepreneurs III, 30 Credits.
• Business Ethics III, 12 Credits.
• Work Integrated Learning, 60 Credits.

1. State, compare and apply different entrepreneurship theories.
2. Demonstrate detailed knowledge of the principles of business functions and the development of a business plan.
3. Evaluate, select and apply appropriate economic methods, procedures or techniques in processes of investigation or application within the field of entrepreneurship.
4. Identify, analyse and solve problems in unfamiliar contexts.
5. Understand the ethical implications of conduct (decisions and actions), within an organisational or professional context, based on an awareness of the complexity of ethical dilemmas in the regulated South African environment.
6. Demonstrate an ability to perform against given criteria, and accurately identify, evaluate and address his or her task-specific learning needs in a Work Integrated Learning environment (WIL).
7. Demonstrate an ability to communicate complex information reliably and coherently using appropriate academic and professional or occupational conventions, formats and technologies.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1

• Demonstrate knowledge of significant areas of entrepreneurship, spatial development and innovation.
• Identify significant entrepreneurial development opportunities.
• Demonstrate knowledge of Entrepreneurship theories, methodologies in terms of the relevance or need for development of central areas.
• Demonstrate perceptiveness to create independent insight as well as individual, group, organisational and communal strategic leadership skills.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2

• Demonstrate knowledge of marketing concepts and identifying of market niche areas.
• Demonstrate knowledge of business trends.
• Show significant knowledge of interpreting entrepreneurial financial statements.
• Developing a business plan for an enterprise.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 3

• Demonstrate knowledge of micro and macroeconomics.
• Demonstrate knowledge of macro indicators.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 4

• Demonstrate knowledge of identification, analysis and problem solving.
• Demonstrate knowledge of gathering evidence and applying solutions.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 5

• Demonstrate knowledge of ethical implications of conduct in organisational or professional context.
• Show awareness of ethical dilemmas in the regulated South African environment.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 6

• Produce a work integrated project report.
• Identify, evaluate and address task-specific learning needs in a work integrated learning environment.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 7

• Demonstrate knowledge of communicating complex information reliably and coherently.
• Demonstrate significant ability in using appropriate academic and professional or occupational formats and technologies.
• Show competency in computer literacy and the use of information technology.

Integrated Assessment

Integrated Assessment further implies a planned combination of Formative and Summative Assessment strategies with varying ratios, depending on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) Level of study.

Formative Assessment implies being supportive to learning, non-judgmental and focused on providing constructive feedback or criticism to the learner, takes place during the learning process and informs planning of future learning activities, and Summative Assessment.

Summative Assessment is achieved through the learning process and therefore usually takes place at the end of the relevant learning process. This qualification incorporates the different aspects of integrated, Formative and Summative Assessments in its assessment strategy.

All year modules will be summatively assessed by at least four individual assessments.