Doctor of Commerce

Purpose

The qualification is intended to provide the country with qualifying learners who have specialised theoretical knowledge and well-developed research and practical skills in a specialised Commerce field and can therefore serve the community in a variety of important ways, in both the public and private sectors. It provides practical experience and development of skills in all aspects of the analysis including the identification of a problem, literature review, project planning, data collection and analysis, report writing in any of the approved areas of Commerce hosted by the Faculty of Management and Law, counting Economics, Business Management, Human Resource Management or Accounting.

Rationale

The rationale for this qualification is to recognise learner who have made a considerable research contribution towards the advancement of knowledge in a specific field. The provisioning of this qualification is in specific response to the national priority of job provisioning and sustainable livelihoods through increasing managerial and entrepreneurial capacity in the country but particularly in the regions served by this Institution in a variety of commercial fields.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) is guided by the institutional policy and is aligned to the objectives of the NQF. Entry into the qualification is possible via RPL as well as indicating advanced standing, provided that it is aligned to the institutional policy and that the learner is evaluated by a qualified RPL assessor in a manner that is free from any form of discrimination. RPL practices also include standard Credit Accumulation and Transfer (CAT) practices of equivalent modules that may have been achieved in the course of the learner's studies.

Entry Requirements

The minimum entry requirement for this qualification is

• Master of Commerce, Level 9.

Or

• A relevant Master's Degree, Level 9.

This qualification consists of the following elective modules at NQF Level 9 totalling 360 Credits.

Elective Modules, 360 Credits (Choose One)

• Thesis (Economics), 360 Credits.

Or

• Thesis (Business Management), 360 Credits.

Or

• Thesis (Human Resource Management), 360 Credits.

Or

• Thesis (Accounting), 360 Credits.

1. Demonstrate expertise and critical knowledge in an area at the forefront of a field, discipline or practice; and the ability to conceptualise new research initiatives and create new knowledge or practice.
2. Demonstrate the ability to contribute to scholarly debates around theories of knowledge and processes of knowledge production in an area of study or practice.
3. Develop new methods, techniques, processes, systems or technologies in original, creative and innovative ways appropriate to specialised and complex contexts.
4. Demonstrate the ability to apply specialist knowledge and theory in critically reflexive, creative and novel ways to address complex practical and theoretical problems.
5. Ability to identify, address and manage emerging ethical issues, and to advance processes of ethical decision-making.
6. Ability to make judgements on incomplete or inconsistent data.
7. Produces publishable works.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1

• Expertise in a theoretically sophisticated subject matter is demonstrated through critical evaluation and argument encapsulated in a Doctoral Thesis.
• Research initiatives are properly proposed and analysed in a research proposal aligned with the Faculty research guidelines.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2

• Theories of knowledge in the area of specialisation are discussed and critiqued in the process of knowledge production.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 3

• The research thesis contributes to existing body of methods, techniques, processes, systems or technologies.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 4

• Knowledge application is used in the analysis and evaluation of problems.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 5

• The learner shows ethical awareness in the handling of the research specialisation and reporting thereof, including evidence of ethical decision-making.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 6

• Develops significant original insights into new, complex and abstract ideas, information or issues.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 7

• Publishes articles or chapters in a book from the Doctoral Thesis.

Integrated Assessment

Assessment takes place across all learning outcomes. Integration of exit level outcomes is assessed in the form of a full research thesis.