Master of Arts

The first purpose of the qualification is to provide learners with Postgraduate-level knowledge, specific skills and applied competence in a number of specialist fields of Humanities that provide opportunities for continued personal intellectual growth, gainful economic activity and rewarding contributions to society. The qualification represents planned learning outcomes, namely that the learner will be qualified to render holistic, integrated and intersectoral services, reflecting diversity, accessibility and equal distribution of resources for all South Africans. The outcomes are designed to promote lifelong learning.

The second purpose of the qualification is to provide South Africa with significant numbers of experts in the Humanities in order to ensure that the local and international leadership base of innovative and knowledge based scholarly activity is widened.

The third purpose of the qualification is to provide South Africa with a cadre of specialists in the field of research, facilitation, development, management and service provision, who will contribute to a continuously growing understanding of a specific field of expertise.

Entry Requirements

The minimum entry requirement for this qualification is

• Bachelor of Arts Honours, NQF Level 8.

1. Wide-ranging, advanced and specialised scholastic skills and research across a major discipline.
2. A full range of advanced procedures in a major discipline to apply within complex, variable, and highly specialised contexts.
3. Specialised knowledge of a major discipline, enabling him/her to analyse, transform, and evaluate abstract data and concepts towards the creation of appropriate responses to resolve contextual problems.
4. Competency in planning, resourcing, and managing processes within the broad parameters and functions of science.
5. Accountability for determining, achieving, and evaluating personal and/or group output.
6. Where applicable, be able to act within professional practice and/or senior managerial occupations.
7. Scholarly expertise enabling him/her to enter doctoral and further research education, and research-based occupations.

To meet the requirements for the MA qualification the knowledge, skills, values and attitudes of the learner are assessed on the basis of any or all of the following:

• Performance during oral presentations in front of peers and/or experts.
• Written outputs in the format of essays and reports.
• Where applicable, written examinations reflecting research competence.
• A Master's dissertation, being the culmination of research efforts.

The assessment will be primarily criteria-based, and reliability will be ensured by both internal and external moderation.

Integrated Assessment

• Portfolios: if required by the research topic or the discipline.
• Simulations: if required by the research topic or the discipline.
• Work-place assessments: if required by the research topic or the discipline.
• Written examinations: if required by the research topic or the discipline.
• Oral examinations: if required by the research topic or the discipline.

Other

The modalities for integrated assessment permit the learner to demonstrate applied competence. Mainly formative methods set according to specific guidelines and methods related to credentialing the critical exit-level and cross-field outcomes appropriate to contextual and situational achievements are recognised.

In addition to the above, modalities such as group discussions, and presentations in front of peers and experts may also be used.

Final assessment by expert external assessors, both academic and non-academic, will be done of the dissertation.