Master of Arts

Apply educational knowledge, skills, principles and methods and

• Critically position him/herself regarding ideological perspectives, theoretical frames and traditions of practices in a special field of learning.
• Develop special areas of interest, knowledge, expertise and research experience.
• Conduct a supervised research project in the fields of art and culture and human and social studies.
• Take an active part in civil society as a specialist in a particular field of learning and follow any career where advanced knowledge in such fields is in demand.

Qualifiers will demonstrate knowledge, skills and applied competence in the field of study that provide opportunities for continued personal growth, gainful economic activity and rewarding contributions to society.

Learners who register for this qualification can

• Learn from predominantly written material;
• Communicate what they have learnt comprehensively in the medium of instruction;
• Learn and take responsibility for their own progress.

Recognition of prior learning

The qualification recognises formal and non-formal prior learning (incorporating experiential learning) at a Higher Education and Training Certificate Level 7.

The planned combination of learning outcomes are integrated with critical cross-field outcomes for this Qualification

Practical Competency

The demonstrated ability/skill to achieve the major Skills/Applied Competency of the qualification.

Foundational Competency

The demonstrated understanding, by the Learner, of the embedded knowledge that underpins the end result/outcome.

Reflective Competency

The demonstrated ability/skill to integrate or connect our performances and to reflect on, evaluate and adopt the above competencies.

The learner will be capable of

1. Advancing an integrated perspective on a selection of theories, institutions and practices in a special field of learning.
2. Establishing an individual area of research specialisation and expertise.
3. Progressively developing independent perspectives.

The learner will be able to

1. Access basic and advanced resources and databases; surveying critical positions in the relevant literature and being informed regarding current research developments and critical debates in a field of learning.
2. Advance research priorities; shaping research designs; developing research hypotheses, defining concepts; formulating problem statements; mastering research procedures; integrating a research project within a framework of relevant theories and research findings.
3. Write a research report on a specified field, with conclusions accounted for in terms of problem statements and with the text and data in accordance with technical requirements.

Learners will demonstrate their knowledge and skills through

• Conducting mentored research on an individual basis.
• Writing a research report tin dissertation, minor dissertation or three-article formats.
• Scripted and tutored participation in teamwork research.
• Contributions to research seminars.
• Written or oral examination papers.

The products have to demonstrate to assessors the learner's research initiatives, command in constructing and debating reasonable theoretical frames for the solution of set problems and report-writing abilities.

Recognition of prior learning

Competence is achieved, through continuous assessment by demonstrating the ability to achieve the outcomes of the Qualification through any one of the following forms of assessment is available between the various academic departments in the Faculty of Humanities:

• A dissertation on an approved subject.
• Three related articles on an approved subject submitted in ready-to-be-published format.
• A minor dissertation in combination with (oral or written) examination papers on three to five taught or tutored courses (the so-called 'structured' Master's degree).
• Five or six (written or oral) examination papers on taught courses (the so-called 'taught' or 'coursework' Mater's degree).

Assessment documents are moderated to ensure that

• They conform to the scope and context of the competency as stipulated in the qualification;
• They are constructed in such a way that the Assessor assesses the critical outcomes applied, during the Learners activity performances, towards achieving an outcome.

Assessments are

• To include confirmation of the Embedded Knowledge component to ensure that the Foundational Competency is achieved.
• To be verified by Internal Verifiers to ensure valid, credible, true and fair results.

Assessment includes research seminars with oral presentations and written reports on prescribed readings or research projects.