Master of Development Studies

Apply educational knowledge, skills, principles and methods to understand and debate important development related issues in order to design, implement and evaluate development policies and development initiatives in a human-centred manner and will be competent in applying research methodology on a masters degree level.

• Responding to the needs of the community
• Responding to business and industry needs
• In life-long learning and the appreciation of the value of education and society.

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.

Relevant working experience.

Recognition of prior learning

The qualification recognises formal and non-formal prior learning (incorporating experiential learning) at a Higher Education and Training Certificate Level 5 or a functional equivalent.

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.

To successfully complete the qualification the learner will have to demonstrate his/her learning via module specific learning outcomes as well as critical cross-field learning outcomes.

Module specific outcomes will include capabilities relating to module knowledge and the understanding thereof within a management leadership context, and capabilities relating to integrated knowledge and skills from a variety of disciplines within the management leadership field.

Critical cross-field outcomes will include those specified in the learning outcomes for approved modules in the certificate and as appropriate to the learner`s field of practice.

1. Understanding the most important development approaches related to development and underdevelopment and analysing development situations accordingly.
2. Analysing and critically debating pertinent development issues (within broader coherence) in the Southern African context, i.e. Governance and Development, Rural Development, Gender and development, Development and the Environment, Entrepreneurship and Development, Urban Development Management and Tourism and Development.
3. Identifying and debating potential problems/phenomena that lead to underdevelopment and poverty in the Southern African region.
4. Conducting and utilizing applied development research techniques.

The learner will be able to analyse and apply the basic principles relevant to the following

1. Analyse and critically reflect on current and future development initiatives in Southern Africa.
2. Design strategies to address underdevelopment and alleviate poverty, particularly in the Southern African context.
3. Monitor and evaluate development initiatives.
4. Conduct and utilize applied development research methods in order to make a real contribution in solving development related problems.
5. Integrate Development Research findings into development decision-making.
6. Manage development programmes and development projects in a financial and environmental sustainable and human-centred way.
7. Demonstrate understanding of the dynamics of the NGO/CBO environment and the larger development funding community.

A learner should provide evidence of learning competency (knowledge, skills and attitude) by means of the following

1. Teamwork exercises and group assignments
2. Course work assignments and essays
3. Formal examinations
4. Paper presentations

Integrated assessment

Competence is achieved, through continuous assessment by demonstrating the ability to achieve the outcomes of the Qualification.

Strategies designed according to set standards with specific reference to alleviate poverty in the South African context.

Dissertation written according to the following criteria

• Register topic
• Theme and Topic approval
• Appoint internal and external study leaders which have to be approved
• Completion of dissertation is affected once it has been accepted by both internal and external evaluators.

Project management proposal written to comply with set standards with specific reference to expertise in the field within the South African context.

This will be supported by a module credit system, followed by a final exam on the modules for which credit was not obtained.

Assessment documents are moderated to ensure that

• The conform to the scope and context of the competency as stipulated in the qualification.
• They are constructed in such a way that the Assessor assessed the critical outcomes applied, during the Learners activity performance, 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.