Master of Education in International and Comparative Education
Purpose:
Sources: SAQA official qualification record, SAQA registered qualifications record. Yiba Verified does not own the underlying qualification data shown on this page.
Qualification type
Master's Degree
Credits
180
Sub-framework
HEQSF - Higher Education Qualifications Sub-framework
Providers listed
1
Qualification snapshot
Official qualification identity fields captured from the qualification record.
Originator
North West University
Quality assurance functionary
CHE - Council on Higher Education
Field
Field 05 - Education, Training and Development
Subfield
Higher Education and Training
Qual class
Regular-Provider-ELOAC
Recognise previous learning
Y
Important dates
These dates are carried directly from the qualification record.
Registration start
2024-07-01
Registration end
2027-06-30
Last date for enrolment
2027-06-30
Last date for achievement
2029-06-30
Purpose and entry context
Official SAQA text formatted for easier reading.
Purpose and rationale
Purpose
The Master of Education in International & Comparative Education (MEd (International & Comparative Education)) will prepare researchers who can contribute to the development of knowledge in the field of Education, namely International and Comparative Education, and includes knowledge about the professional practice at an advanced level.
The qualification enables specialists in the South African Education system to obtain a nuanced understanding of the ontology, epistemology, methodology and axiology of the structure and functioning of the education system.
Rationale
The qualification allows for the analysis of the education system in order to ensure the effective education provision and policy development in South Africa and address the gap of developing more education system planners.
Entry requirements and RPL
Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)
Where applicants do not meet the minimum admission requirements, RPL may be used to grant access to the qualification. RPL occurs according to the Recognition of Prior Learning, Credit Accumulation and Transfer, and Assessment (CHE 2016), and the institution's RPL policy. The management of the process is by the Faculty of Education.
- Through its RPL policy, the Faculty of Education ensures quality-assurance processes. These processes address the specificities and implementation of the RPL process (including applications, assessment, and reporting and management systems). The process further ensures that administrative and support systems, both prior and after RPL assessment are in place. Assessment of applicants is against NQF Level 8 competencies.
Entry Requirements
The minimum entry requirement for this qualification is a
- Bachelor of Education Honours, NQF Level 8.
Or
- Postgraduate Diploma in Education, NQF Level 8.
Structure and assessment
Qualification rules, exit outcomes, and assessment criteria from the SAQA record.
Qualification rules
This qualification consists of the following compulsory modules at NQF Level 9 totalling 180 Credits.
Compulsory Modules at Level 9,180 Credits
- Dissertation, 180 Credits.
Exit level outcomes
- Demonstrate specialist knowledge and understanding to engage and critique educational research and practices in the field of International and Comparative Education and to contribute to disciplined thinking about matters and issues regarding International and Comparative Education.
- Evaluate current processes of knowledge production in the field of International and Comparative Education and to choose appropriate processes of enquiry in the area of specialisation.
- Conduct an independent inquiry in the specialised field of International and Comparative Education and to report their findings in academically appropriate ways.
- Design and implement a strategy for the processing and management of information in order to conduct a comprehensive review of leading and current research in International and Comparative Education.
- Act as academic leaders and experts in the field of International and Comparative Education.
- Demonstrate responsibility, self-reflexivity and adaptability to the ethical implications of research, and the determination of socially relevant issues and research needs in South Africa.
Associated assessment criteria
The following Associated Assessment Criteria will assess the Exit Level Outcomes in an integrated manner.
- Display specialist knowledge to enable engagement and critique of current research and practices in the field of International and Comparative Education and to engage in systematic and disciplined thinking about educational matters and issues, with particular reference to International and Comparative Education.
- Apply and develop intellectual independence and advanced research skills, sophisticated knowledge and research methodologies to solve complex, unfamiliar problems in the field of International and Comparative Education.
- Analyse and apply specialised problem-solving skills in identifying, conceptualising, designing and implementing methods of enquiry to address complex and challenging problems in the field of International and Comparative Education.
- Design and implement a strategy for the processing and management of information in order to conduct a comprehensive review of leading and current research in an area of specialisation to produce significant insights.
- Engage and initiate in academic and educational discourse to report and defend substantial ideas that are the result of research in International and Comparative Education.
- Plan, manage and optimise all aspects of research processes in complex and unpredictable contexts in International and Comparative Education.
- Apply responsibility, self-reflexivity and adaptability in own management of learning and analyse and evaluate ethical implications of research on socially relevant issues and research needs in South Africa.
Integrated Assessment
(Formative assessment during the research may be based on any of the following if required by the research topic or the discipline:
- Portfolios.
- Simulations.
- Workplace assessments.
- Group discussions.
- Presentations in front of peers and experts.
- Oral and written summative assessments.
Summative assessment takes the form of the examination of the dissertation or other acceptable forms of research output as appropriate to the field of study.
Progression and comparability
Articulation options
This qualification allows possibilities for both vertical and horizontal articulation.
Horizontal Articulation
- Master of Education, NQF Level 9.
Vertical Articulation
- Doctor of Philosophy in Education, NQF Level 10.
International comparability
- The University of Hong Kong offers a Master of Education in Comparative and Global Studies in Education and Development. The comparisons in this specialist qualification are framed by theories and understandings of globalisation and focus on the nature of development in an international context and the role of education in processes of development. The qualification includes analysis from early childhood to higher education and non-formal education, and includes references to UNESCO's evolving Education for All and the Millennium Development Goals.
- The University of Sydney in Australia offers a Master of Education (International Education). This specialised qualification explores issues such as the processes of globalisation and their effect on education, intercultural aspects of education, and international systems and institutions. The qualification targets practitioners and potential practitioners in the field. The capstone research project is a compulsory requirement undertaken towards the end of the qualification.
- The MEd (International & Comparative Education) compares favourably with these cited international qualifications. This qualification is completed entirely by research, with the learner working with an assigned supervisor. The commonality is the submission of a final dissertation at the end of the study period, and the learner has a specialisation knowledge base in International and Comparative Education.
Providers currently listed
This reflects provider names published on the official record. It is useful for qualification discovery, but it should not be treated as a substitute for checking the relevant quality body’s latest provider status.
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