Master of Laws

This Master of Laws includes the various specialisations in Law.

The learner can

• Engage in research in a specialised area of the law;
• Confidently apply research skills in the public or private legal employment sectors;
• Pursue research projects, including academic research, through identification of complex problems and achieve solutions through the application of appropriate skills;
• Prepare for further study at NQF Level 8;
• Make a contribution to the community and its legal system through scholarship.

Entry Requirements

The minimum entry requirement for this qualification is

• Bachelor of Laws, NQF Level 8.

1. Collect and evaluate information in the area of law or socio-economic legal policy.
2. Demonstrate ability in analysing the law or socio-economic legal policy.
3. Demonstrate research skills and independent competence in pursuing research.
4. Demonstrate a creative approach to solutions of complex legal issues and social policy matters in the area of law and social policy.
5. Bring to a conclusion the process of research design, information retrieval and evaluation through the production of a minor dissertation.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1

• Collect information, showing familiarity with the possible sources of information.
• Evaluate the relevance of the information in relation to the topic of research.
• Analyse topics in law or socio-economic legal policy.
• Comment critically on topics in law or socio-economic legal policy.
• Prosecute research in a systematic way without extensive supervision.
• Make accurate judgments as to the direction of the research process.
• Utilise legal dogmatics and theories of law and society to elucidate the topic of the research.
• Propose appropriate, rational and logical solutions to the research problem.
• Write a logically organised dissertation presenting the findings of the process of research.
• The dissertation respects the rules of grammar, syntax and spelling of the language in which it is written.
• Collect information using appropriate research tools.
• Understand the importance of the hierarchy of legal sources.
• Select information relevant to the topic of inquiry.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2

• Demonstrate competence in analysing topics in the law and socio-economic legal policy using recognised theoretical approaches to the analysis of law.
• Demonstrate the capacity to come to responsible conclusions regarding the law or socio economic legal policy based on the analysis.
• Demonstrate competence in commenting on the law and socio-economic legal policy critically.
• Demonstrate the capacity to prepare submissions on the law and socio-economic legal policy based on the analysis.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 3

• The learner makes progress without close supervision
• The learner works in a systematic and methodical way
• The learner makes appropriate and justifiable decisions concerning the direction of the process of research

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 4

• The learner utilises appropriate theoretical approaches
• The theories adopted are properly integrated with the corpus of knowledge under investigation
• The solutions suggested are fully justified by the research findings
• The research conclusions are rational and logical

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 5

• The dissertation is logical.
• The arrangement is rational.
• The conclusions are justified.
• There are minimal spelling errors in the dissertation.
• The grammar, style and syntax are correct and appropriate.

Integrated Assessment

Continuous assessment will take place through the evaluation of essays and reports prepared by the learner.

Summative assessment consists of the production of a minor dissertation.

Formative and summative assessment are closely integrated by means of the production of the minor dissertation.