Master of Social Science in Critical Leadership Studies

Purpose

The purpose of the Master of Social Science in Critical Leadership Studies is to provide an interdisciplinary academic environment for the study of political dynamics, methods, approaches, codes and styles of ethical leadership and good governance in Africa.

The qualification aims to equip professionals and learners from a variety of disciplines with a sophisticated understanding and appreciation of African leadership ethics. As continental integration proceeds rapidly, it is necessary for learners and professionals to develop critical, well-informed regional perspectives on issues of social, cultural and political-economic issues in critical leadership studies. This course will provide such perspectives and equip learners to operate in an interdisciplinary framework.

The qualification is strongly research-focused and is designed to cater to a wide range of learners and professionals working in the private, public and development spheres.

Rationale

This qualification seeks to provide an interdisciplinary platform for civil servants and business professionals, in public and in the private sector, for training and research in leadership and good governance, situated in an African context. Although the qualification is interdisciplinary, it allows for specialisations in the fields of Political Science, Philosophy, Public Administration, Development Studies and Human Rights (which are all established fields of academic enquiry in their own right).

Since its first fully democratic elections, South Africa has run into similar socio-economic challenges of ongoing underdevelopment that all developing nations have faced after winning a political struggle for liberation from colonialism and imperialism. While much of the responsibility for failure sufficiently to address ongoing challenges of sustainable development has been laid at the maladministration of corrupt leaders, this reflects systematic political-economic factors that call for more than just the substitution of "bad leaders" with "good leaders".

The study of Leadership Ethics in South Africa has been hindered by the uncritical operationalisation of pre-existing intellectual categories from the North that fail to appreciate the post-colonial political-economic and cultural context of leadership in Africa. Leadership Ethics has generally failed to appreciate the critical implications of the unique challenges that leaders face in the developing world, particularly in Africa, given its history with slavery, racism, colonialism and post-imperial dependence.

Developing ways of achieving ethical political and economic integration and encouraging critical analysis of the unique context of leadership in Africa is a fundamental challenge for the future. This course will provide a foundation for learners to rise to this challenge by preparing them to become advanced critical thinkers and innovative researchers in the ethics of good governance in Africa. Leadership Studies is a vital, necessary field of academic development in South Africa, which has, so far, proved under-exploited. Moreover, the field of Leadership Studies would be enhanced by advancement from a critical African context.

The qualification provides the opportunity for Postgraduate learners to integrate a variety of practical issues and theoretical methods of analysis and interpretation around a common interdisciplinary theme that is widely recognised to bear crucial significance for South Africa's future political and socio-economic development.

The qualification is based on teaching critical social theory in different specialist areas, including leadership ethics, political philosophy and political economy. It is proposed to activate all these areas of interdisciplinary study at the Postgraduate level under the umbrella of Critical Leadership Studies (as the field in which to apply the central multidisciplinary concepts and approaches).

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

RPL will be applied in line with the institution's RPL policy as indicated in Paragraph 2.5 of the Higher Education Quality Council (HEQC) Application Form for Programme Accreditation.

Prior accredited learning at the Higher Education and Training (HET) level in relevant domains which constitute credit-bearing units or modules should be recognised if evidence can be produced that shows that the learner has achieved, at a satisfactory level, the outcomes and Associated Assessment Criteria specified for component modules in the qualification or for admission into the qualification/programme of study and, if appropriate, allow the Recognition of Prior Learning for the achievement of the qualification in part or in full.

Informal, non-formal and experiential learning

A learner whose level of knowledge, skills, competencies and attitudes have not been assessed earlier in terms of the formal qualification in question, but who can demonstrate in appropriate ways, through an assessment designed by the institution that she/he has acquired those skills and competencies, may be considered for admission to a programme of study leading to this qualification. The learner who, after such assessment, is deemed to have sufficient potential but is in need of further academic development, must be directed to other suitable qualifications prior to admission, or to parallel qualifications after admission.

RPL Applications

• Applications for RPL may be submitted throughout the year; however, the deadline for the endorsement of RPL credit, where a prospective learner wishes to register for further study in the following year, is the last Senate meeting of the preceding year.
• Awarding RPL credit.

Prospective learners with prior learning, however obtained, may apply to have their prior learning assessed against the learning outcomes for a specific qualification and/or module/course(s) as outlined in the institution's RPL Policy for the following purpose(s):

• Access into a particular module/qualification when a learner is able to demonstrate, through appropriate assessment(s), the entry or exit outcomes of the module or qualification preceding that particular module or qualification;
• RPL applications for the purpose of access into a particular module/qualification may be submitted to the respective faculty throughout the year. The period prior to registration shall allow the applicant sufficient time to gather evidence and to prepare for the RPL assessment. This period shall also allow for administrative procedures to be complied with prior to the successful RPL candidate being allowed to register.

Entry Requirements

The minimum entry requirement for this qualification is

• Bachelor of Social Science Honours, NQF Level 8.

Or

• Postgraduate Diploma: Social Science, NQF Level 8.

This qualification consists of compulsory modules at NQF Level 9 totalling 240 Credits.

• African Leadership Ethics, 25 Credits.
• African Political Economy, 25 Credits.
• African Political Philosophy, 25 Credits.
• Development Strategies and Planning, 25 Credits.
• Research Methodology, 20 Credits.
• Mini-dissertation, 120 Credits.

1. Demonstrate critical, reflective thinking about Africa and to take effective action based on informed, contextual knowledge and understanding.
2. Develop and apply specialised knowledge in critical leadership studies, postcolonial development and ethical-political economy to everyday issues and challenges of leadership and governance in Africa.
3. Develop the capacity to research key problems and issues that are informed by African experiences and realities.
4. Monitor and evaluate through research and enquiry, changes in the field of political, philosophical, historical and socio-economic studies of leadership on the continent.
5. Establish a larger African content to the latter inter-disciplinary studies areas of specialisation (e.g. making critical leadership studies theorists more aware of African realities).

The Associated Assessment Criteria are applied in an integrated manner across all the Exit Level Outcomes.

• Write critical, analytical and theoretically informed appraisals of relevant texts.
• Identify, conceptualise and describe research problems.
• Generate compressed and decoded reports.
• Demonstrate comparative and contextual knowledge through debates and discussions.
• Use of appropriate methodologies evident in research outputs.
• Collect and document evidence of primary research.
• Produce research reports on specialised topics, papers and chapters of the mini-dissertation according to the appropriate standard.

Integrated Assessment

• African perspectives are reflected in written assignments and presentations.
• A mini-dissertation at Masters level is written and submitted.