Masters of Commerce

Purpose

This qualification will enable qualifying and supervised Postgraduate learners to successfully complete an independent, research project (dissertation) in any of the approved areas of Commerce hosted by the Faculty of Management and Law, counting Economics, Business Management, Human Resource Management or Accounting.

Rationale

To provide advanced Postgraduate learners with the opportunity to contribute research-based (dissertation) knowledge in any of the approved areas of the discipline of Business Management, Human Resources Management, Economics or Accounting. The provisioning of this qualification is in specific response to the national priority of job provisioning and sustainable livelihoods through increasing managerial and entrepreneurial capacity in the country but particularly in the regions served by the institution in a variety of commercial fields.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) is guided by the institutional policy and is aligned to the objectives of the NQF. Entry into the qualification is possible via RPL as well as indicating advanced standing, provided that it is aligned to the institutional policy and that the applicant is evaluated by a qualified RPL assessor in a manner that is free from any form of discrimination. RPL practices also include standard Credit Accumulation and Transfer (CAT) practices of equivalent modules that may have been achieved in the course of the applicant's studies.

Entry Requirements

The minimum entry requirement for this qualification is

• Bachelor of Accounting Sciences Honours in Management Accounting, Level 8.

Or

• Bachelor of Accounting Science Honours, Level 8.

This qualification comprises of elective modules at NQF Level 9 totailing 180 Credits

• Dissertation (Economics), 180 Credits.

Or

• Dissertation (Business Management), 180 Credits.

Or

• Dissertation (Human Resource Management), 180 Credits.

Or

• Dissertation (Accounting), 180 Credits.

1. Demonstrate specialist knowledge and be able to critique and evaluate current research or practices.
2. Demonstrate a command of and the ability to design, select and apply appropriate and creative methods, techniques, processes or technologies to complex practical and theoretical problems.
3. Solve problems in the field of chosen specialisation.
4. Access manage and produce information ethically in the context of the specialisation practitioner's profession.
5. Sensitise to and understand the contexts and systems of the profession.
6. Manages his or her own learning and take accountability for his or her own work.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1

• Draft a research proposal on an approved topic in the chosen specialisation that demonstrates the knowledge that the learner has integrated in the chosen specialisation.
• Reflect on current and recent research in the field in the process of underscoring the process of researching the identified problem.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2

• Drafts a research proposal of acceptable stander in line with the faculty guidelines for the chosen specialisation.
• Produce a research dissertation of the required length and complexity that demonstrate the application of the research design to the identified problem.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 3

• Produce a research dissertation that reflect on current research, problem analysis and implementation of strategies to solve problems.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 4

• Contribute to the understanding, analysis and resolution of research dissertation identified areas in an ethically appropriate manner.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 5

• Contextualise and root the research dissertation properly in the specialisation area.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 6

• Apply him/herself to the researching and writing of the dissertation in the prescribed time frame.

Integrated Assessment

Assessment takes place across all learning outcomes. Integrated in the form of the research dissertation.