Postgraduate Diploma: Business Administration

Purpose

The purpose of the Postgraduate Diploma in Business Administration qualification is to prepare candidates for senior administrative and first-line management positions in the private, public and entrepreneurial sectors. This qualification provides broad exposure to the processes and functions of management and administration within the context of an integrated, holistic organisational approach and a transforming socio-economic setting.

This qualification will lead candidates to a combination of theoretical and practical learning outcomes which have the defined purpose of capacitating the candidate with workplace applicable competencies, and will provide candidates with specialised knowledge and skills in strategic management, corporate governance, entrepreneurship, financial and management accounting, operational and marketing management. It also aims to develop in graduates the capacity for lifelong learning and an awareness of the social context.

The target candidates are first-line managers and supervisors, senior administrative personnel, and candidates who have a professional qualification and needs business administration acumen. Candidates want to complete the qualification to gain Business Administration acumen and advance their managerial competencies.

On the completion of the qualification, the candidate shall develop the knowledge, cognitive, professional and general management competencies required to fulfil their role within the business. These include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Knowledge: Demonstrate integrated and specialised knowledge in core areas of business administration, including strategic management, finance, entrepreneurship, operations, and marketing. Engage critically with management theories and models and understand their application in various business contexts. Evaluate diverse perspectives and select appropriate procedures to solve business problems within organisational systems.
• Cognitive: Apply critical and systems thinking to complex, often unfamiliar business problems. Integrate financial, operational, and strategic analysis to formulate viable, innovative solutions. Source and manage diverse information, evaluate evidence rigorously, and make decisions in consideration of interconnected organisational functions and socio-economic dynamics.
• Professional: Reflect on and apply ethical standards and governance principles in professional practice. Communicate complex ideas clearly and persuasively to varied stakeholders, demonstrating strategic and operational insight. Take accountability for own and team decisions, ensure responsible use of organisational resources, and contribute to ethical, transparent, and results-driven management.
• General: Demonstrate capacity for self-directed learning and continuous professional development. Encourage a learning culture within teams and organisations. Exhibit emotional intelligence, adaptability, and resilience. Work effectively in diverse teams, navigate complex organisational environments, and take responsibility for performance outcomes and personal growth.

A qualified candidate will be able to demonstrate Nelson Mandela University's graduate attributes and key occupational tasks, including but not limited to the following:

Foundational Knowledge and Literacies

• Core disciplinary depth
• Inter-disciplinary breadth and synthesis
• Knowledge creation
• Multiple literacies (academic, digital, numeracy, civic, etc)
• Transformative competencies

Learning Innovations and Competencies

• Intellectual curiosity
• Critical thinking
• Innovation and creativity
• Communication
• Collaboration

Life and Career Skills

• Professionalism and integrity
• Resilience and persistence
• Adaptive expertise
• Socially conscious, responsible global citizens
• Progressive agency

Occupational Tasks

• Strategic and Operational Management
• Financial and Performance Decision-Making
• Lead diverse teams
• Ethical Governance and Communication

In addition, candidate attributes include the candidate's ability to demonstrate an in-depth understanding of a broad range of management concepts and frameworks; analyse management, policy, leadership and ethical issues in specific business contexts; analyse economic, social and political factors which affect managers and business people; analyse appropriate procedures and monitoring systems for organisations; develop management solutions within different businesses using relevant conceptual and analytical frameworks and apply the conceptual knowledge and practical skills in a specific work context.

Rationale

This Post Graduate Diploma in Business Administration meets the needs of the sector by providing a contemporary Postgraduate learning opportunity for working professionals to undertake advanced reflection and development, using a high level of theoretical engagement and intellectual independence, in the specialised area of business administration.

The typical candidate attempting this qualification will have completed a cognate Bachelor's Degree and have the relevant work and managerial experience in the business administration environment. This qualification, due to its adherence to the requirements of the HEQF, will allow the candidate access to further learning in the form of a Master of Business Administration at NQF Level 9.

Candidates accessing this qualification should demonstrate an ability to read, analyse, and reflect on study material and relevant literature at NQF Exit Level 7. Candidates should be able to communicate effectively using professional business English in written and oral form. Candidates must be able to manage their own study qualifications and time effectively. Candidates should demonstrate the ability to think logically and employ critical thinking skills developed from education and overall work exposure. A satisfactory level of digital, numerical, and analytical skills also needs to be in place, enabling candidates to cope with technology-enhanced learning activities that aim to augment and support face-to-face activities. Candidates should appreciate economic, social, and organisational factors that affect their lives. Candidates who register for this qualification should have the capacity to take responsibility for their own learning within a supervised environment; take and justify decisions and actions responsibly, drawing on appropriate ethical values and approaches; evaluate their own performance against set criteria and take initiative to address any shortcomings they find.

The Postgraduate Diploma in Business Administration has a distinct advantage compared to other similar qualifications in that it enables working professionals to undertake advanced reflection and development by means of a survey of current thinking, practice, and research methods in Business Administration. The qualification draws candidates from various provinces, industries, and professions that enrich the Learner experience. The qualification offers tailored flexibility to the professional candidate with its face-to-face and block release offerings.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

The institution has an approved Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) policy which is applicable with regards to equivalent qualifications for admission into the qualification. RPL will be applied to accommodate applicants who qualify. RPL thus provides alternative access and admission to qualifications, as well as advancement within qualifications. RPL may be applied for access, credits from modules and credits for or towards the qualification.

RPL for access

• Candidates who do not meet the minimum entrance requirements or the required qualification that is at the same NQF level as the qualification required for admission may be considered for admission through RPL.
• To be considered for admission in the qualification based on RPL, applicants should provide evidence in the form of a portfolio that demonstrates that they have acquired the relevant knowledge, skills, and competencies through formal, non-formal and/or informal learning to cope with the qualification expectations, should they be allowed entrance into the qualification.

RPL for exemption of modules

• Candidates may apply for RPL to be exempted for modules that form part of the qualification. For a candidate to be exempted from a module, the candidate needs to provide sufficient evidence in the form of a portfolio that demonstrates that competency was achieved for the learning outcomes that are equivalent to the learning outcomes of the module.

RPL for credit

• Candidates may also apply for RPL for credit for or towards the qualification, in which they must provide evidence in the form of a portfolio that demonstrates prior learning through formal, non-formal, and/or informal learning to obtain credits towards the qualification.
• Credit shall be appropriate to the context in which it is awarded and accepted.

Entry Requirements

The minimum entry requirement for this qualification is

• Advanced Diploma in Business Administration, NQF Level 7.

Or

• Bachelor of Business Administration, NQF Level 7.

Or

• Relevant qualification in the related field at NQF Level 7.

This qualification consists of compulsory modules at NAF Level 8 totalling 120 Credits.

Compulsory Modules, NQF Level 8, 120 Credits

• Integrated Management Practice, 15 Credits
• Operations Management, 15 Credits
• Management Accounting, 15 Credits
• Human Resource Strategy, 15 Credits
• Marketing Management, 15 Credits
• Management Economics, 15 Credits
• Entrepreneurship, 15 Credits
• Strategy, 15 Credits.

1. Analyse and evaluate business problems using appropriate management frameworks within complex organizational contexts.
2. Analyse management, policy, leadership and ethical issues in specific business contexts.
3. Analyse economic, social and political factors which affect managers and businesspeople.
4. Analyse appropriate procedures and monitoring systems for organisations.
5. Analyse and motivate management solutions within different businesses using relevant conceptual and analytical frameworks.
6. Apply the conceptual knowledge and practical skills in a specific work context.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1

• Apply specialist knowledge of management concepts and frameworks to address different business problems.
• Identify and solve problems and issues in specific business disciplines.
• Make decisions incorporating management concepts and frameworks

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2

• Make ethical decisions using appropriate ethical frameworks.
• Interpret policy and apply it to specific business cases.
• Identify critical leadership issues within specific business cases.
• Apply integrated knowledge to specific business cases.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 3

• Analyse economic, social, and political factors in business decision-making.
• Apply responsible management through ethical, sustainable, and stakeholder engagement.
• Demonstrate awareness of the triple-bottom-line in business decision-making.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 4

• Explain the purpose, structure, and function of various procedures and monitoring systems within organisational or project contexts.
• Analyse the socio-economic, regulatory, and industry-specific context of the organisation.
• Apply and justify analytical methods used in the assessment (e.g., cost-benefit analysis, gap analysis, performance metrics).
• Analyse the effectiveness of selected procedures and monitoring systems in achieving strategic and operational objectives.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 5

• Explain the relevance and applicability of different frameworks to varied business contexts and challenges.
• Select and apply appropriate management theories, models, or conceptual frameworks (e.g., SWOT, Porter's Five Forces, Balanced Scorecard, Value Chain, PESTLE) to business cases.
• Motivate proposed feasible and innovative solutions supported by evidence and aligned with organisational goals, resources, and environmental constraints.
• Explain how the proposed solutions demonstrate alignment with ethical, governance, and sustainability principles.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 6

• Select the appropriate technology to be utilised across specialised areas in the business administration context.
• Apply research skills in an integrated manner in the business administration context.
• Apply business management skills across specialised fields in the business administration context.
• Demonstrate the transfer of knowledge acquired during advanced reflections using appropriate business communication.
• Identify and analyse management and commercial problems in an integrated business administration context.

Integrated Assessment

Integrated assessment at the level of the qualification provides an opportunity for the candidates to show that they can integrate concepts, ideas, and actions across the qualification to achieve competence that is grounded and coherent with the purpose of the qualification. Integrated assessment will show how already demonstrated competence in individual areas can be linked and applied for the achievement of a holistic outcome as described in the exit level outcomes.

Integrated assessment will judge the quality of the observable performance and the quality of the reasoning that lies behind it. Assessment tools will encourage candidates to give an account of the thinking and decision-making that underpin their demonstrated performance.

This qualification comprises examinable and continuous evaluation modules using tests, individual assignments, group assignments, and a summative examination.

Formative Assessment

• A case study approach as a basis on which to provide formative feedback on knowledge gaps, skills application, and possible ways of improvement
• Research assignments to provide formative feedback on different aspects of the candidate's learning.

Other examples include.

• Individual projects and assignments.
• Group projects and assignments
• Case study analyses and presentations

Summative Assessment

• Open book examinations (not testing memory, testing higher order assessment of models and frameworks applied in a real-world critical context.) It simulates authentic workplace environments, encouraging candidates to apply, rather than merely recall, information.

The above summative opportunities will be used to determine and grade a candidate's ability to demonstrate the learning outcomes.