Postgraduate Diploma in Business Management

Purpose

The purpose of the Postgraduate Diploma: Business Management is to

• Equip learners with the fundamentals of business practice and with knowledge of the core business disciplines and skills to be able to apply these in practice.
• Expose learners to an organisational environment and to examine the principles and processes of managing institutions in the 21st century.
• Assist learners to develop fundamental management competencies.
• Provide learners with a range of research principles, methodologies and techniques to be able to conduct a research study.

Rationale

The Postgraduate Diploma: Business Management is designed to meet the needs of existing and aspirant managers wanting to enter into middle or senior management positions. These managers might possess an undergraduate degree that is unrelated to management and therefore require a qualification to formalise and enhance their management experience and competencies. Some managers might possess an undergraduate management qualification and wish to hone their management competencies by pursuing a postgraduate qualification in management that exposes them to cutting edge best practices.

The Postgraduate Diploma: Business Management is also intended for those who are not in a management position but wish to understand the principles and practices of organisations.

The learner accessing this qualification should have an NQF Level 7 or equivalent qualification and relevant work experience.

Access to the Qualification

Applicants must

• Be in possession of a relevant Bachelor's degree or recognised equivalent.
• Have a minimum of two years' working experience.

Recognition of Prior Learning

This qualification may be obtained in part through the Recognition of Prior Learning.

Recognition of Prior Learning for access to the qualification

Select applicants will be granted access to the qualification without the pre-requisite academic learning through

• Examination of their curriculum vitae (CV).
• Interviews to establish readiness, maturity and academic abilities.
• Entrance test to establish prior learning is of a standard to manage the degree.

Recognition of Prior Learning for credit exemption

In select cases credit will be given for prior certificated learning at South African higher education institutions in accordance with established practice. The number of credits granted is dependent on the match between prior learning and award and the outcomes of the Bachelor of Business Administration modules concerned.

This Postgraduate Diploma: Business Management consists of compulsory modules at NQF Level 8 totalling 120 credits.

1. Demonstrate knowledge of and apply the principles of business practice.
2. Understand an organisational environment and examine the principles and processes of managing institutions in the 21st century.
3. Demonstrate management competencies.
4. Conduct a research study.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1

• Critically review organisational strategy planning and management models and processes.
• Evaluate change management models and processes in terms of ensuring the effective implementation of strategic plans.
• Align the organisational strategy with the organisation's structure, systems and culture.
• Evaluate and apply key financial management and management accounting tools and techniques to interpret financial information, evaluate the performance of businesses and make sound financial decisions.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2

• Evaluate the key macro- and micro-economic terminologies, models and tools in relation to their impact on organisations.
• Examine current global events and assess their systemic impact on organisations.
• Assess the relevance and applicability of emotional and spiritual intelligence for managers and organisations.
• Examine the inter-relationships between the individual, team, organisation, society and environment.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 3

• Examine the relevance of corporate governance and business ethics and review processes to improve corporate governance in organisations.
• Evaluate and critically assess the application of the human resource dimensions to harness the performance of individuals and contribute to the achievement of the organisational strategy.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 4

• Interrogate key principles of research and evaluate a range of research methodologies.
• Conduct research for an organisation.
• Report on the research findings using the appropriate report format.

Integrated Assessment

The following are issues that assessors should consider

• The learner's ability to consider a range of options and make decisions related to their context of work.
• The assessment balance of practical and theoretical aspects of the learning programme.
• Using a variety of assessment methods to enable learners to display their understanding and skills.

Integrated Assessment

The assessment process will comprise of formative and summative assessment methods. Integrated assessment will provide learners with an opportunity to demonstrate practical performance and understanding of concepts and theory across the Exit Level Outcomes to achieve competence in relation to the purpose of the qualification.

Formative Assessment

The Formative assessments are made up of assignments. These count 20% toward the final mark.

Summative Assessment

The examination could be made up of a variety of assessment methods. This examination counts 80% towards the final mark.