durban25102011. prof anesh singh. durban25102011. prof anesh singh.
There is no crisis in Master of Business Administration (MBA) education in South Africa. That’s the word from the Durban-based vice-president of the SA Business Schools Association (Sabsa), Prof Anesh Singh, speaking to The Mercury after the review of the academic status of MBA qualifications in South Africa by the Council on Higher Education (CHE).
The council said in a statement early this month that the MBA should be regarded as a postgraduate qualification equivalent to a postgraduate diploma or honours degree. As an independent statutory body, the CHE advises Higher Education Minister Blade Ndzimande on all higher education issues and is responsible for quality assurance. This includes accrediting MBA programmes.
Singh, who is also head of the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Graduate School of Business, said the debate on the issue was a wake -up call to the business schools association to present a united front to get the MBA the recognition it deserved.
“We need to dispel the misconception of what an MBA is… I firmly believe that many questions are being asked which are relevant.
“{However, much of what is going on has been hyped by some of the media. I believe this is a storm in a teacup and will blow away once the hype has settled down and Sabsa takes a more forthright role in getting the MBA the status it deserves.
“Some of our students and alumni were concerned with the status of their qualifications… However, I have informed them to remain calm until Sabsa has had the opportunity to make its case and present the academic rationale for the MBA to retain its Master’s level nine Higher Education Qualifications Framework (HEQF) status,” he said.
Singh said the business schools association would meet CHE executives early next month on the issue of the academic status of MBA qualifications.
“Sabsa hasn’t met with the CHE as yet. Our president, Professor Helena Van Zyl, has made it clear in a letter to one of the magazines that the council did not consult Sabsa.
In fact the first time Sabsa got sight of a discussion document released in July was at the beginning of September,” he said.
“I believe that the HEQF will finally give the MBA its rightful status provided that the Sabsa discussions and proposals put to the CHE are accepted by them and the member business schools.
“We are looking forward to meeting with the CHE. The council has been very receptive and would like Sabsa to make an academic case for where the MBA should be placed on the HEQF.”
Singh said it was well within the CHE’s rights to downgrade any qualification.
“However, any decision must be fully informed and should consider wide consultation, including students, employers and alumni.
“It should be based on international best practice and what makes best sense for the industry being served. Downgrading the MBA (to honours or postgraduate diploma status) will impact severely on its popularity and numbers will decline.
“An MBA requires a candidate to hold a degree plus five years of work experience. What one learns from the world of work in five years is far greater than the limited theory learnt on a one-year honours programme.
“The other area of contention is the issue of volume taught. It is ludicrous to equate a basket of eight courses and a research report (honours) with a basket of 17 courses and a short dissertation (MBA),” said Singh.
He said neither Harvard, Oxford nor Cambridge required an honours degree to qualify to study for an MBA.
“I believe that there is a solution to the grading debate, it is a simple one. We can comply with the CHE entry criteria and also the dissertation requirement in a creative manner with a win-win for students, the institutions and the department of higher education,” said Singh. - The Mercury, Network supplement