The proposed Higher Education Qualifications Framework, currently available for public comment, indicates that South Africa is about to launch professional postgraduate degrees for the first time. This move will pave the way for SATS to apply to have a professional Masters degree and a professional doctoral degree (D.Min.?) accredited.

Currently, doctoral candidates must complete their degree by submitting a thesis (i.e. no coursework), but the proposal states that "Candidates are required to undertake a combination of coursework and advanced research leading to the submission, assessment and acceptance of a research component comprising a minithesis or another form or research that is commensurate with the nature of the discipline or field and the specific area of enquiry. The research component should comprise at least 60% of the degree. Professional doctorates may also include appropriate forms of work-integrated learning. The defining characteristic of this qualification is that in addition to the demonstration of high level research capability it requires the ability to integrate theory with practice through the application of theoretical knowledge to highly complex problems in a wide range of professional contexts."

As soon as the document has been finalised, SATS will submit its application for accreditation of these new degrees.