| Qualification code: | 90086 |
| Qualification type: | Coursework |
| NQF level: | 9 |
| Total credits: | 180 |
| SAQA ID: | 98030 |
Purpose statement:
The aim of this qualification is to enhance leadership. The qualification is specifically suited to current and aspiring leaders with relevant work and/or management experience at middle and senior management level. The primary purpose of this Master's Degree is to prepare learners to become innovative, inspiring and visionary organisational leaders. Furthermore, the purpose is to develop personal, team, organisational and strategic leadership capabilities. The qualification will further enable learners to function successfully as executives in complex global business contexts. The final purpose of the qualification is to enable learners to resolve leadership challenges through the critical analysis of a complex and diverse environment. The coursework component of this qualification will enable learners to demonstrate a high level of theoretical engagement and intellectual independence as well as the ability to relate knowledge to the resolution of complex problems in appropriate areas of professional practice. The strategic leadership project of the qualification will include an individual research project whereby learners will demonstrate innovation or professional expertise. Upon completion learners will be able to: * Demonstrate a high level of the specialised knowledge and skills in their chosen area(s) of specialisation.
* Apply business analytical techniques to investigate, identify and propose change management interventions to strategic leadership problems in the workplace, and to report their findings in a professional management report. * Make ethical personal and business decisions in line with the principles of corporate sustainability. * Conduct applied research within organisations or industries of choice.
If you want to apply for admission to the Master of Business Administration (90070) or the Master of Business Leadership (90086), please visit the Graduate School of Business Leadership website for an application form and application guidelines: www.unisa.ac.za/sbl
You will not be able to apply for these qualifications via Unisa’s online application system.
A Bachelor's Honours Degree or a Postgraduate Diploma, with a minimum 120 credits,
or
A 480-credit bachelor's degree.
Please supply a copy of your transcript, indicating the symbol or percentage obtained for each module and indicating whether the qualification was completed.
* A recent detailed Curriculum Vitae indicating five years or more managerial/work experience.
* Supply a clear copy of Identity Document or Passport.
* A copy of driver's licence will NOT be accepted.
Applicants who do not meet the admission requirements as indicated above may apply for admission through recognition of prior learning (RPL), provided they are at least 30 years old, have completed at least a National Senior Certificate (NSC) (Degree endorsement)
or
A Senior Certificate (SC) with matriculation exemption
or
Qualify for the exemption from the Matriculation Board; and have at least 10 years' managerial experience.
Applicants who meet the criteria above but do not have managerial experience will be provided conditional access. They will then be advised to complete the business acumen bridging course in order to gain access. For more information on RPL criteria, visit: www.unisa.ac.za/rpl
Once the application is successful, applicants may be required to write an admissions test as part of the selection process.
The Graduate School of Business Leadership may institute additional selection criteria as deemed necessary
All students with foreign qualifications, including those with qualifications from African countries, must have their qualifications evaluated at SAQA. (www.saqa.org.za)
This programme is compulsory for all research master's and doctoral students. Students registered for honours degrees, postgraduate diplomas and coursework master's degrees are also welcome to register for this programme.
All master's and doctoral qualifications are structured over a defined period. Refer to sections 4.12 and 4.13 in the Procedures for master’s and doctoral degrees.
A student registered for a 180-credit structured coursework master’s degree must complete the study programme within three years. A student may make application to the supervisor for one additional year of study. The supervisor will consult with the Executive Dean of the College in which the student is registered.
A master's degree by coursework requires a high level of theoretical engagement and intellectual dependence, and a research project culminating in the acceptance of a dissertation of limited scope. The curriculum generally comprises subjects where you are required to write examinations, and submit a research proposal module and a mini-dissertation. In most cases, you need to pass at least two modules before you may register for the research proposal module. You will only be able to register for the mini-dissertation if you comply with the requirements of the research proposal module.
Please note: Once you have passed all the modules, but fail the research proposal module, you will not be permitted to continue with the qualification. Refer to the Procedures for master's and doctoral degrees.
Click here to download the Graduate School of Business Leadership's Research Focus Areas for 2024.
Unisa’s admission policy has changed and you are now required to submit a detailed research outline for the qualification for which you apply. No application submitted without a detailed research outline will be considered. Although this research outline may differ for each qualification or academic department, the basic information required is as follows:
Click here for the guidelines on how to prepare a research outline.
Plagiarism of any form is unacceptable. Please take note of Unisa's Policy for Copyright Infringement and Plagiarism.
Pay the online application fee of R150,00 once you have received your Unisa student number.
Please note:
An application for a student number does not constitute an application for admission. After you receive your student number, you must still complete the online application for admission process and upload the compulsory supporting documents.
Click here for the 2025 student fee information. The fee information for the 2026 academic year will be available at the time of registration.
Students registering for qualifications through the Graduate School of Business Leadership (SBL) should visit the SBL website for fee information, as the SBL uses a different fee structure.
Click here for student funding/bursary opportunities.
Application are online only! Apply for admission to master's or doctoral qualifications for the 2026 academic year between 2 September and 21 November 2025..
Click here to apply for a student number and apply for admission.
Please ensure that you apply for a Unisa student number (if applicable), apply for admission and upload all the supporting documents during the application period. If you already have a Unisa student number, you proceed to apply for admission and upload all the supporting documents.
You have 10 working days to upload all the supporting documents during the application period. If you do not comply with this requirement, your application will be declined and you will have to re-apply for admission during the current/next application period.
Only students whose application for admission was approved and re-registering students (who made sufficient progress during the current academic year) will be allowed to register online within the approved registration period for the 2026 academic year. Coursework master's degree students must await the official approval of their research proposal module, before attempting to re-register for the next academic year. Students with outstanding fees or a Library block on their accounts, will not be able to register online until these issues have been resolved. No printed registration forms will be accepted.
Click here for registration information.