Postgraduate Diploma in Public Finance Management
The Postgraduate Diploma in Public Finance Management will give you the opportunity to learn how:
Budgeting can be integrated with strategic and operational planning to support organisational goals and objectives, and support effective risk management.
Macroeconomic factors, the fiscal framework and the intergovernmental budget process influence departmental and municipal allocations, as well as programme budgets.
Manage a budget process effectively, from the budget formulation and decision-making stages, to effective and efficient financial management, reporting and auditing.
Understand how information technology systems and governance impact on public financial management and the control environment.
Both the content and modes of presentation are modularised to ensure an integrated teaching and practice learning approach.
If you are a mid-career civil servant wanting to professionalise your career as public sector finance specialists, or you are a manager with an undergraduate qualification in another discipline who currently has a financial management delegation and realises that future career progress depends on acquiring more public financial management skills.
Contact information
Programme overview
More information
When applying
Please note that selection for postgraduate programmes is highly competitive. Meeting the minimum admission requirements does not guarantee admission to the programme.
Minimum admission requirements
Admission requirements
One of the following with an average of at least 50%:
• An appropriate bachelor’s degree or equivalent qualification in any of the following: Public Administration, Accounting, Economics, Finance or Commerce
or
• Any three-year bachelor’s degree with a minimum of three years’ relevant work experience (preferably at management level) in public finance management.
Further requirement
• You must have access to a computer and stable internet connection for online learning.
• By the time classes start, you must be able to use MS Excel at an intermediate level, as well as MS Word, e-mail and the internet.
Recognition of prior learning (RPL) and credit accumulation and transfer (CAT)
If you have successfully completed academic programmes in public financial management at the School of Public Leadership at NQF level 8, you may be eligible to have those credits transferred to the Postgraduate Diploma in Public Finance Management. The transferred credits may be worth up to a maximum of 50% of
the credits required for this diploma.
Selection
The number of students selected will be influenced by, among other things, staff capacity and the availability of resources within the School, as well as academic merit and University transformation objectives. Since staff capacity and resources may fluctuate from year to year, the number of students selected may also
differ from year to year.
Should the applicants who meet the admission requirements exceed the capacity of the School, they will be ranked according to the admission requirements to finalise the list of selected applicants.
Supporting application documents
Curriculum vitae (CV)
A document that outlines your educational level, employment history, description of work experience, especially that is relevant to your application to study and contact details of three referees.
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Curriculum vitae (CV)
Final school-leaving results
Certificate awarded upon completion of High School displaying the percentage or grade symbol awarded for each subject passed
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Final school-leaving results
Programme structure
Programme structure
You must attend two contact weeks per semester in Bellville. That is, four contact weeks in total for the year.
If enough students from a region register for the Postgraduate Diploma in Public Finance Management, contact weeks may also be offered at a venue in that region. Contact weeks are supplemented by interactive online sessions.
Programme content
You must earn a total of at least 120 credits for this programme.
Compulsory modules
13385 Accounting for Decision-making 771 (20)
14011 Auditing and Accountability 772 (20)
14010 Financial and Performance Reporting 711 (20)
12939 Financial Management 713 (20)
12276 Information Technology 773 (15)
14013 Public Finance 714 (10)
14012 Strategic Management and Leadership 712 (15)