Frequently Asked Questions

In short, yes, the qualification is recognized internationally. Most western nations accept the qualification. The way it works is slightly complicated but I will try to explain as best I can:

The international recognition of a qualification that is not subject to registration with an international association of professionals (Engineering, Architects, etc), such as a BCom(Business Management), is dependent on two factors, namely, international recognition of the accrediting body and associations with other Universities. The Da Vinci Institute is registered with the South African Department of Higher Education and the qualifications are accredited by the South African Qualification Authority as an NQF Level 7 programme. This means that the qualification is accepted in any country where the South African education system is accepted - this is fairly widespread since 1994. Furthermore, most western qualification bodies accept the South African framework. This will be the case with any NQF Level 7 BCom(Business Management) degree offered in South Africa.

Therefore this programme offers exactly the same international recognition as any other NQF Level 7 programme from any public university in South Africa including: University of Pretoria, WITS, UNISA, Stellenbosch, Monash etc.

he Da Vinci Institute for Technology Management, in association with Status Aviation is proud to offer the BCom (Business Management) with Specialisation in Aviation Management.

The Da Vinci Institute of Technology Management is registered with the Department of Education as a private higher education institution under the Higher Education Act, 1997. Registration Certificate No. 2004/HE07/003.

The programmes at The Da Vinci Institute of Technology Management are accredited by the Council on Higher Education and offers Certificates, Diplomas, Masters and PhD qualifications in the Management of Technology and Innovation and Bachelor of Commerce in Business Management.
The BCom Programmes are registered learnerships with the Transport Education and Training Authority (TETA).

Accreditation documents below for your perusal:

Department of Education Certificate

The South African Qualification Authority accepts international qualifications for the purposes of further education based on an evaluation basis. The application for evaluation must be made by the student and not by the academic institution.
The process for application is as follows:

Access the relevant link on the SAQA website through selecting Services; Evaluation of Foreign Qualifications; Online Application (www.saqa.org.za):

1. Register yourself online if you are a new client and /or login,
2. Select New application: Evaluation and carefully read through all the information including the Links provided,
3. Click Next, and complete the relevant sections,
4. Once completed, print the online application form,
5. Read and sign the declaration on the online application form (unsigned application forms will not be processed),
6. Print, fill-in, and sign the Consent Form (must be signed by the qualification holder themselves).

It is possible for the registrar to provide provisional acceptance if you do not meet all the minimum requirements as long as you have a Matric/Secondary qualification as a minimum.

Provisional acceptance means that your acceptance will only become final once you pass your 1st three modules on the programme. This will not require additional work compared to any other student. Please send us your application for further assessment should this be relevant to your particular case.

The standard payment options for the Bachelor of Commerce in Business Management, with the elective stream: Aviation Management are as follows:

• Yearly in advance
• Bi-Annually in advance (at the start of each semester)

We use the distance learning approach and even have students who do not reside in South Africa but are on contract in some of the remote parts of Africa and elsewhere in the world simply just using their internet connection.

We also do not have set exam sessions but assess rather through the use of projects, assessments, and assignments to accommodate our learning methodology and the lifestyle of aviation professionals. Having said that, we do however encourage active involvement and use of our campus facilities including attendance of our facilitation sessions should you be able to.

We use a mode 2 learning approach which means that learning is done through application of knowledge through real world problems in the workplace rather than just studying theoretical concepts. Assessments are done through projects and assignments (which can be based on your own working environment) and there are no set exam sessions or compulsory classes. We do have optional facilitation sessions for all the modules which happen once every few weeks. These facilitation sessions aim to spark constructive debate, facilitate cooperative learning, and provide the lecturers the opportunity to present certain information. Recordings of these facilitations are made available online.

An important question to ask is whether you will be able to make the necessary time available to study towards the successful completion of your degree.

Credits assigned to a qualification relate to the notional hours required to complete the specific module/qualification. 1 credit is equivalent to 10 notional hours which could be made up of contact time, study time or any time relating to the completion of the module.

This equates to 3600 notional hours spread over the three to six year period to complete the BCom and 2400 notional hours over a two year period to complete the Masters.

Since most of our students are working professionals within the aviation industry, we have made it possible to follow a personalised schedule as long as it is planned with your relevant key account manager.

Therefore, it is possible to complete the programme in a different timeframe than subscribed as long as this duration does not exceed 6 years from the date of registration.

We all develop and learn throughout our lives, but how do we prove that?
The purpose of a qualification is providing credible proof that you have developed and learned through gaining and applying knowledge. The motivation to attain this proof may be just as diverse as the persons who seek it and therefore your motivation to study may differ substantially from that of your peers.

Attaining a qualification provides a great deal of personal satisfaction and sense of self-worth. We have however found that the predominant motivation for starting on the path of formalised education is for the achievement of career objectives.
These career objectives may include:

• Differentiation when applying for a new position.
• Reduction of risk by having an alternative career option.
• Greater earning potential in current your position.

Moreover, the mode 2 learning approach adopted by The DA Vinci institute ensures that transfer of real-world knowledge is internalised by the student through the application thereof. This means that the qualification in not just an academic endorsement of knowledge transfer, but recognition if a process of knowledge generation.

Qualified individuals are associated with attributes such as commitment, responsibility and resourcefulness which add to their stature in any social or economic context.

Continuing on the path of attaining higher academic qualifications is predominantly motivated by personal development objectives or due to interest in the development of a specific subject matter.

A Mode 2 university is characterised by knowledge production in the context of applications, transdisciplinarity, heterogeneity and organisational diversity, enhanced social accountability, and a more broadly based system of quality control. (Gibbons Et Al, 2000)

Is distance learning for you?

Part of educated collaboration requires that information must be frank and realistic, we therefore do not sugar-coat the fact that studying is hard work. Distance learning requires students to take responsibility for their studies which is often easier said than done.

Students underestimate the workload, especially if working while studying, which often results in disappointment due to unrealistic expectations. The fact of the matter is that students need to start with the understanding that studying will certainly place pressure on their current living situation if it is not managed pro-actively. Students who achieve and enjoy studying are not “super human”, they merely integrate studies into their lives more effectively.
As an institution which is focussed on distance learning, The Da Vinci Institute and Status Aviation goes to a great deal of effort in ensuring that students are supported in all aspects off their lives. Seamless integration of education into the student’s personal life is paramount in preventing the onset of stress and disappointment. We believe that studying should be a lifelong activity of life which inspires personal development, not just academically but in all spheres.

So is distance learning for you?
We are all about challenging the status quo and therefore do not believe in classifying a student as unfit to study. A set list of “indictors” only carry as much credibility as your opinion of yourself. The question is therefore not a whether you are able to study with distance learning, it is rather a question of whether you are committed to your personal development. Our function as the collaborating education provider is to ensure that your commitment is answered with the required assistance in order to achieve that personal development.

Ask yourself whether the ideals suggested by the principles of The Da Vinci institute align with the ideals of your personal development both personally and professionally.

The core components of all the programmes offered by Status Aviation and The Da Vinci Institute contain what is known as the TIPS model. TIPS can be summarised as the Management of Technology, Innovation, People, and Systems as explained below:

The Management of Technology (MoT)

The management of technology argues that we are all technologists, every one of us who knows how to do something in a certain way and uses tools to do it, be they pencils or personal computers, machine tools or video screens. Teachers, auto designers, builders of factories or financial plans, whether we use language labs or lasers in whatever we do, we participate in the technology of our age.

The Management of Innovation (MoI)

This is essentially about how an organisation firstly capitalises on the ideation process to develop an innovative product or service or alternatively technology implementation and the commercialisation thereof.

The Management of People (MoP)

The understanding of the human bridge in implementing organisational processes and how the organisational human factor is leveraged, showing how and where people make the real difference in sustaining organisational growth and competence.

The Management of Systems (MoS)

(Managing the systems way)
The process of synthesis where you holistically integrate all organisational activities and performance systemically to solve unique problems and actually redesign the competitive landscape hypercompetitively. This includes internal synovation and organisational ecology that allows the parts to become greater than the whole.

Agility

Integrates the dynamics of the management of technology and the management of innovation such that as the organisation develops, improves and adapts its technology needs, appropriate amounts of innovation are applied to generate real market value and profitability.

Alignment

Integrates the management of technology and the management of people by ensuring that the organisation upskills (by acquisition or development) the appropriate human capabilities to match and even exceed the technological needs at any one time. It is measured in terms of total upskilling cost.

Engagement

Integrates the management of people and the management of innovation by way of evaluating the commitment and motivation of people at the workplace. It is measured in terms of the total incentive cost within the organisation.

Over the years, the approach to the development of managers has been the subject of much debate. More recently, argument has been re-opened as many international business schools have drastically reviewed their approach to manager development. There is increasing evidence of a growing disillusionment among employers that business school graduates are simply not equipped to return to the work environment and make a meaningful contribution.

Key differentiators between the conventional manager-development philosophy and The Institute approach are:

• There are no exams, students are assessed on the post module assignments and research projects where appropriate.

• Use of Case Studies - While examples from other operations (both successes and failures) are often cited and deemed important to learning, The Institute (like many international academic institutions) eschews the case study approach as the fundamental teaching process. The actual workplace is seen as the most effective venue for case studies.

• Application of Action Learning - Learning through experiences in other environments is perceived to be an important element in the development of new skills. This concept encourages candidates to take experiences from environments very different from their own and to ’laterally link' the learning to their own environment. Candidates are required to complete a post-module assignment based on the solution of a workplace problem.

• Focus on the Management of Technology, Innovation, People and Systems (TIPS™) - Any organisation that strives to be globally competitive needs to be managed by people who have a profound understanding of the complexities of managing an environment in which technology, innovation and people have a pervasive impact on competitive advantage. The Institute specialises in the development managers who are equipped with decision-making skills among which financial considerations are only one component.

• In-company Solutions - Using Da Vinci’s integrated approach, each intervention is linked to work-related assignments in which candidates are expected to use their newly acquired skills to solve problems in the workplace.

• Flexibility - Da Vinci has a depth of experience in customising programmes for South African operations.

• Collaboration with the client - Active partnership between The Institute and South African private and public sector operations has afforded The Institute the opportunity of working in a diverse range of organisations. The success of its programmes emanates from effective partnerships where there is joint responsibility for:

  • The design of the programmes
  • The delivery of the programmes
  • The quality control of the programmes
  • The design of incompany assignments
  • The full integration of the learning within the client operations.

• Collaboration with the Student - Da Vinci engages with the student via a formal learning contract.