Yearbooks

Programme: BCom (Supply Chain Management)

Kindly take note of the disclaimer regarding qualifications and degree names.
Code Faculty Department
07130067 Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences Department: Business Management
Credits Duration NQF level
Minimum duration of study: 3 years Total credits: 404 NQF level:  07

Programme information

The purpose of this option is to equip learners of Supply chain management with the ability to participate in functional management within an integrated supply chain. This includes the disciplines of supply management, production and operations management, warehousing, transport management and supply chain strategy.

Students who achieved 70% and above in English Home Language (an A or a B), and 80% and above in English First Additional Language (only an A) in the NSC (or equivalent) will be exempted from ALL 124 and therefore do not have to register and pass this module to complete their degrees. Students who achieved 69% and below in English Home Language (a C and below), and 79% and below in English First Additional Language (a B and below) have to register for ALL 124 and pass this module in order to be awarded their degrees.

Admission requirements

Important information for all prospective students for 2022

  • The admission requirements apply to students who apply for admission to the University of Pretoria with a National Senior Certificate (NSC) and Independent Examination Board (IEB) qualifications.
  • Applicants with qualifications other than the abovementioned should refer to:
    • Brochure: Undergraduate Programme Information 2022: Qualifications other than the NSC and IEB, available at click here.
  • Citizens from countries other than South Africa (applicants who are not South African citizens) should also refer to:
  • School of Tomorrow (SOT), Accelerated Christian Education (ACE) and General Education Development Test (GED): The University of Pretoria no longer accepts qualifications awarded by these institutions.
  • National Certificate (Vocational) (NCV) Level 4: The University of Pretoria may consider NCV candidates, provided they meet the exemption for bachelor’s status criteria and the programme requirements.

Transferring students

A transferring student is a student who, at the time of application for a degree programme at the University of Pretoria (UP) –

  • is a registered student at another tertiary institution, or was previously registered at another tertiary institution and did not complete the programme enrolled for at that institution, and is not currently enrolled at a tertiary institution, or has completed studies at another tertiary institution, but is not currently enrolled at a tertiary institution, or has started with tertiary studies at UP, then moved to another tertiary institution and wants to be readmitted at UP.

A transferring student will be considered for admission based on

  • an NSC or equivalent qualification with exemption to bachelor’s or diploma studies (whichever is applicable); and meeting the minimum faculty-specific subject requirements at NSC or tertiary level; or having completed a higher certificate at a tertiary institution with faculty-specific subjects/modules passed (equal to or more than 50%), as well as complying with faculty rules on admission;
  • previous academic performance (must have passed all modules registered for up to the closing date of application ) or as per faculty regulation/promotion requirements;
  • a certificate of good conduct.

Note: Students who have been dismissed at the previous institution due to poor academic performance, will not be considered for admission to UP.

Returning students

A returning student is a student who, at the time of application for a degree programme –

  • is a registered student at UP, and wants to transfer to another degree at UP, or was previously registered at UP and did not complete the programme enrolled for, and did not enrol at another tertiary institution in the meantime (including students who applied for leave of absence), or has completed studies at UP, but is not currently enrolled or was not enrolled at another tertiary institution after graduation.

A returning student will be considered for admission based on

  • an NSC or equivalent qualification with exemption to bachelor’s or diploma studies (whichever is applicable); and meeting the minimum faculty-specific subject requirements at NSC or tertiary level; or previous academic performance (should have a cumulative weighted average of at least 50% for the programme enrolled for);
  • having applied for and was granted leave of absence.

Note: Students who have been excluded/dismissed from a faculty due to poor academic performance may be considered for admission to another programme at UP.  The Admissions Committee may consider such students if they were not dismissed more than twice. Only ONE transfer between UP faculties will be allowed, and a maximum of two (2) transfers within a faculty.

Important faculty-specific information on undergraduate programmes for 2022

  • The closing date is an administrative admission guideline for non-selection programmes. Once a non-selection programme is full  and has reached the institutional targets, then that programme will be closed for further admissions, irrespective of the closing date. However, if the institutional targets have not been met by the closing date, then that programme will remain open for admissions until the institutional targets are met.
  • The following persons will be considered for admission: Candidates who have a certificate that is deemed by the University to be equivalent to the required National Senior Certificate (NSC) with university endorsement; candidates who are graduates from another tertiary institution or have been granted the status of a graduate of such an institution, and candidates who are graduates of another faculty at the University of Pretoria.
  • Life Orientation is excluded when calculating the APS.
  • All modules will be presented in English, as English is the language of tuition, communication and correspondence.

University of Pretoria website: click here

Minimum requirements

Achievement level

English Home Language or English First Additional Language

Mathematics

APS

NSC/IEB

NSC/IEB

5

4

30

Additional requirements

General Academic Regulations G1 to G15 apply to a bachelor's degree.

  1. A student may not take more than the prescribed number of modules per semester unless permission has been obtained from the Dean.
  2. A module that has already been passed may only be repeated with the approval of the Dean.
  3. It remains the student's responsibility to ascertain, prior to registration, whether all the modules he/she intends taking can be accommodated in the class, test and examination timetables.
  4. The Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences supports an outcomes-based education system and places a high premium on the development of specific academic competences. Class attendance of all modules and for the full duration of all programmes is therefore compulsory for all students.
  5. The Dean has the right of authorisation regarding matters not provided for in the General Academic Regulations or the Faculty regulations.

Other programme-specific information

Note: See the alphabetical list of modules for prerequisites of all modules.

FRK 122 is a terminating module. Candidates will not be able to continue with Financial accounting in the second or third year.

FBS 212 and 222 are terminating modules. Candidates will not be able to continue with Financial management at 300-level.

Specialisation modules: OBS 316 and 326.

"Major subject"
To be considered a "major subject" the equivalent of four 14-week modules, including two at 300-level, must be passed provided that:

  • a module passed at 300-level shall only be recognised for degree purposes if the corresponding prescribed module(s) at 200-level has/have been passed, unless the Dean decides otherwise;
  • the following modules which are offered at 300-level only, are also considered "major subjects": Labour law 311 (ABR 311), Labour relations 320 (ABV 320), and International business management 359 and 369 (OBS 359 and 369); and
  • only two 14-week modules, or the equivalent thereof, that are not preceded by the 100- and  200-level modules, may be taken for degree purposes. In other words, at least four 14-week modules must be taken at 300-level that are preceded by the 100- and 200-level, except for modules offered on 200- and 300-level only.

It is thus the responsibility of students to ensure before registration, that their curricula comply with all the requirements of the applicable regulations.

Promotion to next study year

According to General Academic Regulation G3 students have to comply with certain requirements as set by the Faculty Board.

  1. In order to register for the next year of study a student must pass at least 60% of the official credits listed for a year level of study for a three-year programme.
  2. A student will be deemed to be in the second, third or a more senior year once he or she enrols for any module in any of these levels of study.
  3. If a student has passed less than the required minimum of at least 60% of the official credits listed for a year level, he/she will not be readmitted to the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. Such a student may apply in writing to the EMS Appeals Committee to be readmitted conditionally – with the proviso that the Appeals Committee may set further conditions with regard to the student's academic progress. The Committee may deny a student's application for readmission.
  4. If a student has been readmitted conditionally, his/her academic progress will be monitored after the first semester examinations to determine whether he/she has complied with the requirements set by the EMS Appeals Committee. If not, his/her studies will be suspended.
  5. A student whose studies have been suspended because of his/her poor academic performance has the right to appeal against the decision of the EMS Faculty Appeals Committee.
  6. A student may be refused admission to the examination, or promotion to a subsequent year of study or promotion in a module (if applicable) if he/ she fails to fulfil the attendance requirements. Class attendance in all modules and for the full duration of all programmes is compulsory for all students.

Pass with distinction

  1. A degree may be awarded with distinction provided the candidate meets the following criteria:
  1. Completes the degree within three years;
  2. Obtains a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 75%;
  3. Repeated passed modules will not be considered. The initial pass mark of module will be used when calculating the GPA.
  1. A degree will only be awarded with distinction to transferees from other degrees in the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences, other faculties and from other universities who still complete their bachelor degrees within three years (including the years registered for the other degree and credits transferred and recognised).
  2. The GPA will be not be rounded up to a whole number.
  3. Exceptional cases will be considered by the Dean.

General information

Application of amended programme regulations
Refer to General Academic Regulation G5.

Minimum credits: 125

Students who obtained at least a symbol 5 (60-69%) in Mathematics in the final NSC (or equivalent) will be admitted to STK 110 and STK 120; all other students must first pass Statistics 113 and 123. STK 110 will be credited but STK 120 still needs to be passed.

 

Fundamental modules

Core modules

  • Module content:

    This module provides an overview of the fundamentals of marketing by considering the exchange process, customer value, marketing research and the development of a marketing plan. It also addresses the marketing mix elements with specific focus on the seven service marketing elements namely the service product, physical evidence, people, process, distribution, pricing and integrated marketing communication.

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  • Module content:

    This module deals with the core principles of economics. A distinction between macroeconomics and microeconomics is made. A discussion of the market system and circular flow of goods, services and money is followed by a section dealing with microeconomic principles, including demand and supply analysis, consumer behaviour and utility maximisation, production and the costs thereof, and the different market models and firm behaviour. Labour market institutions and issues, wage determination, as well as income inequality and poverty are also addressed. A section of money, banking, interest rates and monetary policy concludes the course.

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  • Module content:

    This module deals with the core principles of economics, especially macroeconomic measurement the private and public sectors of the South African economy receive attention, while basic macroeconomic relationships and the measurement of domestic output and national income are discussed. Aggregate demand and supply analysis stands core to this course which is also used to introduce students to the analysis of economic growth, unemployment and inflation. The microeconomics of government is addressed in a separate section, followed by a section on international economics, focusing on international trade, exchange rates and the balance of payments. The economics of developing countries and South Africa in the global economy conclude the course.

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  • Module content:

    The nature and function of accounting; the development of accounting; financial position; financial result; the recording process; processing of accounting data; treatment of VAT; elementary income statement and balance sheet; flow of documents; accounting systems; introduction to internal control and internal control measures; bank reconciliations; control accounts; adjustments; financial statements of a sole proprietorship; the accounting framework.

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  • Module content:

    Budgeting, payroll accounting, taxation – income tax and an introduction to other types of taxes, credit and the new Credit Act, insurance, accounting for inventories (focus on inventory and the accounting entries, not calculations), interpretation of financial statements.

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  • Module content:

    Introduction to information systems, information systems in organisations, hardware: input, processing, output, software: systems and application software, organisation of data and information, telecommunications and networks, the Internet and Intranet. Transaction processing systems, management information systems, decision support systems, information systems in business and society, systems analysis, systems design, implementation, maintenance and revision.

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  • Module content:

    Computer processing of accounting information.

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  • Module content:

    The entrepreneurial mind-set; managers and managing; values, attitudes, emotions, and culture: the manager as a person; ethics and social responsibility; decision making; leadership and responsible leadership; effective groups and teams; managing organizational structure and culture inclusive of the different functions of a generic organisation and how they interact (marketing; finance; operations; human resources and general management); contextualising Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) in each of the topics.

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  • Module content:

    Value chain management: functional strategies for competitive advantage; human resource management; managing diverse employees in a multicultural environment; motivation and performance; using advanced information technology to increase performance; production and operations management; financial management; corporate entrepreneurship.

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  • Module content:

    Descriptive statistics:
    Sampling and the collection of data; frequency distributions and graphical representations. Descriptive measures of location and dispersion.
    Probability and inference:
    Introductory probability theory and theoretical distributions. Sampling distributions. Estimation theory and hypothesis testing of sampling averages and proportions (one and two-sample cases). Supporting mathematical concepts. Statistical concepts are demonstrated and interpreted through practical coding and simulation within a data science framework.

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  • Module content:

    *On its own, STK 113 and 123 will not be recognised for degree purposes, but exemption will be granted for STK 110.
    Data operations and transformations: Introductory concepts, the role of statistic, various types of data and the number system. Concepts underlying linear, quadratic, exponential, hyperbolic, logarithmic transformations of quantitative data, graphical representations, solving of equations, interpretations. Determining linear equations in practical situations. Characteristics of logarithmic functions. The relationship between the exponential and logarithmic functions in economic and related problems. Systems of equations in equilibrium. Additional concepts relating to data processing, functions and inverse functions, sigma notation, factorial notation, sequences and series, inequalities (strong, weak, absolute, conditional, double) and absolute values. Descriptive statistics – Univariate: Sampling and the collection of data, frequency distributions and graphical representations. Descriptive measures of location and dispersion. Probability: Introductory probability theory. Theoretical probability distributions. Identification, use, evaluation and interpretation of statistical computer packages and statistical techniques. The weekly one hour practical is presented during the last seven weeks of the semester.

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  • Module content:

    Students can only get credit for one of the following two modules: STK 120 or STK 121.
    Analysis of variance, categorical data analysis, distribution-free methods, curve fitting, regression and correlation, the analysis of time series and indices. Statistical and economic applications of quantitative techniques: Systems of linear equations: solving and application. Optimisation, linear functions, non-linear functions. Marginal and total functions. Stochastic and deterministic variables in statistical and economic context: producers' and consumers' surplus. Supporting mathematical concepts. Statistical concepts are illustrated using simulation within a data science framework.
    This module is also presented as STK 121, an anti-semester module. This is a terminating module. 

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  • Module content:

    *On its own, STK 113 and 123 will not be recognized for degree purposes, but exemption will be granted for STK 110.
    Optimisation techniques with economic applications: Data transformations and relationships with economic applications, operations and rules, linear, quadratic, exponential, hyperbolic and logarithmic functions; systems of equations in equilibrium, system of linear inequalities, solving of linear programming problems by means of the graphical and extreme point methods. Applications of differentiation and integration in statistic and economic related problems: the limit of a function, continuity, rate of change, the derivative of a function, differentiation rules, higher order derivatives, optimisation techniques, the area under a curve and applications of definite integrals. Probability and inference: Theoretical probability distributions (revision only). Sampling distributions. Estimation theory and hypothesis testing of sampling averages and proportions (one-sample and two-sample cases). Identification, use, evaluation and interpretation of statistical computer packages and statistical techniques. The weekly one hour practical is presented during the last seven weeks of the semester.

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Minimum credits: 159

Fundamental modules

  • Module content:

    Business ethics; sustainability and the economic system; key social challenges; key environmental challenges; key economic challenges; conventional vs. progressive measure of progress; short-term vs long-term orientation; development as an outcome of growth; sustainable development as opposed to conventional development; sustainable development goals; sustainable development goals and the changing role of business in society; implications for the notion of corporate citizenship; global responses and solutions; local
    responses and solutions.

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Core modules

  • Module content:

    Internal and external influencing factors of consumer behaviour, the consumer's decision process and application fields of consumer behaviour, consumerisms and social responsibility, buying behaviour of consumers in both product and service related industries, consumer psychology and the influence thereof on buying behaviour, psychology of pricing, influencing factors in consumer buying behaviour, the impact of various forms of marketing communication on buying behaviour.

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  • Module content:

    Basic principles of law of contract. Law of sales, credit agreements, lease.

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  • Module content:

    Labour law. Aspects of security law. Law of insolvency. Entrepreneurial law; company law, law concerning close corporations. Law of partnerships.

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  • Module content:

    Role and environment of managerial finance. Financial statement analysis. Time value of money. Risk and return. Working capital management. Interest and valuations (bonds and shares).

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  • Module content:

    Introduction to management accounting. Cost terms, concepts and classifications. Job-order costing. Cost behaviour. Variable versus absorption costing. Cost-volume profit relationships. Budgeting. Activity based costing. Cash flow and financial planning. 

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  • Module content:

    *Module content will be adapted in accordance with the appropriate degree programme. Only one of KOB 281– 284 may be taken as a module where necessary for a programme.

    Applied business communication skills

    Acquiring basic business communication skills will enhance the capabilities of employees, managers and leaders in the business environment. An overview of applied skills on the intrapersonal, dyadic, interpersonal, group (team), organisational, public and mass communication contexts is provided. The practical part of the module (for example, the writing of business reports and presentation skills) concentrates on the performance dimensions of these skills as applied to particular professions.

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  • Module content:

    Logistics management
    The role of logistics in an enterprise; definition and scope of customer service; electronic and other logistics information systems; inventory management; materials management with special reference to Japanese systems; management of the supply chain. Methods of transport and transport costs; types and costs of warehousing; electronic aids in materials handling; cost and price determination of purchases; organising for logistics management; methods for improving logistics performance.

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  • Module content:

    *Only for BCom (Option: Supply Chain Management) students
    The role of purchasing in the supply chain, decisionmaking in purchasing, the purchasing process, markets and products, purchasing intelligence, outsourcing and risk management, sourcing strategy, new product development and quality control, purchasing performance management, supplier assessment, negotiating techniques and facilities management and buying of services.

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  • Module content:

    Project management and negotiations:
    Introduction Project management concepts; needs identification; the project, the project manager and the project team; types of project organisations; project communication and documentation. Planning and control: planning, scheduling and schedule control of projects; resource considerations and allocations; cost planning and performance evaluation.
    Negotiation and collective bargaining: The nature of negotiation; preparation for negotiation; negotiating for purposes of climate creation; persuasive communication; handling conflict and aggression; specialised negotiation and collective bargaining in the South African context.

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  • Module content:

    *Only for BCom (Option: Supply Chain Management) students
    Operations strategy and competitiveness; process analysis, product design and process selection; manufacturing; services; total quality management; operations reengineering; supply chain strategy; capacity management; just-in-time systems; forecasting; aggregate sales and operation planning; inventory control; operational scheduling; material requirements planning and theory of constraints.

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Minimum credits: 120

Core modules

  • Module content:

    Strategy formulation: the deliberate strategy process of formulating a vision and mission statement, conducting internal and external environmental analyses and selecting appropriate strategies. It will enhance an understanding of the level of strategy formulation, gaining competitive advantage in your market place and thinking strategically.

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  • Module content:

    *Only for BCom (Option: Supply Chain Management) students
    The transport environment; model selection and intermodel combinations; fundamental transport economics; transport planning; transport operations; transport legislation; transport strategies; warehouse methodologies; warehouse location and design; material handling equipment; warehouse operations; key performance indications and performance requirements.

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  • Module content:

    Strategy execution: Strategic management implementation. The role of management in strategy implementation; budgets as instrument in the implementation process; leading processes of change within enterprises; supporting policies, procedures and information systems for implementation in the various functional areas; evaluation and control of implementation. South African case studies to create contextual relevance.

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  • Module content:

    *Only for BCom (Option: Supply Chain Management) students
    Corporate alignments; competitive positioning; customer service design; strategy design; channel strategy; network design; supply chain relationships; supply chain desig; supplier alignment; operations alignment; distribution alignment; demand alignment and logistics information systems.

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  • Module content:

    Strategy execution: The role of management in strategy implementation; budgets as instrument in the implementation process; leading processes of change within enterprises; supporting policies, procedures and information systems for implementation in the various functional areas; evaluation and control of implementation. South African case studies to create contextual relevance.

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  • Module content:

    Introduction to international management
    International business management; the process of internationalisation; growth in international trade and investment; the evolution of multinational enterprises; management perspectives on international trade and international trade theories; international trade regulation; economic integration; the formation of trading blocks, and free-trade areas.
    The international business environment
    The cultural environment of international business; the political and legal environments as well as the economic environment of international business; the international monetary system; the foreign exchange market; and international capital markets.

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  • Module content:

    Evaluates how to strategically align, plan for and direct investments in, and governance of, processes for continuous renewal of analytic deployments in business. An overview of analytics in the business context will be provided that will cover: concepts of strategic and operational analytics; overview of concepts like dimensional modeling, the Model Life cycle, data mining, big data, KPIs and metrics, ERP and analytics, in-database/memory analytics; real-time analytics and data stream analysis. The applied decision making aspect will focus on mastering quantitative modeling tools and techniques for business decision-making and deterministic optimisation techniques.

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The regulations and rules for the degrees published here are subject to change and may be amended after the publication of this information.

The General Academic Regulations (G Regulations) and General Student Rules apply to all faculties and registered students of the University, as well as all prospective students who have accepted an offer of a place at the University of Pretoria. On registering for a programme, the student bears the responsibility of ensuring that they familiarise themselves with the General Academic Regulations applicable to their registration, as well as the relevant faculty-specific and programme-specific regulations and information as stipulated in the relevant yearbook. Ignorance concerning these regulations will not be accepted as an excuse for any transgression, or basis for an exception to any of the aforementioned regulations.

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