Why are professional degrees not considered for funding?

The NRF mandate states that the objective of the foundation is to contribute to national development by supporting, promoting and advancing research and human capacity development, through funding and the provision of the necessary research infrastructure, in order to facilitate the creation of knowledge, innovation and development. It is for this reason that the NRF has taken a strategic decision based on its mandate not to fund: postgraduate certificates or diplomas (e.g. PGCE), professional masters (e.g. MBA) and doctoral degrees, regardless of the NQF exit level.