Master of Public Administration

Admission requirements
• An NQF level 8 qualification (professional bachelor’s degree, postgraduate diploma or honours degree) in the same classification of educational subject matter (CESM) category, with an average of at least 60%.
• If you hold an NQF level 9 qualification or higher (master’s degree or PhD), you may be exempted from the 60%-average requirement above.

Further requirements
• You must submit either an honours degree research report or a research proposal as part of your application. You must complete your research proposal and orally defend it to an academic panel. The proposal must be accepted for you to continue with the programme.
• You must have access to a computer and stable internet connection for online learning.

Selection
The total number of students admitted per year depends on the joint available space in the MCom (Public and Development Management), MA (Public and Development Management) and M (Public Administration) programmes as well as available supervision capacity in the School of Public Leadership.

The academic quality of the research proposal or research report will be assessed in terms of thedemonstrated academic research and writing ability, familiarity with contemporary literature in the field, relevance of the research objectives, design and methods and the potential academic merit of the study.

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.

Document placeholder name on application portal:
Curriculum vitae (CV)

Evidence of written academic work
The research project completed as part of the applicant’s Honours qualification.

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Evidence of work / Copy of thesis / Summary of research

Programme structure
There are two options in the programme:
• Coursework and Thesis option:
For this option, you must follow three 30-credit elective modules and an appropriate, advanced course in research methodology and academic writing skills. In addition, you must complete a 90- credit thesis with guidance from an academic study leader.

The coursework component is presented by means of block sessions and interactive online sessions:
o Block sessions entail that you must attend lectures in blocks of one to two weeks at a time in January and in May at the Bellville Park campus. Further writing workshops may also be scheduled during the course of the year to give you time for dedicated writing.
o For the interactive online presentations, you must attend at least two full days in the first semester and two full days in the second semester via an applicable interactive e-learning platform. You must also independently watch the provided video recordings and engage with study material.
o For the remaining time, you will study at home and do assignments that must be submitted electronically.
o Exams are written in Bellville or in Tshwane.

• Full Thesis option:
This is the full research option. You must complete a course in appropriate advanced research methodology and academic writing (if you have not successfully completed such a course before) and a full thesis of 180 credits under guidance of an academic study leader.

Programme content
You must earn a total of at least 180 credits for one of the options in this programme.

Compulsory module for the Coursework and Thesis option (90 credits)
11242 Thesis: Public and Development Management 861 (90)
Choose three elective modules (90 credits)

Compulsory module for the Full Thesis option (180 credits)
11242 Thesis: Public and Development Management 828 (180)