MPhil (Education and Training for Lifelong Learning)
The Master of Philosophy in Education and Training for Lifelong Learning equips you with the knowledge, skills and attitudes to be able to function effectively in adult and/or community education and training institutions as a lecturer, learning facilitator or adult-education professional.
The secondary aim is to equip you with the research skills to do further advanced study at doctoral level and to be able to undertake research in the field of adult-education studies. This aim includes the capacity to function as a researcher in your professional context.
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
a) For admission to the MPhil (Lifelong Learning) programme, you must:
• have an appropriate honours degree (with an average of at least 60%) and have been employed in
an adult education and training environment for at least two years;
or
• have completed another academic-professional study combination equivalent to an honours
degree, which Senate deems suitable for admission to this programme, and have been employed in
an adult education and training environment for at least two years;
or
• have attained a level of competence in adult education, demonstrated through the process of
evaluation of prior learning, which Senate deems sufficient for this purpose.
b) In addition, you must have at least two years of involvement in Lifelong Learning, or other relevant
experience that the Faculty deems to be equivalent, before you will be admitted.
Selection
The programme will be offered if a limited number of students can be admitted. The number is determined by the Department of Curriculum Studies.
Supporting application documents
Departmental form
Download and fill in the following departmental form, and submit with your application:
https://files.su.ac.za/public/postgraduate-studies/documents/2026-03/cu…
Document placeholder name on application portal:
Departmental form
Programme structure
Duration and presentation structure of the programme
• The programme is presented over at least two academic years.
• The programme entails a combination of contact and other forms of teaching.
• There are two contact sessions per year, one at the beginning of the year and one in the middle.
Each session is a week long.
• For the rest of the year, you do preparatory study, assignments and projects by means of blended
learning, online group-work assignments, structured study guides, self-study packages and other
forms of directed self-study.
Anchor module
Lifelong Learning 879(180)
You must do the following four compulsory modules of which the research thesis is one. The topic of the thesis must fall in the field of adult education and training and you must consult with you appointed supervisor when choosing your topic.
Compulsory modules
Learning in Adult Education 875(20)
Perspectives on Lifelong Learning 875(20)
Research in Lifelong Learning* 875(20)
Research Thesis 874(120)
* Research in Lifelong Learning is presented with a view to formulating the research proposal for your MPhil thesis.
Assessment and examination
• Taught modules:
o The modules count 33.33% of your final mark.
o You must complete an assignment for every taught module.
o You need a minimum of 50% in every module to pass the programme.
• Research thesis:
o The topic of the thesis falls in the field of adult education.
o The thesis counts 66.66% of your final mark.
o You may also submit your thesis for examination in the form of examined or reviewed publishable articles.
Your final mark is calculated as the average for your assignments in all of the taught modules (33.33%), plus your research thesis (66.66%).