The governance of COVID in South Africa – how did the public sector react?
SA’s transition to democracy: miracle or mediation?
Representation, Diversity, and Organizational Performance: A Theoretical and Empirical Exploration in the Context of South African Local Government
New Undergraduate Major
Keep Up With Current Affairs
Welcome to the Department of Political Studies!
The Department of Political Studies is home to internationally recognised scholars in comparative politics, international relations, political theory, political behaviour, intellectual history, public policy, and public administration. Our staff members have made major intellectual contributions in their respective fields. Members of the Department have published widely, both in scholarly and research journals. The Department is closely linked to the new Centre for Social Science Research with some staff members having joint appointments. Based on expertise developed in research, members of the Department have made contributions to a range of government activities especially in the areas of defense, development, education, local government, mediation, policing and voting.
Our department is home to one of the bigger postgraduate programmes and boasts a lively and cosmopolitan postgraduate student community. Our postgraduate programmes provide students with a firm academic foundation in political theory; comparative politics; international relations; South African politics; public administration; and public policy, amongst others. Students are encouraged to pursue more specialised study under the close supervision and guidance of faculty. Our undergraduate courses remain a popular choice and the department is one of the largest departments in the Faculty of Humanities at UCT.
Our department is a vibrant and intellectually engaged community.