Postgraduate Programmes

HONOURS COURSES
*4 courses plus a research project (REL4011H)
Honours students are required to complete four taught courses at HEQSF level 8 (4000 level) and a research essay: 

• Honours students therefore complete five courses in total, two per semester (F and S) plus the full year honours research project (H)

An Honours programme takes one year. Students complete four semester courses and write a short dissertation (15,000 words).

Students are admitted into an Honours programme if they achieve an average of approximately 65% in the final year of their UG degree.

The Department also offers the Honours programme on a part-time basis over 2 years. Refer to excerpt from the Handbook 9b Faculty Rules for Postgraduate Qualifications, the part-time honours is completed over 2 years and fees are charged per course. 

Master’s students are required to complete a minor dissertation and four taught courses of which no more than two can be at HEQSF level 8 (4000 level).
The department offers two types of Masters Degrees.

• A Masters by coursework takes two years. Students take four courses and write a 25,000 word dissertation.
• A Masters by research (dissertation only) does not involve coursework. Students write a substantial 50,000 word dissertation

Masters by coursework (Minor Dissertation: REL5003W)
Coursework Masters students are required to take four taught courses (two per semester F and S) plus the minor dissertation (REL5003W)

• 1st year (4 courses)
• 2nd year Minor Dissertation

• The degree is offered over two years/four semesters. 
• Year one requires weekly in-person attendance and year two will be offered through a minimum of four teaching blocks.
• Master’s students are required to complete a minor dissertation (96 NQF credits), four compulsory taught courses (72 NQF credits) and one elective taught course (24 NQF credits) which may be at HEQSF level 8 (4000 level). 
• Courses are taken over two years/four semesters.
• In semester one students take one compulsory core course (REL 5018F) and one elective. 
• In semester two students take DOH5100S and the second core course (REL 5019S). 
• In the first half of year two, (semester three) students register for DOH5100F.
• During year 2 students also register for the Minor Dissertation in both semesters. 
• Year one requires regular in-person attendance every week and year two will be offered in a minimum of four blocks.