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)

The full-time 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)

Full-time Programme:

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

Part-time Programme:

• 1st year 2 courses
• 2nd year 2 courses & 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.