MPhil in Sustainable Development

Updated: Tuesday, 29 May 2012

Curriculum

The MPhil in Sustainable Development is a one year full-time or two year part-time degree. It is worth 180 credits. The only entry requirement that is recognised is the Postgraduate Diploma in Sustainable Development. Any applicant for the Mphil who does not have our Postgraduate Diploma in Sustainable Development will not be considered for admission under any circumstances.

After completing the eight Core Modules and graduating with the Postgraduate Diploma in Sustainable Development, a student must formally apply for admission to the MPhil in Sustainable Development. Proceeding onwards to the MPhil is not automatic. Applicants are carefully screened to make sure the applicant's marks for the Postgraduate Diploma are high enough (minimum of 60%), the proposed thesis topic is in line with the modules that have been completed, there is a supervisor available with expertise in the selected field of research, and the applicant has sufficient time to do the research if s/he is (self-)employed. 

The MPhil in Sustainable Development comprises two electives (which can be selected from the modules offered in the Postgraduate Diploma in Sustainable Development) plus a thesis. In addition to the 20 modules that comprise the Postgraduate Diploma in Sustainable Development, MPhil students will also be able to select the following electives (each of which is worth 15 credits):

* Research Dissemination for Sustainable Development: this module consists of training in transforming the research done into a conference paper for presentation at the Research Colloquiem that takes place in December, plus preparation of the paper for submission to an academic Journal for publication.

* Research Methodology for Sustainable Development: this module is for those who want one of their two MPhil electives to be the compulsory Research Methodology workshop. The deliverable is an acceptable Research Proposal.

* Introduction to Project Management: this is an introductory course on project management, and is essential for those who want to compile their MPhil research work as a Project Proposal.

* Advanced Project Management: this is a more advanced version of the Introduction to Project Management.

* Advanced Studies in Sustainable Development: this is a module that will be used to give credit to any course or module that a student would like to do outside the School of Public Leadership either at Stellenbosch University, or any other University or learning-related institution.  

Registration will only be possible after attending the Research Workshop and if an adequate Research Proposal has been completed and accepted. The Research Proposal must comply with the prescribed format and must also define which of the options below will be selected. Options 1 and 2 below make provision for electives. An elective is any module delivered as part of the Postgraduate Diploma programme, or any module delivered by other degree programmes in the School of Public Leadership, or any other module delivered by any other Department at Stellenbosch University, or a module delivered by another institution(subject to approval by the Programme Coordinator). If a student selects a module that is not part of the Postgraduate Diploma programme, to facilitate the participation by the student in this module the student will be registered for a general module called Advanced Studies in Sustainable Development. (For example, if a student wants to do a module in Land Studies or Physics at Stellenbosch University or elsewhere, the student will be registered for a module called Advanced Studies in Sustainable Development and the content will be the course that is taken.)

Option 1: Thesis plus two electives

  • Research Methodology Course
  • Two Electives worth 15 credits each (as from 2013 onwards, the Research Methodology course can be selected as one of these electives)
  • Research Component: 150 Credits with the following options:
    • Integrated Thesis - a long thesis will need to be written in accordance with the requirements of the University, the School and the supervisor (±40 000 words [±120 pages]) OR
    • A Project Proposal for a large-scale and complex capital works project or sustainable development project in accordance with the Logical Framework Analysis project management approach (± 40 000 words [± 120 pages]).

Option 2: Thesis plus four Electives

A 120 credit research component (see options below) plus four electives worth 15 credits each selected from the modules on offer in the BPhil Programme or from any other Programme at the University of Stellenbosch or other learning institution on condition these have been approved by the Programme Coordinator. The Programme will consist of the following:

  • Research Methodology Course
  • Four Electives: 15 Credits each (as from 2013 onwards, the Research Methodology Course can be selected as one of the four electives)
  • Research Component: 120 Credits with the following options:
    • Two academic journal articles in the style of a predetermined journal and in accordance with the requirements of the University, the School and the supervisor (±8000 words [±24 pages] per journal article) OR 
    • A project proposal for a given development project that must define the goal, objectives, implementation plan, budget, and monitoring and evaluation mechanism in accordance with the Logical Framework Analysis project management approach (±20 000 words [±60 pages]) OR
    • A traditional Thesis in accordance with the normal academic format and requirements of the University, the School and the supervisor (±20 000 words [±60 pages]

Scheduling:

Candidates must submit a written Research Proposal by November for registration the following February. This proposal must be written in accordance with the Departmental Guidelines for Research Proposals and this must be acceptable to the Programme Coordinator and the Research Committee.

Supervision:

The Research Committee will assign a Supervisor for each candidate in accordance with available expertise and equitable distribution of the supervision load, plus two Examiners.