South African degree catagories

What do the terms "postgraduate studies", "honours studies" , "diploma", and "master's studies" connotate at UNISA? Is the Master's Studies option similar to a Master's degree in the US? Is postgraduate studies similar to a master's certificate program in the US?

Thanks

Rhonda

 

Hi Rhonda - Hopefully someone will step in and correct me if I'm wrong about any of this.
Postgraduate studies is a general category that includes all the other levels of study you mentioned. In the US, if someone said they're in "grad school" it has roughly the same meaning.
An Honours degree is the fourth year of a Bachelors degree program. In ZA, Bachelors degrees are three years and then, if you want to be seen as being eligible for "Postgraduate Studies" then you would sign up for the fourth year Honours program. It is ?always? done in the same subject as your BA.
A Diploma program is done on top of your Bachelors with Honours. It is less intense than a Masters program and need not be in the same area as your BA.
A Masters degree from a ZA school is roughly the same level as that in a US school except frequently they are research-oriented dissertation based degrees (no taught courses). While this is not universally true, most of the discussion on this forum is about these programs since (theoretically) one could do the research from wherever one lives without needing to visit the UNISA campus.
You can find some additional interesting information at the following sites:
http://www.studysa.co.za
http://www.saqa.org.za
http://www.southafrica.info/ess_info/sa_glance/education/highered2005.htm
Good luck.
Jack

 

Hi Rhonda:

Jack's reply pretty much answers your questions. I'm in the process of registering with UNISA for a BA in Languages, so I've checked the basic information on all degree levels.

However, I would like to add that professional Masters degrees, such as the MBA and MPA, do have courseworw requirements, just as in the USA, UK, etc.

Good luck,

Joi

 

hands across the sea(s)

Jack and Joi have it correct as always, Rhonda.

The only thing I would add is that you might wish to extend your enquiries beyond UNISA if you do not find what you want there. (No criticism of UNISA implied in that, just encouragement to persevere in searching for that special someo...oops, I mean programme.) Most other South African universities are also very hospitable--especially if you are willing to get on the blower and talk to the appropriate persons in the departments which interest you. What field of study are you aiming at? Maybe someone here knows some detailed information on that specific field.

My very best wishes to you,
Janko





Carthage must be destroyed.

 

Re: hands across the sea(s)

 

There are MBA/Management degrees in every country in the world (I think) If you need English as the sole language of instruction then you are fairly restricted. If you go to the top of the page and click on the "Find A School" button you will discover a number of choices that you can explore. Search through the threads will give you many more choices. If you are interested primarily in those low cost South African degree programs it is fairly simple to search them out as there are only about a dozen universities in South Africa. In one evening of surfing you'll know about as much as anyone else on that subject. Here's a link that will get you started:
http://www.mit.edu:8001/people/cdemello/geog.html
Good luck.
Jack

 

Re: Re: hands across the sea(s)