UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA. HONOURS BA AND HONOURS BSc DEGREES

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1 UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA INFORMATION REGARDING POSTGRADUATE STUDIES DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY A HONOURS BA AND HONOURS BSc DEGREES 1 ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION ON THE HONOURS BA AND HONOURS BSc DEGREES 1.1 Admission requirements To be admitted to Honours in Geography a candidate must have a B degree with Geography as a major (Geography I, II, and III). Consult Part 1 of the Calendar as well regarding admission requirements. i. Candidates who achieved an average of 60% or more in their Geography III modules may register for up to three modules per year. ii. Candidates who obtained less than 60% or who passed Geography III ten or more years ago may register for only one module (ie the compulsory module) in their first year of registration. They must pass this module before they can register for other modules. Exceptions to the above can only be made with the approval of the Head of Department.

2 2 1.2 Duration of study The degree of Honours in Geography is normally taken over a period of two years. Exceptions can be made with the approval of the Head of Department. 1.3 General Consult Part 1 of the Calendar regarding the closing dates for registration, fees, documents which must accompany a student s application for admission, number of modules for which a student must register, re-registration, duration of study, etc. A student who is registered for an Honours degree may, with the special permission of the Head of the relevant academic department, also register in the same academic year for not more than two undergraduate modules on the same level for non-degree purposes (NDP); provided that the NDP module(s) have a bearing on his/her postgraduate studies, or the student submits a justification which is acceptable to the University. Please note that a student must apply before the closing date for registration for the undergraduate module(s) for permission for concurrent registration. A BA Honours student may replace one of the modules for his/her Honours degree (except for the compulsory module) with an honours module in another subject if the departmental heads concerned are of the opinion that the student has sufficient background knowledge to be able to study such a module and it is in the best interests of the student. A BSc Honours student may replace two of the modules for his/her Honours degree (except for the compulsory module) with Honours modules in other subjects if the departmental

3 3 heads concerned are of the opinion that the student has sufficient background knowledge to be able to study such modules and it is in the best interests of the student to do so. 2 CURRICULUM The Honours curriculum comprises five modules. The Geography Philosophy and Geographical Research (HGERESN) module is compulsory, must be taken in the first year of registration and must be passed within the first two years of registration. Students can choose any additional four modules, depending on their needs and preferences. The complete Honours curriculum consists of the following modules: Geography philosophy and geographical research (HGERESN) Economic and development geography (HGEDEVC) Geographical perspectives on the city (HGEURAA) The geography of tourism (HGETORJ) Hydrogeography (HGEHYDH) Climate change, humans and environment (HGECENW) Environmental evaluation and management (HGEMANP) Geographical Information Systems (HGEINL5) For this module a student will be expected to purchase a prescribed GIS (Geographical Information Systems) software package. Full detail (such as the name of the software package and the price) will be provided in the first tutorial letter for the module. Alternatively, prospective students could request full details from the department. Students should also own (or have access

4 4 to) a personal computer and a printer, both which satisfy the hardware requirements listed below: Pentium-based PC (Pentium 4 or higher recommended) running either Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows 2000 or NT Display capacity of at least1024 x 768 with colours Minimum of 256 MB RAM (512 or more recommended, however) 1 GB hard disk space CD-ROM drive for installation and an applicable mouse Colour printer (any graphics card and printer supported by the Windows system can be used). In addition, a student must possess basic computer skills, especially with regard to the current operating system. Important 3 PURPOSE The codes, comprising seven symbols, which appear in brackets after the names of the modules, must be indicated on the registration form. The Honours degree is the initial postgraduate specialisation in Geography. The qualification prepares students for research-based postgraduate studies in this field. The qualification serves to consolidate and deepen the student's expertise in Geography as a discipline and to develop research capacity in this field. The qualification demands an appropriate level of theoretical engagement and intellectual independence. 4 MODULES OFFERED Not all the modules listed above will necessarily be offered each year. The reason is that the Honours modules offered are directly related to the specialisation fields of the

5 5 lecturers and that all the lecturers may not be available in a specific year.

6 6 Contact the Department of Geography at telephone (012) just before you register to find out whether the modules for which you want to register will be offered in the specific year. If a module is not offered in a specific academic year, students who failed the module in the previous academic year will have the following options: (1) They can register for the module they failed in order to gain access to the January examination. However, no formal teaching (consisting of tutorial letters, assignments, etc) will be provided for the module during the year. (2) They can abandon the module they have failed and register for another module. 5 SYLLABUS FOR EACH MODULE HGERESN: Geography philosophy and geographical research (Compulsory module, offered in English only) Geography as an academic discipline The development of geographic thought Important contemporary subject philosophical approaches: - The positivist approach - The behavioural approach - The humanistic approach - The structural-realist approach - Postmodern approaches The research process Important research frameworks: - The positivist or scientific method - The humanist-hermeneutic method

7 7 - Critical science methods Preparing a research proposal HGEINL5: Geographical Information Systems Nature of GIS (definitions, geographical concepts, spatial awareness, GIS as a visualisation tool, functional elements, components) GIS data structures (raster and vector) GIS data acquisition (sources, quality and standards, the South African Spatial Infrastructure Act (54 of 2003) Pre-processing (format conversion, data reduction and generalisation, error detection and editing, merging, edge matching, rectification and registration, interpolation) GIS data management (basic principles, efficiency, conventional database management systems, spatial database management) GIS data manipulation and analysis (stages of scientific inquiry, reclassification and aggregation, geometric operations, centroid determination, data structure conversion, spatial operations, measurement, statistical analysis, modelling) Data output and data sharing (types of output, including web-based products, essentials of map design) Remote sensing and GIS (historic overview, technology, image processing, interfacing remote sensing and GIS applications) GIS implementation and application (application areas, needs assessment, project implementation and project management) Current trends and the future of GIS Practical exercises

8 8 HGEDEVC: Economic and development geography Nature and development of economic geography Research in economic geography The nature and evolution of development geography The world economy Spatial transformation of the periphery of the world economy Globalisation in the world economy The South African spatial economy within the world economy HGEURAA: Geographical perspectives of the city (Offered in English only) Geographical perspectives of cities in developed and developing countries Housing problems, housing policies, residential mobility and neighbourhood change The geography of urban traffic and transportation The urban economy, retailing and employment in cities Globalisation and urban change Environmental and health problems in cities Poverty and deprivation in cities Power and politics in cities The future of cities spatial planning and management of cities HGETORJ: The geography of tourism Tourism as a geographical phenomenon Factors influencing tourism Spatiotemporal patterns of international tourism Tourism maps and destination images

9 9 Tourism resources in various environments Tourism and economic development - a national and regional perspective Sustainable tourism Research methods Theoretical aspects of the use of GIS in tourism HGEHYDH: Hydrogeography The hydrological cycle, with the emphasis on catchment areas as the unit of study of the land phase of this cycle. The interaction between humankind and the hydrological cycle Floods and rainfall modification South African water resources, with reference to the availability of and demand for water. Human impact on water resources, with the emphasis on water pollution, the influence of land use on water yield in catchments and the conservation of South African rivers The management of water resources, with special reference to South African water management strategies and policies Legislation and its implications for water supply, sanitation and water management HGECENW: Climate change, humans and the environment Overview of and perspectives on the climate system and climate change Causes of climate change Uncertainty about climate change Scenarios of climate change The role of climate models Consequences and risks of climate change

10 10 Reaction and decision-making HGEMANP: Environmental evaluation and management Environmental management: evolution, approaches, ethics, policies Environmental management and sustainable development Threats to and the management of natural resources: environmental issues Environmental assessment: tools, techniques and methods Environmental management: challenges (case studies) and systems (case studies). 6 RETENTION OF CREDIT (BSc students) Subject to the requirements of General Rule PG6(2)(a) and (b)(i) and except with the special permission of Senate, credit for an Honours level module that has been passed is granted for a maximum of four successive academic years. 7 RELEVANT UNDERGRADUATE KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS If a student's undergraduate training differs markedly from what is offered at Unisa, a certain amount of supplementary work might be required. 8 STUDY PACKAGE, ASSIGNMENTS AND EXAMINATION ADMISSION The study package for each module comprises one or more of the following: prescribed textbooks that must be bought by the student

11 11 recommended books articles from scientific journals a study guide tutorial letters assignments The assignments may be of a theoretical and/or practical nature and may consist of multiple-choice questions and/or questions requiring written answers. No student will be admitted to the examination in a module unless he or she has submitted a minimum number of assignments in which a satisfactory standard has been achieved. The minimum number of assignments and the admission credits that pertain to each assignment are decided on by the relevant lecturer. It is therefore important that students should note that the admission requirements for the different modules differ. 9 CONTACT WITH LECTURERS Students are welcome to visit the lecturers at their offices in Pretoria, provided that an appointment is made at least three days in advance. The department cannot guarantee that students will be attended to if they arrive in the department without an appointment. Lecturers are available from 07:45 to 16:00, Monday to Friday by request AND appointment. 10 DISCUSSION CLASSES Because of the relatively small number of students, no formal discussion classes are organised for Honours students. 11 GOAL ACHIEVEMENT This course has the potential to allow students to acquire elevated academic and applied knowledge, culminating in a degree of which they can be justifiably proud, and one that

12 12 also specifically prepares them for master s studies. However, this can only be achieved on condition that students work in a disciplined and goal-directed manner for at least two years.

13 13 B MASTER'S AND DOCTOR'S DEGREE 1 GENERAL INFORMATION The Department of Geography only offers research MA and MSc as well as PhD and DLitt et Phil degrees in Geography. The Department does not offer master's or doctor's degrees in Environmental Management. To be admitted to the master's degree in Geography a candidate must have an Honours degree in Geography or a related field. To be admitted to a doctor's degree in Geography a candidate must have a master s in Geography or a related field. Candidates with a qualification in a related field should consult the Head of Department to establish the relevance of their degree before applying for registration. To qualify for admission to studies for a master's or doctoral degree in Geography you must submit an acceptable research proposal on an approved geographical problem of your own choice to the Head of Department. A student can only register for a master's or doctor's in Geography after his/her research proposal has been approved by the Head of Department. Students are encouraged to conduct research in fields of study in which the staff have specialist expertise or interest. The curriculum for both these degrees comprises a research dissertation/thesis on an approved topic in the field of Geography. The primary purpose of a master s degree in Geography is to educate and train researchers who can contribute to the development of geographical knowledge at an advanced level. The purpose of a doctoral degree in Geography is to deliver researchers who can undertake advanced research and make a contribution to knowledge within the field of Geography.

14 14 2 SCIENTIFIC ARTICLE Both master s and doctoral students must, together with the examination copies of their thesis and dissertation, submit the same number of copies of a scientific article in the form of either a manuscript or a reprint of an article which is based on the research. The article must be written under the guidance of the student s supervisor and, if applicable, joint supervisor. The copies of the article will be sent to the examiners as additional information. Students are advised to submit the article to an approved subject journal for publication if such publication has not already taken place. 3 GENERAL A student who is registered for a master s degree may also register in the same academic year for two undergraduate modules or for one Honours paper or the corresponding number of modules on the same level for non-degree purposes (NDP); provided that the NDP paper/module(s) has a bearing on his/her master s studies or the student submits a justification which is acceptable to the University. Note that students may only register for an Honours paper or module(s) if they comply with the prescribed admission requirements for the Honours degree concerned. A student who is registered for a doctor s degree may also register in the same academic year for two undergraduate modules or for one Honours paper or one master s paper or the corresponding number of modules on the same level for non-degree purposes (NDP), provided that the NDP paper/module(s) have a bearing on his/her doctoral studies, or the student submits a justification which is acceptable to the University. Note that students may only register for an Honours or a master s paper/module(s) if they comply with the prescribed admission requirements for the Honours or master s degree concerned.

15 15 For more information regarding masters and doctoral degrees and guidelines on writing a research proposal, you may contact: The Head: Department of Geography University of South Africa P.O. Box 392 UNISA 0003 Tel: International: Fax: International: nicolmd@unisa.ac.za or harmsac@unisa.ac.za

16 16 TEACHING STAFF: DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY HEAD OF DEPARTMENT Melanie Nicolau MA (UP), HED PROFESSOR: Vacant SENIOR LECTURER: Alet Harmse D Litt et Phil, MA, HED, Dip Dev (UNISA) Chris Vlok MA (Stellenbosch), HED LECTURER: Retha Coetzee MA (RAU), HED Anna de Jager David Hedding Rudi Pretorius Gillian Viljoen MA (UNISA) MSc (UP) MSc (UP), MBL (UNISA) MA (Western Cape), HDE JUNIOR LECTURER: Moses Mathebula BA Honours (Univ Limpopo) POSTGRADUATE ASSISTANT: Kesh Govindasamy BA Honours (UNISA) UNISA