UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA DEPARTMENT OF CHRISTIAN SPIRITUALITY, CHURCH HISTORY AND MISSIOLOGY POSTGRADUATE STUDIES

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1 UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA DEPARTMENT OF CHRISTIAN SPIRITUALITY, CHURCH HISTORY AND MISSIOLOGY POSTGRADUATE STUDIES 2010

2 UNISA S NEW APPLICATION AND REGISTRATION PHASES APPLICATION PHASE First-time students at UNISA must apply for admission on the prescribed form which is to be submitted together with the correct application fees, as well as the documents required for registration. Apply on-line: Cmd=ViewContent&ContentID=16832 or contact the UNISA Contact Centre at / Once the data has been recorded the system will allocate a student number which will be confirmed via , sms or mail depending on the contact details indicated on your application form. A registration package containing the relevant information brochure(s) and registration form will be mailed to you. Students who already have a UNISA student number proceed directly to the registration phase. REGISTRATION PHASE Once a student number has been allocated to an individual, this student number will remain his/her student number at UNISA for all formal qualifications Honours students may apply on-line for registration after the registration period for the particular academic year has opened. However, master s and doctoral students cannot apply on-line and are advised to submit their applications directly to UNISA Muckleneuk Campus, P O Box 392, UNISA, Regional offices can only forward master s and doctoral applications to the Muckleneuk Campus. ii

3 The registration form together with the minimum instalment required for registration must be submitted before the relevant closing date. Students must please take note that certain degrees are by selection and have earlier closing dates than the normal registration closing dates. Any documents required for registration submitted must be included here, if not previously submitted. Kindly note that only original transcripts of academic records issued by the Registrar of the University/Institution concerned are accepted for registration purposes. Degree certificates should not be submitted. All applications for master s and doctoral degrees will be referred to the Section: Senior Qualifications where they will be assessed before being referred to the relevant academic department where the Executive Committee will rule on admission. If approved, students who have submitted their complete application (i.e. all required documents and minimum fees) will automatically be registered after admission has been approved. Other students will be informed of any remaining conditions to be complied with in order to finalise their registration. All other students will be informed of the outcome of their applications and, where applicable, the minimum study fees paid will be refunded. The process outlined above may be time consuming in some cases, especially when we approach the various closing dates when most applications are invariably submitted. It is, therefore, essential that prospective students apply well in advance, especially where deadlines set by employers and sponsors have to be met. iii

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5 DEPARTMENT OF CHRISTIAN SPIRITUALITY CHURCH HISTORY AND MISSIOLOGY The department comprises of three academic disciplines: CHRISTIAN SPIRITUALITY CHURCH HISTORY MISSIOLOGY INFORMATION REGARDING POSTGRADUATE STUDIES IN CHRISTIAN SPIRITUALITY, CHURCH HISTORY AND MISSIOLOGY Thank you very much for your interest in postgraduate studies in the Department of Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology. Details of advanced studies in the disciplines of Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology are given in this brochure. For the general rules for admission to postgraduate studies at Unisa, please consult Part 1 of the Calendar and the Information Brochure. The Calendar contains important information on the documents which must accompany your application, the number of papers that you must register for, reregistration, duration of study etc. This brochure contains information on what is expected from you when you apply for registration for the Honours, Masters or Doctorate. 1

6 Any further information you may require regarding postgraduate studies will be provided on request and is obtainable from: The Registrar P O Box 392 UNISA 0003 South Africa HONOURS ENQUIRIES: Telephone: International: Fax: artes@unisa.ac.za MASTER S AND DOCTORAL ENQUIRIES: Telephone: Fax: mandd@unisa.ac.za In terms of the vision of our Department as well as the new definition of research output by the Department of Education which includes studies on postgraduate level, you are not only regarded as a student or a candidate as some might prefer, but as part of the community of scholars that our Department seeks to develop. Welcome and good luck with your studies. 2

7 CHRISTIAN SPIRITUALITY HONOURS MODELS: Module code CPS410F CSP411G CSP412H CPS413J Description METHODOLOGICAL ISSUES IN CHRISTIAN SPIRITUALITY HISTORY OF CHRISTIAN SPIRITUALITY CHRISTIAN MYSTICISM RESEARCH ARTICLE MASTER S LEVEL Two master of Theology programmes in Christian Spirituality: * Dissertation MTh. Curriculum comprises a dissertation on an approved topic. * Structured MTh. Comprises three papers (weight: 50%) and a dissertation of limited scope (weight: 50% on an approved topic). 1. MTHCS1-4 Methodological issues 2. MTHCS2-5 History of Christian Spirituality 3. MTHCS3-6 Comprises an analysis of one area of specialisation in Christian Spirituality DOCTORAL LEVEL The curriculum comprises a thesis on an approved topic. From January 2010 all master's and doctoral students are required to register for and complete a research module before registration for the dissertation/thesis can be finalised. 3

8 CHURCH HISTORY HONOURS COURSES At the Honours level the Department of Church History is offering the following courses: * Methodology and Historiography (KEG401E) * A Study of Either a Theological Theme or a Theologian (KEG403G) * A Study of a Short Period of Time (KEG404H) * A Study of a Primary Theological Text (KEG405J) * An Article (long essay) of approximately 20,000 words (KEG402F) These Honours courses are designed in such a way as to give you a wide variety of choice of topics and to cover the various periods in Church History. In these courses you can study anything from Liturgy in the Early Centuries to the Writings of Catherine of Siena to the Order of Ethiopia in South Africa MASTER AND DOCTORAL STUDIES If you already have an Honours degree, why not consider doing post-graduate studies with us. At the Master s level, we offer both: * a Structured Master s programme. This programme includes three papers and a Adissertation of limited scope. A few of the many possible structured Master s programmes that can be done in the Department are: * The Contribution of Africa to Early Christianity 4

9 * The Contribution of Indigenous Peoples to Christianity in South Africa * The Christian Mystical Tradition * a Master s by Dissertation. The topic is arranged with the Department and can cover anything within the wide scope of church history. A thesis of good quality and length has to be submitted to meet the requirements. * at Doctoral level we offer a Thesis programme in which you work hand and hand with a supervisor at this highest level of academic study. A thesis of good quality and length which makes a new contribution to the field of study has to be submitted. * From January 2010 all master's and doctoral students are required to register for and complete a research module before registration for the dissertation/thesis can be finalised. MISSIOLOGY Honours BTh: In this degree the undergraduate themes are explored in greater depth. There are five compulsory papers. Most students complete the degree in two years. The papers deal with the following themes: Theologies of Mission (MSG420-C): This paper studies issues of missiological method; biblical models of mission; recent developments in evangelical, ecumenical, Orthodox and Catholic missiology; world mission conferences since 1980; urban missiology and African missiology. Intercultural communication of the Gospel (MSG421-D): The focus of this paper is on the role of culture in the communication of the gospel. After surveying theological approaches to culture, 5

10 it pays attention to the concepts identification, conversion and syncretism. These insights are then related to a few specific issues such as polygamy, exorcism, Bible translation, etc. Mission Praxis (MSG422-E): The paper begins by exploring the term praxis and then allows students to concentrate on two of the following: Church Growth; holistic evangelism; Christian development projects; the mission of African Initiated Churches. The challenge of liberation theologies to mission (MSG423F): In this paper attention is given to the challenges presented to mission by various liberation theologies. Students have the option of concentrating on one of the following four sections: (a) Black Theology and Prophetic Theology (South Africa and North America); (b) Feminist Theology, Womanist Theology and African Women s Theology; (c) Latin American Liberation Theology; (d) Asian Theologies (e.g. Dalit and Minyung Theologies). A theology of interreligious encounter in Africa (MSG424-G): This paper concentrates on the encounter between Christians and the followers of other faiths in the African context. A student must choose between the encounter of Christians with: (a) adherents of African Traditional Religion and (b) Muslims. In the first option special attention is given to African Initiated Churches and African theologians like Mbiti, Pobee, Idowu, Mugambi, Bediako, Sanneh, etc. MODULARISED HONOURS IN MISSIOLOGY The curriculum for the new Honours in Missiology which will become operational in 2011 comprises 120 credits. The first six 6

11 modules of course work carry a weight of 12 credits each. The last two modules, focussing on research, are 24 credits each. MSG4801 (12 credits) MSG4802 (12credits) MSG4803 (12credits) MSG4804 (12 credits) MSG4805 (12 credits) MSG4806 (12 credits) MSG4820 (24 credits) MSG4807 (24 credits) Invitation to missiological scholarship Scripture in action: Doing missiological hermeneutics Redeeming memories: Constructing new mission histories Mission challenges in the 21 st century Missiology on the move: Discerning new trends Missional communities in context Designing a theological research proposal Doing missiological research Master in Theology (MTh): There are two parallel MTh programmes, that start from different places and proceed in slightly different ways but reach the same goal: * An MTh degree by a full-length research dissertation ( pages). * A structured MTh degree by course work (three papers) and a dissertation of limited scope (±70 pages) Specialised MTh programmes: (i) Structured MTh in Women, Gender and Religion. This course is offered in cooperation with other departments of the faculty, and allows you to explore the gender dimensions of Christian mission in South Africa. 7

12 (ii) Structured MTh in Urban Ministry, which is offered in cooperation with the Institute of Urban Ministries. (iii) Christian Spirituality Programme in collaboration with the Department of Missiology offers a MTh degree with a specialisation in Christian Spirituality by dissertation or as a structured MTh. Doctorate in Theology (DTh): This degree, which represents the highest academic achievement, requires the writing of a doctoral thesis of pages. A thesis must be based on intensive research and make an original contribution to the discipline of Missiology. The doctorate does not include any course work, except when a supervisor judges that a student does not have sufficient background in a particular area, in which case a reading programme may be prescribed to help the student fill in the gap. Students usually take between two and five years to complete a doctoral thesis. From January 2010 all master's and doctoral students are required to register for and complete a research module before registration for the dissertation/thesis can be finalised. MASTER OF THEOLOGY(MTh) AND DOCTOR OF THEOLOGY(DTh) Both the MTh and DTh are research degrees and as such students are advised to consult the Chair of the Department or the discipline leaders to application to discuss research interests and supervision or promotion possibilities. Master of Theology: MTh The Master of Theology (MTh) degree is designed for graduates who hold honours degree in theology or related discipline from accredited academic institutions. Other 8

13 applicants without honours degree may be considered on case by case basis. From January 2010 all master's and doctoral students are required to register for and complete a research module before registration for the dissertation/thesis can be finalised. The Doctor of Theology: DTh The DTh programme provides students with academically rigorous research training; the research focus is on the variety of themes. It requires a candidate to undertake research at the most advance academic levels culminating in the production and acceptance of a thesis. The defining characteristic of this qualification is that the candidate is required to demonstrate high-level research capability and make a significant and original academic contribution at the frontiers of our discipline and field of study. The work must be of a quality to satisfy peer review and merit publication. The degree may be earned through pure discipline-based or multidisciplinary research or applied research. The degree usually requires at least a minimum of two years full-time study post the Master s Degree. Most of our students find that they need more time than two years especially if they are part-time students. From January 2010 all master's and doctoral students are required to register for and complete a research module before registration for the dissertation/thesis can be finalised. 9

14 Additional notes: The thesis is examined by a panel of at least three independent examiners. Course work is not included as preparation or value addition to the research. In some cases students may be required to first complete a prescribed reading list or to prepare for an oral examination before they are allowed into the doctoral programme. Students are not required to defend the thesis in person at the University. The final examination is done by the examiners. The final research topic and the final title are normally negotiated in co-operation with the supervisor. Students are free to suggest research topics in the wide variety of theological fields of study. In the case of overseas students, depending on the research topic, a co-supervisor residing in the same country is usually appointed in order to assist the student in the research project. Each student must re-register every year at the beginning of the year for the duration of the study. During the course of the study programme, studies may be deferred twice in specific cases after official permission has been granted. ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS: Admission MTh The minimum admission requirement is usually an appropriate Honours Degree. Students who want to be allowed into the programme will first have to submit a research outline. After official and successful acceptance of the research outline students are required to submit a suitable research proposal within 10

15 the first year of study. Guidelines with regard to the research outline are available on receiving the formal application of interested students. The research proposal is prepared under the supervision of the supervisor assigned to the student. Admission DTh The minimum admission requirement is usually an appropriate Master s Degree which included a written dissertation. Students who want to be allowed into the programme will first have to submit a research outline. After official and successful acceptance of the research outline students are required to submit a suitable research proposal within the first year of study. Guidelines with regard to the research outline are available on receiving the formal application of interested students. The research proposal is prepared under the supervision of the supervisor assigned to the student. o Recognition of Prior Learning. Some applicants who do not meet the traditional admission criteria/requirements may apply for the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL). Financial Aid Although UNISA's fees are at least 50 percent lower than the fees generally charged by other universities in the country; the institution has experienced an increase in the number of academically capable students facing financial hardship. Consequently, UNISA is dramatically expanding the resources and support available for financial assistance. Below are some of the financial sources that students could access. For more information on different financial aid programmes, please go to UNISA Student Funding on the UNISA website. Here you will 11

16 get more information about scholarships and application forms or you can call the UNISA Student Funding at Tel: or o o o The National Students Financial Aid Scheme NSFAS loans. For more information on this scheme please go to the NSFAS website. The National Research Foundation (NRF) The NRF has a number of bursaries for both post-graduate and undergraduate studies. Postgraduate Bursaries (PDF). These bursaries are only for students pursuing masters or doctoral studies at UNISA. Please see the application form for criteria, eligibility and conditions for award. o The Margaret Orr Women s Empowerment Award (PDF) this award is only for female students. o The David Bosch Memorial Theological Bursary Fund. This bursary fund is highly competitive. The fund allocates two prestige bursaries: one of R6 000 for a Doctor of Theology student and another of R4 000 for a Master of Theology student. There will also be a few bursaries of R1000 each for students enrolled in departments who contribute to the fund. In considering applications, two criteria are used. First is the relevance of your research project. Any research project deemed relevant by the department in which you are enrolled will be considered, but themes relating to the Southern African context will receive priority. Second is your academic record. Your academic record will be taken into account. You must have obtained more than 60% in your previous degree in order to qualify for a bursary from this fund. 12

17 Merit Scholarships. These bursaries are annually awarded to a few students who completed their Honours or Master's studies at UNISA with distinction; since these are automatic, students need not apply for them. Applying to UNISA o o Information brochure (PDF) This provides all the necessary information you need to fill out the UNISA registration form. General Rules and Information (PDF). This is Part 1 of the University calendar, which provides almost all the information you need to apply. o Rules: College of Human Sciences (PDF) This is Part 5 of the University calendar that is dedicated to the College of Human Sciences 13