UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AND MANAGEMENT INFORMATION CONCERNING MASTER'S AND DOCTOR'S DEGREES IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION 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: http://www.unisa.ac.za/default.asp? Cmd=ViewContent&ContentID=16832 or contact the UNISA Contact Centre at 0861670411 / 0116709000. Once the data has been recorded the system will allocate a student number which will be confirmed via e-mail, 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 Sunnyside Campus, Senior Qualifications Counter. When mailing the application, please use: P O Box 392, UNISA, 0003. Regional offices can only forward master s and doctoral applications to the Muckleneuk Campus. 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 certified copies 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: Postgraduate 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 2
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. (Consult myrules@unisa regarding documents which must accompany a student's application for admission, duration of study, re-registration, requirements for a dissertation/thesis, etc. and the myregistration@unisa Postgraduate brochure for the closing dates for registration and fees. For information on matters such as registration problems, choice of papers, and requirements for admission you may consult the Registrar, Student Admissions and Registrations, University of South Africa, P O Box 392, UNISA, 0003, Tel 0861 670 411/+27 11 6709000, Fax +27 12 429 4150, E-mail (M and D enquiries): mandd@unisa.ac.za. on matters such as the syllabuses and a research proposal for your dissertation/thesis you may consult the Head of the Department of Public Administration and Management.) A. THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION (MPA) 1. Admission A student must: (a) hold a Bachelor's degree; (b) have had at least three years' appropriate practical experience, preferably in the public sector; and (c) have passed Public Administration as a major subject. Students in possession of an Honours BA, Honours BCom or Honours BAdmin degree in Public Administration cannot enrol for the MPA degree. 3
2. Curriculum (See also 6: Syllabuses) The curriculum comprises the following eight papers and a dissertation of limited scope. The papers are as follows: Paper 1: Paper 2: Paper 3: Paper 4: Paper 5: Paper 6: Paper 7: Theory of Science and Public Administration (HFILPAK) (A student who passed the paper Theory of Science (PBL311K) may not register for (HFILPAK). (HFILPAK is recommended for those students who wish to proceed with master s and/or doctor s degrees in future). Public and municipal personnel administration and management (HPERSAK) Management of public and municipal finance (HRFINSE) Planning and policy analysis in the public sector (HBEBEP3) Study of organisations and the public sector (HORSTEH) Management and the public sector (HOPBESV) Politics in the public sector (HPOLPSQ) Paper 8: Labour relations and the public sector (HARBVHK) With the approval of the heads of departments concerned not more than two of the abovementioned papers may be replaced with honours papers from another subject(s) in which the student has passed the third course. 4
Transitional arrangements Students, who have passed a paper under the old curriculum, retain credit for the paper(s) passed and must choose the outstanding paper(s) from the papers listed above, provided that students who have passed a paper appearing under list A below may not register for the paper opposite to it in List B. List A APUPADX or GOMPAOC THAGP0N, GSPB008, TABMOBB or SAMBAOW AIPA005 AFAPS0J or GOMFAOB GASSOP3 List B HPERSAK HBEBEP3 HIPADMH HRFINSE HPOLPSQ 3. Completion of the curriculum A student may not - (1) register for more than five papers in any year; and (2) register for the dissertation of limited scope unless the eight papers have already been passed. 4. Requirements to pass The eight papers carry a combined weight of 66% and the dissertation of limited scope a weight of 33%. To pass a paper, a candidate shall obtain at least 50% in it. The passmark for the dissertation of limited scope is also 50%. 5
5. Method of tuition Tuition will be provided as follows: (a) Each student will receive a study guide for each paper. In the study guide the approaches, views of experts and the contents of the paper will be given. (b) Relevant books may be prescribed for each paper. These books as well as the study guide should be studied with care, since the contents of the books form part of the examination for that paper. (c) In various guides case studies are set to give students the opportunity to examine practical situations and report on them. (d) The student should compile and submit for allocation of marks at least two assignments per paper. The submission of more assignments may be requested. Although the student is requested to submit at least two assignments this does not mean that the remaining assignments may be ignored. The details of the remaining assignments should be collected and kept in files to be studied for the examination. (e) Students are requested to consult their lecturers as often as possible for personal guidance in the preparation of assignments and regarding any other study problems. 6. Syllabuses In order to keep the field of study for the MPA degree as practical and as relevant as possible, suitable papers are prescribed. STUDENTS ARE, HOWEVER, REQUESTED TO INDICATE CLEARLY ON THEIR REGISTRATION FORMS THE CODES, NUMBERS AND TITLES OF THE PAPERS THAT THEY INTEND FOLLOWING. 6
The papers involved are explained below. Paper 1: Theory of Science and Public Administration (HFILPAK) (a) Knowledge as a component of science (b) What is science? (c) The research process [(a), (b) and (c) must be offered] Paper 2: Public and municipal personnel administration and management (HPERSAK) (a) Theoretical perspectives (b) Public personnel administration and management (c) Municipal personnel administration and management [(a), (b) and (c) must be offered] Paper 3: Management of public and municipal finance (HRFINSE) (a) Theories of public financing (b) Public financial management (c) Municipal financial management [(a), (b) and (c) must be offered] Paper 4: Planning and policy analysis in the public sector (HBEBEP3) (a) Planning (b) Policy analysis [(a) and (b) must be offered] 7
Paper 5: Study of organisations and the public sector (HORSTEH) (a) Purposes and environments of organisations (b) Organising as function and organisation as structure (c) Organisation culture [(a), (b) and (c) must be offered] Paper 6: Management and the public sector (HOPBESV) (a) Manifestation of administration and management in the public sector (b) Skills for public managers (c) Technological and analytical aids for the public sector [(a), (b) and (c) must be offered] Paper 7: Politics in the public sector (HPOLPSQ) (a) Theoretical perspectives (b) Role and influence of politics on the public service (c) Role and influence of politics on municipal government level [(a) must be offered in conjunction with (b) or (c)] Paper 8: Labour relations and the public sector (HARBVHK) (a) Labour relations in political and socio-economic context (b) Government as role player in labour relations (c) Labour relations in the public sector [(a), (b) and (c) must be offered] 8
DISSERTATION OF LIMITED SCOPE The student must submit a dissertation of limited scope on an approved topic from Public Administration or Municipal Government and Administration. Students employed in the Public Service who choose a topic which has a bearing on the Public Service must obtain written permission from the Head of the Department concerned. Students employed by the municipal service and who choose a topic from the municipal activities of a local government must obtain permission from the council concerned for the use of information. The same applies to students employed in other public institutions. Candidates must obtain at least 50% for the dissertation of limited scope. Students who have passed the eight papers must indicate a suitable topic for the dissertation of limited scope when they register for the dissertation. When the topic for a dissertation of limited scope is approved, a supervisor and possibly a joint supervisor are appointed under whose guidance the student must write the dissertation. The completed dissertation will be examined by at least three examiners, of whom at least two will not be members of the Department of Public Administration and Management. B. THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION (DPA) This degree follows on the MPA degree. The curriculum comprises a thesis on an approved topic. 9
C. THE DEGREES OF MASTER OF ARTS (MA), MASTER OF COMMERCE (MCom) AND MASTER OF ADMINISTRATION (MAdmin) IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION) 1. Admission Students must hold an Honours Bachelor's degree in Public Administration in the College in which they wish to study. Candidates are considered on an individual basis by the Head of the Department on receipt of a submission regarding their academic background and proposed field of study. 2. Curriculum The curriculum comprises a dissertation on an approved topic. D. THE DEGREES OF DOCTOR OF LITERATURE AND PHILOSOPHY (DLitt et Phil), DOCTOR OF COMMERCE (DCom) AND DOCTOR OF ADMINISTRATION (DAdmin) IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION 1. Admission Students must hold a master's degree in Public Administration in the College in which they wish to study. Candidates are considered on an individual basis by the Head of the Department on receipt of a submission regarding their academic background and proposed field of study. 2. Curriculum The curriculum comprises a thesis on an approved topic. 10
PERMANENT TEACHING STAFF PROFESSOR: D J Brynard J C Pauw E C Ströh BIuris, BProc, LLB, LLM, DLitt et Phil (UNISA), MA (UP) MA, DLitt et Phil (RAU) MPA, DAdmin (UOVS)) E J van der Westhuizen MAdmin (UP), DAdmin (UNISA) J S Wessels MA, DPhil (UP) ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR: M S Binza National Diploma Public Administration & Management (PE Tech) MTech (PE Tech), PhD(Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University) G M Ferreira N Holtzhausen MAdmin, DAdmin (UP), HED MA (UP), DLitt et Phil (UNISA) *G Naidoo MA (Univ van KwaZulu Natal), MBA (Univ van Edinburgh), PhD (UP) M van Heerden MA, DLitt et Phil (UNISA) * Head of Department 11
SENIOR LECTURER: B R Hanyane MA (UNISA) Diploma Literacy) (Computer S B Kahn S R Malefane B D Nkgabe K Phago L L Phosa V P P Seemela L C van Jaarsveldt A van Schalkwyk R G Wessels MAdmin, PhD (Univ of Stellenbosch) MA, PhD (North-West Univ) MPP (Univ of Sydney) MAdmin (Vista), DAdmin (UNISA) MAdmin (UP) MDev & Man (North- West Univ) MA (UP) MPA (UNISA) MA (North-West Univ) LECTURER: A Barnes MTech (TSA), Diploma (Tourism) R Kalema BC Lekonyane MAdmin (UWC) National Diploma (TSA), BTech (UNISA), MDev & Man (North-West Univ) 12
V N Louw L A A Matthews BA(Hons) (UP) MDev & Man (North- West Univ) Z Mpehle Secondary Teachers Diploma (Univ of Transkei), F.D.E(Wits Univ), BA Hons(Andrews University), Master of Management (Wits Univ) XC Thani S Tsoabisi BA(Hons)(UJ),MA (UNISA) MTech (Cape Tech) UNISA 13