University of Fort Hare Postgraduate Programs

POSTGRADUATE APPLICATION FORMS 

 

Postgraduate Application Form (Click here to download form)

Closing Date:  31st October
LATE APPLICATION: 01 NOVEMBER – 31st DECEMBER

 

 

GENERAL RULES FOR POSTGRADUATE QUALIFICATIONS

1.  All applications for admission are subject to the selection process.
2.  Applicants must comply with the general admission requirements and any other specific requirements as prescribed by the Faculty.
3.  A candidate may be expected to attend an interview, undergo a selection test and/or make a written presentation to the relevant head of department

HOW TO APPLY

1.   Submit your application form and all the necessary documentation including application fee before closing date.

2.   An SMS will be sent to you informing you of the status  of your application thereafter a letter of confirmation.

3.   Successful applicants will receive an admission letter, together with a registration guide, which reflects the registration dates and orientation programme.

The Student Administration Office will help you with application, admission and registration enquiries.
Admission Enquiries
Alice Campus
Tel.: 040-602 2016/ 2053/ 2122/ 2174
East London Campus
Tel.: 043-704 7155/ 7266/ 7004/ 7139

G.14  APPLICATION OF GENERAL RULES

The general rules for undergraduate qualifications also apply to postgraduate qualifications, except where the former clearly cannot apply to postgraduate programmes, or where the rules for postgraduate qualifications outlined below (Rule G.14 onwards) contradict the general undergraduate rules. Wherever these general rules conflict with any of the provisions of the UFH Postgraduate Guide, the latter shall prevail.

 

G.15  ADMISSION

15.1   Honours degree. A  person shall not  be  admitted as  a  candidate for  an honours degree unless he/she:

15.1.1 has successfully completed a bachelor‟s degree at the University; or

15.1.2 has successfully completed a similar qualification at the appropriate level on the NQF and which is equivalent to or higher than the examinations prescribed for a degree of bachelor of the University; or

15.1.3 has passed the examinations on the grounds of which he/she will be awarded a bachelor‟s degree by the University, or on the grounds of which the required status may later be granted to him/her.

15.2   Master’s degree. A person shall not be admitted as a candidate for a master‟s

degree unless he/she:

15.2.1 has  successfully  completed  a  four  year  bachelor‟s degree  at  the

University; or

15.2.2 has successfully completed an honours degree following a three year

bachelor‟s degree at the University; or

15.2.3 has successfully completed a similar qualification at the appropriate level on the NQF, and which, in the opinion of Senate, is equivalent to or higher than the examinations prescribed for an honours degree at the University; or

15.2.4 has submitted her/his honours mini-dissertation for examination with the consent of the supervisor and within the deadline stipulated by the University.

15.3   Doctoral degree. A person shall not be admitted as a candidate for a doctoral degree unless he/she:

15.3.1 has successfully completed a master‟s degree at the University: or

15.3.2 has successfully completed a similar qualification at the appropriate level on the NQF, and which, in the opinion of Senate, is equivalent to or higher than the examinations prescribed for a degree of master of the University; or

15.3.3 has passed the examinations on the grounds of which he/she will be

awarded a master‟s degree by the University, or on the grounds of

which the required status may later be granted to him/her.

15.3.4 has submitted her/his Masters dissertation for examination with the consent of the supervisor and within the deadline stipulated by the University.

15.4   The above requirements should be read in conjunction with the University‟s policy on the recognition of prior learning, which sets out the access criteria as well as advanced standing granted to students based on learning acquired through formal, informal and non-formal means.

G.16  REGISTRATION FOR POSTGRADUATE QUALIFICATIONS

16.1   A candidate for a postgraduate qualification must submit a written application to the Registrar, setting out his/her qualifications and stating in which subject area he/she wishes to study. The proposed programme will be referred to the relevant Head of  Department/Head of  Department/Dean, who will make a recommendation through Faculty to Senate regarding the programme to be followed  and  the  supervisors,  co-supervisors (if  any),  who  will  guide  the internal and  external examiners and  assess the  candidate‟s performance. Registration will only be completed once Senate has given its approval, provided that the names of examiners need not be submitted at registration, but must be approved by Senate before the conclusion of the programme for which the candidate is registered.

16.1.1 Requirement of application for re-admission and re-registration by continuing postgraduate students: Postgraduate registration is valid for  one  year  only,  and  candidates  are  required  to  renew  their application and to register annually until graduation or termination of studies.

16.2   Without prejudice to its general powers to admit or refuse admission to an applicant, Senate may require an applicant to undergo a test on his/her proficiency in the subject of his/her proposed study if he/she either:

16.2.1 obtained the qualification on which the application is based at another university or institution, or

16.2.2 being a graduate of the University, did not include the subject as a major subject in the undergraduate curriculum.

16.3   Senate  may  require  a  candidate  to  attend  specified  ancillary  modules  in addition to the prescribed modules (where applicable) and may require that such modules be completed before the candidate presents himself/herself for any specified part of the final assessment.

16.3.1 Unless a student wishing to register for a dissertation or thesis. Masters or Doctoral studies, can provide evidence of having followed and successfully completed a course in Research Methodology, s/he must register for and complete such a module at the University of Fort Hare,

preferably prior to submitting the final research proposal.

16.4 A candidate for a postgraduate programme may be required to pass a proficiency test in a specified language or languages before admission to the programme or before admission to the final examination. The details of such requirements are listed with each programme.

16.5   Senate, on recommendation of the relevant Faculty shall appoint at least, but generally no more than, two external examiners for each masters‟ or doctoral candidate‟s dissertation or  thesis that originates from a  study programme based entirely on research.   In addition, the third examiner (i.e. the internal examiner) shall not be the supervisor, but another suitable academic staff member of the University.  A mini-dissertation which forms part of a Master‟s degree by coursework (that is, coursework and research) shall, as with the other modules taken in such a programme, require the appointment of only one external examiner.

16.6   Senate, on recommendation of the relevant Head of Department/Dean, shall appoint a supervisor for each candidate for a masters or doctoral qualification. Senate may also appoint a co-supervisor for a candidate, especially where the proposed programme will extend over more than one recognized subject field or  goes  beyond  the  research  expertise  of  a  single  staff  member.  The supervisor shall normally be a member of the academic staff attached to the University,  while  the  co-supervisor  may  be  an  academic  from  another University or another person who is a recognized authority in the subject field. In exceptional cases the supervisor can be appointed from outside the University, in which case a co-supervisor who is a member of staff of the University shall be appointed to administer the study programme.

16.6.1 At the end of each semester the supervisor shall report to the Head of Department/Dean on the progress of candidates under his/her supervision; these reports shall also be tabled in Senate to consider intervention in the programme if and when required.

16.6.2 In the event that a supervisor leaves the employ of the University before a candidate he/she is supervising has completed the relevant postgraduate qualification, Senate may:

16.6.2.1 request the supervisor to continue as such and appoint an internal co-supervisor to act as liaison officer and for administrative purposes; or

16.6.2.2 appoint a new internal supervisor and request the original supervisor to continue in an advisory capacity or as a co- supervisor; or

16.6.2.3 appoint a new internal supervisor where a person competent in the field of study is available.

16.6.3 The University‟s Policy on Supervision shall be subject to these rules

and must be adhered to in all circumstances.

16.7   A postgraduate programme shall comprise not less than 120 credits and must be according to the specifications for each programme given in the Calendar. Any deviation from such a programme must be fully motivated, recommended by the Head of Department/Dean and approved by Senate.

16.8   Duration of the programme:

16.8.1 An honours programme shall extend over not less than two consecutive semesters of full-time study and not more than four semesters in three consecutive years. If the rules of a particular faculty permit it, a candidate may, with the approval of the Head of Department/Dean concerned, attend and complete the programme on a part-time basis in not more than six consecutive semesters.  Where these periods (four semesters for full-time and six semesters for part-time study) are exceeded, the candidate must submit a motivated application and the Head of Department/Dean may then recommend an extension of the period to Senate, which will then take a decision.

16.8.2 A Master‟s programme shall extend over not less than two consecutive semesters of full-time study, and not more than four consecutive semesters. If the rules of a particular faculty permit it, a candidate may, with the approval of the Head of Department/Dean concerned, attend and complete the programme on a part-time basis in not more than eight consecutive semesters.  Where these periods are exceeded, the candidate must submit a motivated application and the Head of Department/Dean may then recommend an extension of the period to Senate which will then take a decision.

16.8.3 A doctoral programme shall extend over not less than four consecutive

semesters of fulltime study and not more than ten consecutive semesters. Where this period is exceeded, the candidate may submit a motivated application and  the  Head of  Department/Dean may then recommend an extension of the period to Senate, which will have the final  decision.  Further  extensions  of  the  study  period  will  only  be allowed in exceptional circumstances.

 

G.17  ASSESSMENT

17.1   The programme description for a postgraduate qualification shall include:

17.1.1 a description of the various components (modules) and the credit value of each; and

17.1.2 the  method  of  assessment  for  each  module,  which  may  include assignments, mini-dissertations, projects, practical work and examinations; and

17.1.3 the  due  date  for  each  submission  (assignment,  mini-dissertation, project, or practical work); the Head of Department/Dean may refuse to accept late submissions.

17.2   Candidates in a programme that consists of, or includes, course-work, shall

present   themselves   for   examination   as   required   by   the   Head   of

Department/Dean.

17.3   The Head of Department/Dean shall submit a final mark for each module completed by each candidate as soon as it is available.

17.4   Assessment for an Honours Qualification

17.4.1 A candidate for an honours qualification must obtain:

17.4.1.1 an aggregate of at least 50 percent in all the modules comprising the specific honours programme;

17.4.1.2 a sub-minimum of 40 percent examination mark in each module;

17.4.1.3 at least 50 percent examination mark in no less than half of all the (honours modules) examinations. Where the honours programme  consists  of  an  odd  number  of  modules,  the Faculty Examinations Committee shall determine whether the candidate has achieved the 50 percent requirement in terms of this rule; and

17.4.1.4  a  pass  mark  in  every  examination  (ancillary  modules, language tests etc.) as may be specified in the programme description and/or as required by Senate.

17.4.2 A  candidate  shall  normally  retain  credit  for  any  individual  module passed for a period not exceeding three years.

17.5   Assessment for a Master‟s or a Doctoral Qualification based on Course-Work:

17.5.1 To obtain a Master‟s or doctoral qualification based on course-work the candidate must obtain:

17.5.1.1 an aggregate of at least 50 percent of the marks in all the modules comprising the specific programme; and

17.5.1.2 a sub-minimum of 40 percent in each module; and

17.5.1.3 a pass-mark in every other examination (ancillary modules, language tests, etc.) as may be specified in the programme description and/or as required by Senate.

17.5.2 A candidate for a Master‟s qualification shall normally retain credit for any individual module passed for a period not exceeding four years, and a candidate for a doctoral qualification shall normally retain credit for any individual module passed for a period not exceeding five years.

17.5.3 A mini-dissertation which forms part of a Master‟s programme shall comply with the format for a dissertation (Article 17.6 below) and is assessed in the same way.

17.5.4 Where a Master‟s qualification is based on course-work plus a mini- dissertation or a dissertation, the candidate shall comply with the abovementioned conditions and the conditions set out below for dissertations (17.6 below).

17.5.5 Where a doctoral qualification is based on course-work plus a thesis,

the candidate shall comply with the abovementioned conditions and the conditions set out below for theses (17.6 below).

17.6   Dissertations and Theses

17.6.1 The topic of a dissertation/thesis must be approved beforehand by

Senate.

17.6.2 A  dissertation/thesis  must  afford  evidence  of  the  student  being conversant with the particular subject‟s method of research and the documentation thereof.

17.6.3 Except  by  permission of  Senate  no  dissertation or  thesis  may  be submitted without written consent of the supervisor and co-supervisor (where applicable). Such consent does not commit the supervisors to recommend the approval of the dissertation/thesis.

17.6.4 A dissertation/thesis must be accompanied by a written declaration on the part of the candidates to the effect that it is their own work and has not previously been submitted to another university.

17.6.5 A dissertation/thesis shall not be accepted if it has previously been submitted in fulfilment of the requirements of another degree. Material from publications by the candidate may be embodied in a dissertation or thesis.

17.6.6 For the purpose of examination, candidates shall submit at least three copies of their dissertation or thesis. Unless Senate decides otherwise, a successful candidate shall, before admission to the degree, submit either a further three bound copies or make it available in such a way that it can be stored on compact disc. The first three copies may be bound in a soft cover, while the second three (final) copies must be bound   in   hard   cover.   Unless   Senate   decides   otherwise,   the examination copies of a dissertation or thesis shall be printed or typed in double spacing on one side of A4 size paper.

17.6.7 The  final  date  for  the  submission  of  a  dissertation  or  thesis  for examination  shall  normally  be  9  January,  and  candidates  who submitted by this date shall not be liable to the payment of additional fees if the examination of the dissertation or thesis is delayed. A Head of Department/Dean may, however, specify an earlier submission date to ensure that assessment will be completed in time for the forthcoming graduation event.

17.6.8 Any candidate who submits a dissertation or thesis after the prescribed date must pay a handling fee and if the examination of a candidate‟s dissertation or thesis is not completed in time for the degree to be awarded in the current academic year, the candidate must register for the following academic year and pay all the prescribed fees.

17.6.9 Copies  of  a  dissertation  or  thesis  submitted  for  examination  shall become the property of the University and shall not be returned to the

candidate. Examiners may retain their copies.

17.6.10 A dissertation or thesis shall contain a summary of its contents not exceeding 5000 words in length. This summary must appear in the front of the dissertation or thesis just after the index and must end with a list of not more than ten keywords.

17.6.11 The title page of the dissertation or thesis shall contain the following particulars:

17.6.11.1 full title as submitted at registration; and

17.6.11.2 full name of the candidate; and

17.6.11.3 the following formula: “submitted in fulfilment (or, in partial fulfilment) of the requirements for the degree of …… in the Faculty of………………………at the University of Fort Hare.” and

17.6.11.4 date of submission; and

17.6.11.5 name of the supervisor (and co supervisor, if applicable).

17.6.12 A dissertation or thesis must be satisfactory as regards form and literary presentation and shall include a full bibliography of the material, whether published or otherwise, used in its preparation.

17.6.13 A candidate shall submit, together with his/her dissertation or thesis a copy  of   every  dissertation  and  thesis  (if   applicable)  previously submitted for another degree, whether it was submitted or not.

17.6.14 Dissertations and theses examination reports shall be processed as follows:

17.6.14.1 The Examinations Department shall release dissertations/ theses examiners reports to the relevant Head of Department/ Director of School/Dean only after receipt of the required number of examiners‟ reports.

17.6.14.2 Upon receipt of examiners‟ reports, the relevant Head of Department /Director of School/Dean shall present them to the Faculty  Higher  Degrees  Committee  as  soon  as  possible. Where  amendments,  corrections,  etc.  have  been recommended by the examiners, they shall be affected only after the acceptance/approval of the reports by the said Committee.

17.6.14.3 Dissertations/theses that have been examined as well as the examiner‟s  reports on those dissertations/theses shall, following their consideration by the relevant Faculty Higher Degrees Committee, be  tabled before SENEX, which shall make the final determination on whether the dissertation/theses and the examiners‟ reports are satisfactory. The candidate shall only submit the final bound copies of the dissertation/theses after approval by SENEX.

17.6.14.4 A postgraduate candidate shall, subsequent to approval of

her/his dissertation/ thesis by SENEX, submit three final bound (hard) copies as well as an electronic version of the dissertation/thesis in PDF format to the Examinations Office which shall be responsible for delivering two hard copies and the electronic version to the University Library. The third bound copy shall be submitted to the GMRDC (PGS) which shall report to SENEX that the final bound copies and electronic version have been submitted.

17.6.15 Appeal against examination result. In the event of a dissertation or thesis  being  rejected,  the  candidate  may  submit  a  duly  motivated appeal to the Registrar of the University within 21 days of the release of the  result. The  Registrar shall  submit such  appeal to  the  relevant Director of School/Dean who shall table the appeal for consideration by the Higher Degrees Committee of the relevant Faculty. The Committee may request a panel consisting of the Dean of Research and another senior  academic  of  the  University  (who  has  not  been  previously involved  with  the  evaluation  of  the  student‟s work)  to  review  the processes leading up to the production and submission of the examiners‟ reports on the  student‟s work. The  panel‟s  decision on whether or not there should be a re–examination of the student‟s work shall be final.

17.6.16 Arbitration. Where an even number of examiners of a dissertation or thesis was divided on whether the work should be accepted and/or a cum laude result awarded, an additional examiner must be appointed. The recommendation of this examiner shall serve as a casting vote in the assessment of the dissertation or thesis examined. In other instances, the majority decision shall generally constitute the final result of the student.

17.6.17 Publication of dissertation or thesis. If a dissertation or thesis or an adaptation thereof, is published or otherwise presented, the candidate must state that it originated from masters or doctoral studies (as applicable) at the University.

17.6.18 Candidates shall normally retain the copyright in their dissertation or thesis, but it is a condition of registration for the degree (unless specifically excluded) that the University shall have the right to publish the dissertation or thesis in its original or an amended form six months after the award of the degree if the candidate has not himself/herself published it within this period. The University shall also have the right to make and distribute facsimile or microform copies of the dissertation or thesis, to distribute it in digitized (computer) format, to input the particulars on a bibliographical database, to include the work in summary   form   in   the   University‟s  Catalogue   of   Theses   and