Masters Study in South Africa - A Guide for 2020

Posted by Thomas Shaw on February 23rd, 2020

From "Big Five" safaris and dramatic mountains to rolling vineyards and pristine beaches, South Africa is really a country wealthy in diversity, with captivating landscapes and also a turbulent recent history. The "rainbow nation" has long been a preferred location for tourists and now growing numbers of students are thinking of a sub-Saharan move to study a Masters. Get more details about Masters Degrees South Africa



South Africa’s exceptional combination of people, scenery and wildlife makes it an extremely diverse nation, and it’s also home to a number of the most effective universities that the African continent has to supply.



We've place with each other a detailed advice guide covering anything you might want to know about postgraduate study in South Africa. Elsewhere on this site you can get began along with your look for a South African Masters degree.



Postgraduate possibilities in South Africa - what’s on offer for 2020?

Situated within the southernmost a part of the African continent, South Africa is blessed using a warm climate and varied terrain that contains beaches, mountains, forest, desert and famous game reserves.



South Africa’s biggest cities also supply globally competitive education and world major study facilities. Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban are all home to internationally accredited universities, making South Africa much more eye-catching to overseas Masters students.



Right here are some factors why you need to consider a Masters in South Africa:



Worldwide reputation - With 3 universities among the world’s leading 400, South Africa is home to some world-class institutions.



English-taught Masters - Although South Africa is one with the world’s most linguistically diverse nations (it has 11 official languages!), English would be the language of instruction at most universities.



Affordability - Tuition fees in South Africa are somewhat low when compared with some Western countries, along with a favourable exchange rate will make the cost of living low-cost for many international students.



South African universities

Larger education in South Africa has significantly created because the finish of apartheid and now plays a key role within the country’s status as a BRICS nation: one of five big emerging economies alongside Brazil, Russia, India and China.



In 2004, South Africa started to extensively reform its tertiary education system, with a concentrate on combining higher quality teaching with equality for students. A lot of smaller institutions were merged to kind larger universities, providing postgraduates greater access to first-rate research facilities.



The Department of Greater Education and Training is accountable for all tertiary education in South Africa. The country’s nine provinces also have their very own education departments. These implement both national and local policies to suit regional student interests and requires.



Public universities

You can find 26 public universities in South Africa. They may be divided into 3 sorts:



12 traditional universities, academic and research-focused in nature



8 vocational universities of technologies (“technikons”)



6 complete universities, supplying a combination of academic and vocational qualifications



Private universities

There are a number of private universities and colleges in South Africa, which mainly provide vocational courses. Among the private institutions, you'll find two foreign branches of international universities: Australia’s Monash University (campus in Johannesburg) as well as the Netherlands’ Stenden University (campus in Port Alfred).



South African university rankings

South African public universities are regularly recognised in big university league tables such as the Times Higher Education and QS World University Rankings. This reflects their status as higher high-quality learning environments.



Course forms

Most universities in South Africa are internationally accredited and globally competitive, providing postgraduate students with great opportunities. One of the most well known fields of study for Masters students in South Africa are Engineering, Science, Law, Business, Humanities and Social Sciences.



The majority of Masters programmes are assessed by way of a combination of coursework as well as a research dissertation. They normally take one to two years to finish.



Some Masters degrees are assessed by research dissertation only and generally require two years to finish.



If your course entails exams, these will ordinarily be taken in June and November at the finish of each and every term.



The South African academic year is split into two semesters. The initial runs from early February to early June, as well as the second from mid-July to late November.