University in South Africa
Western Cape, South Africa
University profile
International Peace College South Africa (IPSA) is a private higher education institution in Cape Town specialising in Islamic Studies. It is registered as a Non-Profit Company (registration number 2006/003497/08) and offers undergraduate and postgraduate programmes grounded in Islam and informed by the academic standards of higher education. Its identity rests on three principles: Knowledge, Virtue and Civilisation.
The college is located on the corner of Johnston and Duine Roads in Rylands Estate, Cape Town, on a site shared with the historic Habibia Soofie Masjid and close to public transport routes. Teaching is full-time, face-to-face contact classes; students who need to work or have other duties can extend a programme over a longer period (a minimum of five years for the BA and two years for the Higher Certificate).
IPSA comprises three departments: the Arabic Department, the Islamic Studies Department (with Divisions of Shari'ah and Humanities) and the Research Department, which operates as the Institute for the Study of Current Islam (ISCI). Programmes offered are the Higher Certificate in Islamic Studies (HCIS), the Bachelor of Arts Islamic Studies (BAIS), the BA Honours in Islamic Studies (BAHIS) and the Master of Arts in Applied Islamic Thought (MAIT), the latter developed with the Maqasid Institute.
Campus facilities include a library and resource centre of about 10 000 items with a PC lab, an Arabic computer laboratory, a sick bay with trained first aiders and on-site and off-site security. Student life includes academic and extra-curricular activities, community upliftment work and spiritual programmes. The college also publishes Al-Wasatiyyah, a peer-reviewed journal of Islamic and Arabic studies.
International applicants need a valid South African study permit, permanent residence or refugee/asylum status with permanent residence, and foreign certificates must be evaluated by SAQA. IPSA does not receive government funding; its financial aid programmes rely on donor support.
Funded by donors (Zakah, Lillah and Sadaqah), the programme offers assistance in the form of fees, course material and/or stationery, based on merit and circumstance. Financial assistance page.
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View scholarships for International Peace College South Africa NPC →A National Senior Certificate (Grade 12) or equivalent. English must be passed (first or second language) with 50%; applicants with 40-49% attend the English Literacy Support programme. Applicants write the National Benchmark Test (Academic and Quantitative Literacy) and submit results by the second week of January. Mature-age routes: age 23+ with four passed NSC subjects including English; age 45+ without NSC who can read a standard English newspaper.
A bachelor-endorsed NSC, with English at 50% (40-49% requires literacy support) and NBT AQL results. The same mature-age routes apply (23+ with four subjects including English; 45+ without NSC). Applicants must be able to read the Qur'an with reasonable speed and accuracy; Arabic script is recommended. Graduates of the HCIS who pass their Arabic modules with 60% are admitted directly to the BAIS Arabic programme. An entry interview with the enrolment officer assesses Arabic (Qur'an recitation) and English literacy.
A qualification at NQF level 7 in Islamic Studies, religious studies or a related field with an average of at least 60% in the final year, or another qualification or competence judged adequate by the IPSA Council; an extended Honours programme and RPL route exist.
An NQF level 8 qualification in Islamic Studies, Religious Studies or a related field with an average of at least 60% in the final year, or an appropriate degree recognised by the IPSA Council, or RPL.
A valid study permit, permanent residence, or refugee status with permanent residence; visitor and tourist visas are not accepted. Foreign certificates must be evaluated by SAQA at the applicant's cost; a medical clearance, police clearance and proof of English proficiency are required.
Apply online or at the campus. Registration runs from September to February, with all registrations closing on 15 February and walk-in registration from the second week of January. Application fee for undergraduates (2024): R250; late application R350; registration R3 500 (R1 500 non-refundable plus R2 000 towards fees); late registration R3 850.
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