Master's specialising in Comparative Politics at University of Cape Town

Programme overview

The MA/MSocSc specialising in Comparative Politics is a 192-credit coursework Master's in the Department of Political Studies. It develops skills in political research, primarily in the study of national political processes, using existing literature and theory to frame research questions, identify evidence and apply methods of analysis.

Faculty: Faculty of Humanities | Department: Department of Political Studies | Study mode: full-time | Location: Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa

What you will study

Core courses are Comparative Politics, Global Political Thought and a 96-credit Minor Dissertation. Electives include Third World Politics, Discourse, Textuality and Ideology, Public Policy, Comparative Transitional Justice and Transnational Feminisms, plus qualitative or quantitative research-methods options.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

Department of Political Studies (coursework Master's): selective admission; applicants submit a letter of motivation and a sample of academic writing; criteria include previous academic performance, suitability and viability of the research proposal, and available supervisory capacity. UCT applicants need a 65% minimum average for the overall undergraduate degree and for all third-year courses, with an upward trend in grades; non-UCT applicants are assessed on the same criteria. Entry requires a major in Political Studies or a strong background in a related discipline (e.g. Public Administration, Sociology, Psychology, Economics, Criminology, Law, History or Philosophy). Acceptance is at the discretion of the Head of Department.

Requirements published at program group level.

Tuition is charged per module, so the total depends on the modules you register for each year. Current fees are listed in the official fee schedule.

The application fee is R100 for undergraduate and postgraduate applications from South Africa and the SADC region, and R300 for applications from outside the SADC region; it is non-refundable and payable by direct deposit, EFT or credit card (online). UCT students and graduates are exempt except for GSB programmes.

Apply through the official page: https://applyonline.uct.ac.za

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