University of Cape Town campus

Arts & Humanities

Master's specialising in Economic Development at University of Cape Town

University of Cape Town, South Africa

Programme overview

A 248-credit MA/MSocSc for candidates who wish to work as applied practitioners and policy makers in government, the private sector and NGOs, or to proceed to advanced research. It applies economics training to a wide range of development problems.

Faculty: Faculty of Humanities  |  Department: School of Economics (Faculty of Commerce)  |  Duration: Two years full-time (coursework ordinarily in year one, minor dissertation in the following year)  |  Intake: January  |  Study mode: full-time  |  Location: Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa

What you will study

Compulsory courses are Governance and Growth, Research Skills in Economics, Problems of Globalisation and Research and Policy Tools, one elective from other Master's economics courses, and a 120-credit minor dissertation.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

An average of at least 65% in an Honours degree and a three-year major in Economics in a Bachelor's degree, with third-year Econometrics or equivalent; acceptance is at the discretion of the Convener and the School's Graduate Committee. Applicants with degrees from outside South Africa are encouraged (and in some cases may be required) to submit a GRE score, with a quantitative performance above the 80th percentile expected.

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

Explore more study programmes

View all study programmes →

Ready to start your study abroad journey?

Book a free consultation with our expert counsellors and take the first step towards your dream university.

Copyrights © 2026 StudyMapped. All rights reserved.