Master of Arts in Religious Studies at University of South Africa

Programme overview

The Master of Arts is a full research master's qualification at NQF level 9 (180 credits, SAQA ID 5395) that develops specialists able to analyse complex problems independently and demonstrate leadership and adaptability. The Religious Studies master's is offered through the College of Human Sciences.

Faculty: College of Human Sciences | Study mode: distance | Location: Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa

What you will study

Students complete a dissertation on an approved topic aligned with a departmental research focus area, and must have a research proposal approved in the first year of study.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

An appropriate bachelor honours degree, or an appropriate postgraduate diploma, or a 480-credit bachelor's degree with a minimum of 96 credits at NQF level 8 in Religious Studies or a related field, with an average of 60%. Applicants admitted on a postgraduate diploma or 480-credit degree without a research methodology module may have to complete RST4804 at NQF level 8 before registering for the dissertation. Foreign qualifications must be evaluated by SAQA. Applicants submit an academic transcript and a document describing intended research (detailed research outline); selection is based on suitability and viability of the research and available supervisory capacity. RPL route: at least 35 years old with at least eight years' relevant work and research experience.

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.

Offers are made for a specific registration period, for example semester 1; applicants must register for the semester for which they were granted admission or re-apply in the next application period.

Applications for master's and doctoral qualifications are open from 1 September to 20 November 2026; selection degrees and some other qualifications have different application periods.

The non-refundable online application fee is R160. International applicants with foreign qualifications may apply without a SAQA evaluation certificate but must submit it by 15 December 2027 if accepted for 2027.

Apply through the official page: https://www.unisa.ac.za/sites/corporate/default/Apply-for-admission

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