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Master of Arts in Security Management at University of South Africa

University of South Africa, South Africa

Programme overview

The primary rationale of the qualification is to educate and train researchers who can contribute to the development of knowledge by completing a single research project. The second rationale is to provide Master of Arts (MA) in Security Management graduates with the knowledge, specific skills and applied competence in security to ensure opportunities for continued personal intellectual growth, gainful economic activity and valuable contributions to society. The third rationale of the qualification is to provide South Africa and the global community with postgraduate security officers. (NQF level 9, 180 credits, qualification code 90105.)

Duration: Maximum time to complete: three years (time limit stated for this degree type)  |  Study mode: distance  |  Location: Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

An appropriate Bachelor Honours Degree with a minimum average of 60%, or an appropriate postgraduate diploma with a minimum average of 60%, or a 480 credits bachelor's degree with a minimum of 96 credits at level 8 with a minimum average of 60%. A candidate who has not completed a module in research methodology may be required to complete such a module at NQF level 8 for Non-Degree Purposes before he/she will be allowed to register for the dissertation. All students with foreign qualifications, including those with qualifications from African countries, must have their qualifications evaluated at SAQA (www.saqa.org.za). In addition to the above requirements, applicants must submit a transcript or an academic record, as well as a document describing their intended research. Candidates may also apply for admission via RPL. Candidates will be accepted on the following criteria: suitability and viability of the intended research, adequate supervisory capacity and research expertise in the discipline or department; and an approved selection procedure, which is in line with Unisa's policies on equality and diversity in the discipline or department. Applicants who would like to apply for admission through recognition of prior learning (RPL) must be at least 30 years old; and have at least 15 years' relevant work experience (of which 5 years should be at management level) in the study field in which they would like to apply for admission to the qualification. For more information on RPL criteria visit: http://www.unisa.ac.za/rpl

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.

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