The curriculum streams in the Department of Educational Psychology are three-fold. The programmes namely focus on:

• Educational Psychology
• Research-based Postgraduate qualifications
• Distance Education

Educational Psychology

For students who wish to study in Educational Psychology three courses are offered:

• BEd (Hons) Educational Psychology
• MEd Educational Psychology
• PhD Educational Psychology

Applicants for all of these courses are admitted to the courses only after a selection process. A limited number of students are accepted every year. Academic record, personality, aptitude, interest and the ability to work with children are emphasised.

The BEd (Hons) programme in educational psychology involves theoretical and practical training in two categories, namely school counselling and psychometry. Students select one of these categories. After successfully completing the programme, students complete a six month internship before writing the HPCSA board examination. Passing this examination enables them to register professionally as either counsellors or psychometrists.

The MEd programme in educational psychology consists of the following components: two-year coursework, focusing on theoretical and practical training in the field of educational psychology; research and completion of a dissertation of limited scope; and a one year internship at an accredited institution. After successful completion of these components, students qualify to write the HPCSA board examination, and then register as psychologists at the HPCSA once they pass the examination.

The PhD programme in educational psychology involves an extensive research project under the supervision of a registered psychologist. Students in this programme focus on specialised areas of educational psychology and aim to contribute towards the growing knowledge base in the field.

Research-based Postgraduate Qualifications

The Department of Educational Psychology offers academic research-based postgraduate programmes:

• MEd (Learning Support, Guidance and Counselling)
• PhD (Learning Support, Guidance and Counselling)

In the MEd (LSGC) programme students can focus their research on a specific field in learning support, guidance and counselling. This programme involves an in-depth, rigorous research project that is conducted under the supervision of experienced researchers and educational psychologists.

The PhD (LSGC) is an internationally competitive programme that attracts students from across the globe. Students conduct comprehensive research projects that make an original contribution to the field. They enjoy the support of a group of critical scholars in the Faculty of Education and are assessed by national and international examiners.

Distance Education

The Department of Educational Psychology has offered programmes via the Distance Education mode of delivery since the mid-nineties. Currently, the Advanced Certificate in Education (Special Needs Education) programme offers a flexible, multi-modal, interactive format for experienced students who decided to further their teaching qualifications. The programme is however being phased out and new enrolments into the programme are no longer accepted.