Date for applications (subject to change and to be confirmed by Faculty)

Applications will open 1 April and close on 31 August. No late applications will be considered.

Minimum admission requirements

Subject to the stipulations of General Regulations, a candidate can be admitted if he/she holds the following qualifications:

1. Relevant bachelor’s degree on NQF-level 7 AND
2. Psychology (passed at third-year level) and Education (passed at second-year level).

Selection process

Selection is done after the closing date (i.e. from 1-31 September – applicants will be notified in October of the outcome), based on the following:

• candidates with a cumulative weighted average of at least 60% in the relevant undergraduate degree will receive preference,
• a limited number of students can be admitted based on the available supervision capacity for the research projects in the department,
• a complete and certified academic record should be uploaded in the electronic application,
• an entrance/admissions exam may be required, and
• an interview with the HoD and programme coordinator.
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Please note:

You cannot apply before you have completed the Psychology and Education modules and qualification stated above. No alternative forms of Psychology such as Industrial Psychology or Psychology of Education will be accepted. Selection will be provisional pending final academic results which have to be submitted on the UP portal as soon as it becomes available. You can obtain any outstanding modules which are part of the minimum admission requirements by registering at a university that accepts students as occasional students or at a university such as UNISA where students are accepted for non-degree purposes. You cannot register for these modules while concurrently completing the B Ed Honours in Educational Psychology degree. Students who intend to register for the modules while concurrently registered for another degree will need permission from the institution/department where they are studying their degree (kindly note that the Department of Educational Psychology at UP is not responsible for giving this permission).

New  modules (from 2025)

NQF Level: 5: PYC1511, PYC1512
NQF Level: 6: PYC2611, PYC2612 and PYC2613
NQF Level: 7: PYC3711, PYC3712, PYC3713, PYC3714, PYC3715

A Post Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) course from an accredited institution will be accepted in lieu of Education I and II.

Application Process

• Applications are done online at https://www.up.ac.za/online-application
• Choose the postgraduate option on the application form.

Nature of the programme and duration of study

• This is a blended learning programme which means students will be required to attend compulsory contact sessions on campus and participate in online learning activities.
• The programme may be completed over a period of one year (full-time) or two years (part- time).
• For the full-time programme, the full curriculum is covered in one year and students will have lectures every Friday from 15:00-18:15. The part-time students will complete the first half of the curriculum in year one and the second half in year two and they will have lectures every second Friday for 15:00-18:15.
• The programme must be completed within a maximum period of three years.
• For renewal of registration and other stipulations consult the General Regulations.
• Subject to exceptions approved by the Dean, on the recommendation of the head of the department, a student may not sit for an examination for the Honours Degree more than twice in the same module.
• Applications close end of August and selection takes place during September.
• Please take note that since 2017 this course is a purely academic degree and is not accredited with the HPCSA for professional registration. It therefore can not lead to registration as either a psychometrist or counsellor. The degree is however still an admission requirement to apply for the Health Profession Council of South Africa (HPCSA) accredited master’s in educational psychology to register in the category Educational Psychologist with the HPCSA.

What is the focus of this programme?

This programme focuses on strengthening the knowledge and skills of students in the helping professions who intend to work in contexts where they can offer psychosocial support and learning support to people across the lifespan. This programme will equip you with skills that are sought after by employers such as critical thinking, problem solving, to understand and appreciate diversity, written and oral communication skills and applying your knowledge of educational psychology in real world settings. Although this qualification will enable students to apply for the master’s in educational psychology, it is an academic programme and does not lead to registration with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) in the categories registered counsellor or psychometrist.

What can I do with this qualification?

This qualification will equip you with valuable knowledge on theories and approaches to understanding and managing human behaviour. This will enable you to work in various contexts where this knowledge is sought after. With your Honours degree in Educational Psychology, you will be able to use your knowledge in teaching, apply at various NGO’s and NPO’s to either volunteer and receive in-service training as a lay counsellor or you can complete various short courses that will equip you to become a lay counsellor. You can also consider becoming a life coach, develop skills programmes for corporate and other learning environments, lecture, or tutor, become an asset on research teams led by research psychologists, use your knowledge in educational psychology and combine this with technology to become a user experience designer, work in staff recruitment agencies and in promotions and retail environments. As a graduate in educational psychology, you can consider joining networking groups that will connect you to others in this field of study and to inform you of job listings that may be suitable for your qualification.