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Programme: MSc (Water Resource Management) (Coursework)

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Code Faculty Department
02250406 Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences Department: Genetics
Credits Duration NQF level
Minimum duration of study: 2 years Total credits: 180 NQF level:  09

Programme information

The Centre for Environmental Studies is a graduate school for multidisciplinary training and research focusing on the environment. Training aims to satisfy the need for environmental professionals for implementing current environmental legislation as well as industry-driven environmental management systems.

This programme is coordinated by the Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology.

The purpose of this focus area is to train environmental graduates who specialised in careers in the sustainable management of water resources. On completion of the training, candidates should be conversant and be able to partake in, or render advice concerning, all aspects involved in water resource management in Southern Africa. This includes principles of quality management, water conservation, water demand management, water supply and sanitation technologies.

Admission requirements

  1. Relevant BScHons degree or four-year bachelor’s degree with subjects in water management and/or water ecology
  2. A weighted average of at least 65% at final-year level
  3. An admission examination may be required
  4. A CV with contactable references may be required

Additional requirements

Candidates must demonstrate proficiency in the English language up to the level required by either the TOEFL test (www.ets.org/toefl) or the IELTS language proficiency test (www.ielts.org).

Other programme-specific information

At least one additional elective module must be selected in consultation with the Director of the Centre and the Head of the Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology. Choice of electives will be based on the academic background and/or anticipated career of the candidate.

Promotion to next study year

The progress of all master's candidates is monitored biannually by the supervisor and the postgraduate coordinator. A candidate's study may be terminated if the progress is unsatisfactory or if the candidate is unable to finish his/her studies during the prescribed period.

Subject to exceptions approved by the Dean, on recommendation of the relevant head of department, and where applicable, a student may not enter for the master's examination in the same module more than twice.

Minimum credits: 180

At least one additional elective module must be selected in consultation with the Director of the Centre and the Head of the Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology. Choice of electives will be based on the academic background and/or anticipated career of the candidate.

Core modules

  • Module content:

    Environmental philosophy and ethics, environmental ecology, environment, society and development, environmental economics, environmental management, critical resources management: water utilisation, air quality control, land-use planning: soil characteristics, biodiversity planning, critical resource management: determinism vs co-evolutionary environmental frameworks, research methodology and practice.

    View more

  • Module content:

    Legislation for sustainable development within the framework of international agreements, the different acts affecting water quality and water use, the SEMAs within the NEMA framework, the NEMA EIA regulations, legislation pertaining to hazardous substances, interaction between mining development and NEMA, energy law, strategic environmental legislation, marine and coastal management.

    View more

  • Module content:

    The student needs to conduct a research project under the supervision of an academic member of staff associated with the Centre for Environmental Studies. This project needs to be of a sufficient quality to be publishable in the open scientific literature. The research report is examined as a manuscript for a suitable journal.

    View more

  • Module content:

    Severity of waterborne disease, accurate risk analysis, emergence of pathogens resistant to disinfection, the use of indicator organisms, toxicity risks, viral and protozoal contamination, water borne diseases surveillance, epidemiology of water borne diseases, water quality standards and monitoring, education.

    View more

  • Module content:

    Public access to information regarding water quality, water supply sustainability and public education, demand projections, water management efficiency systems approach to water management, watershed protection, drinking water treatment and distribution, wastewater collection and treatment, effects of deforestation and treatment, and complex water system developments, destruction of wetlands, effects of recreation, agriculture and aquaculture on eutrophication.

    View more

  • Module content:

    Low technology water treatment options, sanitary engineering, high technology options, water disinfection methods, selection of treatment regimes, stormwater management.

    View more

Elective modules

  • Module content:

    The foundation of the module is the interrelations between societal and environmental dynamics. It deals with issues of social structure, culture, politics, education, migration, production, urbanisation, demographics and social institutions and how these impact upon the environment. Also dealt with is how the consequences of impacts, such as environmental change, in turn affect societies. Analysis of complex interrelationships between society and the environment, social-environmental linkages and multiplier effects are dealt with.

    View more

  • Module content:

    Strategic environmental planning: introduction, objectives and principles; levels; South African overview; guidelines: national and international; strategy and management; structure, strategy and agency; South African guidelines; diagnostic tools; RESP analysis; strategic resource planning; applications, implementation and control; development and policy implementation; South African environmental policy; evaluation frameworks; portfolio analysis; competitive forces; alliances; business benefits; intangibles, survival and catalytic contributions; South African legislation and regulations.

    View more

  • Module content:

    In this module students will be introduced to the various methods of modelling and assessing social impacts. Specific emphasis will be placed upon modelling societal-economic-environmental interactions, formulating stochastic and dynamic models of population-development-environment interactions, conducting research to determine possible impacts of environmental changes on communities and performing social impact surveys. Students will be introduced to both quantitative as well as qualitative methods of conducting social impacts assessments.

    View more

  • Module content:

    The ISO framework, environmental risks and opportunities for companies, global environmental concerns, environmental legislation, identification of environmental impacts, environmental certification and auditing, follow-up activities, the Forestry Stewardship Council framework, chain of custody requirements, production standards, FSC reporting.
    (** additional costs involved for international UK certificate)

    View more

  • Module content:

    Place and role of trees in multifunctional rural landscapes.  Trees outside forests.  Multipurpose trees.  Trees and biodiversity.  Trees and environmental services.  Trees and sustainable development.  Domesticated forests.  Agroforestry (definition, classification, challenges and examples).  Multiple use of forests and trees.  Non-timber tree and forest products.  Domestication of multipurpose trees.  Forests and people.  Trees and agricultural production systems (yield, interactions, synergy, competition, pests and diseases).  Case-study examples from sub-Saharan Africa.

    View more

  • Module content:

    Structure and function of natural forests, species composition and diversity, disturbance processes and regimes, recovery (succession) concepts and theory, biodiversity in forest ecosystems, energy and nutrient flux in natural forest ecosystems. Resource assessment and planning.  Silvicultural systems and management of natural forests (and woodlands), natural regeneration and forest rehabilitation management for sustainability of natural forest ecosystems:  multiple use for timber and non-timber forest products, forest rehabilitation (invader plants, mining, degraded forests).

    View more

  • Module content:

    This module involves the study of the causes and consequences of environmental change from multidisciplinary perspectives.  A focus of this course is human environmental interactions. Past processes leading to environmental change will also be discussed.  In a given period, the following will be investigated: principles of environmental change, causes and consequences of environmental change, Global warming and climate change: causes and impacts of climate change on natural resources; water, forests, biodiversity, land use and land cover change, environmental/Climate change and infectious disease, human dimensions of global change and Climate change political responses including the Kyoto protocol. Mitigation and adaptation strategies to climate change and effects of Climate change on sustainable development.

    View more

Minimum credits: 180

Core modules

  • Module content:

    Environmental philosophy and ethics, environmental ecology, environment, society and development, environmental economics, environmental management, critical resources management: water utilisation, air quality control, land-use planning: soil characteristics, biodiversity planning, critical resource management: determinism vs co-evolutionary environmental frameworks, research methodology and practice.

    View more

  • Module content:

    Legislation for sustainable development within the framework of international agreements, the different acts affecting water quality and water use, the SEMAs within the NEMA framework, the NEMA EIA regulations, legislation pertaining to hazardous substances, interaction between mining development and NEMA, energy law, strategic environmental legislation, marine and coastal management.

    View more

  • Module content:

    The student needs to conduct a research project under the supervision of an academic member of staff associated with the Centre for Environmental Studies. This project needs to be of a sufficient quality to be publishable in the open scientific literature. The research report is examined as a manuscript for a suitable journal.

    View more

  • Module content:

    Severity of waterborne disease, accurate risk analysis, emergence of pathogens resistant to disinfection, the use of indicator organisms, toxicity risks, viral and protozoal contamination, water borne diseases surveillance, epidemiology of water borne diseases, water quality standards and monitoring, education.

    View more

  • Module content:

    Public access to information regarding water quality, water supply sustainability and public education, demand projections, water management efficiency systems approach to water management, watershed protection, drinking water treatment and distribution, wastewater collection and treatment, effects of deforestation and treatment, and complex water system developments, destruction of wetlands, effects of recreation, agriculture and aquaculture on eutrophication.

    View more

  • Module content:

    Low technology water treatment options, sanitary engineering, high technology options, water disinfection methods, selection of treatment regimes, stormwater management.

    View more

Elective modules

  • Module content:

    The foundation of the module is the interrelations between societal and environmental dynamics. It deals with issues of social structure, culture, politics, education, migration, production, urbanisation, demographics and social institutions and how these impact upon the environment. Also dealt with is how the consequences of impacts, such as environmental change, in turn affect societies. Analysis of complex interrelationships between society and the environment, social-environmental linkages and multiplier effects are dealt with.

    View more

  • Module content:

    Strategic environmental planning: introduction, objectives and principles; levels; South African overview; guidelines: national and international; strategy and management; structure, strategy and agency; South African guidelines; diagnostic tools; RESP analysis; strategic resource planning; applications, implementation and control; development and policy implementation; South African environmental policy; evaluation frameworks; portfolio analysis; competitive forces; alliances; business benefits; intangibles, survival and catalytic contributions; South African legislation and regulations.

    View more

  • Module content:

    In this module students will be introduced to the various methods of modelling and assessing social impacts. Specific emphasis will be placed upon modelling societal-economic-environmental interactions, formulating stochastic and dynamic models of population-development-environment interactions, conducting research to determine possible impacts of environmental changes on communities and performing social impact surveys. Students will be introduced to both quantitative as well as qualitative methods of conducting social impacts assessments.

    View more

  • Module content:

    The ISO framework, environmental risks and opportunities for companies, global environmental concerns, environmental legislation, identification of environmental impacts, environmental certification and auditing, follow-up activities, the Forestry Stewardship Council framework, chain of custody requirements, production standards, FSC reporting.
    (** additional costs involved for international UK certificate)

    View more

  • Module content:

    Place and role of trees in multifunctional rural landscapes.  Trees outside forests.  Multipurpose trees.  Trees and biodiversity.  Trees and environmental services.  Trees and sustainable development.  Domesticated forests.  Agroforestry (definition, classification, challenges and examples).  Multiple use of forests and trees.  Non-timber tree and forest products.  Domestication of multipurpose trees.  Forests and people.  Trees and agricultural production systems (yield, interactions, synergy, competition, pests and diseases).  Case-study examples from sub-Saharan Africa.

    View more

  • Module content:

    Structure and function of natural forests, species composition and diversity, disturbance processes and regimes, recovery (succession) concepts and theory, biodiversity in forest ecosystems, energy and nutrient flux in natural forest ecosystems. Resource assessment and planning.  Silvicultural systems and management of natural forests (and woodlands), natural regeneration and forest rehabilitation management for sustainability of natural forest ecosystems:  multiple use for timber and non-timber forest products, forest rehabilitation (invader plants, mining, degraded forests).

    View more

  • Module content:

    This module involves the study of the causes and consequences of environmental change from multidisciplinary perspectives.  A focus of this course is human environmental interactions. Past processes leading to environmental change will also be discussed.  In a given period, the following will be investigated: principles of environmental change, causes and consequences of environmental change, Global warming and climate change: causes and impacts of climate change on natural resources; water, forests, biodiversity, land use and land cover change, environmental/Climate change and infectious disease, human dimensions of global change and Climate change political responses including the Kyoto protocol. Mitigation and adaptation strategies to climate change and effects of Climate change on sustainable development.

    View more


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The General Academic Regulations (G Regulations) and General Student Rules apply to all faculties and registered students of the University, as well as all prospective students who have accepted an offer of a place at the University of Pretoria. On registering for a programme, the student bears the responsibility of ensuring that they familiarise themselves with the General Academic Regulations applicable to their registration, as well as the relevant faculty-specific and programme-specific regulations and information as stipulated in the relevant yearbook. Ignorance concerning these regulations will not be accepted as an excuse for any transgression, or basis for an exception to any of the aforementioned regulations.

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