Yearbooks

Programme: MPublic Administration Option: Public Infrastructure Management

Kindly take note of the disclaimer regarding qualifications and degree names.
Code Faculty
07251152 Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences
Credits Duration
Duration of study: 2 years Total credits: 255
Contact:
Prof DJ Fourie
[email protected]
+27 (0)124203472

Admission requirements

  • A BAdmin Honours degree in Public Administration or equivalent with an average of at least 65%.
  • Administrative and managerial experience, preferably in the public sector, as deemed adequate and appropriate by the Director of the School of Public Management and Administration.
  • A maximum of 25 students can be admitted by the Departmental Postgraduate Committee.

Additional requirements

  1. A candidate may be refused admission to a master’s degree by the head of the department if he/she does not comply with the standard of competence in the subject as determined by the department – with the proviso that a candidate who does not comply with the required level of competence, may be admitted, provided that he/she completes additional study assignments and/or examinations.
  2. The head of department concerned may set additional admission requirements.
  3. Specific departments have specific requirements for admission.
  4. The number of students will be determined in line with the growth strategy of the University of Pretoria as approved by the Executive.
  5. Allowance will be made for the diversity profile of students.
  6. A completed Postgraduate Diploma in Economic and Management Sciences can also be considered for admission to the Master’s programme in Entrepreneurship.

Other programme-specific information

Ten prescribed, compulsory modules as well as a mini-dissertation must be completed. Candidates must pass the module NME 801 before registering for the mini-dissertation (PAD 898). The curriculum is compiled in consultation with the Director of the School of Public Management and Administration.

The programme extends over a minimum period of two years, but must be completed within four years after the first registration for the degree. The Dean may, at the recommendation of the Postgraduate Committee, cancel the registration of a student during any academic year if his/her academic progress is not satisfactory.     

 

Examinations and pass requirements

· A subminimum of 45% is required in the examination in each of the modules.
· Credit is obtained for each module in which a final mark of at least 50% has been achieved.
· Only one supplementary examination in a maximum of two modules is permitted.
· A candidate may not present himself/herself for an examination in the same module more than twice, except with the approval of the Dean, on the recommendation of the Director of the School of Public Management and Administration. In the context of this regulation the phrase "may not sit an examination more than twice in the same module" as it appears in General Regulation G.32(b).2, implies that a candidate may not sit for an examination in a module, including one supplementary examination, more than three times.
· Supplementary examinations cover the same subject matter as was the case for the examinations.

Research information

Dissertations/mini-dissertations/research reports, curricula and modules

  1. The degree programme requires that a dissertation/mini-dissertation/research article must be submitted in a field of study chosen from the fields covered for the honours degree, provided that the Dean may, on the recommendation of the head of department concerned, approve the replacement of the required dissertation by the successful completion of a prescribed number of module credits and a mini-dissertation/research article.
  2. Information on modules, credits and syllabi is available, on request, from the head of department concerned.
  3. A module in Research Methodology is compulsory in all programmes. The Dean may, on the recommendation of the head of department concerned, waive the prerequisites.
  4. Sufficient number of bound copies of the thesis/dissertation must be submitted to the Head: Student Administration for examination, after permission is granted by the supervisor.

Article for publication
A dean may require, before or on submission of a dissertation, the submission of a draft article for publication to the supervisor. The draft article should be based on the research that the student has conducted for the dissertation and be approved by the supervisor concerned. The supervisor should then have the opportunity to take the paper through all the processes of revision and resubmission as may be necessary and/or appropriate in order to achieve publication.

Submission of dissertation
A dissertation is submitted to the Head: Student Administration, before the closing date for the various graduation ceremonies as announced annually.

For examination purposes, a student must, in consultation with the supervisor, submit a sufficient number of bound copies of the dissertation, printed on good quality paper and of good letter quality, to the Head: Student Administration. Permission to submit the dissertation in unbound form may be obtained from the supervisor concerned on condition that a copy of the final approved dissertation is presented to the examiners in bound format or electronic format.

In addition to the copies already mentioned, each successful student must submit a bound paper copy as well as two electronic copies of the approved dissertation to the Head: Student Administration in the format specified by the faculty and in accordance with the minimum standards set by the Department of Library Services, before 15 February for the Autumn graduation ceremonies and before 15 July for the Spring graduation ceremonies, failing which the degree will only be conferred during a subsequent series of graduation ceremonies.

Minimum credits: 150

Core modules

  • Module content:

    • Concepts, aims and principles of public finance
    • Governments and the distribution of income
    • Role players in financial resource management
    • Budgeting, budgeting techniques and systems
    • Financial performance measurement
    • Tariff settings and viability techniques
    • Internal control and accounting
    • Policy documents relating to financial management
    • Logistical and asset management
    • Tendering tenders and contracts
    • Monitoring and auditing
    • Financial accountability

    View more

  • Module content:

    • Institutions and functionaries involved in public human resource management
    • Basic values and directives governing public human resource management
    • Role players and their functions
    • Issues in public human resource management
    • Labour relations management
    • Ethics and accountability

    View more

  • Module content:

    • Fundamentals, aims and concepts of public managment techniques
    • Business process reengineering
    • Management of systems in public organisations
    • Project Management
    • Strategic and operational management
    • Techniques in ensuring effective management and performance

    View more

  • Module content:

    • Community involvement to promote democracy and service delivery
    • Challenges regarding the improvement of efficiency and effectiveness in adminstration and management
    • Human resource management within the current labour legislation
    • Finance challenges facing municipalities while being required to be developmental
    • Integrated development planning as a mechanism to obtain coordinated service delivery
    • Accountability of council and managers of a municipality
    • Roads and transport
    • Sanitation
    • Energy
    • Water

    View more

  • Module content:

    • Research design
    • Conceptualisation and measurement
    • Operationalisation
    • The logic of sampling
    • Surveys

    Research proposal to be submitted during year one and a supervisor will be allocated.  Candidate to identify one of the specified areas (energy, water, sanitation or roads and transport) to conduct the research within a managerial and administrative context.

    View more

  • Module content:

    • Simple operations research tools
    • Fundamentals of instrumentation
    • Work scheduling and adminstrative components
    • Maintenance (preventative, break-down and risk -assessments and correcting)
    • Operational manuals
    • Operational Safety and Health practices (OSH)
    • Characteristic organisational systems and forms: A micro-perspective
    • The individual and the group in organisational context
    • Organisational techniques

    View more

  • Module content:

    • Public value system within an entrepreneurial public sector environment
    • Ethics and probity in relation to corporate governance
    • Government as an entrepreneur
    • Entrepreneurship vs Government
    • Privatising public assets
    • The social impact of restructuring state assets
    • Public-Public and Public Private Partnerships
    • Types of markets, strategy and community engagement
    • Marketing
    • Performance incentive plans and comparative competition
    • Performance contracting and monitoring 
    • Service development and measurement techniques

    View more

  • Module content:

    • Constitutional and Administrative framework
    • Purpose of management
    • Need for management training 
    • Management functions
    • Leadership
    • Controlling

    View more

  • Module content:

    • Key concepts in public policy analysis and implementation
    • Participants (role players) in policy analysis
    • Ethics and policy analysis
    • Approaches to policy analysis (A typology)
    • Models for policy analysis
    • Policy analysis as a process: A general overview
    • Policy analysis as a process: Identifying problems and determining objectives for research
    • Policy analysis as a process: Cost effectiveness, alternative options and determination of cost
    • Forecasting and policy analysis
    • Methods and techniques in policy analysis: An overview
    • Acceptance and implementations of policy proposals
    • Monitoring and evaluation of policy outcomes
    • Pitfalls and limitations of policy analysis

    View more

  • Module content:

    • Development of Public Administration as a practice
    • Relationship between Public Administration and other dimensions
    • Administrative activities
    • Functional activities
    • Auxiliary functions
    • Sector governance and utilityregulations

    View more

Minimum credits: 105

Core modules


The information published here is subject to change and may be amended after the publication of this information. The General Regulations (G Regulations) apply to all faculties of the University of Pretoria. It is expected of students to familiarise themselves well with these regulations as well as with the information contained in the General Rules section. Ignorance concerning these regulations and rules will not be accepted as an excuse for any transgression.

Copyright © University of Pretoria 2024. All rights reserved.

COVID-19 Corona Virus South African Resource Portal

To contact the University during the COVID-19 lockdown, please send an email to [email protected]

FAQ's Email Us Virtual Campus Share Cookie Preferences