Master of Diplomatic Studies (MDIPS) programme at the University of Pretoria: 2016 intake

As you are aware, the Department of Political Sciences at the University of Pretoria has been presenting a successful Master of Diplomatic Studies (MDIPS) programme for a number of years. Until this year, places in the programme were reserved for government officials from South Africa and other SADC countries.

As from 2016, the MDIPS programme will be ‘opened’ to allow access for our own post-graduate students and other interested parties from outside the governmental domain. This will not exclude government officials from participating, but such officials will have to apply on an individual basis, as they would for any other post-graduate studies in our Department.

Please consult this document for information on MDIPS admission requirements and curriculum. In addition, the following should be noted:

Delivery of the programme

The MDIPS is a two-year programme, comprising of four coursework modules (Dip 872, Dip 877, Dip 878 and PTO 871) and an independent research project (Dip 895: Mini-dissertation). On campus attendance of lectures is compulsory in the case of the four coursework modules. It is possible (but not compulsory) to complete all four these coursework modules during the first year of study, leaving the second year to finalise only the independent research project. At that stage (i.e. once all coursework modules have been successfully examined) residency in Pretoria will not be required.

For the coursework modules, lectures will be scheduled after hours (starting no earlier than 17h30) on one or more weekdays, Mondays to Fridays. A final lecture schedule will only be available during February 2016. Note that in the case of PTO 871, the lectures may be co

Prospective students who are unable to commit to regular class attendance during the coursework component of the MDIPS, should not apply for this programme.

The MDIPS programme will be presented within the parameters of the University of Pretoria’s normal academic calendar. This means that classes will commence during the first week of February 2016, and the first year will conclude with end-of-year exams during November/December 2016.

Financial matters

At this stage there are no dedicated bursaries for the MDIPS programme at the UP. Prospective students should ensure that they have adequate funding to cover the study fees, whether by means of own resources or own-solicited study grants from employers or other benefactors. All enquiries regarding financial obligations should be directed to the UP Client Services – NOT to the Department of Political Sciences.

Applications

The deadline for applications is Friday 6 November 2015, at noon. Applications should be done on- line, via the University of Pretoria web-site. The relevant degree programme is listed as M Diplomatic Studies 01250403. Applications or appendices that are sent directly to the Department of Political Sciences will NOT be considered.

Successful applicants will be notified by the second week of December 2015.