Teaching
The Department of Political and International Relations offers a full compliment of undergraduate and postgraduate courses, ranging from 1st year to PhD level. The undergraduate course offers courses from across the spectrum of political studies, while the postgraduate program allows students to critically engage with a number of topics. The Department reguarly updates its curriculum to reflect the changes that South African society and the larger world undergo. Please contact the Department for more information.
For undergraduate resources, please go to RUConnected, or contact your TA below.
The 2013 Postgraduate Handbook for the Department is now available: 2013 handbook.
To plan your curriculum, please click here.
Undergraduate Degree
Political and International Studies is a three-year major subject which may be studied for degree curricula in the Faculty of Humanities, Commerce, and Science. Courses offered by the Department are studied from a global, regional and local perspective with particular attention paid to the South African and African Context.
Political and International Studies 1
The first-year course introduces students to the basic components of the discipline of Political and International Studies and usually consists of courses in Political Philosophy, Comparitive Political Studies, and International Relations.
Political and International Studies 2
The second-year course usually consists of courses in Political and Social Theory, Political Sociology, the Politics of Industrialised States and International Relations.
Political and International Studies 3
The third-year course usually consists of a selection of the following: Social and Political Theory, South African Politics and Government, African Politics, and Political Thought in Africa, International Relations and International Political Economy.
Admission Prerequisites
Students must pass Political and International Studies 1 in order to proceed to Political and International Studies 2. Students must pass Political and International Studies 2 in order to proceed to Political and International Studies 3.
A pass is recoreded when 50% or mre is obtained on aggregating the marks for the required courses taken in any given year. Students who fail on aggregation and who wish to continue with Political and International Studies will be required to repeat the whole of the failed year rather than repeat only individually failed courses.
Examinations
In each year, courses taken in the first semester (terms one and two) are written off in the June examination and courses taken in the second semester (terms three and four) are written off in the November examination. Examinations usually count for 50% of the final year mark while course work (such as tests and essays) count for 50% of the mark.
Postgraduate Degrees
Postgraduate Diploma in International Studies (PDIS)(African Diplomacy and Peacekeeping)
Students reading for the Diploma in International Relations are required to take five courses. These normally include courses in International Relations, diplomacy, peace and conflict, political economy, geopolitics, Developmental Studies, African politics and Africa in world politics and public international law. To be awarded a Diploma in International Studies students must pass at least four out of the five courses taken and achieve an overall aggregate pass of at least 50%.
Entrance Requirements
Students may register for the PDIS having obtained an undergraduate degree in any field with a good pass. Students who obtain an overall aggregated mark of at least 70% may be considered for admission into the Master's degree in Political and International Studies.
Honours
The Honours degree consists of either five courses or four courses and a research essay of ten thousand words. The latter option may be exercised only on recommendation of the Head of Department. To be awarded an Honours degree, students must pass at least four out of the five courses taken and recieve an overall aggregated pass of at least 50%.
Entrance requirements
To be accepted into an Honours degree in the Department, students normally require a good second class pass in a bachelor's degree majoring in Political Studies or International Studies or, with the approval of the Head of Department, a good second class pass degree in a cognate discipline such as History, Sociology, Philosophy or Economics.
Master's
Students may register for either a combined coursework and thesis Master's degree or a Master's degree by thesis only, as recommended by the Head of Department. The Master's by coursework and thesis consists of three approved postgraduate courses and a thesis of 15 000 to 25 000 words. The required thesis length for the Master's by thesis only is 30 000 to 50 000 words.
Master's students are required to have a thesis proposal passed by the Humanities Higher Degrees Committee by the 30th of November of the year in which the degree is begun. Those who do not succeed in doing so may not be permitted to continue with the Master's degree. Thesis proposals must conform to the Higher Degrees Guide and must be submitted to the Higher Degrees Committee with the approval of the supervisor and the Head of Department. To be awarded the degree, coursework Master's student need to pass all three courses and well as the thesis. They may not repeat courses already passed at Honours level. Students pursuing a Master's degree by full thesis may be upgraded to a PhD on the recommendations of the supervisor and Head of Department and with the permission of Senate.
Entrance Requirments
To be accepted into a Master's degree in the Department students would normally require an Honours degree with at least a good second class pass in Political Studies or International Studies, or with the approval of the Head of Department, in a cognate discipline such as History, Sociology, Philosophy or Economics.
Interdisciplinary Honours Degrees
Approved courses in the Department of Political and International Studies may be taken in the Interdisciplinary Honours Programmes in Industrial Relations, Development Studies, Gender Studies and South African Cultural Studies.
Doctoral Studies (PhD)
The PhD consists of a dissertation which must conform to the requirements set out in the Rhodes University Higher Degrees Guide. Prospective students must usually be in possession of a good Master's degree in either Political or International Studies, or, with the permission of the Head of Department, an approved cognate discipline. Admission with depend also on the availability of suitable supervision expertise in the chosen field of study of any prospective student.
Doctoral students are required to have a thesis proposal passed by the Humanities Higher Degrees Committee by the 30th of November of the year in which the degree is begun. Those who do not succeed in doing so may not be permitted to continue with the doctorate. Thesis proposals must conform to the Higher Degrees Guide and must be submitted to the Higher Degrees Committee with the approval of the supervisor and the Head of Department.
Diploma Course Offerings 2013
Semester 1
African Security and Development
Lecturer: Ms Siphokazi Magadla
African Political Economy
Lecturer: Dr Sally Matthews
Semester 2
Peace and Conflict in Africa
Lecturer: Visitor's Course
Economic Diplomacy
Lecturers: Dr G Pigman (Term 4 only)(2 seminars a week)
The additional, fifth course required for the Diploma may be taken from among the following options outside the department (either two term courses or one semester course).
These include –
( I ) Term courses in Economics: (two terms courses needed)
- The Development of Capitalism in South Africa (Term 2)
Department: Economics
Lecturer: Prof. V. Padayachee
- Environmental Economics (Term 3)
Department: Economics
Lecturer: Prof G. Frazer
- Development Economics (Term 4)
Department: Economics
Lecturer: Dr D Bekker
- Political Economy and Labour (Term 4)
Department: Economics
Lecturer: Mr D Fryer
(Consider attending these Economics lecturers speaking to their courses in the week of
6th-10th February)
- Trade & Industrial Policy (Term 3)
Department: Economics
Lecturer: Dr N. Cattane
(III) Semester 1
- Public International Law (Semester 1)
Department: Law
Lecturer: Prof. Jumba
(IV) Semesters 1& 2 (Semester Courses)
- Developmental Studies (Term 2)
- Environmental Sociology (Term 1)
- Africa and China (Term 3)
Department of Sociology
(VI) Semester 2 (Semester Course)
- Reconstruction of the SA Mind
Department: History
Lecturer: Prof. J. Wells
Or any other fourth year courses, subject to the approval of the HoD.
Honours and Masters Course Offerings 2013
Semester One
Qualitative Research Methods
Lecturer: Prof. Louise Vincent
Community, Justice and Freedom
Lecturer: Prof. Isaias Chachine
Global Governance and Regionalism
Lecturer: Prof. P. Bischoff and Prof. A. Acharya (Term 1)
Israel and Palestinian Relations
Lecturer: Prof. I. Calis (Term 1)
African Political Economy
Lecturer: Dr. S. Matthews
Understanding Domination
Lecturer: Dr. T. Fluxman
African Theory
Lecturer: Prof. L. Praeg (Term 2 + 3)
African Security and Development
Lecturer: Ms. S. Magadla
Semester Two:
The Politics of Collective Action
Lecturer: Dr. T. Fluxman
African Theory (Term 3)
Lecturer: Prof. L. Praeg
Frantz Fanon 50 Years On
Lecturer: Mr. R. Pithouse
Africa and Drug Wars
Lecturer: Dr. S. Howell
The Politics of Social Policy
Lecturer: Prof. R. Van Niekerk
Ubuntu
Lecturer: Prof. L. Praeg
Liberaration Ecologies
Lecturer: Ms G. Barrett
Economic Diplomacy
Lecturer: Dr G. Pigman
Only on application to the Head of Department, honours students may be permitted to pursue a one semester course option in a cognate study (History, Law, Economics, Sociology, Philosophy or Anthropology) outside of the department. Applications may also be made to take "Urban Theory and Spatial Development" in Geography.
