The Department offers two Master's options:

1. A coursework option that can be completed in one year full-time.
2. A thesis-only option that can be completed in two years full-time. 

Both options are gateways to further study at the PhD level and for employment in a variety of settings, including universities. The minimum entrance requirement for admission into Master's level studies in the department is an Honours degree with a 65% average mark.

 

We encourage students who wish to pursue Master's degree studies to apply for the coursework option, as they get the benefit of advanced courses in social theory and social research, in addition to a specialist course tailored to the Sociology stream of interest to the student (general, development, or industrial & economic). Work on the advanced social theory and the specialist courses are completed by the end of May, leaving only the advanced social research course, which is directly linked to their work on their dissertations. In addition, the timetable is designed to accommodate support sessions offered by the university's Centre for Postgraduate Studies.

 

The three courses that have to be completed during the coursework Master's programme (again, advanced social theory, advanced social research, and a specialist course) are taught by senior academics in the department. Supervisors of work on dissertations are drawn from the academic staff of the department based on the relevance of their expertise to the dissertation topics chosen. 

 

The coursework Master's programme was started in 2014. In the period 2014-2020, 84 students entered the programme (39 in the industrial & economic stream, 26 in the development stream, and 19 in the general stream), and 87% of those students have graduated with Master's degrees. A further 7% are still registered as students to complete work on their dissertations, and if they graduate, the graduation rate for the 2014-2020 period will increase to 94%.

 

Students who hold Master's degrees in Sociology work in a range of contexts, and will be key contributors to the building of a better world in the face of complex challenges. Examples of contexts in which sociologists work include universities, civil society organisations (including NGOs, trade unions and labour service organisations), media organisations, government, international agencies, and private entities (including corporates). Work in those contexts cover a wide range of areas, including socio-economic development, politics, institutional development, process facilitation, public health, labour support (including worker education), climate change, cultural work, etc.   

 

Funding opportunities for Master's degree studies are advertised and managed by the Postgraduate Funding section of Rhodes University's Research Office. All current Honours students have been added to the Postgraduate Funding mailing list, but students can also visit the following link to search for funding opportunities: https://www.ru.ac.za/researchgateway/postgraduates/funding/external/. Students who wish to apply for particular funding opportunities are encouraged to do so before the advertised deadlines to give the Postgraduate Funding staff time to check their applications and let them know if there is anything missing. 

 

The coordinators for Master's and Doctoral level studies in the Department of Sociology and Industrial Sociology from 2022 are:

1. Coursework Master's: Dr John Reynolds, john.reynolds@ru.ac.za
2. Master's by Thesis and Doctoral Studies: Prof Michael Drewett, m.drewett@ru.ac.za

 

Applications for admission to the department's Master's programme are made through the Rhodes University online application system. 

 

Please contact John and Michael should you have any questions about our Master's options.