Doctor of Philosophy in Urban and Regional Science
Purpose:
Sources: SAQA official qualification record, SAQA registered qualifications record. Yiba Verified does not own the underlying qualification data shown on this page.
Qualification type
Doctoral Degree
Credits
360
Sub-framework
HEQSF - Higher Education Qualifications Sub-framework
Providers listed
1
Qualification snapshot
Official qualification identity fields captured from the qualification record.
Originator
Stellenbosch University
Quality assurance functionary
CHE - Council on Higher Education
Field
Field 07 - Human and Social Studies
Subfield
Urban and Regional Studies
Qual class
Regular-Provider-ELOAC
Recognise previous learning
Y
Important dates
These dates are carried directly from the qualification record.
Registration start
2024-07-01
Registration end
2027-06-30
Last date for enrolment
2028-06-30
Last date for achievement
2031-06-30
Purpose and entry context
Official SAQA text formatted for easier reading.
Purpose and rationale
Purpose
The purpose of this proposed Doctoral Degree is to make a significant and original academic contribution at the frontiers of urban and regional science. Upon completion of the qualification the learner will be able to:
- Explain and assess how cities and urban systems systemically operate as instruments of social and economic networks.
- Describe and assess the data and research requirements for conducting a research project at the highest academic level.
Rationale
The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) qualification aims to give learners an opportunity to obtain and contribute to advanced specialised analytical knowledge in the field of urban and regional science. Learners who hold a Master's qualification in urban and regional planning or development planning will benefit from this qualification.
Entry requirements and RPL
Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)
The institution accepts RPL as an integral part of the academic programme and as an initiative to support transformation of the education and training system in South Africa. It is acknowledged that all learning has value and the institution accepts the challenge to assess prior learning and award credit that is aligned to the institution's qualifications to promote lifelong learning. This is reflected in the vision and mission of the institution.
Entry Requirements
- A Master's qualification in Urban and Regional Planning, Development Planning, Economics, Geography, Public Administration, Sociology, Demography, Mathematics or Statistics.
Structure and assessment
Qualification rules, exit outcomes, and assessment criteria from the SAQA record.
Qualification rules
This qualification comprises 1 compulsory module at NQF Levels 10 totalling 360 Credits
- Urban and Regional Science Dissertation; 360 Credits.
Exit level outcomes
- Explain and assess how cities and urban systems systemically operate as instruments of social and economic networks.
- Describe and assess the data and research requirements for conducting a research project at the highest academic level.
Associated assessment criteria
Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1
- Socio-economic challenges related to the urban and regional development environment within a broader Southern African and global context are understood and resourceful solutions to challenges related to them are generated.
- A variety of statistical and spatial analysis techniques available for socio-economic analysis with the emphasis on Geographic Information System (GIS) as an applications tool in decision-making are applied and assessed.
- The social and economic networking of individuals and groups within private and public urban space as they manifest at different levels of urban spatial aggregation and the outcomes of the different kinds of networking measured in terms of internationally acceptable forms of social, economic and environmental sustainability is critically analysed.
- Systemic related options that are available for service provision in the urban environment and creative ways in which they could be expanded or improved are compared and critiqued.
- Urban and regional management instruments and their application in South Africa and elsewhere in the world are described and assessed.
- A deep value system that will facilitate the appropriate and balanced use of knowledge in solving planning and development problems in urban and regional systems is developed.
Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2
- Appropriate research methodologies are compared and critiqued when analysing different elements of human activities within the urban environment.
- The full spectrum of systemic urban and regional planning and development challenges that researchers could face in a dynamic society is critically analysed.
- The data requirements that are necessary for analysing different elements of human activities in the urban environment are correctly identified.
- Systematic urban and regional research that is focused on Southern African and African problems but which is also relevant to the international scholarly community is conducted.
- Different forms of communication, oral or printed are critically evaluated.
- Modern electronic hardware and software are utilised as instruments of communication in this qualification.
Integrated Assessment
Formative assessment
The only credit-bearing assessment is that of the dissertation and the oral which accompanies it.
Internal and external examination of the dissertation will be done in the prescribed manner of the university.
Progression and comparability
Articulation options
This qualification can possibly articulate with the following qualifications
Horizontal Articulation
- Doctor of Philosophy in Public Management, at NQF Level 10.
- Doctor of Philosophy in Geography, at NQF Level 10.
- Doctor of Philosophy in Sociology, at NQF Level 10.
International comparability
The Doctor of Philosophy in Urban and Regional Sciences offered by Texas A and M University (TAMU) in the United States of America (USA) develops scholars of distinguishing excellence in Landscape, Urban and Environmental Planning.
The goals of the qualification include creating a flagship Doctoral qualification, based on a solid core curriculum and providing expertise in area of specialisation that applies to planning, design, and/or land development problems of community, regional, national or international habitat systems. In educating professionals for research, education, and scholarship in the fields of planning, landscape architecture, and land development the qualification provides expertise in the research process and its application to planning, design, and/or land development issues.
The London School of Economics and Political Science in the United Kingdom offers the PhD in Regional and Urban Planning qualification that addresses the opportunities, problems, politics and economics of urban and regional planning in cities around the world. The emphasis of the qualification is on "understanding the causes of things" to quote the School's motto and this is done by employing analytical skills and theoretical insights gained from the social sciences and the fields of planning, architecture, economics and the environment.
The qualification aims to produce top quality social scientists that are able to engage with the conceptual foundations of urban planning and employ robust and appropriate methods in their research. The qualification prepares learners for a variety of careers in academia, international organisations (example; World Bank, OECD, UNEP, and European Commission), urban planning, community development, NGOs and national and local governmental institutions. Research learners on this qualification are strongly encouraged to engage with the full range of urban research, teaching and scholarship within the LSE's wider urban research community.
Conclusion
The Doctor of Philosophy in Urban and Regional Science qualification compares well with other qualifications offered in other countries in terms of the purpose.
Providers currently listed
This reflects provider names published on the official record. It is useful for qualification discovery, but it should not be treated as a substitute for checking the relevant quality body’s latest provider status.
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