Master of Philosophy in Urban and Regional Science

Purpose

To be able to create a conducive environment for social and economic development in the urban and rural areas of South Africa, advanced levels of knowledge in the operation of cities as systems within systems of cities is required. Large numbers of people are currently employed in government who simply lack this knowledge. In response Statistics South Africa (StatsSA) has recognised the need for a tailor-made Master's qualification that:

• Specifically focuses on the operation of urban and regional systems.
• Trains people in the creation, selection, empirical analysis and application of urban system-related data.
• Allows for the entry of applicants with a wide spectrum of qualifications.
• Does not give direct access to the Urban and Regional Planning profession.

Currently there are no Postgraduate qualifications on offer at any university in South that meet all of these requirements, hence the request by Statistics South Africa for the development of this particular qualification.

Rationale

Based on the general need that was expressed by the public sector, Statistics South Africa approached Stellenbosch University to develop a Master's qualification that is specifically designed to equip appropriately qualified public officials at the local, provincial and national levels of government in the area of systematic urban and regional analysis and policy making. The Master's qualification does not aim to replicate, but rather to create a unique qualification at post-graduate level. In terms of the brief, the qualification is designed to equip public officials with the right kinds of practical, analytical expertise to enable them to dissect and interpret the workings of urban and regional networks. A knowledge gap is covered in the qualification that is not covered by any existing Postgraduate qualifications that are on offer at this or any other university in the country. It provides specialised analytical knowledge to professionals that are working in the fields of functional urban networking at different levels of spatial aggregation, from intra-urban through local, regional and national to international. People who are qualified as urban and regional planners, as well as learners that have obtained an Honours degree in geography, public management, and economics could benefit from this qualification.

Learners registering for this qualification should already have achieved a professional Bachelor's Degree or an Honours Degree in an appropriate field (see Access to the Qualification), or an equivalent qualification.

Recognition of Prior Learning

The University's official Policy for the Assessment and Recognition of Prior Learning will rigorously applied. It is expected that the Recognition of Prior Learning system will need to be applied in the acceptance of some students. A psychometric test will also be applied to enable the Department to identify students who are suitably equipped to successfully complete the qualification.

Access to the Qualification

Admission requirements are a Professional Bachelors Degree: Planning or Engineering or an Honours Degree with Geography, Economics, Public Administration, Statistics or Mathematics as the major and a 60% pass mark in the major. The Recognition of Prior Learning route may be employed to broaden access beyond these requirements.

For students with a planning or geography qualification the modules, Urban Systems Analysis, Urban Form and Structure Analysis, and GIS are optional. For all other students all the modules are compulsory.

Modules

All the modules have 15 credits each, except that for Research Application

• Human Network Analysis.
• Economic Network Analysis.
• Urban Infrastructure Network Analysis.
• Urban Management Processes.
• Statistical Urban Analysis.
• Urban Systems Analysis.
• Urban Form and Structure Analysis.
• GIS - Urban Systems Applications.
• Research Application, 60 credits (105 credits required for Geography and Planning students).

1. Apply understanding of how cities work as instruments of social and economic networks and what the data and research requirements are to create the kinds of databases that are necessary for informed decision making at the local, provincial and national levels of government.
2. Apply advanced knowledge of the social and economic networking of individuals and groups within private and public urban space as it manifests 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.
3. Apply knowledge of the spectrum of spatial social and economic urban and regional problems that could occur as part of the dynamic of urban systems, the negative influences that they may have on the quality of people's lives, and ways in which resulting challenges are addressed in different parts of the world.
4. Apply knowledge of options that are available for service provision in the urban environment and creative ways in which it could be expanded or improved.
5. Apply knowledge of urban and regional management instruments and their application in South Africa and elsewhere in the world.
6. Identify and apply appropriate research methodologies when analysing different elements of human activities within the urban environment and be able to correctly judge what the data requirements are for such analyses.
7. Apply a variety of geographical analysis techniques available for socio-economic analysis with emphasis on GIS as an applications tool in decision-making.
8. Critically evaluate communication - oral or in printed format - and utilise modern electronic hard and software as instruments of communication in the sector.
9. Demonstrate a value system that will facilitate the appropriate and balanced use of knowledge in the solving of development problems in urban and regional systems.

Critical Cross-Field Outcomes

The Master of Philosophy: Urban and Regional Science promotes, in particular, the following Critical Cross-Field Outcomes:

• Identify and solve problems and make decisions using critical and creative thinking.
• Serve in the local, provincial and national levels of government in the area of systematic urban and regional analysis and policy making.
• Work effectively with others as members and or leaders of a team, group, organisation or community.
• Organise and manage self and own activities responsibly and effectively.
• Collect, analyse, organise and critically evaluate information.
• Communicate effectively using visual, mathematical and/or language skills in the modes of oral and/or written presentations.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the world as a set of related systems by recognising that problem-solving contexts do not exist in isolation.
• Show responsibility towards the environment and health and wellbeing of others in community, national and global contexts.
• Show capacity to reflect on own learning.

The learner will demonstrate

• Identify, assess, formulate and solve problems scientifically.
• Integrate technology responsibly during the problem solving process.
• Apply flexible, independent thinking processes, displaying openness to new ideas.
• Generate well founded ideas, which should then be structured, articulated and communicated to informed members of society.
• Communicate in a structured manner through written and oral presentations, as well as the facilitation of scientific discussions.
• Collect, disseminate and interpret relevant data and information required by individuals/organisation in the relevant discipline, as well as in society in general.
• Demonstrate a well-founded framework of knowledge within the field of research, and in particular, with regard to the Urban and Regional Science field/discipline.
• Demonstrate a scientific critical research and service-orientated attitude and scientific and academic values, (including objectivity, structure, reliability, validity, accuracy, coherence, logic and ethical obedience).
• Carry out advanced scientific research, specifically in the Urban and Regional Science field/discipline, while functioning successfully within a team, which could be of an interdisciplinary nature.

Integrated Assessment

Formative and Summative Assessment

• The formal formative evaluation and assessment practices of the University will be used to assist in determining the relevancy of contents in the qualification.
• External moderation of qualification content will be done according to the institutional policy.