Training
A number of short courses and post-graduate qualifications are available in South Africa. There is an emphasis on core courses or modules, as well as those that specialise in specific niche areas.
Specific courses on monitoring and evaluation (M&E) can be found here.
Tertiary providers of short and executive courses as well as
post-graduate qualifications in the field of (generic) policy
management in South Africa include:
Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT), Faculty of Business
The Faculty is responsible for undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in Public Management as well as the National Diploma in Public Management.
Central University of Technology (CUT), School of Government Management
The School offers a National Diploma in Public Management and a B. Tech Degree in Public Management. These programmes aim to promote comprehensive transparency, accountability, effective service delivery, freedom of action and democratic government and a development-orientated public sector.
Durban University of Technology (DUT), Department of Governmental Studies
The Department offers a National Diploma in Public Management and degree courses in public management. These studies aim to prepare students for a career in public management in the civil service of state, provincial or local sphere of government, and non-governmental organisations.
Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU), School of Governmental and Social Sciences (Political and Governmental Studies)
The Department offers a national diploma and undergraduate degrees in public management. Postgraduate studies in public administration have core modules focusing on policy analysis.
North West University (NWU)
The NWU (Mafikeng Campus) is the first university in South Africa to offer a vocational twin-track Master of Business Administration (MBA) and Master of Public Administration (MPA) programmes. These programmes are the result of capacity building initiatives of the Department of Local Government and Housing as part of a UK Department of International Development consultancy project aimed at creating sustainable development in the North-West Province. In addition, the Department of Public Administration offers undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in public administration. Undergraduate courses include methodologies of policy analysis.
Regenesys School of Public Management
The policy development and management course explores various policy models and focuses on steps of the policy management cycle: policy analysis, development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation. The course includes policy management success and failure factors and the development and writing of organisational policies.
Tshwane University of Technology, Department of Public Management
A national diploma, undergraduate and postgraduate courses in public management are offered by the Department.
University of Cape Town (UCT), Department of Political Studies
The Department offers two majors at undergraduate level: politics, and public policy and administration. Core courses for the major in public policy and administration include the following fields of study: state, management and administration; public development and administration; policy-making and implementation in South Africa; comparative public sector reform and public management; and urban politics and administration.
University of Fort Hare
The School of Public Management and Development (formerly the Fort Hare Institute of Government) offers a number of undergraduate and postgraduate degree courses in the field of public management and social policy. Social Science in Social Policy and Development Studies for Southern Africa is a postgraduate degree which provides a theoretical and practical learning experience in social policy and development studies. The Masters Degree in Policy Studies aims to prepare learners for specific challenges confronting southern and eastern Africa. More general courses offered are the Bachelor of Administration (Public Sector Management & Administration) and the Master of Administration (Public Administration) by research. Recently the School entered into negotiations with the University of Oxford and
the United Nations University to establish the Centre for Social Policy and Local Government Studies.
University of Johannesburg (UJ), Department of Public Governance
The Department offers new undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in public management and governance, and aims to address the public sector’s research and training capacity-building needs.
University of KwaZulu-Natal, Policy and Development Studies
The School offers a number of degree programmes as well as courses in policy studies. The Postgraduate Diploma in Policy & Development Studies offers a variety of courses that range from an introductory level to more specialised offerings. Both an Honours Degree in Policy & Development Studies and a Masters Degree in Policy & Development Studies are offered. In addition, a number of specialised courses are on offer: Public Policy Analysis, Contemporary Policy Issues in South Africa, Managing Public Policy, Policy Monitoring & Evaluation and Civil Society & Public Policy
University of Limpopo (UL), School of Economics and Management
The School offers a number of bachelors and honours degrees, and diploma programmes
University of Pretoria (UP), School of Public Management and Administration
The School offers a range of courses from undergraduate to post-graduate level. The Master of Public Administration and
Master of Administration programmes offered by the Department include a
compulsory course on policymaking.
University of South Africa (UNISA), Department of Public Administration
The Bachelor of Arts (Human and Social Studies) with specialisation in Policy Studies
is mainly aimed at students in the public policy environment, as
well as journalists, independent analysts, academics and civil society
leaders. Its focus is on understanding the cause and consequences of
policy decisions, and how public policy is made, implemented and
analysed. In addition to this specialised course, the Department of
Public Administration offers a range of more general undergraduate and
postgraduate degrees.
University of Stellenbosch, School of Public Management and Planning
Apart from undergraduate courses, the School offers postgraduate
programmes in public administration, and public and development
management. It also runs short courses, including five-day courses on policy writing, implementation and evaluation, and strategic policy management.
University of the Free State (UOVS)
The University of the Free State’s programme in
Governance and Political Transformation is offered at both undergraduate and postgraduate level. A Postgraduate Diploma in Governance and Political
Transformation is also offered. The Masters in Governance and Political Transformation aims to develop political expertise and management skills in an
environment of rapid change to support institutional development. The Ph.D. (Governance and Political Transformation) focuses on politics through a multi-disciplinary
approach. In the area of subject specialisation the Department of Philosophy and Policy Studies in Education introduces educational policy studies, policy analysis and policy development at post-graduate level with the M.Ed. in Policy Studies and Governance in Education
University of the Witwatersrand (WITS), Graduate School of Public and Development Management (PD&M)
The WITS Graduate School of Public and Development Management offers the Public Policy Masters of Management degree through coursework and research to build capacity in policy research, analysis, monitoring and evaluation. The degree cultivates researchers and policy analysts to impact on policy development in the South African environment, as well as on developing countries in general. The Masters of Management in the field of Public and Development Management is also offered. The curriculum aims to build competencies including policy formulation and implementation. In addition to the above, both Masters and PhD degrees by research are offered.
The Department offers a number of courses relating to policy work, at both undergraduate and postgraduate level.