2005-10-11,+PLAAS+Post-Grad+Programme+2005+Brochure


 * University of the Western Cape**

**Programme for Land and Agrarian Studies (PLAAS) – School of Government Post-graduate Programme in Land and Agrarian Studies – Brochure for the 2005 Academic Year (2006 brochure in print)**
The post-graduate Diploma and MPhil in Land and Agrarian Studies commenced in 2001, in close co-operation with academic colleagues from the Department of History at the University of the Western Cape (UWC), the University of Cape Town, the University of Stellenbosch, and the Legal Resources Centre. The course aims to enhance the capacity of participants to critically analyse land and agrarian policies and programmes.

Key areas of the courses include the redistribution of land, restructuring agrarian social relations to address problems of deep rural poverty, and land reform and agrarian change from a multi-disciplinary perspective. PLAAS staff provide teaching input on land, rural development and natural resource management in a number of other teaching programmes at UWC.


 * Post-graduate Diploma and MPhil in Land and Agrarian Studies**

Study land reform and agrarian change in Southern Africa from a multi-disciplinary perspective, and enhance your capacity to critically analyse key policies and programmes.

Apply now for admission to a unique programme of post-graduate study which draws on academic expertise from a variety of disciplines at the University of the Western Cape (UWC), the University of Cape Town (UCT) and the University of Stellenbosch (US) together with the Legal Resources Centre (LRC).

The programme is housed within the School of Government at UWC, and administered by PLAAS. Scholars from UCT’s history department and the history, agricultural economics and forestry departments from the University of Stellenbosch convene and teach some modules, as do practitioners from the LRC.

The purpose of the programme is to enhance the capacity of government and civil society organisations to develop and implement policies and programmes of land and agrarian reform that seek to achieve both the redistribution of productive assets and sustainable development.
 * Programme objectives**

The specific objective is to develop appropriate knowledge and skills which will enable policy makers, planners, mangers, researchers and field workers in the sector to: · conceptualise key policy issues of land and agrarian reform · analyse policy and programme design · plan effective programmes and projects · undertake research on important questions of policy and practice


 * Target group
 * The post-graduate diploma aims to provide training in conceptual and policy analysis skills to planners, managers and fieldworkers in the land reform and rural development sector. These could work for government departments, local government bodies, non-governmental organisations, or private sector companies and consultancies.

The MPhil is aimed at those wishing to develop skills in in-depth research on land and agrarian reform. Graduates may pursue academic careers or work for monitoring and evaluation units or consultancy companies.

Students on the programme may study towards a Post-Graduate (PG) Diploma in Land and Agrarian Studies, an MPhil (Coursework) in Land and Agrarian Studies or an MPhil (Research) in Land and Agrarian Studies.
 * Course structure**

Students taking the PG Diploma or the MPhil (Coursework) must complete the six taught modules in the first year. Students who successfully complete the coursework may graduate with a PG Diploma. Alternatively, students who complete the coursework with an average mark of 60% or above may proceed towards an MPhil (Coursework) in the second year. This will require completion of a mini-dissertation on a appropriate topic to be agreed with the course coordinator.

Suitably qualified candidates may apply to take the MPhil (Research), involving a full-length Master’s dissertation on an appropriate topic. Candidates for the MPhil (Research) are not required to take the taught courses offered as part of the PG Diploma.


 * Admission criteria
 * For admission to the Post-graduate Diploma in Land and Agrarian Studies applicants should have obtained an undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline (for example, sociology, history, economics, political science, agriculture, geographical and environmental studies).

For those applicants without first degrees, recognition of prior learning (RPL) procedures will apply. The most likely candidates for RPL applications are practitioners who may not have had the opportunity to engage in higher education, or may only have a diploma or certificate qualification.

Admission to the MPhil (Coursework) is via the Post-Graduate Diploma course, and is only available to students with an average mark of 60% or higher in the taught courses.

For admission to the MPhil (Research) in Land and Agrarian Studies, candidates must have at least an Honours Degree (or equivalent) in an appropriate subject, and must demonstrate a good understanding of their chosen research topic.


 * Approach to teaching and learning
 * The curriculum is multi-disciplinary and analyses policy questions in historical and comparative perspective, drawing on experiences in Africa and elsewhere. It facilitates and active approach to learning through small group discussions, debates, and structured exercises as well as reading and writing assignments. These methods are aimed at developing students’ abilities to think independently and solve problems.

MPhil students will learn to conduct independent research on aspects of land and agrarian reform, either of a theoretical or applied nature. This will involve design and implementation of a research project on a specific topic, to be completed within twelve months.


 * Programme outline**

Post-graduate diploma students must complete six modules, each worth 20 National Qualifications Framework (NQF) credits. The six modules each comprise a pre-course assignment, contact teaching over a two-week period, and a post-contact assignment. There are three on-campus teaching blocks every year: in March/April, June/July and September. Two modules are completed per teaching block. The teaching blocks consist of lectures and classroom discussion and debate, with designated periods for reading.

For the MPhil (Coursework), students must complete the teaching programme, followed by a mini-thesis in the second year. This mini-thesis is worth 60 NQF credits. For the MPhil (Research), students must complete a single module in research methods (20 NQF credits) and a thesis (160 NQF credits).

LAS 704: The economics of agrarian systems · The role of agriculture in economic development · The South African agricultural economy · Agriculture and rural development · The impact of deregulation · Rural livelihood diversification and building · the rural non-farm economy · The economics of land reform

LAS 706: Sustainable rural livelihoods and integrated development planning · Understanding rural livelihoods · From ‘integrated rural development’ to ‘sustainable rural livelihoods’ · The ‘sustainable rural livelihoods’ approach in practice · Decentralisation and development planning · Local government reform and development planning in South Africa · Integrated development and rural livelihoods: · Case studies

LAS 707: Sustainable natural resource management in land and agrarian reform · Natural resources and livelihoods in southern Africa · Managing natural resources: Conceptual frameworks and controversies · Rangelands and the carrying capacity debate · Forests and the gendered nature of resource tenure · Wildlife and the devolution of authority debate · Water catchments and conflict management: · Struggles over meaning · Legal dimensions and the co-management debate

LAS 708: Legal and socio-legal dimensions of land and agrarian reform · Implementing social and economic rights · History and evolution of property law and land rights in South Africa · The application of law in land reform in the post-transition period · Law and development

LAS 701: The land question in southern Africa: historical perspectives · Conquest and dispossession, 1652–1795: A survey · Forms of dispossession and modes ofacquisition, 1795–1900s · The making of the reserves · Urban segregation: Locations and townships · Urban segregation: Group areas · Grand apartheid: The Bantustans · Case studies of removals · Traditional authorities and land rights · Black political organisations and the land question · Resettlement sites · Land restitution

LAS 703: Land and agrarian reform in contemporary Africa: Comparative perspectives and policy debates · Land, agriculture, poverty and rural livelihoods in Africa · The agrarian question in Africa: Analytical and conceptual issues · The variety of reform: Case studies across Africa · Intensive case study of land reform in South Africa (redistribution, restitution, tenure reform) · Implementing policies: Politics, ideology, state capacity

Course fees

Estimated course fees in 2005 for students from South Africa and Southern African Development Community countries are as follows:


 * Post-graduate diploma: R10 500.00
 * MPhil: R11 500.00

All students must also pay a registration deposit of approximately R550.00 In addition, students must cover their own photocopying, travel and accommodation costs.

Grants to cover a proportion of course costs may be available for a limited number of students. Students are encouraged to raise their own funding from employers or other sources.

Application forms are available from: Admissions Office School of Government University of the Western Cape Private Bag X17, Bellville 7535 Cape Town, South Africa Tel: + 27 21 959 2120 Fax: + 27 21 959 3668

For further information on the course contact Course Co-ordinator Dr Thembela Kepe, Telephone: +27 21 959 3733 E-mail: tkepe@uwc.ac.za or visit the PLAAS website at www.uwc.ac.za/plaas/