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2024

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Faculty of Theology and Religion

Faculty regulations and information

The regulations for the degrees published here are subject to change and may be amended after the publication of this information.

The General Academic Regulations and General Student Rules apply to all faculties and registered students of the University, as well as all prospective students who have accepted an offer of a place at the University of Pretoria. On registering for a programme, the student bears the responsibility of ensuring that they familiarise themselves with the General Academic Regulations applicable to their registration, as well as the relevant faculty-specific and programme-specific regulations and information as stipulated in the relevant yearbook. Ignorance concerning these regulations will not be accepted as an excuse for any transgression, or basis for an exception to any of the aforementioned regulations.

1. General
The programmes of the Faculty of Theology and Religion are aimed at theological training with a view to engage in community development, and to enhance knowledge of theology and religion as a discipline at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Some programmes offer general training and formative development which can be used by churches as a basis for church-specific training. In addition to the programmes which are offered in cooperation with church partners, and offer both generally formative and church-specific formative theological training, there is also a much broader scope that considers Theology and Religion as an academic research field.

The programmes can be divided into two further categories:

1. those intended for early specialisation [MTh, PhD]
2. those offering a broad, general education to a reasonably advanced stage, before focusing on a specific field of specialisation and research [BDiv, MDiv, MTh, leading to PhD].

2. Academic literacy
The academic literacy of all students who enroll at the University of Pretoria for the first time and all new undergraduate students enrolling with the Faculty of Theology and Religion for the first time will be assessed at the start of the academic year. It could be required from new postgraduate students to provide proof of their academic literacy. 

Students following a degree programme:
The NSC Grade 12 English mark will be used to determine whether students in the Faculty of Theology and Religion should register for the academic literacy module (ALL 110). ALL 120 is compulsory for Theology undergraduate students.

• Home Language: Students with a 4-symbol or lower must register for ALL 110.
• First Additional Language: Students with a 5-symbol or lower will register for ALL 110.  NB: Grade 12 examination - refers to the final National Senior Certificate examination.

3. Examination admission and pass requirements

Consult General Academic Regulations G10-G14, G24-G26, G36-G37 and G49.
A performance mark of 40% in a module is required to be admitted to the examination.

Excluding cases where faculty regulations require a higher percentage, a subminimum of at least 40% is required in the examination in each module. Should the student fail to achieve the required subminimum, the lecturer could grant a supplementary examination provided that the average of the semester mark and the examination mark is at least 40%.

A final mark of at least 50% is required to pass. The pass mark for a mini-dissertation is at least 50%. The stipulations of G39 regarding pass requirements for dissertations apply with the necessary changes to mini-dissertations.

4. Dean’s merit list for top achievers
In order to qualify for the Dean’s merit list, a student must have an outstanding academic record for completed studies.

Undergraduate students (BDiv, BTh and Dip[Theol]) must have achieved an average of 75%(GPA) (not rounded) or above in all of their years of study. No modules should have been repeated, all modules prescribed for a specific academic year level should be completed in that year.

Honours students must achieve an average of at least 75% (GPA) (not rounded). The degree must be completed in the minimum prescribed time and no modules should have been repeated.

Master’s students must achieve an average of 75% (GPA) (not rounded) or more, and the degree must be completed in the minimum prescribed time.

The top achievers of the Faculty selected to be on the Dean’s merit list will annually be acknowledged at a function hosted by the Dean.

5. Collaboration of the Faculty of Theology and Religion with the Centre for Faith and Community
The Centre for Faith and Community offers the following one-year specialisation programmes as continued education programmes at NQF-level 8:

• Faith Communities and Missional Leadership
• Leadership in Urban Transformation
• Narrative Pastoral Care
• Pastoral Care and Counselling
• Personal and Corporate Coaching
• Youth Ministry

Students who have completed these courses may be admitted to the mainstream academic programmes in the following manner:

Postgraduate Diploma (Theology)
The abovementioned six programmes are offered as specialisations to be credited formally into the Postgraduate Diploma (Theology), based on students’ entry-level qualifications. If the student has completed this programme, and has already completed a Bachelor’s Degree in another discipline, or its equivalent, a student is credited with two to a maximum of four of the modules for the Postgraduate Diploma (Theology) for the Practical Theology and Missiology modules, in consultation with the respective heads of department. A student will be required to do two to four more modules from the other two prescribed clusters, as well as the integrative research report. The number of credits will be determined in consultation with the relevant heads of department and the programme manager.

Bachelor of Theology Honours
A student, who already obtained a BTh degree, or its equivalent, is credited for having completed three of the four required modules of the honours degree in Practical Theology, once they completed one of the Centre’s six specialisations. In addition, a student is required to complete a research report in the year of registering for the honours degree.

Master of Theology (coursework programmes)
A student, who already obtained a BThHons degree, or its equivalent, can register for the coursework master’s degree. A mini-dissertation based on  research must also  be developed and submitted. In specific cases, at the discretion of the relevant head of department, a student can register in a discipline other than Practical Theology, with recognition/credits awarded for modules where relevant.

6. PhD procedures
Also refer to General Academic Regulations G42 to G55.

First-year PhD students must defend their research proposals in their respective departments and in the format deemed appropriate by such department. Only on approval of the proposal at departmental defence process will a PhD student be allowed to commence with the research and register for a second year.

Evaluation of the thesis examiners’ reports
Also refer to G50.4.4

1. Every examiner must independently and individually submit a report to the Head: Student Administration.
2. The examiners’ reports are treated confidentially.
3. Every report must contain one of the following recommendations:
   1. that the degree be conferred without any changes to be made to the thesis by the candidate;
   2. that the degree be conferred as soon as minor changes have been made to the thesis by the candidate, to the satisfaction of the supervisor and the head of the department;
   3. that the degree be conferred as soon as the candidate has made major changes to the thesis to the satisfaction of the examination panel;
   4. that the thesis does not meet the required standard, but that the candidate be invited to review the thesis and to resubmit the thesis at a later stage for re-examination;
   5. that the thesis be rejected and that the candidate does not pass.
4. The examiners’ reports are made available to the relevant head of department by the Head: Student Administration.
5. In the case of a thesis, the examiners’ recommendations made in terms of G50.4(4.4) are preliminary in nature and subject to the successful completion of revisions as required by the examiners and the recommendation of the Postgraduate Committee.
6. If the examiner’s reports are conflicting or scenario iii (c) is relevant, the candidate should be called for oral questioning to confirm the recommendation of the panel. In this case:
   1. The head of department or Deputy Dean of Research arranges and chairs an oral examination during which the candidate is required to do a presentation on the thesis. The examiners appointed in terms of G50.4(4.1) constitute the examination commission for the oral examination. If an examiner is unavailable the supervisor calls upon one of the substitute examiners appointed in terms of G50.4(4.1) to act as a member of the examination commission. If the head of department is the supervisor, a head of department from one of the other departments must be appointed.

After the presentation by the candidate, the examination commission constitutes a closed meeting chaired by the relevant head of department to consider the success of the candidate’s representation, to review all the examiners’ reports and to submit a consolidated report to the Postgraduate Committee with one of the following recommendations:

• that the degree be conferred;
• that the thesis does not meet the required standard, but that the candidate be invited to review the thesis and to resubmit it at a later stage for re-examination; or
• that the thesis be rejected and that the degree not be conferred on the candidate.

2. In the case of G50.4 the supervisor provides a short report on the outcome to the Postgraduate Committee for recommendation to the Dean.
3. If the examiners recommend revisions as set out in G50.4 these revisions must be completed and the revised thesis submitted to the supervisor and the head of department, or the examination committee, as required.
4. The supervisor, in consultation with the head of department, makes the relevant section(s) of the examiners’ reports available to the candidate in accordance with G50.4 in order for the necessary changes to be made to the thesis before the review or re-examination.
5. If deemed necessary by the chair of the Postgraduate Committee, the examination commission may be constituted in a closed meeting (which may be conducted telephonically or electronically), chaired by the head of department, to consider the revised thesis, to review all the examiners’ reports and to submit a consolidated report to the Postgraduate Committee.

7. If all the examiners recommended in terms of G50.4 that the thesis be rejected, the supervisor and the head of department review the examiners’ reports and submit a consolidated report to the Postgraduate Committee.
8. The Postgraduate Committee makes a recommendation to the Dean as Chair of the Faculty Board, as follows:
   1. that the degree be conferred; or
   2. that the thesis does not meet the required standard, but that the candidate be invited to revise the thesis and to resubmit it at a later stage for review, by the head of the department; or
   3. that the thesis does not meet the required standard, but that the candidate be invited to revise the thesis and submit it for re-examination by the examination committee; or
   4. that the thesis be rejected and that the degree not be conferred on the candidate.