Mail & Guardian
Mail & Guardian

Partner with the School of Architecture & Planning to advance your career and build the community

3 min read
The primary intent of the School of Architecture and Planning is to provide an excellent learning environment, offering accredited professional degrees in architecture, planning and related interdisciplinary urban studies and urban design.
The primary intent of the School of Architecture and Planning is to provide an excellent learning environment, offering accredited professional degrees in architecture, planning and related interdisciplinary urban studies and urban design.

Through its teaching, research, creative work and community engagement, the School of Architecture & Planning (SoAP) has a significant role to play and makes a positive societal impact. Over the past 100 years, the school has responded to changing conditions in cities, communities and built environments in South Africa, and in the rapidly globalising and urbanised world. Students and professionals wishing to pursue a career in architecture or planning, and those seeking to further develop their knowledge-base, will find opportunities for specialisation as well as research enquiry within our degree offering. The school’s ethos prioritises:

  • Partnering with applicants to continue upskilling in areas of specialisation and fields of interest.
  • Appraising and deploying discipline-specific technological trends in architecture, spatial planning and urbanism as tools for teaching, learning and practice.
  • Studying the critical histories and theories of architectural and spatial planning, including diversity as a significant factor.

Postgraduate degree programmes

The MSc in Development Planning is designed to enable students with a Postgraduate Diploma in Planning to qualify as professional planners. The degree is accredited by the South African Council for Planners. Photo: Phillip Santos
The MSc in Development Planning is designed to enable students with a Postgraduate Diploma in Planning to qualify as professional planners. The degree is accredited by the South African Council for Planners. Photo: Phillip Santos

Click on the links for the application closing dates and admission requirements for each degree programme. 

The Master Urban Design at Wits is an interdisciplinary studio-based think tank engaged with design visions, strategies and solutions for cities and towns, focused on learning lessons from the globalising cities of the South.
The Master Urban Design at Wits is an interdisciplinary studio-based think tank engaged with design visions, strategies and solutions for cities and towns, focused on learning lessons from the globalising cities of the South.

Flexible curricula, modules and interdisciplinary opportunities

There are full-time, part-time and blended/remote learning and research opportunities. Also, the Master of Urban Studies programmes admit students who have degrees outside of architecture and planning, although some foundational courses may be needed to fulfil the requirements.

Bursaries, scholarships and international exchange programmes

The Master of Urban Studies in partnership with the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) awards scholarships to the Master of Urban Studies and PhD students, and hosts sponsored yearly summer schools in Johannesburg, Berlin (Germany) and Lagos (Nigeria). The school also offers a prestigious two-year Felicia May-Johnston Scholarship, available for women students who intend to do Honours and Master of Architecture (Professional) degrees at Wits.

Career upskilling

The school offers many opportunities for qualified professionals (architects, town and regional planners, urban designers and landscape architects), government officials in planning and strategic planning posts, non-governmental professionals and general interest learners.

Mentoring and student-support facilities

Students are assigned mentors to supervise their theses and dissertations. The school has two research centres: the Centre for Urbanism & the Built Environment (CUBES), and the South African Research Chairs Initiative (SARChI) in Spatial Analysis and City Planning (SA&CP); as well as programmes taught in collaboration with TU Berlin and University College London. The teaching staff includes National Research Foundation-rated professors producing internationally recognised research outputs.

Contact

For Postgraduate enquiries contact the Postgraduate Administrator:

Siphokazi Makhaye | Tel: +27(0)11 7177703 | e-mail: Siphokazi.Makhaye@wits.ac.za

For other enquiries or to book an online consultation with the school’s admin team, visit wits.ac.za/soap/study-with-us/