Description
The Bachelor of Regional and Rural Development Honours is a postgraduate specialisation degree that aims at consolidating and
deepening the knowledge and skills of students in the main cognate area of learning and capacitate them to conduct research of
an applied nature. It builds upon the outcomes of the Bachelor‘s degree in the same subject fields / cognate area of learning.
The programme is purposefully designed to equip students with a deepened theoretical grounding in the theories, concepts and
approaches of integrated development planning and management, supported by knowledge of contemporary development
issues and challenges experienced in rural areas. The programme aims to prepare students with the necessary knowledge, tools,
techniques and skills to plan and manage regional and rural development projects and local economic initiatives, to manage
complex rural issues and contribute to development outcomes, within the context of national and regional development
priorities and environmental, social and economic sustainability. In addition, the programme equips students to conduct applied
research, communicate results successfully and make appropriate decisions based on research findings.
Admission Requirements
Applicants may be admitted to this programme if they have a Bachelor of Regional and Rural Development (NQF Level 7) degree
from NUST.
Applicants with an equivalent, relevant qualification at NQF Level 7, worth at least 360 credits, from recognised tertiary
education institutions, may be accepted or may be required to enrol for selected undergraduate courses if the Department
deems it necessary to address critical gaps in the core competencies of regional and rural development. These courses may be
taken concurrently with the Bachelor of Regional and Rural Development Honours programme.
Applicants with a Polytechnic of Namibia National Diploma in Land Use Planning may be considered for admission, provided they
had completed undergraduate courses in the core competencies of regional and rural development. They may be exempted
from the above‐mentioned undergraduate courses if they have at least three years of applicable working experience and show
competence in the field, based on a portfolio of relevant work undertaken at an acceptable standard.
Applicants may be required to attend a pre‐selection interview and/or test at the discretion of the Departmental Selection
Committee.
Career Opportunities
The Bachelor of Regional and Rural Development Honours degree provides knowledge and skills that will allow graduates to assume supervisory/middle management and applied research positions in the field of integrated regional and rural development planning, such as development planners, community development officers, community liaison officers, conservancy managers, project managers, rural enterprise and industrial development officers and disaster management officers.
Graduates can be employed in the public sector at national level (e.g. Ministry of Urban and Rural Development; Ministry of Land Reform; Ministry of Poverty Eradication and Social Welfare; Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare), regional level (Regional Councils) and local level (Local Authorities, Traditional Authority Offices, Constituency Offices), state-owned enterprises (e.g. National Housing Enterprise), the private sector, non-governmental organisations and international development organisations (e.g. UNDP), etc. Although the emphasis is on Namibia, graduates will have the knowledge, skills and competencies to enter the international job market, as the NQF is recognised internationally
