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