| Qualification code: | 90105 |
| Qualification type: | Full Research |
| NQF level: | 9 |
| Total credits: | 180 |
| SAQA ID: | 103109 |
Purpose statement:
This qualification includes the various specialisations in Arts. Please refer to "Notes" for details on the specialisations. The qualification is designed to accommodate students who finish the Postgraduate Diploma in Security Management and wishes to further their studies.
It will equip students to deal with complex issues both systematically and creatively, make sound judgments using data and information at their disposal and communicate their conclusions clearly to specialist and non-specialist audiences. It will also equip them to demonstrate self-direction and originality in tackling and solving problems, act autonomously in planning and implementing tasks at a professional or equivalent level, and continue to advance their knowledge, understanding and skills in the field of Security Management.
The primary rationale of the qualification is to educate and train researchers who can contribute to the development of knowledge by completing a single research project.
The second rationale is to provide Master of Arts (MA) in Security Management graduates with the knowledge, specific skills and applied competence in security to ensure opportunities for continued personal intellectual growth, gainful economic activity and valuable contributions to society.
The third rationale of the qualification is to provide South Africa and the global community with postgraduate security officers. To widen the innovative and knowledge based security leadership who will promote economic and scholarly activities.
The last rationale of the qualification is to provide South Africa and the global community with postgraduate security officers who understand the constructive role they need to play as intellectual leaders in their society, and who are empowered and equipped with the required research and analytical skills to play a key role in shaping law enforcement in a just society based on constitutional democracy within a world legal order.
An appropriate bachelor honours degree, or an appropriate postgraduate diploma, or a 480 credit bachelor's degree with a minimum of 96 credits at level 8. A candidate who has not completed a module in research methodology may be required to complete such a module at NQF level 8 for Non-Degree Purposes before he/she will be allowed to register for the dissertation.
All students with foreign qualifications, including those with qualifications from African countries, must have their qualifications evaluated at SAQA (www.saqa.org.za).
In addition to the above requirements, applicants must submit a transcript or an academic record, as well as a document describing their intended research. Candidates may also apply for admission via RPL. Candidates will be accepted on the following criteria: suitability and viability of the intended research, adequate supervisory capacity and research expertise in the discipline or department; and an approved selection procedure, which is in line with Unisa's policies on equality and diversity in the discipline or department.
Applicants who would like to apply for admission through recognition of prior learning (RPL) must be at least 30 years old; and have at least 15 years' relevant work experience (of which 5 years should be at management level) in the study field in which they would like to apply for admission to a qualification. For more information on RPL criteria visit: www.unisa.ac.za/rpl
All master's and doctoral qualifications are structured over a defined period. Refer to sections 4.12 and 4.13 in the Procedures for master’s and doctoral degrees.
A student registered for a 180-credit structured research master’s degree must complete the study programme within three years. A student may make application to their supervisor for one additional year of study. The supervisor will consult with the Executive Dean of the College in which the student is registered.
A research master's degree comprises a dissertation on an approved topic. You will be expected to have a research proposal approved in the first year of study.
Please note: If you do not complete a research proposal in the first year of study, you will not be permitted to continue with the qualification. You will also be excluded from applying for admission to the same college for a period of two years.
Click here to view a list of departments and research focus areas for the College of Law.
Unisa’s admission policy has changed and you are now required to submit a detailed research outline for the qualification for which you apply. No application submitted without a detailed research outline will be considered. Although this research outline may differ for each qualification or academic department, the basic information required is as follows:
Your research outline must align with one of the departmental research focus areas. Please also take note of Unisa's Catalytic Niche Areas; you should strive to incorporate at least one of the Catalytic Niche Areas (CNAs) into your research. These include the following:
You can join the CGS-facilitated CNA working groups for the next series of meetings. For more information, visit www.unisa.ac.za/cgs
Click here for the guidelines on how to prepare a research outline.
Plagiarism of any form is unacceptable. Please take note of Unisa's Policy for Copyright Infringement and Plagiarism.
Pay the online application fee of R150,00 once you have received your Unisa student number.
Please note:
An application for a student number does not constitute an application for admission. After you receive your student number, you must still complete the online application for admission process and upload the compulsory supporting documents.
Click here for the 2025 student fee information. The fee information for the 2026 academic year will be available at the time of registration.
Students registering for qualifications through the Graduate School of Business Leadership (SBL) should visit the SBL website for fee information, as the SBL uses a different fee structure.
Click here for student funding/bursary opportunities.
Application are online only! Apply for admission to master's or doctoral qualifications for the 2026 academic year between 2 September and 21 November 2025..
Click here to apply for a student number and apply for admission.
Please ensure that you apply for a Unisa student number (if applicable), apply for admission and upload all the supporting documents during the application period. If you already have a Unisa student number, you proceed to apply for admission and upload all the supporting documents.
You have 10 working days to upload all the supporting documents during the application period. If you do not comply with this requirement, your application will be declined and you will have to re-apply for admission during the current/next application period.
Only students whose application for admission was approved and re-registering students (who made sufficient progress during the current academic year) will be allowed to register online within the approved registration period for the 2026 academic year. Coursework master's degree students must await the official approval of their research proposal module, before attempting to re-register for the next academic year. Students with outstanding fees or a Library block on their accounts, will not be able to register online until these issues have been resolved. No printed registration forms will be accepted.
Click here for registration information.