Who can apply for an EGS Honours degree?
To apply for an EGS Honours programme, applicants are normally expected to have completed a Bachelor's degree in Environmental and Geographical Science (or an equivalent qualification) with an aggregate mark of at least 65%.
The department offers Honours programmes in Environmental and Geographical Science and Atmospheric Science. Applicants must apply through the faculty in which they completed their undergraduate degree. Students who completed a BA or BSocSci degree should apply through the Faculty of Humanities for Honours in Environmental and Geographical Science. Students who completed a BSc degree should apply through the Faculty of Science and may apply for either Environmental and Geographical Science Honours or Atmospheric Science Honours, provided they meet the relevant admission requirements.
Applicants from disciplines other than Environmental and Geographical Science are welcome to apply and will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Such applicants should use their letter of motivation to explain how their academic background and experience have prepared them for Honours-level study in EGS.
We offer information sessions on our Honours programmes during the second semester. Please keep an eye on our Instagram account, @egs_uct, for announcements regarding upcoming information sessions.
What does an EGS Honours degree involve?
The Honours degree combines advanced coursework with an independent research project undertaken under the supervision of an EGS academic. The programme is designed to deepen disciplinary knowledge, develop research skills, and prepare students for Master's-level study and professional careers in environmental and geographical sciences.
Students complete four advanced Honours-level courses together with a supervised research project leading to a dissertation. The specific curriculum depends on the degree programme and area of specialisation. Students interested in Atmospheric Science should consult the UCT Handbook for details of the programme structure and course requirements.
Coursework contributes 75% of the final degree mark and the research project contributes 25%. Students must pass both the coursework and research project components in order to be awarded the degree.
Coursework
Course selections must be approved by the Honours Programme Convenor. Subject to approval, students may be permitted to take selected courses outside the department. Students are expected to maintain satisfactory academic progress throughout the year and are encouraged to seek assistance early should they experience difficulties.
Research Project
The research project must be carried out under the supervision of an academic based in EGS. Before commencing the project, students work with their supervisor to develop a research proposal outlining the project's aims, objectives, theoretical or conceptual context, and methodology. The proposal is presented to the department, where staff and students provide constructive feedback.
Projects involving human participants must obtain ethical clearance from the Faculty of Science Research Ethics Committee before data collection can commence. Students should discuss ethical requirements with their supervisor at an early stage and ensure that the ethics approval process is incorporated into their project timeline.
Information on the ethics application process can be found at https://science.uct.ac.za/research-ethics. All ethics applications for Honours research projects in Environmental and Geographical Science are submitted through the Faculty of Science Research Ethics Committee, irrespective of the faculty through which the student is registered.
Both the proposal and dissertation should demonstrate an understanding of research design, engagement with relevant literature and theory, the application of appropriate methodologies, and high standards of analysis, interpretation and presentation.
Prior to submitting the final dissertation, students are required to present their research at the Annual EGS Postgraduate Colloquium. Presentations should clearly communicate the research problem, methodology, key findings and conclusions.
The dissertation should normally be between 7,000 and 10,000 words in length. Assessment places emphasis on the conceptual framework and literature review, problem formulation and research design, application of theory and concepts, data collection and analysis, interpretation of results, and the overall quality of presentation.