How and When to Apply

Applications may be received by GST at any time during the year, though please note that registration with NWU will be completed by GST in November of each year for the following January. A candidate for admission to a degree programme of the School should first read the prospectus, especially the description of the courses available and the entry requirements.

Tutors

Students may wish to nominate a suitably qualified Tutor in their home area, subject to this appointment being approved by the University. Otherwise, an accredited Tutor will be appointed from within the United Kingdom and will work at a distance with the individual student. After submission of the Research Proposal to NWU, each student preparing for a Masters or Doctoral submission will also be supported by a professor of the Faculty of Theology, NWU. Recently, we have found the use of e-mail, and the ‘attachment’ facility, enables students and tutors to keep in close contact. All communications are ‘copied’ to the Liaison Administrator.

Graduation

It is the normal policy of the School for all graduating students to attend a biennial Convocation Ceremony in London to receive their degree in person from the the Vice-Chancellor of North-West University or his deputy. Where this is not possible, the student must advise the Liaison Administrator that he/she will be unable to attend he/she will be unable to attend a ceremony either in the UK or South Africa and consequently request that the degree be conferred in absentia. This is only granted in exceptional circumstances.

Minimum Period of Registration

The normal period allowed for completion of each degree course is THREE YEARS, with an option to extend that for a further two years, applied for separately. Any student needing an extension must submit a request to the Registrar with details of the re-arranged programme of study.

Academic Probation and Disqualification

The Registrar will request the Tutor to provide periodic reports on student progress. A student whose work proves to be unsatisfactory will be required to re-submit the work, or to consider withdrawing from the study programme.

All work accepted for the degree must be approved by the student's Tutor, who will demand the highest possible quality in the submitted work.

Documents required at the time of registration

Occasionally the Registrar for GST has experienced difficulty in gathering together from individual students the transcripts and other documents that are essential at the time of registration.
This causes some delay in fully registering a student at NWU which, consequently, affects the stipulated period of registration for that student.
Students are reminded that they need to produce the documents required by the Registrar when asked to do so (and promptly please). NWU does not regard a student as being fully registered until the documentation is complete. Failure to meet these requirements may result in the degree award for the student being unnecessarily delayed.