What is the MPhil in Violent Histories and Repair?

This two-year postgraduate degree provides students with critical decolonial approaches to engage the long-term effects of mass violence and its transmission across generations. Grounded in the humanities and social sciences, the programme encourages students to think about the relationship between history, memory and repair in both theoretical and applied ways.

How is it delivered?

Students are required to attend all lectures and seminars in person in Stellenbosch and the surrounding areas. The curriculum includes site-specific learning, seminar-based discussions and individual mentorship. In the second year, students complete a research thesis under the guidance of academic supervisors, with the structure of supervision arranged jointly.

What are the benefits?

  • Solid grounding in critical theories of memory, trauma and repair
  • Exposure to interdisciplinary and decolonial research methods
  • Opportunities for intellectual engagement with international and South African case studies
  • Research training designed to prepare students for doctoral study or professional work in various fields
  • A focus on socially responsive and ethically grounded scholarship

Who is it for?

The programme is suited to students who:

  • Have an Honours degree or equivalent at NQF Level 8 in a field within the Humanities, Social Sciences or Law
  • Have experience in or a strong interest in qualitative and/or theoretical research
  • Are committed to exploring questions of historical injustice, transgenerational trauma and repair
  • Intend to contribute to the ethical production of knowledge within their communities and institutions

Future Career Paths

  • Historian
  • Public Historian (archivist, museum & cultural heritage)
  • Trauma-informed Educator
  • Higher Education Governance
  • Peace and Conflict Research
  • Anthropology and Psychology Research
  • International Development and Human Rights
  • Employee Relations and Organisational Change
  • Academic Researcher and Doctoral Studies

Tuition

Please click here to request a Detailed Provisional Statement of Fees/Quotation. Non-South African citizens also pay an additional international fee. More details to be provided

Note: The estimated amounts above excludes the costs of any text books, but includes the costs for other study materials.

Please also visit the University’s postgraduate website pertaining to fees: Postgraduate fees

Scholarships

Scholarships are available to candidates who apply for our MPhil. Interested candidates must apply for admission to the programme via Stellenbosch University’s online system and submit a separate scholarship application to Dr Melanie Cilliers at cilliersm@sun.ac.za.

For eligibility criteria and other application procedures, click HERE.