Acquire strategic foresight to make long-range decisions
Our internationally accredited PGDip Futures Studies will help you understand the forces and trends that shape the future, and the nature of global change. This will enable you to manage long-term organisational strategies aimed at designing the ideal future. The programme will also equip you with high-level competencies to react meaningfully to growing complexity in the organisational environment while taking Africa and South Africa’s developmental challenges into account. This will allow you to mitigate risks and leverage opportunities.
A transformative learning experience awaits you – particularly if you see your future self as a strategist, long-range decision maker, manager or leader. It is the only programme of its kind presented in Africa, and one of only a few in the world.
What is Futures Studies? Futures Studies is not about predicting the future, but rather about understanding how various futures will unfold. It analyses the interaction between a wide range of variables or forces, and distils from these forces those issues that will affect the future of a country, government, entity or individual. It studies the world of economics, politics, technology, demography, social values and other subject fields, both locally and globally. It equips decision makers with ways to deal with change and to make the right decisions to survive but preferably thrive in a changing world. Futures Studies is about acquiring strategic foresight to make long-range decisions in order to mitigate risks and identify opportunities.
Postgraduate Diploma
Postgraduate Diploma Futures Studies
Modular
Dates for 2024: (on campus)*
- Block 1: 26 February – 2 March (Orientation on the Monday)
- Block 2: 20 – 24 May
- Block 3: 12 - 16 August
- Block 4: 28 October – 1 November
Fees: R101 520 (2023)
Duration: 1 or 2 years
*The Business School reserves the right to change programme dates and times.
Blended
Dates for 2024: (blended)*
- 15 January (Orientation) Remote.
- Classes commence 16 January @ 16:00 until 4 December
- Classes can run multiple evenings in one week
Foundation modules – Foundation modules – Tuesday (Blended 1), Wednesdays (Blended 2), Thursdays (Blended 3).
Specialisation modules – Wednesdays
Fees: R101 520 (2023)
Duration: 1 or 2 years
*The Business School reserves the right to change programme dates and times.
What you need to apply
- Bachelor’s degree
- At least 2 years of experience in strategic management or strategic planning
- Recognition of prior learning
- Application fee
- Certified copies of your academic records
- Certified copies of your degree certificates
- Copy of your ID/Passport
- Comprehensive CV indicating your work experience.
- Verification consent form
- Motivational essays
- Highly recommended: Proficiency in English.
2 duration options
1 year or 2 years
2 formats
Blended Learning (combination of online and on-campus classes)
Modular (blocks of on-campus classes spread over time)
2 streams
General
Managing New Technologies
Who will benefit from this?
Strategic planners | MDs | CEOs | anybody involved in strategic planning over 5 years and longer
2023 application deadlines
South Africans: 30 November
SADC + rest of world applicants: 15 November
Recognition of Prior Learning applicants: 31 October
Course Structure and Content
Acquire strategic foresight to make long-range decisions
Futures Studies is not about predicting the future, but rather about understanding how various futures will unfold. It analyses the interaction between a wide range of variables or forces, and distils from these forces those issues that will affect the future of a country, government, entity or individual. It studies the world of economics, politics, technology, demography, social values and other subject fields, both locally and globally. It equips decision makers with ways to deal with change and make the right decisions in order to survive but preferably thrive in a changing world. Futures Studies is about acquiring strategic foresight to make long-range decisions, allowing you to mitigate risk and sense opportunities.
Understand the forces and trends that shape the future
Stellenbosch Business School’s internationally accredited Postgraduate Diploma Futures Studies will help you understand the forces and trends that shape the future and the nature of global change. This will enable you to manage long-term organisational strategies aimed at designing the ideal future. The programme will also equip you with high-level competencies to react meaningfully to growing complexity in the organisational environment while taking Africa and South Africa’s developmental challenges into account. It is the only programme of its kind presented in Africa, and one of only a few in the world.
If you are a strategist, managing director or CEO or if you are involved in strategic planning, this PGDip will give you a unique advantage in the industry. It will enable you to play a significant role in creating a time horizon of a better future for South Africa and for Africa.
The modules of the PGDip Future Studies are split into a foundation phase (covering skills, frameworks, and tools you can apply in any field of work) and a specialisation phase (programme-specific modules).
Ways in which you can make this programme work for you
- Choose between two streams: We offer the PGDip Futures Studies with generalist modules for those involved in strategic long-term planning, and the PGDip Futures Studies stream in Managing New Technologies (MNT) for those involved in planning their organisations’ technological future.
- Choose between two formats and duration options: The flexible design of the programme allows you to choose the format (blended learning or modular) and duration (1 year or 2 years), making it easier for you to study while you work.
- Invest in your career path: Passed at a certain level, this PGDip can give you access to these programmes at the Business School: MPhil Futures Studies, MBA, or MPhil Leadership Coaching.
The PGDip Futures Studies is offered in two streams:
- The PGDip Futures Studies with generalist modules – aimed at strategic planners, managing directors, CEOs and anybody involved in strategic planning over five to 20 years
- The PGDip Futures Studies stream in Managing New Technologies (MNT) – aimed at leaders, managers, consultants and strategic planners who are involved in planning their organisations’ technological future.
The two qualifications share the same foundation modules but their specialisation areas differ. The stream-specific modules are offered during the specialisation phase of the programme.
More about the PGDip Futures Studies (generalist)
The PGDip Futures Studies with generalist modules is designed to expose you to:
- The nature of global change, its rapid pace and its ever-increasing complexity
- An understanding of the forces and trends that shape the future, allowing you to leverage opportunities and mitigate risk
- Managing organisational strategies to create a desired future.
In addition to learning about the tools required to measure the future, you will encounter ways and means of designing a more desired future. Indeed, this is the spirit that drives Futures Studies – we can, if we so wish, conspire to co-create the future we want. This qualification is therefore aimed at those people in organisations who wish to enhance their understanding of possible changes in their long-term future and their ability to respond accordingly. This is particularly important for the development of a growing number of open-minded citizens and institutions capable of displaying a holistic understanding of the social, ethical, political, technical and economic forces shaping the future.
As the only programme of its kind presented in Africa, and one of only a few in the world, it will equip you with high-level competencies to react meaningfully to growing complexity in the organisational environment while taking into account the unique developmental challenges facing Africa and South Africa. These challenges typically include health deficits, education deficits, global participation and human security.
More about the PGDip Futures Studies MNT
The PGDip Futures Studies stream in Managing New Technologies is about remaining relevant in a world of rapid technology change. Hence, this programme is aimed at improving the leadership capabilities of all managers regarding the management of new technology. It is also aimed at improving your organisation’s resilience amidst the increasing digitisation of services, products, devices and ways of working.
The skills acquired through this PGDip will serve managers in all functional areas. It will help to break down the fear of being left behind while others are embracing technology. It will help managers on all levels to become digital and data literate in order to manage new technologies in their environments.
This PGDip will provide you with a framework within which you can deal with both current and future technological changes. It includes a module on responsible leadership, which will help you to take your stakeholders along on a journey of technological change.
PGDip Futures Studies with generalist modules
Futures Studies serves the needs of individuals, groups, organisations and governments that wish to gain an understanding of possible changes in their long-term future and to respond accordingly. This is particularly important in the light of Africa’s and South Africa’s imperative to raise the quality of life. This, in turn, requires the development of individuals and institutions with a holistic understanding of the social, ethical, political, technical and economic forces shaping the future. Hence, the programme is aimed at:
- Strategic planners, managing directors, CEOs and anybody involved in strategic planning over five to 20 years and longer
- Anyone who wants to play a role in creating a better future for South Africa and for Africa.
PGDip Futures Studies stream in Managing New Technologies (MNT)
This programme is aimed at those who need to take the management of new technologies into account in longer term planning. The skill set acquired through this programme will add value to managers in any industry. This includes those working in IT, management and consulting, entertainment or the creative industries, education, and financial services. This programme will therefore benefit:
- Leaders, managers, strategic planners and consultants involved in companies, divisions, start-ups, projects, or networks of gig workers
- Those involved in long-term decisions regarding the adoption of new technologies for strategic gain
- Those who want to play a significant role in creating a time horizon of a better future for South Africa and for Africa.
PGDip Futures Studies with generalist modules
The modules of the PGDip Futures Studies are split into a foundation phase (covering skills, frameworks and tools you can apply in any field of work) and specialisation phase (programme-specific modules).
You need to do 4 of the following 5 foundation phase modules:
- Term 1: Understanding the World (compulsory)
- Term 2: Responsible Leadership (compulsory)
- Term 3: Thinking Frameworks (compulsory)
- Term 4: Organisational Behaviour OR Managing Risk and Uncertainty
Next, you need to do the 4 modules of the specialisation phase:
- Term 1: Principles of Futures Studies
- Term 2: The Future of Technology
- Term 3: Measuring and Making the Future
- Term 4: Futures Studies in Practice
PGDip Futures Studies stream in Managing New Technologies (MNT)
The modules of the PGDip Futures Studies are split into a foundation phase (covering skills, frameworks and tools you can apply in any field of work) and specialisation phase (stream-specific modules).
You need to do 4 of the following 5 foundation phase modules:
- Term 1: Understanding the World (compulsory)
- Term 2: Responsible Leadership (compulsory)
- Term 3: Thinking Frameworks (compulsory)
- Term 4: Organisational Behaviour OR Managing Risk and Uncertainty
Next, you need to do the 4 stream-specific modules of the specialisation phase:
- Term 1: Management of Technology and Innovation (15 credits)
- Term 2: The Future of Technology (15 credits)
- Term 3: New Technologies Taxonomy (15 credits)
- Term 4: Managing New Technologies Capstone (15 credits)
At Stellenbosch Business School we put a strong premium on face-to-face interaction, regardless of whether you attend classes in person or virtually.
Blended Learning classes
Late-afternoon classes once every week for those doing their PGDip over 1 year, or once every fortnight for those doing their PGDip over 2 years. The blended learning classes are presented from the Business School’s Hyflex classrooms. You can choose to attend the compulsory classes online, or in person on campus from the Hyflex classrooms. The online classes are presented synchronously with the on-campus classes.
The specialisation modules and foundation modules alternate weekly. This means one week of foundation modules is followed by one week of specialisation modules. The specialisation modules are presented on Wednesday afternoons from 16:00 till 20:15 (short break included), while the foundation modules are presented on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday afternoons from 16:00 till 20:15 (short break included).
The advantages of blended learning include:
- Flexibility: Study while you work with the flexibility of digital class attendance, which means minimum time away from work.
- Less travel: The blended learning delivery option opens up access to students from elsewhere in South Africa, from other African countries and even further afield. It also lowers the opportunity cost to do this programme with us as it reduces travel and accommodation costs.
Modular classes
Four full blocks of classes spread over the year if you are doing the 1-year PGDip (i.e. morning and afternoon classes from Monday to Friday), or four blocks of either morning or afternoon classes per year if you are doing the two-year PGDip (i.e. morning or afternoon classes from Monday to Friday).
The advantages of modular classes include:
- Flexibility: Study while you work, with in-class experience and focused studies.
- An immersive experience: Being on campus for a week at a time allows you to focus on your studies without interruption from work. Working with your classmates in a face-to-face environment adds another dimension to collaborative (peer-to-peer) learning and network building.
1-year PGDip
Delivery mode for all modules (foundation and specialisation):
- Blended learning format: 1 late afternoon session per week for 40 weeks + 4 weeks of assessments OR
- Modular format: 4 full modular blocks spread over the year (i.e., mornings and afternoons)
2-year PGDip
Delivery of foundation modules in Year 1:
- Blended learning format: 1 late afternoon session every second week OR
- Modular format: 4 block weeks per year with classes either in the morning or the afternoon
Delivery of specialisation modules in Year 2:
- Blended learning format: 1 late afternoon session every second week OR
- Modular format: 4 block weeks per year with classes either in the morning or the afternoon
Notes:
- Each modular block runs from Monday to Friday, except the first modular block which runs from Monday to Saturday.
- South African students who select the 2-year option will be able to pay their fees over 2 years.
Stellenbosch Business School provides additional access to its programmes through its Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) process, as recommended by the Council on Higher Education (CHE). The purpose of the Council on Higher Education’s policy on Recognition of Prior Learning is to develop and facilitate the implementation of RPL across the higher education sector and to base this on the principles of equity, access, inclusivity and redress of past unfair discrimination with regard to educational opportunities.
In line with the requirements of the Council on Higher Education, the Business School may admit up to 10% of its student body per programme under RPL.
Candidates who wish to be admitted under the RPL policy will firstly have to submit all the documentation as required for all prospective students. In addition, prospective students applying for this PGDip need to adhere to the following:
- Have at least an NQF 4 qualification.
- Have at least 10 years of working experience after obtaining a school leaving certificate, of which at least 5 years should have been in a management or related professional position.
- Submit a comprehensive CV, indicating detailed areas of responsibility as well as information of activities outside the work environment.
- Provide the Business School with the names and contact details of at least two persons who can testify about the candidate’s managerial or related professional abilities (typically current or former line heads). These persons will be required to give a detailed personal reference about the candidate on forms provided by Stellenbosch Business School.
The RPL selection process entails the following:
- The Business School’s Admissions Committee (programme head and another academic) will conduct an in-depth interview with the candidate and make a recommendation about admission.
- The Admissions Committee will consider the full application including the interview recommendation and the inputs received from the references for admission.
- A notice of admission is sent via the Business School’s Academic Planning Committee to the Board of the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences at Stellenbosch University.
- RPL candidates need to apply by 31 October of each year to allow sufficient time for the assessment process.
- Note that the learning acknowledged in terms of RPL cannot also be used to grant exemption of credits within the same programme.
Programme Head
Prof
André
Roux
Download brochure here
Download brochure to discover more about our programmes
Understand the forces and trends that shape the future, and the nature of global change. This programme will enable you to manage long-term organisational strategies aimed at designing the ideal future. The programme will also equip you with high-level competencies to react meaningfully to growing complexity in the organisational environment while taking Africa and South Africa’s developmental challenges into account.
Programme Fees
Application fee for 2023
Tuition fees for 2023 (These are the fees for 2023. The fees for 2024 will be published here once they become available.)
Important:
- Payment of full programme fees for South African students: Students can pay the full programme fees upon registration, or they can pay 80% of the annual fees by the end of May and the balance of 20% by the end of September.
Payment schedule (calculated on outstanding fee after deposit payment):
28 February - 31 May - 20% x 4 months (80%)
30 June - 20 September - 5% x 4 months (20%) - Payment of full programme fees for international students: International admitted students pay 50% of the annual fee as deposit. The remainder is due one month before commencement of the programme. The South African exchange rate favours international students.
- Deposit: All students pay a deposit on acceptance of admission. South African students must pay a set deposit on admittance. International admitted students pay 50% of the annual fee as deposit. The deposit payable is non-refundable and will be deducted from the total programme fees.
- Application fee: The application fee must accompany the application. The application fee is non-refundable.
- Additional fees for international students: International students pay an International Registration Fee (IRF) per academic year. Students from countries other than those in the Southern African Development Community also pay an International Tuition Fee (ITF) (i.e. students from SADC countries are exempt from the ITF).
- Study materials: Study fees include tuition, assessment and e-textbooks.
- Travel and accommodation: Students are responsible for their own travel and accommodation arrangements and costs.
- Fee changes: Stellenbosch Business School reserves the right to change the fees at any time.
Please use your Student Number as Reference | Email proof of payment to [email protected] | Quote your student number in all correspondence.
Admission Requirements
- The online application form consists of various sections. In order to progress to the next section, all the information in the current section must be completed and accepted by the information management system.
- You will be able to complete the form in steps without losing information (i.e. you do not have to complete the application form in one sitting).
- The application process is the same for South African and international students.
- International students require a South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) evaluation certificate to evaluate their degrees according to South African standards. The Business School’s International Affairs Office will first handle the credential evaluations of international students free of charge. Students need to complete the online application and upload all certificates with their application. The International Affairs Office will, as part of the application process, conduct an in-house credential evaluation after you have submitted your application. However, should the International Affairs Office be unsure about the status, recognition or accreditation of your qualification, we reserve the right to refer you to SAQA before we consider your application further.
- Applicants can go back to their applications and check the status of their applications.
- All degrees undergo a formal vetting process to eliminate fraudulent applications.
- It is best to use Google Chrome as web browser when completing your application.
- See Apply for your PGDip Futures Studies in 7 steps
Click on the APPLY NOW button and complete the online application form by completing each of the required sections. You also need to upload the following supporting documentation:
- Proof of school-leaving mathematics results
- Certified copies of academic records (which must include a transcript of the subjects)
- Detailed CV
- Consent form to verify your qualifications (please download, complete and upload the form in order for Managed Integrity Evaluation (Pty) Ltd to verify your qualification documents)
- Motivational essay (see above)
- Copy of ID (or passport for non-South African students)
- Marriage certificate (where the applicant’s new surname does not match that on the degree certificates)
- Signed declaration form
Payment of your application fee can be done online:
- Bank details: Bank: Standard Bank; Type of account: cheque account; Account name: US Business School; Account number: 073003069; Branch name: Stellenbosch; Branch code: 050610; Beneficiary name: Stellenbosch University; SWIFT code: SBZAZAJJ.
- Enquiries about payments: Please send an e-mail to [email protected].
What happens next?
Your application can only be assessed by the selection panel if it is accompanied by your completed online application form and all the supporting documents, and if you have paid the application fee. The outcome of the selection process will be made known within 30 days or as soon as possible thereafter. If you are uncertain whether your application is complete and is being processed, contact [email protected] for assistance.
Deadlines for PGDip Futures Studies applications:
- 30 November for applicants from South Africa
- 15 November for applicants from visa-exempt SADC countries, and the rest of the world
- 31 October for Recognition of Prior Learning applicants.
Also note the following:
- Deadlines for RPL applicants: Note that application deadlines for Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) applicants are earlier than those for South African students.
- Study permits for international students: Obtaining a study permit (study visa) from the South African authorities can take up to 12 weeks from the date of being offered a place on a programme at the Business School. An early start with the application process is therefore recommended.
- Multiple-entry visas: Students from non-SADC African countries and other countries with visa requirements who need to apply for study visas can obtain a letter from Stellenbosch Business School confirming the duration of registration at the Business School. This will help students to obtain multiple-entry study visas in case of modular studies.
Study visa requirements for international students
All residential students who are non-South African citizens and are studying at Stellenbosch Business School require a study visa. Prospective students should contact their nearest South African Mission (South African Embassy, Consulate or High Commission), normally in their country of origin, to enquire about the requirements for study visas for South Africa. Applicants are required to present themselves in person so that biometric data may be captured. All international students can contact the Business School’s International Affairs Office at [email protected] for assistance. All international students must hold a valid visa for their intended activity prior to entering South Africa.
Notes on obtaining a study visa
- Obtaining a study visa from the South African authorities takes approximately 12 to 16 weeks from the date of application. However, some missions may process applications sooner. Sufficient time should be allowed for study visa applications to be processed.
- Your study visa application should include a copy of the letter offering a place on the Business School’s study programme. This letter will be provided by our Academic Administration once the application has been approved. A place on the programme must be confirmed before a study visa application can be considered by the South African Department of Home Affairs. Students should not proceed to Stellenbosch University or its Business School without a valid study visa.
- Although applicants are expected to determine exactly what they require to apply for a study visa, they can be expected to provide the following, among others: a police clearance certificate, proof of medical insurance recognised in South Africa, a radiology report, proof of sufficient funds, and an admission letter from Stellenbosch Business School. Your nearest South African Mission will be able to advise in this regard. The onus falls on the student to make sure that he/she submits a complete application pack.
- All documents should be certified and translated into English before submission (in order not to delay the outcome of the application).
You can still apply based on your management experience. You need to submit all the documentation and assessments as required for all prospective students, plus additional requirements as explained under Recognition of Prior Learning elsewhere on this page.
You need to write an essay of between 400 and 500 words on the topic outlined below, and submit this as PDF with your application pack:
Stellenbosch Business School aspires to be a source of value for a better world. How are your career goals aligned with being a source of value for a better world, and how would this postgraduate programme assist you in achieving your short-term (2 to 3 years) and long-term (10 years) career goals?
Contact Us
Please contact us if you need more information on this programme or the application process:
Programme enquiries and support with the applications process
Charmaine Garcia
Telephone: +27 (0) 21 918 4246
Email: future@stellenboschbusiness.ac.za
Admission and registration enquiries
Joanne Sleigh
Telephone: +27 (0) 21 918 4239
Email: joanne@stellenboschbusiness.ac.za
Liz Hillock
Isaac Nkama
Frequently Asked Questions
Futures Studies is about acquiring strategic foresight to make long-range decisions in order to mitigate risk and identify opportunities. You will gain an understanding how various futures will unfold so that you can make better decisions. Futures Studies analyses the interaction between a wide range of variables or forces and distils from these forces those issues that will affect the future of a country, government, entity (organisation or company) or individual. It studies the world of economics, politics, technology, demography, security, social values and other subject fields, both locally and globally. It therefore equips decision makers with ways to deal with change and to make the right decisions to survive but preferably thrive in a changing world.
An appropriate Bachelor’s degree. A minimum period of two years of experience in strategic management or strategic planning.
Yes, but on a volunteer basis only. Alumni from Stellenbosch Business School offer to mentor students during their studies and to provide career or industry advice. This service is offered in association with the Business School’s Alumni Relations Office and Career Leadership Office.
Academic assistance is offered via a web-based learning environment, various software and database resources, small-team study groups, informal learning groups and tutorials for certain modules.
Yes, South African students can spread the payment of their fees:
Payment of full programme fees for South African students: Students pay a set deposit on admittance. Students on the 1-year PGDip can pay the full programme fees upon registration, or they can pay 75% of the annual fees by the end of May and the balance of 25% by the end of September. Students on the 2-year PGDip can spread their payment over 2 years.
Payment of full programme fees for international students: International admitted students on the 1-year PGDip pay 50% of the annual fee as deposit. The remainder is due 2 weeks before commencement of the programme.
The deadlines for PGDip Futures Studies applications are 30 November for applicants from South Africa; 15 November for applicants from visa-exempt SADC countries and from the rest of the world; and 31 October for Recognition of Prior Learning applicants.
Obtaining a study permit (study visa) from the South African authorities takes up to 12 weeks from the date of being offered a place on a programme at Stellenbosch Business School – an early start with the application process is therefore recommended. Recognition of Prior Learning candidates (all programmes) need to apply by 31 October each year. Late applications after the closing dates will only be considered in exceptional circumstances.
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