After a very competitive selection process with almost 200 applications, twelve students were selected for the MEd Psychology programme at the Faculty of Education. This masters qualification in educational psychology (MEd Psych) is presented to students who want to qualify as Educational Psychologists. Stellenbosch University (SU) is the only tertiary institution in the Western Cape that trains educational psychologists.
Prof Deresh Ramjugernath (Deputy Vice-Chancellor Learning & Teaching at SU) attended the orientation meeting with the selected cohort of students on 18 January 2023. He got an appreciation for educational psychologists during the past two years of the COVID-19 pandemic when many students struggled with mental health issues. According to Ramjugernath there is a need and demand for educational psychologists. He encouraged the students to use the knowledge they gain in this programme to give back to the country and to be in service of society.
Dr. Karlien Conradie is responsible for the coordination of the MEd Psych programme and is also a lecturer in the Educational Psychology Department (Faculty of Education). “This is a historical moment for us, as it will be the first time in many years that we were able to select a truly socio-cultural diverse group of MEd Psych student,” Conradie said. The selection process took place in September 2022. There were almost 200 applications and only twelve students can attend the programme.
The MEd Psychology programme aims to develop students both professionally and academically and has been accredited by the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA). The primary purpose of this programme is to train registered Educational Psychologists. The programme is structured in such a way that the competencies, commensurate with what is needed by Educational Psychologists within the context of a transforming South Africa, are developed.
