This paper aims to get a reflective understanding of what prospective students and potential host organisations regard as pros and cons of a new International Master's Programme in Work Integrated Political Studies (WIPS), that is to be implemented jointly by University West (Sweden) and the University of the Western Cape (South Africa). Furthermore, the paper thereby also aspires to contribute to the theoretical discussion regarding work integrated learning (WIL) and contradictions between theory and practice, as well as academia and the real world. More specifically, the paper examines; (1) What are the positive and negative thoughts of prospective students regarding the Master's Programme in Work Integrated Political Studies? (2) What are the positive and negative thoughts of potential host organisations regarding the Master's Programme in Work Integrated Political Studies? (3) How do the respondents see the contradictions between theory-practice and the academia-real world in relation to the Master's Programme in Work Integrated Political Studies?

This paper is built on two parts, one is the creation and evaluation of the new WIPS master and the second part highlights previous research in the field of WIL and theoretical contradictions. It is a qualitative small-n study of Sweden and South Africa. Through focus group interviews with students and semi-structured interviews with organisations, it is shown that the interest in the programme is high. A majority of both prospective students and potential host organisations would like to be a part of this new master's programme. The reason is the combination of work and studies, which is valuable for both the students and the host organisations. The programme aims to better prepare students for the labour market, which the students' desire and the organisations are sure of. However, the Master's Programme in Work Integrated Political Studies faces a challenge regarding being acknowledged as a third place-based design to overcome the theoretical contradictions. Respondents are still separating theory and practice as well as the academia and the real world, even if some can see and acknowledge the integrating aspects between the contradictions.