Top Doctoral Programs in South Africa 2019/2020

The Doctor of Project Management (Ph.D.) goal is to provide the students with the necessary expertise to assume strategic leadership roles in leading projects through the use of theory and practice. The program will help students develop core strategic areas of required expertise such as knowledge management, project management leadership and ethical procurement. The Project Management program is designed to advance the professional development of experienced management graduates and professionals in the project management arena by extending their knowledge and equipping them with broad research and process project management skills, enabling them to make a key leadership contribution to their chosen fields.... [-]

The Doctor of Mechanical Engineering (D.Sc) objective is to help students prepare for the increasing demands of designing and producing more complex mechanical devices to serve the needs of the organizations by focusing on basic research related to materials science and process engineering, product design, and information integrated manufacturing processes. The Mechanical Engineering is designed to advance the professional development of experienced Mechanical Engineering graduates and professionals in the Mechanical Engineering arena by extending their knowledge and equipping them with broad research and process Mechanical Engineering skills, enabling them to make a key leadership contribution to their chosen fields.... [-]

The Doctor of Economics degree unites economic analysis with the practical aspects of business. The program is intended to prepare students for careers in research and teaching in business administration and similar fields of economics. The program research represents theories and research methods used by a variety of academic disciplines such as technology and operations management, corporate governance and control, labor, relations, capital markets, and financial institutions, corporate finance, organizations and markets, international business, business strategy, and industrial organization marketing. The Economics program is designed to advance the professional development of experienced economics graduates and professionals in the economics arena by extending their knowledge and equipping them with broad research and process economics skills, enabling them to make a key leadership contribution to their chosen fields.... [-]

The primary goal of the Doctor of Computer Science (D.Sc) is to grow research computer scientist with the ability to generate new knowledge. The program of Computer Science (D.Sc) is designed to advance the professional development of experienced computer scientist and professionals in the computer arena by extending their computer knowledge and equipping them with broad research and process computer skills, enabling them to make a key leadership contribution to their chosen fields. The program has been created to train students for careers in research such as government research, universities research, and industrial research laboratories.

AIU’s Doctorate degree in Computer Science goes one step further by allowing students to study and research multiple key areas of computer science to develop a unique foundation of practical knowledge and computer science theory.... [-]

The Doctor of Psychology (Ph.D., DPsy) goal is to prepare students for the general practice of professional clinical psychology including education and training regarding the broader social and systemic factors that contribute to human dysfunction such as poverty, oppression, and marginalization. The program will help students develop evaluation techniques and assessment, psychological foundations, remediation and intervention procedures, and program evaluation and research. The Psychology program is designed to advance the professional development of experienced psychology graduates and professionals in the psychology arena by extending their knowledge and equipping them with broad research and process psychology skills, enabling them to make a key leadership contribution to their chosen fields.... [-]

The Doctor of Educational Administration is designed to prepare experienced practitioners for senior administrative and policy-making positions, and pursue careers in policy, university or college teaching, and research. The students are able to specialize in the areas of administration and policy analysis in higher education, student development and student affairs, international and comparative higher education, historical and philosophical foundations of higher education, finance and economics of higher education, and organizational culture and change. The Educational Administration program is designed to advance the professional development of experienced educational administration graduates and professionals in the educational administration arena by extending their knowledge and equipping them with broad research and process educational administration skills, enabling them to make a key leadership contribution to their chosen fields.... [-]

The Doctor of Engineering Systems (D.Sc) objective is to help students develop technical knowledge and apply new research methodologies to address problems in the development and implementation of engineering and technological systems. The Engineering Systems program provides both a broad background knowledge base and an in-depth study of a specialized area of systems engineering. Examples of specialization include: civil, electrical, or mechanical engineering. The Engineering Systems program is designed to advance the professional development of experienced engineering systems graduates and professionals in the engineering systems arena by extending their knowledge and equipping them with broad research and process engineering systems skills, enabling them to make a key leadership contribution to their chosen fields.... [-]

The WBS Ph.D. programme is the largest in South Africa and one of the most highly regarded on the continent. We seek out and bring together top candidates from across Africa to address important topics in their Ph.D. research that are relevant to the advancement of business and society on our continent. We have students from Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Zambia and of course South Africa, and the best faculty from across the continent so that our Ph.D. is authentically African in perspective. As a student of our Ph.D. programme, you will gain real cultural and social insights from our commercial and political debates, you will sharpen your ability to articulate, grow in confidence and realize the vastness of the knowledge domains you can master by developing your learning and research skills. A Ph.D. shows the world you are capable of putting in the disciplined effort, logical thought and leaps of insight needed to be a ground-breaking innovator. It tells employers that you work diligently to discover new truths, evaluate alternative approaches and forge ways forward based on solid evidence.... [-]

The Ph.D. degree in Economics degree programme enables candidates to choose a research topic from any field of specialization in Economics, such as general economics, transport economics, and financial markets.

The PhD in Education is offered by the Wits School of Education, as a research degree. This highly innovative programme is designed to catapult you to academic leadership in your chosen area of study. Though the Thesis is the only examinable component of this programme, we provide support to ensure the success of your thesis through the following activities designed to support students in their studies, give students opportunities to interact with each other, receive critical feedback on their work from fellow students and academics beyond their supervisor, and provide forums for intellectual and emotional support in the research journey:

The student should develop intellectual and specialized competencies and practical skills in the acquisition, interpretation, understanding, analysis, and application of transport economics, management, and regulatory principles. The student should develop research, writing and creative thinking skills in the transport economics field. The student should be able to take strategic decisions in the context of the transport sector and to analyze and assess any internal or external decision impacting on this sector.

The student should also be able to reflect on his/her managerial decisions and applications to analyze and assess the effect thereof in the holistic context of transport economics, management, and regulation. The thesis should constitute a reflection of knowledge and insight into the transport economics field.... [-]

The purpose of the programme is to develop the applied competence of the postgraduate student on an advanced level in research, analysis, interpretation, and understanding of Tourism and Hospitality.

Through a doctoral dissertation, the student will show evidence of independent research through quantitative or qualitative methods or a combination of both, to solve complex problems in society for the sustainability of the Tourism and Hospitality industries. The programme will assist in the continuing academic and professional development of postgraduate students.

A minimum of 65% average for MTech / Masters on NQF Level 8/9 in Tourism or Hospitality or any other associated field. A portfolio of evidence needs to be submitted for evaluation and approval by the departmental research and higher degrees committee.... [-]

The primary purpose of this qualification is to provide candidates with an in-depth understanding of concepts and theories underpinning the theoretical and practical aspects of PPL, as well as with original and independent scientific research skills to contribute towards the expansion of the PPL knowledge base.

A Master’s Degree for which a mark of at least 65% was obtained. A module in Research Methodology on NQF Level 8 or 9 is essential. Please note: Student numbers constraints necessitate a selection process. Students outside the PPL field will have to comply with the MPhil (Human Resource Management), Personal and Professional Leadership knowledge and skills requirements by means of qualifying short courses about PPL content.... [-]

The student should develop applied and highly specialized competencies and practical skills in the acquisition, interpretation, comprehension, and application of marketing management principles. Through the Doctoral thesis, in which the qualification culminates, a qualifying student would show evidence of independent and original scientific work. The thesis would constitute a decided contribution to a knowledge of the subject discipline as well as the field of research. Qualifying students would also display competence in the application of related research methodology, and the proper written and/or oral communication of the research process and findings. The student should be able to reflect on his/her research decisions and applications, to assess the effect thereof in the holistic context of marketing management.... [-]

The student should develop intellectual and specialized competencies and practical skills in the acquisition, interpretation, understanding, analysis, and application of logistics management principles. The student should develop research, writing and creative thinking skills in the logistics management field. The student should be able to take strategic decisions in the context of a logistics organization, or the logistics function of a company, and to analyze and assess any internal or external decision impacting the logistics function and/or profession. The student should also be able to reflect on his/her managerial decisions and applications to analyze and assess the effect thereof in the holistic context of logistics management. The thesis should constitute a reflection of knowledge and insight into the logistics management field.... [-]