What is the deadline?
Applications closed on 14 November 2019.
We were absolutely delighted to receive 41 complete applications. We have admitted 19 people into a combination of Pre-Doc certificate and PhD entry.
We hope to make a call for the next cohort in 2021 for intake in 2022. The information below is now for interest only.
Who should apply?
We are seeking exceptional individuals who are interested in social justice in higher education to undertake this structured PhD in Higher Education Studies.
Full-time academics who are interested in part-time studies are welcome to apply.
Full-time students who are interested in full-time studies are welcome to apply.
How long does it take?
The Higher Education Qualifications Sub-Framework tells us that the PhD is 360 NQF credits.
That's 3600 notional hours.
That's about 18 hours a week over four years or 15 hours a week over five years.
Most PhD students battle to make sense of what they are expected to do over all those hours. This programme will provide you with clear expectations and tasks with regular feedback to make sure that you stay on track. Sadly, this programme will not be any easier than any other PhD and the workload will be intensive.
While you will be guided and have a great team of people alongside you, we recommend that you consider where and how you will find all those hours before you apply for this PhD. Discuss with your family and colleagues and employer what the implications of your taking on this journey might be. Make sure that they are on board too!
Is funding available?
We have applied for funding from the DHET and British Council and hope to hear soon whether that has been approved. Please see the SJ&QinHE scholarships page for more information. All applicants to this programme who meet the funder's criteria will be considered for these scholarships.
If you are a full-time staff member of a South African university, you can apply for UCDG funding through your employing institution's research office.
If you are planning to study full-time, you can apply for NRF funding. Please be aware that most universities set an internal deadline that is two weeks before the NRF deadline.
What are the costs?
Those who receive scholarships will be fully-funded. Those who are self-funded or funded through their employing universities might like to consider this broad outline of costs (subject to change):
- Approximate Fees - Full-time: R16 000, Part-time: R12 000
- 3 Doc Weeks per year - Flights, shuttle from PE to Makhanda/Grahamstown, accommodation and subsistence - Approximately R10 000 per Doc Week
What do I need to do to apply?
Click on the application button below. You will need to upload the following documents with your application:
- Your CV
- An application essay of 6 to 12 pages (including references) in which you outline why the issues of social justice and quality in higher education are interesting to you. We would like to see some engagement with the relevant literature. You can outline a potential topic you would like to research and you're welcome to indicate something about the actual research design though you might not yet be in a position to do so.