Research/ degree options

The scope and depth of a masters full thesis is more extensive than that of a mini-thesis. A masters degree by full thesis usually does not require further demonstration of competence. 

The word count for a full research thesis should be in the range of 25 000 - 45 000 words. Reference lists and other annexures are not included in the word count. 

These are coursework modules for which formative and summative assessments are required, together with a mini-dissertation, (or equivalent research product as provided for in rules). The credit value for a mini-dissertation is less than a full dissertation, with a minimum of 60 and a maximum of 99 credits for research. A mini-thesis is only one requirement for the completion of a coursework masters degree. The coursework should be completed before submission of the mini-thesis.

The word count for a mini-thesis should be around 15 000 – 20 000 words. Reference lists and other annexures are not included in the word count. 

A master’s student may apply to upgrade his or her study to a doctoral study before submitting his or her thesis for examination. In order to upgrade to a PhD, the student must fulfil the following criteria.

The student and supervisor(s) must submit a motivation clearly outlining:

• the scope of the original Master’s project

• that the work completed exceeds the scope of the Masters study

• What additional work will be completed in respect of the proposed doctoral study.

• That upgrading the Masters will result in completion of the doctoral degree requirements in a shorter period of time.

 Reports from two external experts should also be provided to support the motivation.

The student should submit completed work and the proposed project to a panel of two internal  reviewers who will evaluate the merit of the work and the proposed PhD contribution. Reviewers should not have any direct involvement with the student’s research project. Students need to motivate as to how the old objectives were upgraded in order to be on par with a PhD.

The student must indicate that s/he has been informed that in the event of the PhD being failed, the student will not be able to exit with a Masters. The student also needs to indicate that s/he has been informed that the enrolment period for the Masters will be added when calculating the student’s period of registration for the PhD. The application should be submitted together with the reviewer’s report to SHD via FHD for approval.

Refer to the FORMS tab for the application form

The defining characteristic of this qualification is that the candidate is required to demonstrate high level research capability and to make a significant and original academic contribution at the frontiers of a discipline or field. 

The student needs to be enrolled for a minimum of 2 years and a maximum of 5 years.

Forms of submission for doctoral degrees

All doctoral degrees are offered as full research degrees. 

Monogram

The monograph format is used by most candidates which provides far greater detail for the benefit of the examiners. Typically, the thesis must be a coherently structured narrative in which the candidate reports on the conceptualization, execution and the writing up of the study. The thesis must be between 50 000 and 100 000 words. The thesis is expected to have chapters which cover the traditional components including

a)   an introduction

b)  a literature review

c)   a methodology chapter

d)  a results chapter

e)  a discussion chapter and

f)   a concluding chapter

The student must demonstrate mastery of the conventions of scholarship in the thesis with a specific focus on the unique contribution of the study.

PhD by Publication

Doctoral theses by publications comprise 

a)       a preliminary section

b)      an introductory section

c)       a publications section and

d)      a concluding section

The presentation of the preliminary and introductory sections are flexible, but the expectation is that the core content should be covered as in the traditional monograph format. The PhD by publication includes a number of manuscripts that were published or accepted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal as per the guideline for theses by publication. The main departure is the structure and function of the publications and concluding sections. Since the doctoral thesis by publications is an alternate format for the presentation of doctoral research findings, from a quality assurance perspective, it is restricted to research work already published or accepted for publication after blind, peer review.

The extent to which the candidate is able to demonstrate that the objectives of the study were fully answered by these publications will be the key consideration for supervisors and examiners, and the overarching requirement. There are a number of requirements that must be adhered to. For example, the journals must give permission to include the published articles in the thesis. Similarly, the editorial board must give permission to include reviewers’ comments as an attachment to the thesis to illustrate the material contribution of the review process. The PhD by publication is recommended to be undertaken by academically strong candidates who understand the research processes and the skills required to write for publication.

See detailed University guidelines below.