Doctor of Philosophy (PHD) in Management Sciences at Central University of Technology, Free State

Entry requirements

Minimum Prior Qualification: A cognate 180-credit NQF Level 9 qualification, specifically: A coursework Master’s degree including a mini-dissertation, OR: A research-only Master’s degree. Required Academic Performance: Research-Only Master’s: A minimum grade point average of 60% at the cognate Master’s level. Coursework Master’s: A minimum grade point average of 65%, with no less than 70% achieved in the mini-dissertation component. Experience Exception: Candidates falling short of these thresholds by not more than 5%, but with over 5 years of managerial or professional experience, may be considered subject to a suitability interview. Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL): Available for applicants who do not meet the minimum academic requirements, provided they can present a suitable research project in their field of specialisation. Fields of Specialisation: The PhD in Management Sciences offers research supervision across the following 15 specialised fields: Accounting: Agricultural Business Management: Business Administration: Business Management: Engineering Business Management: Entrepreneurship: Fashion Business Management: Finance: Hospitality Business Management: Human Capital Management: Internal Auditing: Marketing Management: Project Management: Public Management: Tourism and Event Business Management: Programme Regulations & Provisional Admission Process: Degree Type & Duration: This is a research-intensive doctoral qualification (180 SAQA credits, NQF Level 10). Duration is 2–6 years (Full-time). Provisional Admission & Proposal Development: Provisionally admitted students are given a maximum of 6 months (full-time) or 12 months (part-time) to prepare a research proposal. During this period, they are exposed to three optional research modules (A, B, and C) in a seminar format. Two-Tier Approval Process: The research proposal must first be accepted by the Departmental Research and Innovation Committee (DRIC) for formal registration. Subsequently, it must be approved by the Faculty Research and Innovation Committee (FRIC) before the student may proceed with the empirical study. Termination of Admission: Failure to fulfil the proposal submission conditions within the allotted time may lead to the termination of provisional admission, unless an acceptable extenuating motivation is provided (in which case, one final extension period may be granted). Graduation: After successful completion and examination of the thesis, the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Management Sciences will be awarded during an official graduation ceremony of CUT.