Doctor of Administration (DAdmin) at University of Mpumalanga

Programme overview

The Doctor of Administration (DAdmin) at the University of Mpumalanga is an NQF Level 10 doctoral qualification by research in the field of Public Administration. The programme is designed for scholars and experienced public-sector practitioners who wish to undertake advanced, original research that contributes to the development of knowledge and practice in public administration. The programme focuses on the complex governance and administrative challenges confronting the public sector.

Faculty: Faculty of Economics, Development and Business Sciences | Department: School of Development Studies | Duration: Minimum 2 years full-time / 3 years part-time | Study mode: full-time | Location: Mbombela, Mpumalanga, South Africa

Career pathways

The DAdmin is intended to prepare graduates for advanced scholarly and professional roles. Public policy, governance and institutional advisory roles; Academic, research and postgraduate supervision careers; Public-sector consulting and specialist advisory work; Postdoctoral research fellowships and further advanced research collaborations

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

To qualify for consideration for admission, an applicant should meet the following minimum requirements:; A relevant NQF Level 9 Master’s degree in Public Administration or a related field.; A minimum mark of 60% for the research component of the Master’s degree.; Applicants who do not meet the conventional minimum entrance requirements may be considered through Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), subject to the applicable national and University policies.; Selection Criteria; Meeting the minimum admission requirements does not guarantee selection. Selection is subject to the University’s approved postgraduate policies and available programme capacity. The selection process considers:; Academic merit and the applicant’s demonstrated capacity for doctoral-level study.; Availability of a suitably qualified supervisor with expertise relevant to the proposed research area.; Alignment of the intended research with relevant Faculty or institutional research focus areas.; Availability of appropriate research resources and, where applicable, researc

Main intake: February; first-year lectures started on 09 February 2026 with registration in January. Second semester registration runs 20 July to 31 July 2026. Master's and doctoral postgraduate orientation was held 04 to 08 May 2026.

Applications for doctoral programmes for 2027 close on 30 January 2027.

Applications for 2027 admission open on 01 June 2026. The non-refundable application fee is R200 for South African applicants, R400 for SADC applicants and R550 for other international applicants.

Apply through the official page: https://www.ump.ac.za/apply

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