University of South Africa campus

Health Sciences

Doctor of Philosophy in Consumer Science at University of South Africa

University of South Africa, South Africa

Programme overview

The purpose of the Doctor of Philosophy in Consumer Science is to educate and train researchers who can contribute to the development of knowledge in consumer science at an advanced level, through independent research. Graduates should be able to undertake rigorous research and communicate the results by means of a dissertation and a scientific paper that meets internationally acceptable standards. (NQF level 10, 360 credits, qualification code 98029.)

Duration: Maximum time to complete: six years (time limit stated for this degree type)  |  Study mode: distance  |  Location: Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

An appropriate Master's Degree in Consumer Science or related field. In the case of a course work Master's Degree the applicant must submit a PDF version of the research project that formed part of such a degree. Applicants who would like to apply for admission through recognition of prior learning (RPL) must be at least 40 years old; and have at least five years' relevant work and research experience in the study field in which they would like to apply for admission to a qualification. For more information on RPL criteria visit: http://www.unisa.ac.za/rpl All students with foreign qualifications, including those with qualifications from African countries, must have their qualifications evaluated at SAQA. (www.saqa.org.za) In addition to the before mentioned requirements, all applicants must submit a transcript or an academic record, an updated CV as well as a 5-page PDF concept document describing their intended research. Guidelines for compiling the document can be found on the departmental website. Students will be accepted on the following criteria: Suitability and viability of the intended research; adequate supervisory capacity and research expertise in the department. An approved selection procedure which is in line with Unisa's policies on equality and diversity in the discipline or department will be implemented. Students, who are awaiting Masters examination results, must still submit applications by the due date. Applications will be considered once results become available.

Tuition is charged per module, so the total depends on the modules you register for each year. Current fees are listed in the official fee schedule.

Offers are made for a specific registration period, for example semester 1; applicants must register for the semester for which they were granted admission or re-apply in the next application period.

Applications for master's and doctoral qualifications are open from 1 September to 20 November 2026; selection degrees and some other qualifications have different application periods.

The non-refundable online application fee is R160. International applicants with foreign qualifications may apply without a SAQA evaluation certificate but must submit it by 15 December 2027 if accepted for 2027.

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