Doctoral Research Preparation Course
The School of Business Sciences is committed to developing doctoral candidates who are equipped to succeed. A doctorate demands advanced analytical, methodological and conceptual skills, and the strongest doctoral work begins with a solid research foundation.
For this reason, from the 2027 intake, admission to the PhD includes a Doctoral Research Preparation Course. This course is a structured six-month programme that prepares candidates to undertake the doctorate with confidence.
The course is a preparatory and admissions stage; it is not a separate qualification and does not carry academic credit. It comprises three sequential modules delivered over approximately six months, from February to August, and concludes with a readiness review for doctoral study. Each candidate is supported by an allocated mentor throughout.
What applicants should know:
- You submit one application for the PhD. Your application is the basis on which you are considered for both the predoctoral course and the doctorate.
- During the predoctoral course, you are registered as an occasional student of the University. Occasional registration does not confer a qualification; it registers you for the opportunity to be considered for admission to the PhD.
- Fees. You are liable for the application fee and for the fee applicable to the predoctoral (occasional) registration. This fee is separate from, and does not count towards, subsequent PhD tuition.
- Progression to the PhD. On successful completion of the course and the readiness review, you will be invited to formally register for the PhD and will be paired with a research supervisor. You will be formally registered as a PhD candidate in the year following the course.
- Exemptions. Applicants who can demonstrate strong prior research competence, for example, a Master's of Philosophy (MPhil) by research with a publication record, or established experience in research methods, may apply for exemption from one or more modules. Exemptions are considered at the interview stage and are granted in writing by the relevant Divisional Doctoral Committee. Exemption is from the predoctoral course only; all other admission requirements continue to apply.
Application process for the 2027 intake
The admission process is aligned with the academic year, so the predoctoral course begins in February.
- Applications close in the first week of December 2026.
- Shortlisting takes place in December, and shortlisted applicants are invited to an interview conducted by the Divisional PhD Selection Committee in January 2027.
- Admission outcomes are confirmed by the end of January 2027. All applicants are informed at this stage whether the predoctoral course is required or whether an exemption has been granted.
- The predoctoral course runs from February to August 2027.
- Successful candidates register for the PhD at the start of the 2028 academic year.
The process for international applicants is the same, with the following adjustments:
- Interviews are conducted online.
- The predoctoral course is completed online.
- South 第一吃瓜网 study visas are issued for full degree registration and not for occasional or short-course study; international candidates therefore complete the predoctoral course online and apply for a study visa only once they progress to formal PhD registration.
- SAQA verification. As SAQA verification often runs alongside your application, the predoctoral period provides time to obtain certification. International candidates may be accepted into the predoctoral course pending SAQA verification.