Guidelines for PhD applicants

To prepare your application, we encourage you first to think about

1. Why you want to do this work:

• where do you want the PhD to take you?
• what broad area interests you the most?
• in this area, what questions capture your imagination?
• where do you want to work?
• will it take forward the existing international body of work on the topic in new ways or in new settings, or will it provide a completely new approach to the topic?

2. What a PhD involves:

• a good overview of the disciplinary field(s) and specific areas of interest
• demonstrated capacity to conceptualise and execute a research project
• mastery of methods and analytic techniques
• clear ability to present information and argue the case

3. In applying, please submit all of the following:

• a full curriculum vitae (please give full details of all written work);
• names and contact details of at least two referees;
• copies of your academic transcripts;
• a maximum 1 page statement of interest answering the question: why do you want to do a PhD?;
• a maximum 2-3 page summary of the research you wish to undertake structured as follows:
  • outline of the problem of focus and/or research question
  • broad justification for problem/question, with discussion of how you think this work will add to studies that have been conducted before in other countries as well is in your own country, and what is already known in this field (as evidenced in the international literature on the subject)
  • objectives for work
  • overview of possible methodology
• a letter outlining any additional information you deem relevant (for example, as a part-timer how will you balance PhD studies with your work?; as a full-timer, how do you envisage funding the PhD?).

4. Once received, your application will be reviewed by a subgroup of the School of Public Health Postgraduate Committee, after which you may be contacted with further questions or to secure further information. 

You may also be asked to re-work your research outline following feedback. Finally, if feasible, you may be asked to meet and discuss your application with SOPH staff.

You will then be advised of the decision of the SOPH, and if successful, your next step will be to apply for admission to the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand. Only once the Faculty has accepted your application will you be registered as a PhD student.

This process of review is designed to ensure both that the School of Public Health can offer adequate support to interested doctoral candidates and that accepted doctoral candidates do not face unanticipated difficulties in conducting their PhD research.

We welcome applications at any time of year, but will only review these applications in batches and roughly every 3 months.

We look forward to learning more about you and your research interests.

All documents should be sent to:

Research Administrator 
School of Public Health
University of the Witwatersrand
7 York Road
Parktown 2193
South Africa

The documents may be sent by fax: 27 11 717-2084 or by e-mail: research.publichealth@wits.ac.za  or to Gugulethu Nyathikazi at phumzile.nyathikazi@wits.ac.za  (please indicate PhD application in the subject line)

If you require any further details contact Gugulethu Nyathikazi. the Research Administrator  (011) 717-2082