PGDip Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Overview

This course is designed to enable researchers and aspirant entrepreneurs to fast-track ideas to market by teaching you how to plan, build, protect, and monetise innovation. In this exciting programme you will learn all you need to make a success of technical innovation and entrepreneurship.

Led by the Wits Innovation Centre, in a dynamic inter-disciplinary environment, you’ll be taught by leading experts from the Faculties of Science, Engineering, Wits Business School, and the Wits School of Business Sciences.

In this one-year intensive programme you will cover the following knowledge areas:

How to utilise design thinking for successful innovation
International best practice in commercialising research
Innovations systems in Africa and new venture creation in the digital age
Basics of business for innovators
Communicating innovation

At the heart of the programme is a year-long research project designed to help you bring your own innovation to market.

Curriculum

This is an intensive year-long full-time programme at the PGDip (Honours equivalent) level.

The course structure is:

Innovation and Research Commercialisation (30 credits)
Design Thinking and Innovation (20 credits)
Venture Creation for Innovators (10 credits)
Basics of Business for Innovators (10 credits)
Communicating Innovation (10 credits)
Research Project in Innovation and Entrepreneurship (40 credits)

Entry Requirements

Applicants are required to have a Bachelor’s degree or the equivalent of a South African NQF level 7 qualification in the fields of Science, Engineering, or Health Sciences.

We encourage applications from candidates who plan to go into Masters or PhD degrees in the above fields so that you can take innovation and entrepreneurial skills and understanding into your advanced degrees.

Applications without a Motivation Letter will not be considered. The Motivation Letter should state the applicant's interest in entrepreneurship, any personal experience they have in entrepreneurship and innovation; and what they plan to do after the PGDipSci. Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

University Application Process

Applications are handled centrally by the Student Enrolment Centre (SEnC). Once your application is complete in terms of requested documentation, your application will be referred to the relevant School for assessment. Click here to see an overview of the Wits applications process.
Please apply online. Upload your supporting documents at the time of application, or via the Self Service Portal.
Applicants can monitor the progress of their applications via the Self Service Portal.
Selections for programmes that have a limited intake but attract a large number of applications may only finalise the application at the end of the application cycle.

Please note that the Entry Requirements are a guide. Meeting these requirements does not guarantee a place. Final selection is made subject to the availability of places, academic results and other entry requirements where applicable.

International students, please check this section.

For more information, contact the Student Call Centre +27 (0)11 717 1888, or log a query at www.wits.ac.za/askwits.

University Fees and Funding

Click here to see the current average tuition fees. The Fees site also provides information about the payment of fees and closing dates for fees payments. Once you have applied you will be able to access the fees estimator on the student self-service portal.

For information about postgraduate funding opportunities, including the postgraduate merit award, click here. Please also check your School website for bursary opportunities. NRF bursaries: The National Research Foundation (NRF) offers a wide range of opportunities in terms of bursaries and fellowships to students pursuing postgraduate studies. External bursaries portal: The Bursaries South Africa website provides a comprehensive list of bursaries in South Africa.