Psychology

This course is offered as a full-time or part-time postgraduate degree.

Overview

Applicants who would like to register for this degree are expected to undertake a research study on a topic approved by the School of Human and Community Development PhD Committee and the Psychology Department, under the guidance of at least one departmental research supervisor.

Entry Requirements

Entrance requirements include the following:

  • A minimum aggregate mark of 70% in the Master's degree (NQF level 9).

  • A mark of 70% for the Masters research component is required in order to be considered for admission into the PhD program. Applicants with a mark between 65 - 69% for the Master’s research component will need to provide a motivation and evidence of additional scholarly outputs, for example, peer-reviewed journal articles or equivalent, along with the concept paper in order to be considered. References may also be requested from the Master’s supervisor and/or a motivation from a potential PhD supervisor.

  • Submission of a concept paper that outlines the proposed PhD project, and which is found to meet the requirements for PhD level study by the School's PhD committee.

  • The availability of a supervisor for the proposed project.  For information on staff research interests, please Click Here to download the document highlighting the staff research interests

The School requires that the following documents be included in the submission:

  1. The online application form.
  2. A full academic transcript, including percentage scores where possible. Students who completed degrees at Wits do not need to submit transcripts for these.
  3. A SAQA equivalence certificate if the Master’s degree was not completed at a South African University. Please note that this can take some time to obtain, and an application for this should be made to http://www.saqa.org.za/ well in advance of the application to Wits.
  4. A copy of the Master’s research report or dissertation, as well as any publications.
  5. A recent curriculum vitae, including the details of two referees.
  6. A concept paper outlining the proposed PhD project. Information on what is expected in the concept paper is available Click Here
  7. Further documentation will be required for applicants who do not meet the 70% minimum academic requirement as explained under point b) above.

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. Refer to Wits postgraduate online application guide for detailed guidelines. 
  • 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. The University's Postgraduate Funding portal is a database of scholarships, bursaries and other funding opportunities available to Wits postgraduate students. 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.