The Department offers two honours programmes. Please click on the relevant programme below for the requirements.

• BCom (Industrial Psychology)   
• BCom (Human Resource Management)

Programme starts: February
Programme offered: Full-time​

The BCom Honours (Industrial Psychology) programme offers admission to the BPsych Equivalence programme that leads to statutory registration as Psychometrist with the Health Profession Council of South Africa (HPCSA) after successfully sitting for an examination set by the Psychometric Committee of the Board of Psychology of the HPCSA.  The BCom (Human Resource Management) leads to non-statutory registration as Chartered Human Resource Practitioner.
 

Applications open on the 1st of May.

The Stellenbosch University website is accessible via the following link for the official application.

Contact  Ms C Cillie - Tel: 021-808-3005  - [email protected] for further enquiries

​Electronic application to close for

South African candidates: 30 September  and

International candidates: 1 September ​

• Orientation Programme
• Time Table 1st Semester
• Time Table: 2nd Sem
• Post Grad Weekly Time Table
• Test Schedule
• Hons 2nd Semester Test Schedule
• Job Shadowing Guidelines
• Job Shadow Letter to Employer
• Job Shadowing Check List
• Chair’s Concession Assessment
• Attendance Guidelines

• MCom (Industrial Psychology) - Coursework/structured master's
• MCom (Human Resource Management) - Full-thesis master's

Programme starts: January
Programme offered: Modular

Our Masters programme in Industrial Psychology are offered on a modular basis.  Compulsory classes are being offered in three block sessions during one year, totaling five weeks. The weeks are generally offered as follows:  one week in the third week of January; two weeks at the end/beginning of May/June and the last two weeks at the beginning of November (this totals 25 study leave days you will request from your employer for the year). Furthermore, any transport or accommodation arrangements remains the responsibility of the student.

The MCom (Industrial Psychology) coursework/structured master's offers admission to a twelve month internship that leads to statutory registration as Psychologist (Industrial Psychology) with the Health Profession Council of South Africa (HPCSA) after successfully sitting for an examination set by the Board for Psychology of the HPCSA. The MCom (Human Resource Management) leads to non-statutory registration as master Human Resource Practitioner.

BURSARY

The department offers a bursary ​for Master's Degree Students based on historical academic performances. Please forward the completed bursary application form to Ms C Cillie as indicated on the form.

Applications open on the 1st of May

The Stellenbosch University website is accessible via the following link  for the official application.

Contact  Ms C Cillie - Tel: 021-808-3005   / E-pos: [email protected] for further enquiries
 

​​Electronic application to close for:

South African candidates: 30 September  and
International candidates: 1 September  

• Post Graduate Weekly Time Table
• Programme Schedule
• Decentralised Assessment Form
• Employer Consent
• Guideline: Research Proposals
• Guideline: Writing Papers
• MoU Template
• Chair’s Concession Assessment

The Department offers a PhD by dissertation only. The Department offers no coursework/structured PhD programme. The PhD programme can be followed either through the Doctoral School of the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences or through the Department.  Only a limited number of candidates can be accommodated on the PhD programme via the Doctoral School, each year.

To qualify for consideration for admission to the PhD programme in the Department of  Industrial Psychology via either the Doctoral School or the Department, the following criteria apply:

• You need to have graduated with a recognized master's degree with Industrial Psychology for PhD in Industrial Psychology or Human Resource Management for PhD in Human Resource Management as a major.
• If you graduated from a non-South African university your university needs to be recognised and approved by the Postgraduate Office of Stellenbosch University;
• You need to have graduated with an average percentage mark of 65% in the master's degree in Industrial Psychology or Human Resource Management for the respective PhD's;
• You need to have developed a comprehensive research proposal that meets the research aspirations of the Department.

For more information on how to apply for admission to the PhD programme via the Department please contact Ms Coreli CIllie on 021 808 3005 or [email protected]

To apply for admission to the PhD programme via the Doctoral School you need to apply directly to the Doctoral School of the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences.​​

To process your application, in the case of the departmental application, we require the following additional information:

1. The type of master's degree that you have completed [full thesis or structured masters] and the title of the thesis.

2. An abstract of your master's thesis.

3. A copy of a manuscript prepared or accepted for publication, reporting on your master's research [if available].

4. A comprehensive doctoral research proposal. The research proposal should at least cover the following aspects:

4.1 Background and necessity of the envisaged research.

4.2 Research objectives.

4.3 Literature review:

4.3.1 Systematic, reasoned theoretical argument culminating in a theoretical structural model.

4.4 Research methodology:

4.4.1 Research problems

4.4.2 Research hypotheses

4.4.3 Research design

4.4.4 Sampling

4.4.5 Measuring instruments/operationalization

4.4.6 Statistical analysis

4.5 Expected results and interpretation.

5.6 Expected conclusions and recommendations [theoretical, practical & further research]

4.7 Estimated contribution of the study in meeting the stated research objectives.

Upon receipt of all the required information the Department will appoint a departmental selection committee who will process your application. A recommendation will subsequently be made to the University. A conditional positive recommendation will allow you the opportunity to amend the proposal in accordance with suggestions made by the selection committee. A contact person would moreover be allocated to you to assist you in improving the initial research proposal. Once the major shortcomings in the initial research proposal had been successfully attended to a faculty committee will be nominated to evaluate the departmental recommendation. An unconditional positive recommendation will directly result in the nomination of a faculty committee who will evaluate the departmental recommendation. Registration would be conditional on a favourable faculty evaluation. You could be requested to defend your research proposal during one or both phases of the selection process. Should your application be successful you will be assigned to a promoter. The initial research proposal will subsequently be refined in collaboration with the promoter. The refined proposal will eventually be presented to a departmental research committee [possibly also including experts from outside the Department] to suggest possible additional improvements for the consideration of the candidate and the promoter. 

For a Doctorate a dissertation is required that is the outcome of original and independent research (see guidelines for doctoral study in the Yearbook, Parts 1 and 10). 

Program coordinator:

Prof GP de Bruin

Tel: +27 21 808 3009
E-mail: [email protected]

Special student: undergraduate

Students who intent do study Industrial Psychology or Human Resource Management on a post graduate degree level (honours) without having Industrial Psychology as a major in the Bachelor's degree, may apply. Once you have already obtained a B-degree, you may apply to register for all/outstanding Industrial Psychology modules in one year.  Usually exemption is granted for Industrial Psychology 114.

Note:  If you would like to continue with the pure Industrial Psychology Honours degree (leading to HPCSA registration), your other major must be either Psychology or Business Management. 

To apply please contact Ms Coreli Cillie on 021 808 3005 / [email protected]

Special student: postgraduate 

Students who need to register for outstanding modules on honours level (or in limited cases undergraduate modules) in order to continue with Industrial Psychology postgraduate studies can contact Ms Coreli Cillie on 021 808 3005 / [email protected]  for more information on how to apply.

 Students who do not meet the admission requirements for Psychometrics and/or Applied Psychological and Performance Assessment and Professional Ethics  for the BPsych Equivalence Programme (BPEP) can contact Ms Rahkeenah Peters for additional information on 021 808 3012 / [email protected]

Please note:  both options are offered on a full-time basis only.
 

Students who need to supplement undergraduate modules at UNISA can contact the department on 021 808 3005 / [email protected]​ 

Departmental Bursary

The department offers a bursary ​for Master's Degree Students based on historical academic performances. Please forward the completed departmental bursary form to Ms C Cillie as indicated on the form.

Carl Hermann Papendieck

This bursary is not open for applications currently.

The Carl Hermann Papendieck bursary are available for Master's Degree Students.

Students interested in applying for the Carl Hermann Papendieck scholarship should draft a letter of motivation (accompanied by supporting documentation), addressed to the head of the Department of Industrial psychology, Prof Crystal Hoole​) 

The letter should include:

• Brief personal background
• Academic history
• Career and/or academic aspirations
• Financial position
• Motivation for applying

The letter of motivation as well as supporting documentation should be emailed to Mrs CM Cillie ([email protected]).

Applications will be assessed on the extent which they align with the intended purpose and spirit of the Carl Hermann Papendieck scholarship.

For more information please read the Carl Hermann Papendieck Bursary document.

General Bursaries and Loans

For further information on bursaries and loans available in various fields at SU click

Document here

​​​​​​​​​​Description of the Programme

​The purpose of the B Psych Equivalence Programme is to supplement the B Com (Industrial Psychology) and Honours B Com (Industrial Psychology) as academic programmes  with the professional skills required to meet the learning outcomes associated with the B Psych degree structure and the Training and Examination Guidelines for Psychometrists (Please consult Appendix A) in order to ascertain how the academic content of the Honours B Com (Industrial Psychology) and the proposed B Psych Equivalence Programme combine to cover all the competency outcomes listed in HPCSA: Form 94)​​​

Read more​ to find out about the purpose of the programme, the contents, workshops, etc.

To apply

Please send your recent academic record to Ms Portia Adonis at [email protected] to assess your eligibility to apply.

​Applications for July 2025 intake close on 21 April, at 17:00.