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Doctor of Philosophy in Human Resource Management

The Doctor of Philosophy in Human Resource Management entails independent research conducted under a supervisor and culminates in a dissertation that makes an original contribution to the field. Applicants should be in possession of a Master's degree in Industrial Psychology or in Human Resource Management, with a final mark of at least 65% to apply.

Contact information
Ms Coreli Cillie
Programme administrator
+27 21 808 3005

Programme overview

Duration
Three years
Campus
Stellenbosch
Type
Dissertation

More information

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When applying

When applying for a postgraduate programme, some may require you to upload additional supporting documents beyond completing the standard application form online. Where such documents are required, more information will appear under the section below titled “Supporting Application Documents.”

Please note that selection for postgraduate programmes is highly competitive. Meeting the minimum admission requirements does not guarantee admission to the programme.

Minimum admission requirements

Admission requirements
To be admitted to a PhD programme:
• You must have a master’s degree from a reputable university approved by Senate for this purpose,
or
• You must have in some other manner attained a standard of competence in your field of study, which is deemed adequate by Senate for this purpose.

Contact the relevant environment (department, school or research body) for their specific requirements.

Supporting application documents

Research Proposal
Consult the relevant programme coordinator to enquire about the required length and format of this document for your programme of interest.

Typically, a research proposal is a formal structured document that should address the “what”, “why” and “how” questions. It should include a working title, an overview, aims and objectives, research questions and methods, significance of the research as well as the body of literature (references) that you consulted in your literature review.

Document placeholder name on application portal:
Research project / Outline / Proposal

Summary of Master's research
A structured, formal document summarising the research question that was stated, hypotheses that were tested, research methodology and results/recommendations presented (3-5 pages in length).

Document placeholder name on application portal:
Evidence of work / Copy of thesis / Summary of research

Programme structure

Programme outcomes
You must conduct advanced, original research of a high quality in the area of Economic and Management Sciences or Administrative Sciences, which must be approved by the University.

The work you submit must:
• be of a high standard,
• deal with a central theme, and
• demonstrate that you have, in the Senate’s view, substantially contributed to enriching the knowledge in the field of economics, business science or the administrative sciences (in other words, have made an original subject contribution).

Senate acts on the recommendation of the Faculty Board, which is based on the decision of the Faculty’s doctoral examination panel.

Last updated 01 April 2026
Disclaimer:
The University reserves the right to amend the information on this webpage at any time. While every effort is made to ensure that the information provided is accurate and complete, it may be subject to change or become outdated. It remains the responsibility of prospective students to verify all details against the relevant faculty yearbook or directly with the relevant department.

Application dates

South African students
Applications open:
1-Apr 2026
Applications close:
30-Sep 2026

International students
Applications open:
1-Apr 2026
Applications close:
1-Sep 2026