Doctor of Philosophy in Operations Research
The Doctor of Philosophy in Operations Research entails independent research conducted under a supervisor and culminates in a dissertation that makes an original contribution to the field. Non-credit-bearing short courses will be offered from time to time to support student development. These short courses are presented by international and local experts, in the areas of sustainability, transdisciplinary epistemology, methodology and methods, social-ecological systems, resilience and complexity theory.
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Programme overview
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When applying
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
Curriculum vitae (CV)
A document that outlines your educational level, employment history, description of work experience, especially that is relevant to your application to study and contact details of three referees.
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Curriculum vitae (CV)
Letter of motivation
One-page document explaining what factors are motivating you to apply for the specific programme(s) and describing what makes you a suitable candidate.
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Motivational letter / Essay
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).
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Evidence of work / Copy of thesis / Summary of research
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.
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Research project / Outline / Proposal
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.