Doctor of Philosophy in Public Management and Development Planning
The Doctor of Philosophy in Public Management and Development Planning entails independent research conducted under a supervisor and culminates in a dissertation that makes an original contribution to the field.
Topics within the following research themes could be explored:
- Public Leadership · Environmental Management
- Public and Development Management,
- Anti-Corruption Studies,
- Public Financial Management/Municipal Financial Management Reforms,
- Digital transformation in the public sector,
- Developmentalism and Developmental Statecraft,
- Organisational and Institutional Studies,
- Political Economy and Corruption Studies,
- Environmental Management,
Contact information
Programme overview
More information
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)
Statement of research interest
This is a brief summary of the doctoral research proposal (1-3 pages in length) which outlines your area of research, aims of the research project and the research methodology you plan to use.
Please see the following link for further information on structuring your concept note: https://files.su.ac.za/public/postgraduate-studies/documents/2026-04/gu…
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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).
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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.