Overview

The University of Cape Town is Africa’s leading research institution and the PhD programme at the GSB is an essential component of this.

Features

Business Administration PhD candidates at University of Cape Town are expected to:

Develop a formal research proposal within the first six months of registration

Set commitments and a timeline outlined in a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with their supervisor which needs to be signed every year

Take a proactive approach to identifying learning needs and implementing suitable responses

Programme Structure

Curriculum:

The PhD programme consists of a series of formalised online/blended workshops (PRCs) aimed at first year students (although students at all levels are invited to participate).

The themes of the workshops are co-created based on the specific needs of the cohort, but roughly the programme is as follow: PRC’s 1 and 2 focus on the theoretical underpinnings of research projects, and PRC 3 focus on the proposal presentations.

The fourth and final workshop (PRC 4) entitled: “Life after the PhD”, will provide students with career guidance from the GSB Career Services team and PhD alumni.

Key information

Duration

Full-time
- 24 months

Start dates & application deadlines

Starting 2026-02-12 00:00:00

Apply anytime.

More details

Students can apply to the PhDs throughout the year.

Language

English

TOEFL^® IBT

88

Schedule TOEFL®

Delivered

On Campus

Disciplines

Business Administration View 9 other PhDs in Business Administration in South Africa

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Academic requirements

We are not aware of any specific GRE, GMAT or GPA grading score requirements for this programme.

English requirements

TOEFL^® IBT

88

Schedule TOEFL®

Other requirements

General requirements

Hold a recognised Master's degree (or in special circumstances, at the discretion of the Senate, an approved Bachelor's degree or qualification recognised by the Senate as equivalent). Verification of whether the qualification is equivalent to a South African degree is also required. This can be done by contacting the South African Qualifications Authority.

Demonstrate that they have the necessary competencies in research methodology and practice required for the completion of an independent study research degree.

Nominate a suitable supervisor with the application.

A recent score on the TOEFL Test of at least 570 (paper-based) or 230 (computer-based) or 88 (internet-based). This must be obtained within 3-5 years before applying to UCT.

A recent overall band score of 7.0 (with no individual element of the test scoring below 6.0) on the international English Language Testing System (IELTS).

Student insurance

Make sure to cover your health, travel, and stay while studying abroad. Even global coverages can miss important items, so make sure your student insurance ticks all the following:

Additional medical costs (i.e. dental)
Repatriation, if something happens to you or your family
Liability
Home contents and baggage
Accidents
Legal aid

We partnered with Aon to provide you with the best affordable student insurance, for a carefree experience away from home.

Get your student insurance now

Starting from €0.53/day, free cancellation any time.

Remember, countries and universities may have specific insurance requirements. To learn more about how student insurance work at University of Cape Town and/or in South Africa, please visit Student Insurance Portal.

Tuition Fee

To always see correct tuition fees

International

25680 ZAR/year

Tuition Fee

Based on the tuition of 25680 ZAR per year during 24 months.
National

25680 ZAR/year

Tuition Fee

Based on the tuition of 25680 ZAR per year during 24 months.

Living costs for Cape Town

9088 - 15529 ZAR /month

Living costs

The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.