information for prospective students
prospective PhD students
a PhD is a research degree where you are expected to make a significant, original contribution to human knowledge. as finding the topic is a key part of a PhD, i am unlikely to suggest anything.
before you can start a PhD, you need to have a suitable Masters degree.
to apply for a PhD, you must first find a supervisor. i may be willing to supervise your work but you must contact me:
- to check my availability.
- to provide me with an initial research proposal (2-4 pages) - this does not have to be final but i would like to know the lines along which you are thinking, how you write and how you formulate and present ideas. this needs to be at an appropriate level for someone about to start a PhD.
- to provide me with an (informal) academic transcript.
if i agree to be your supervisor, you should then apply through the official university channels.
prospective Masters (MSc/Mit) students
a Masters degree is a research training degree where you learn how to do research, typically by following the complete research process for a minor idea or a new twist on an old idea. for most Masters degrees, supervisors are likely to suggest topics.
before you start a Masters degree, you need to have a suitable Honours degree (or equivalent 4-year qualification). if your previous qualification is not from South Africa, please contact the UCT Science Faculty office to check if it is equivalent to an Honours degree.
to apply for a Masters degree, you must first find a supervisor. i may be willing to supervise your work but you must contact me:
- to check my availability
- to provide me with a short research proposal (1-2 pages) - this is purely so i can assess how you write and how you formulate and present ideas. this needs to be at an appropriate level for someone about to start a Masters degree.
- to provide me with an (informal) academic transcript.
if i agree to be your supervisor, you should then apply through the official university channels.
internships
at this point in time, i do not accept interns.
funding
there is usually some funding for MSc students, but mostly for South African students. for non-South African MSc students, you usually need to find your own funding. we may be able to assist with additional funding (from research projects and teaching assistantships), but will rarely be able to award a bursary to you from research grants.
by its very nature, PhDs are not defined until you begin your studies. as such, there can be no funding until an idea has been developed. at that stage, i can help in any way possible to secure funding.
all applicants are encouraged to apply to places like NRF by themselves, as the likelihood of success is higher when you apply.
do note that in South Africa postgraduate bursaries/scholarships often need to be supplemented by some work at university.
while i am sometimes willing to accept part-time students, i strongly recommend full-time study to get the maximum benefit from the experience.
funding is usually available for all equipment and travel that is necessary as part of the research.