FULL RESEARCH MASTERS AND DOCTORAL PROGRAMS 2021 - Information Brochure - UJ
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DEPARTMENT OF
BUSINESS MANAGEMENT
FULL RESEARCH MASTERS
AND DOCTORAL PROGRAMS 2021
Information Brochure
1
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1 Introduction 1
2 Tuition approach 1
3 Terminology used 1
4 Masters and Doctoral Degree programs offered 2
by the Department of Business Management
1 Masters’ programs 2
2 Doctoral Programs 3
3 Duration of stud 3
4 Tuition medium 4
5 Secrecy and confidentiality 4
5 Admission requirements 4
6 The selection process 5
7 The process of Masters and Doctoral study 6
8 Fees 7
9 Contact information 7
10 Useful information and FAQ’s 8
Annexure 1: Department of Business Management: 11
Research Focus Areas
Annexure 2: Draft proposal layout 12INTRODUCTION Thank you for your inquiry regarding further studies in the Department of Business Management. This information brochure addresses all the aspects that we consider to be of importance in answering any questions you may have. Please study it carefully. Should you have any further queries, please contact us so that we can be of further assistance to you. TUITION APPROACH The full research Masters and Doctoral programs in the Department of Business Management follow a mentoring approach. This is where a candidate is guided through the process of study by a mentor (in the form of a supervisor or promoter). The role of the mentor is to impart knowledge and expertise, to guide and to assist the candidate in completing their studies. TERMINOLOGY USED Both Masters’ and Doctoral studies employ their own, unique, terminology: Doctorates Master’s Degrees Thesis Dissertation Promoter Supervisor Co-promoter Co-supervisor 1
MASTERS AND DOCTORAL
DEGREE PROGRAMS OFFERED BY
THE DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS
MANAGEMENT
From time to time, the Department may
Masters degrees
impose additional (preliminary) study
The Department of Business Management requirements. This can take various guises,
offers research guidance for the following from completing specified modules to
Masters degrees: submitting independently completed
• M.Com (Strategic Management) pieces of work.
(M1CSMQ): To qualify for this program,
Always bear in mind that the aim of Masters
you need to be in possession of a B Com
study is twofold:
(Hons) in Strategic Management (or
• Firstly, to ascertain if the candidate can
suitable equivalent). In addition to this,
perform scientifically sound research
the proposed study must focus on a
independently, and
Strategic Management issue. This is a very
• Secondly to ascertain whether the
specialized degree
candidate can report on the research in an
• M.Phil (Business Management)
academically correct fashion.
(M1PBMQ): This program is aimed at
Business Management related topics of A student qualifies for the Master’s degree if:
study, and does allow for cross disciplinary • a final mark of 50% (minimum) is attained
studies for the dissertation, and
• research outputs in the form of
It is vital that the intended study falls within
conference papers and/or academic
the parameters of the research focus areas
articles have been delivered
of the Department of Business Management
(See Annexure 1). Applications that fall The degree is awarded cum laude if a final
outside of this scope cannot be catered for mark of 75% (minimum) is attained for the
in the Department of Business Management. dissertation.
The Department also reserves the right
to decline applications on the basis of
insufficient research supervision capacity.
The final deliverable of these programs
is a dissertation. The dissertation should
be quite comprehensive (200 + pages). In
addition to this, research outputs in the form
of publishable conference papers and/or
academic articles are a requirement.
2A student qualifies for the Doctoral
Doctoral degrees
degree if:
The Department of Business Management • The thesis is passed by external examiners
offers research guidance for the following (no marks are awarded for a thesis), and
degree: • research outputs in the form of
• PhD (Business Management) (PHD710): conference papers and/or academic
This program is aimed at prospective articles have been delivered
students whom have followed a vocational
PLEASE NOTE:
or MBA study route, or for studies that are
more cross-disciplinary in nature. Full regulations are published in the official
University of Johannesburg Academic
It is vital that the intended study falls within
Regulations book. This information
the parameters of the research focus areas
brochure does not replace the Academic
of the Department of Business Management
Regulations, it merely aims at setting out
(see Annexure 1). Applications that fall
the most important procedures applicable
outside of this scope cannot be catered for
to students in this Department. Therefore,
in the Department of Business Management.
Academic Regulation 17 and 18 is aimed
The Department also reserves the right
at all students who intend to register or re-
to decline applications on the basis of
register for research based degrees in the
insufficient research supervision capacity.
Department of Business Management.
The final deliverable of these programs is a
thesis. The thesis should be comprehensive Duration of study
(300 + pages). In addition to this, research
The minimum and maximum duration for
outputs in the form of publishable
masters and Doctoral studies are as follows:
conference papers and/or academic articles
are a requirement.
From time to time, the Department may im- Masters programs:
pose additional (preliminary) study require- Minimum two (2) and maximum six (6)
semesters
ments. This can take various guises, from
completing specified modules to submitting Doctoral programs:
Minimum four (4) and maximum eight
independently completed pieces of work.
(8) semesters
Always bear in mind that the aim of Doctoral In exceptional circumstances the period
study is threefold: of study could be lengthened. Such casa
• Firstly, to reiterate that the candidate will only be considered if the student has
is proficient at conducting scientifically exhibited progress with the intended study.
sound research independently, In such instances the student must submit
• Secondly – and most importantly – a detailed motivation for such a request
the study must make an original and to the supervisor/promoter, who will then
significant contribution to the current submit the motivation together with their
body of knowledge pertaining to the recommendation, via the Head: Full Research
study, and M&D Programs in the Department, to the
• Thirdly, to ascertain whether the Faculty Higher Degrees Committee (FHDC).
candidate can report on the research in an
academically correct fashion.
3In instances where the student’s
Medium of tuition
circumstances change (temporarily) and he/
she is not able to devote time to his/her The dissertation / thesis is to be written
studies, the FHDC may grant postponement in English.
of study. The student must submit a detailed
postponement request to the supervisor/ Secrecy and confidentiality
promoter, who will then submit the request,
together with their recommendation to the This refers to requests from students
Head: Full Research M&D Programs in the that a dissertation/thesis is not placed on
Department. The Head: Full Research M&D the bookshelves in the library, nor made
Programs will forward the application for freely available (see AR18.8.10). Generally
postponement to the FHDC. Postponement it is difficult to obtain permission to
may be granted for up to one year. have a dissertation/thesis classified as
“confidential”.
Students to whom postponement is
granted do not need to register as students Students are advised to adapt the proposed
and no University fees are payable. The research subject, or the handling of
postponement period does not form part of confidential facts, so that the research
the total residential requirements report may be made freely available in
the library.
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
The normal academic admission NOTE:
requirements and university regulations It does not necessarily mean that a student
of the University of Johannesburg are who meets the recommendation of 65% will
applicable to all students enrolling for M and be accepted for further study. Also, there
D programs. may well be circumstances in which students
who have not attained 65% may be admitted.
Masters programs: For Maters programs,
the following admission requirements are Students with degrees from other universi-
applicable: ties, as well as students from foreign univer-
• a B Com (Hons) degree specialising sities are also considered for admission to M
in Business Management (or suitable and D programs.
equivalent), and
• an average mark of 65% or above for the
Students that obtained prior qualifications
relevant B Com (Hons) degree.
at foreign universities need to have these
PhD program: For Doctoral programs, qualifications evaluated by SAQA, the South
the following admission requirements are African Qualifications Authority. Please
applicable: go to www.saqa.org.za for more details.
• an M Com degree specialising in Business Please note that no applications who have
or Strategic Management (or suitable obtained degrees from foreign universities
equivalent), and will be considered without a SAQA evaluation
• an average mark of 65% or above for the certificate.
relevant Masters’ degree.
4NOTE: explanation of the scoring system employed
South African universities use a percentage is needed. We must be able to assess the
scoring system. If you have obtained a percentage equivalent of the scoring system
qualification outside South Africa that used. Applications that do not include a
does not reflect marks in percentages, an percentage equivalent will not be considered
THE SELECTION PROCESS
Applications close on 31 October 2020. Applicants who pass this initial screening
All applications are subjected to an initial will be conditionally accepted to the
screening process. For this initial screening, Masters/Doctoral program. Candidates
the following is required: now need to expand and rework the initial,
concise proposal into a full, scientifically
• A completed UJ application form sound and academically correct research
• Certified copy of matric certificate proposal. Conditional acceptance will allow
• Certified copies of all prior qualifications you to a Provisional Registration at UJ.
• A full academic record of all previous This registration status is subject to the
qualifications (with marks in percentages) completion of your final proposal as detailed
• A certificate of conduct from the below.
university where previous qualifications
Upon conditional acceptance, all prospective
were obtained
M&D candidates must attend an induction
• A Comprehensive CV (with one color
program in February 2021. This induction
passport photo)
program will cover all aspects of M&D study
• A research proposal on your envisaged
in the Department of Business Management.
study (Minimum 8 page and maximum 12
pages, excluding cover page, content page After the induction program, proposal
and bibliography) mentors will be allocated to prospective
students by middle February 2021. The
PLEASE DO NOT COMPLETE AN ON-LINE
role of these proposal mentors is to guide
APPLICATION OR SUBMIT DIRECTLY TO
the candidate in developing a full research
THE UJ ENROLLMENT CENTRE WITHOUT
proposal on an iterative basis. Students
FIRST CONTACTING THE HEAD: FULL
now have a set amount of time (6 months
RESEARCH M&D PROGRAMS.
for Masters students; 9 months for Doctoral
In the case of Doctoral applications, candidates) to develop the proposal and get
applicants could be asked to provide copies it accepted. “Acceptance” implies that the
of their Masters dissertations along with the proposal be presented and defended before
application the Post-Graduate and Research Committee
5(PRC) of the Department of Business Once the proposal is accepted, the candidate
Management. will now gain full acceptance to the relevant
Masters/Doctoral program. The candidates’
Only if the PRC is satisfied with the proposal
registration status will now change to full
will it be accepted. No proposal will be
acceptance and a supervisor/promoter will
presented to the PRC without the consent of
be allocated to the candidate.
the proposal mentor.
Dates for registration and re-registration
A candidate is granted two (2) opportunities
are set annually and are published in
to present the proposal to the PRC. If the
the official University of Johannesburg
PRC does not accept the proposal after two
calendar. A student who has not registered
attempts, the candidate will not be allowed
is not entitled to library facilities or study
to continue, and the candidate will be de-
guidance.
registered. If a candidate fails to get the
proposal accepted within the specified time,
the candidate will not be allowed to continue
and will be de-registered.
THE PROCESS OF MASTERS AND
DOCTORAL STUDY
After the supervisor/promoter has been June, July, October, November, December
assigned to a student, the student is and January.
compelled to meet the supervisor/promoter
The supervisor normally comments on the
to discuss how the study is to be embarked
submitted chapter(s) of the manuscript
upon. It must always be remembered
within a reasonable time. The student then
that the student is the researcher and is
makes the (agreed) corrections and accepts
ultimately responsible for undertaking the
the guidance of his supervisor.
research. The supervisor/promoter gives
advice and guidance, but does not do any of As explained in Section 2, masters and
the research. Doctoral study follows a mentoring
approach. This implies that a relationship
The student is obliged to draw up a study
should be established between student
project plan for approval by the supervisor/
and supervisor/promoter early on in the
promoter. Bear in mind that the supervisor/
process. In this regard it might be a good
promoter also has other work to do, and
idea for both student and supervisor/
that some duties take priority over research
promoter to air their expectations of the
supervision. Therefore, discuss your
other party and of the process as a whole.
timetable with your lecturer and do not take
To put the study project plan into action, the
study leave without at least ensuring that
student is to submit agreed upon sections
your supervisor will be available to you then
of work in to the supervisor/promoter, who
to the extent which you require. Please note
will then provide comment on the work
that the following times are normally very
submitted. This commentary is in the form
busy times for a lecturer, during which he/
of recommendations and suggested courses
she will have little time for study guidance:
6of action that the student should act upon More information on this point, as well as
to improve the piece of work submitted. accompanying administrative issues shall be
This process is repeated iteratively until the discussed at the induction program.
dissertation/thesis is of such a caliber that
it can be submitted with the consent of the
supervisor/promoter.
FEES
The cost of tuition (including recognition of a quotation. See section 4.1 and 4.2 for
status, late submission, application fees and applicable qualification codes.
registration fees) are determined annually
Apart from the formal tuition fees payable,
by the University. For 2021, tuition fees
there are also other costs involved. This
for the M Com (Strategic Management), M
includes the following:
Phil (Business Management), and the PhD
• Costs associated with conducting
(Business Management) are R10 150-00 per
the actual research (travel and
semester and a registration fee of R1 040-
accommodation, questionnaire and the
00. Students must register annually for the
analysis thereof, tracing of sources and
duration of their studies. Fees are payable in
photocopies),
accordance with this registration.
• Word processing
Quotations for tuition fees are available, on • Language editing
request, from the College of Business and • Printing and binding.
Economics on (011) 550-2725. Please state
It is not possible to calculate these costs in
the qualification code when requesting
advance.
CONTACT INFORMATION
If you require further information, please contact:
Prof David Pooe
Head: Full Research M&D programs
Department of Business Management
Office location: ADD 312 Ukhamba Building, Soweto Campus
Tel: (011) 559-5057
e-mail: dpooe@uj.ac.za
7USEFUL INFORMATION AND FAQ’S
Many people wish to embark on Masters or • a clearly defined problem statement of
Doctoral study without knowing what is in the research subject;
stall for them. Remember that this is very • clearly defined objectives of the research;
rigorous study and requires self-discipline • the proposed research methodology
and the utmost commitment. You need to and applicability thereof to the chosen
be in the right “head space” and you must problem;
always remember that you are doing this for • the measure in which the research
yourself; not for anyone or anything else. can be verified empirically, or in which
information may be gained empirically;
The aim of the initial draft proposal is to
• the area to which the research is limited
establish if you have the necessary under- and the measure to which this can
build and understanding to continue influence the reliability of the research;
with Masters or Doctoral study. As such, • proposed composition of the study in
you need to devise a “research topic” order to achieve the proposed objectives;
yourself and interrogate this topic into a • proposed structure of the study and the
draft proposal. The responsibility for the ability to achieve the proposed objectives;
choice of the research topic rests with the and
student. Although lecturers can advise the • Language command and writing abilities of
prospective student on possible topics, the student.
lecturers cannot be expected to devise the
In Annexure 2 an outline is provided of a
field of study for a prospective student.
draft proposal.
As stated, the overall objective of the draft
The draft proposal is submitted in typed
proposal is to assist with the selection of
format and should be maximum 12 pages
prospective students. The following aspects
(excluding cover page, content page and
are of particular importance:
bibliography), single spaced in Arial font
size 12. Furthermore, references and listing
• the student’s interests, background and of sources must be done according to the
experience in the proposed subject; Harvard method.
• the ability of the student to undertake
scientific research and to record it in an
academically acceptable way;
• the feasibility of the proposed research;
• the research-worthiness of the problem,
including the availability of literature;
8SOME FAQ’S…
Q: “I live in Kenya, but I want to pursue a Q: “I have a BTech degree, do I qualify for
PhD on a part time basis with UJ, is this the MCom program?”
possible?” A: No. To qualify for the MCom, you need
A: No, it is not. The University of a relevant BCom (Hons). A BTech is not the
Johannesburg is not a correspondence based same as a BCom (Hons) degree. A BTech is a
university, it is a residential university. As first degree, whereas a BCom (Hons) is a post
such, you are required to meet frequently graduate qualification. In the Department
and in person with your supervisor/promoter. of Business Management, you can gain entry
In addition to this, there are also workshops to our BCom (Hons) program in Strategic
and sessions that are compulsory and where Management with a relevant BTech degree.
you have to be physically present.
Q: “I want to pursue a Master’s degree, but
Q: “I have a MBA, can I pursue a doctorate I don’t have a proposal ready. Can I apply
in Business Management?” now and submit the proposal at a later
A: Yes. An MBA is a recognised Masters’ stage?”
qualification. However, prospective A: No. The proposal is the pivotal part of
candidates with an MBA degree can only your application. We need to assess if you
apply for the PhD (Business Management) exhibit competence of research principles
and whether there is merit in the study you
Q: “I am a Zimbabwean living and working
wish to pursue. The only way to do that is by
in South Africa. I did my Masters’ degree in
means of a proposal.
Zimbabwe, can I apply for a doctorate?”
A: Yes, but there are conditions. Your Q; “I am busy with my PhD application, but
Zimbabwean qualification(s) will have I want access to your library. Can you write
to be evaluated by SAQA (South African me a letter to help me to gain access to the
Qualifications Authority) and this evaluation UJ library?”
must be attached to your application. A: No, this is not done, there are enough
Needless to say, this applies to ALL foreign community libraries and electronic resources
qualifications. Furthermore, it is imperative available.
that your academic record reflects marks in
Q:”I have a Masters’ degree in Accounting,
percentages, as this is the practice in South
but I want to pursue a PhD in Business
Africa.
Management, is this possible?”
All foreign applicants must be in contact A: No it is not. The university, as well as the
with UJ’s International Office. Issues such DoHET do not encourage vertical movement
as study permits, visas and the like are not between disciples. You would first have
the domain of the Department of Business to move horizontally between disciplines.
Management In other word, you would first have to do
something like an MBA before you can
progress to the PhD.
9Q: “I have been conditionally accepted, Q: “My application for Masters’ study next
but now I want to change my topic to year was successful, but I have now been
something completely different. Can I do offered a better job and will not be able
this?” to commence my studies as planned. Can
A: No. If you do this, you are basically my acceptance be carried over for a year
terminating the study we evaluated you or two?”
on in the first place and now embarking on A: No, this will not be allowed. Remember,
something that has not been evaluated. If we have limited supervision capacity and
you want to do this, you would have to re- we have to plan our supervision workloads
apply with your new topic and associated within the department well in advance. In
proposal. Having said that, one is free to such a case, you will have to re-apply.
make adjustments to the topic as you go
Q: “I submitted my application and my
along. The proposal is fluid and not cast in
proposal was, in my opinion, a good one
stone. The basic premise is that you must not
and my average for my M was 70%, yet I
change it to the extent that it is something
was denied acceptance as it was stated
completely different
that the program is full. How can this be?”
Q: “English is my third language and I want A: One must remember that supervision
my proposal language edited before I capacity is the key to how many candidates
submit it. Can the Department of Business we accept. Very often, we simply cannot
Management help me?” accept candidates because we do not
A: That depends. If you require the names have capacity to supervise them. Also,
and contact details of professional language our applications have been increasing
editors, we can assist. If you want us to do exponentially over the past few years. This
the language editing, then no, we do not do leads to a situation where we sometimes
that. have to deny access to meritorious
candidates.
Q: ”I want to pursue a Masters’ degree, but
I do not adhere to all your requirements. Q: “My PhD application was not successful.
Do you offer a bridging course?” It was commented that my proposed
A: No we do not offer a bridging course at study was not of a standard expected for
this point in time. Doctoral study. Can I appeal this?”
A: No. All applications get assessed by a
Q: “I have been working on my proposal,
panel and the outcome of their deliberations
but I want to know if I am on the right
are final.
track. Can you check my proposal and
offer me advice on how to better it?”
A: No, we do not do this. As mentioned, the
proposal is a pivotal part of your application.
We want to assess whether your study has
potential as a doctoral study, thus, we want
to assess your work. If we allow input from
lecturers, the work you are submitting will
not be entirely your own, but shaped by
academics in the Department of Business
Management. We also want to see if the
necessary prior learning is in place as far as
an understanding and comprehension of
research methodology is concerned.
10ANNEXURE 1
Department of Business Management: Research Focus Areas
The Department of Business Management endeavors to promote the creation and dissemination
of knowledge in two main areas, namely Management and Entrepreneurship.
MANAGEMENT ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Within this main area, two focus areas exist: Within this main area, two focus areas are
• Management theory: Management immanent:
theory refers to management knowledge • Entrepreneurship and Small Business
created in the organisational context for Management: This area refers to the body
the purposes of enhancing management of knowledge concerned with the origin,
thinking on how organisations function, development and longevity of a business
and their interrelationships with the of that is small in scope. It is recognized
environment in which they operate. that such business ventures conform to a
• Applied management: Applied particular set of characteristics and thus
management refers to generating need a particular route of inquiry
knowledge for the purpose of finding • Corporate entrepreneurship: Corporate
solutions to real world corporate entrepreneurship refers to knowledge
management problems and scenarios. generated for purposes of the pursuit of
The current application of management business opportunities in the corporate
in terms of the traditional functions of setting.
management.
These are both areas the Department of
Within the ambit of the main area of Business Management specialises in and
Management, the Department of Business boasts an extensive publication record.
Management specialises, and has a research
As Business Management is such a broad
track record, in the following specialisations:
and highly contextualised discipline, it must
• Strategic Management
be borne in mind that room must be created
• Project Management
for cross-disciplinary inquiry. However, the
• Moral issues in business (including
discerning factor should be that the four
Business Ethics, CSR/I and Sustainability)
focus areas should be the focal point.
The focus areas are applicable to profit
making and non-profit organisations in the
private sector. The Department of Business
Management does not possess supervision
capacity to take on studies that deal with
Public Sector issues.
11ANNEXURE 2
Draft proposal layout Parameters/scope of the study
Address the following issues here:
Background to the study
• What is incorporated in the research?
Describes the milieu/environment in • What is left out - and the reasons why?
which the research is undertaken and also • Influence of the restrictions on the validity
describes what prompted initial interest in of the research
this area as an avenue for possible study.
Division of the study
This section should also contain the most
important points from literature on the Provide a brief outline and description
subject under investigation of the chapters you envisage in the final
dissertation/thesis. Pay attention to the
Problem statement
relative importance (and length) of the
Emanates from the background description. chapters.
Describe the exact nature of the problem
List of sources consulted
under investigation. Thus, what is the
problem, challenge or opportunity under PLEASE NOTE:
investigation The background gives rise to the problem
statement, from which a number of
Purpose of the research
objectives are formulated. To reach these
Emanates from the problem statement. objectives in a meaningful way, it will be
What are the main objectives of the research necessary to choose a specific research
(primary and secondary)? This forms the methodology, taking into account the
“mission” of the research. Furthermore, limitations of the study. The division of
what is the research question/research the study is logically structured and forms a
proposition/hypotheses that this research is continuous golden thread through which
attempting to answer or test? the set objectives are sought throughout the
dissertation.
Methodology to be employed
Consider the following questions here:
• What research methodology is
considered?
• Why is this particular method chosen?
• How does the chosen method help to
achieve the objectives of the study?
• Is the proposed method feasible?
• What does the chosen method entail?
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