University and Faculty PG Processes

Application 

Please refer to the BGM applications page for processes to follow prior to submitting a formal application. 

Registration 

Postgraduate students need to register annually with the University of Pretoria throughout the duration of their degrees. Students that allow their registration to lapse for more than six months will need to apply for re-admission to the degree.

Memorandum  of  Understanding 

Each PG student, supervisor and co-supervisors must sign an memorandum of understanding (MOU) during the first three months of the PG degree. Student and supervisors need to agree on a timeline for the degree and must provide a list of all major events anticipated for the duration of the degree. The purpose of the MOU is to ensure that both sides are informed about their rights and obligations as part of this degree.

MoA Form

Ethics  clearance 

Each PG student needs to complete an ethics application prior to starting on his/her research project to ensure the University of Pretoria is aware of any potentially hazardous or ethical aspects. Access is provided via the UP portal. All Ethics clearance applications start from the same form with additional parts added as required. Applications for projects involving human samples or questionnaires are forwarded to and adjudicated by the Ethics committee of the Faculty of Health Sciences. Similarly, the committee of the Faculty of Veterinary Sciences handles applications involving research on animals. All other applications are decided by representatives of the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences. 

Progress  codes 

The University of Pretoria requires that the progress of each PG student is documented at six-monthly intervals in June and December of every year. Please refer to the BGM PG Processes page to ensure departmental procedures in this regard are followed.

Extension of  study period 

Students that have come to the end of the recommended period of their degree (MSc and PhD: 2 and 3 years, respectively) need to apply for an extension of their study period for the next calendar year. Without this extension being requested and granted, the re-registration in the following calendar year will be blocked. The corresponding application including the form, a Gantt chart demonstrating completion of the degree in the coming 12 months, and a letter explaining the major hurdles preventing completion must be signed by the applicant, the co-supervisors, the supervisor and in BGM the chair of the Division of Research and Postgraduate Education before being forwarded to the Faculty.

Application form
Gantt Chart

Leave of  absence 

Students that need to interrupt their research project for more than a month due to health, personal, family or other reasons, need to complete and submit a leave of absence form.

Application form

Title  registration 

Three to six months before a dissertation/thesis is submitted to the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, the title needs to be finalised and the examiners appointed. Please see the BGM PG Processes page for documents and details.

Title registration form & guidelines

Notice of  intention to  submit 

Three months before a dissertation/thesis is submitted to the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, students need to confirm to the faculty in writing (by email) of their intention to submit.

(BGM Submission timeline)

Submission 

Dissertations/Theses are submitted directly to the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences. Please inform the Division of Research and Postgraduate Education about your submission so we can keep track of the examination process.

Submission guidelines

Submission dates

Finalization 

Once the examiners' reports have been received, the student will be informed of any corrections or changes required by the examiners. Once these corrections and changes have been completed - and after the BGM defence for PhDs - the Summarized Report is signed by supervisor(s) and the Chair of the Division of Research and Postgraduate Education. Students then need to submit an electronic and a bound copy of the dissertation/thesis to faculty.
Students that submit their final dissertations/theses and complete all paper work prior to 15 February are exempt from having to register for that calendar year. They will graduate in the autumn graduation ceremony.
Students that submit and complete all processes on the last working day prior to 31 March must register for that calendar year. However, they qualify for a rebate on their registration fees.

UPSpace form

Submission form

Turnitin form

Graduation 

Students finalizing the submission of their dissertation/thesis before 15 February or 15 July or any year will graduate in the autumn and spring graduation ceremonies respectively. Submissions after these deadlines stand over till the next round of graduation ceremonies.