Yearbooks

Programme: PhD Organisational Behaviour

Kindly take note of the disclaimer regarding qualifications and degree names.
Code Faculty Department
07267003 Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences Department: Human Resource Management
Credits Duration NQF level
Minimum duration of study: 2 years Total credits: 360 NQF level:  10

Programme information

The PhD degree is conferred by virtue of a thesis.

The relevant head of department reserves the right to prescribe any additional modules/seminars for a candidate.

A candidate must also pass the compulsory module in EBW 801 Research methodology 801 if it has not been completed at master’s level. However, the Dean may, in exceptional cases and on the recommendation of the relevant head of department/director, waive this prerequisite.

Not all postgraduate programmes are offered every year. Please consult the relevant faculty's student administration concerning the presentation of this programme.

Admission requirements

  1. Relevant master’s degree
  2. A cumulative weighted average of at least 65% for the master’s degree

Examinations and pass requirements

The thesis should be passed in accordance with the stipulations of General Academic Regulations G50 and G54, as well as a compulsory module in Research Methodology.

Research information

Refer to General Academic Regulations G50 and G54.

The research component comprises a thesis and a research article for publication(General Academic Regulation G51). A candidate will work under the guidance of a supervisor to develop a detailed research proposal according to departmental guidelines and regulations. The proposal must be presented to the departmental PhD committee and must be officially approved by all relevant committees before the candidate can commence with his/her research. The candidate will continue his/her research under the guidance of his/her supervisor until the research is completed according to the rules and regulations of the University. An oral defence of the thesis may be required as part of the final examination. Furthermore, a research article based on the candidate’s research must be submitted for publication to a recognised accredited journal. The article is a compulsory condition for the degree to be conferred on the candidate. The research component contributes 100% towards the total requirement for the degree.

Core modules

  • Module content:

    • Developing the background to a research problem, and developing a problem statement and propositions and hypotheses relevant to their study.
    • Compiling a thorough literature review of the topics they intend to study.
    • Approaches to research: An overview of the different approaches to research (qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods) and the philosophical approaches that underpin them (positivism, post-positivism, interpretivism, constructivism, critical theory and pragmatism).  
    • Different research designs in quantitative and qualitative methods, and appropriate sampling approaches for the different research designs.
    • Qualitative research methodology: An overview of qualitative methods for organisational research. An overview of the different methodologies on a continuum between modernistic qualitative and post-modernistic qualitative research.  
    • Quantitative research methodology

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General Academic Regulations and Student Rules
The General Academic Regulations (G Regulations) and General Student Rules apply to all faculties and registered students of the University, as well as all prospective students who have accepted an offer of a place at the University of Pretoria. On registering for a programme, the student bears the responsibility of ensuring that they familiarise themselves with the General Academic Regulations applicable to their registration, as well as the relevant faculty-specific and programme-specific regulations and information as stipulated in the relevant yearbook. Ignorance concerning these regulations will not be accepted as an excuse for any transgression, or basis for an exception to any of the aforementioned regulations. The G Regulations are updated annually and may be amended after the publication of this information.

Regulations, degree requirements and information
The faculty regulations, information on and requirements for the degrees published here are subject to change and may be amended after the publication of this information.

University of Pretoria Programme Qualification Mix (PQM) verification project
The higher education sector has undergone an extensive alignment to the Higher Education Qualification Sub-Framework (HEQSF) across all institutions in South Africa. In order to comply with the HEQSF, all institutions are legally required to participate in a national initiative led by regulatory bodies such as the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET), the Council on Higher Education (CHE), and the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA). The University of Pretoria is presently engaged in an ongoing effort to align its qualifications and programmes with the HEQSF criteria. Current and prospective students should take note that changes to UP qualification and programme names, may occur as a result of the HEQSF initiative. Students are advised to contact their faculties if they have any questions.

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