Yearbooks

Programme: PhD (Pharmacology)

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Code Faculty Department
10260532 Faculty of Health Sciences Department: Pharmacology
Credits Duration NQF level
Minimum duration of study: 2 years Total credits: 360 NQF level:  10

Programme information

A PhD student must:

  1. under the supervision of a supervisor at the University of Pretoria with an optional co-supervisor from the University of Pretoria or another institution approved by the Senate, undertake original research to the satisfaction of the examiners; and
  2. submit a thesis which will prove, according to the opinion of the examiners, that he or she has, on the grounds of independent critical judgement, made a distinct contribution towards the enrichment of knowledge in the chosen subject.

A student for the PhD degree must be registered for the doctoral degree study at the University of Pretoria for at least one academic year before the degree can be conferred.
The PhD degree is conferred by virtue of a thesis and, should the Dean deem it necessary, an examination on the field of study of the thesis.
The maximum period for completion of a doctoral degree is three years. Under exceptional circumstances, a student may apply to the head of the department, in writing, for a fixed, limited extension of this period.

Admission requirements

  1. Master's degree (equivalent to NQF level 9) within a biological or medical sciences discipline, or one that has been deemed equivalent to provide the student with sufficient discipline-specific knowledge

Additional requirements

TNM 700 or TNM 802 as well as MBS 800 or equivalent status must be achieved before completion of the PhD degree. If pharmacology status cannot be shown, the modules (FAR 381, 382) Pharmacology 381, 382 must be completed at the Department of Pharmacology for non-degree purposes.

Examinations and pass requirements

If advised by an examiner(s), an oral doctoral examination that will deal with the content of the thesis and those subdivisions of the field of study on which the thesis is based, will need to be passed.

Research information

A complete research protocol regarding the proposed thesis (as well as the curriculum vitae of the candidate) must be approved by the Postgraduate Committee of the School in question and also by the Research Ethics Committee before commencement of the study. The thesis must deal with a pharmacology related problem from any field in the Health Sciences and must satisfy the supervisor and the examiners that it represents advanced original research and/or creative work in the field of the Health Sciences. It must give an overview of the topic and contain a description of the observations made and experiments done by the student, with appropriate data interpretation and a discussion of the conclusions reached.

General 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 (HEQF) 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.


Regulations and rules
The regulations and rules for the degrees published here are subject to change and may be amended after the publication of this information.

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.

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 (HEQF) 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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