Process

Responsible

Documents

1. Application for PG studies

• Students apply to student administration for PG studies according to Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS) requirements.
• FHS PG Office informs Departments of applicants end of September.

The student applies online.

• FHS PG Office submits the applicant’s CV and academic records to the Department for selection purposes. The department must verify the capacity of the topic.

The departmental procedure should be followed.

• Student register for PG studies.

2. Appointment of supervisor and co-supervisor

• Supervisor (SoHCS appointment letter with abbreviated CV – Template).
• Co-supervisors (SoHCS appointment letter with abbreviated CV – Template).

• Departmental: HoD matches the student’s topic with the appropriate supervisor and co-supervisor
• Supervisors: Submit CVs and summaries to SoHCS PG Core Committee
• Departmental PG Committee: Submit names and UP staff numbers of supervisor and co-supervisor to FHS PG office to gain access to online system (My PG student on PeopleSoft)

• PG candidate submission form, //www.up.ac.za/media/shared/23/ZP_Files/pg-candidate-submission-form-4.zp243785.docx
• signed by HOD
• Appointment letter signed by the HOD

• MoU
  • Include the workload % between PS and CoS (Case-based)
  • Include specific information on:
    • Timelines for what is expected from the student
    • Responsibilities of student and supervisors

• Supervisors: Responsible for tracking online progress
• Student uploads signed MoU to online system (My PG student on PeopleSoft)

• Supervisor upload the PG candidate submission form (Submit no. 1 – 4) to SoHCS PG Committee Google Drive
  https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1iK_lTnM5FpOghc2MIm82ZlEEqreepW3j

• FHC PG Office get the information from the Drive to upload to the FHS Board Agenda for ratification.

• PG candidate submission form

//www.up.ac.za/media/shared/23/ZP_Files/pg-candidate-submission-form-4.zp243785.docx

3. Development of the proposal

• The student, with the guidance of the supervisors, develop the proposal.

• The student attends TNM802 to refine the proposal.

• SoHCS proposal template

//www.up.ac.za/media/shared/23/ZP_Files/template-sohcs-proposal-2024.zp243787.docx

4. Departmental proposal review/presentation

• This is department specific, but the minimum requirement is:
• Master’s student:
  • Proposal review by a staff member in the department
  • Letter from the department that the proposal has been reviewed
• PhD student:
  • Proposal review by a staff member in the department
  • Letter from the department that the proposal has been reviewed

• Departmental organisation and record keeping (letter to SoHCS PG proposal Review Committee).

• SoHCS proposal evaluation report
• PowerPoint template example

• Proposal, plus:
  • Annexures (separately)
  • Turnitin report

• Supervisor submits a proposal and supplementary documents for internal reviewer/s.
• Reviewers submit written feedback on the SoHCS Evaluation tool for research proposals.

5. SoHCS PG Core Committee

• After departmental approval, the supervisor submits the student’s documents to the SoHCS PG Submissions on Google Drive. Create a folder for the student and submit the following documents:

• Proposal
• Annexures
• Turnitin Report
• Letter: Departmental proposal approval, indicating the internal reviewers (see template)
• Letter: Department Funding declaration (see template)
• Letter: Statistical support

• SoHCS PG Office can assist [email protected]
• Submission cut off is the first Wednesday of every month, 10:00.
• The chairperson of SoHCS PG Committee identifies and request the independent external reviewer to evaluate the proposal before the next meeting date.
• The departmental reviewer will evaluate the proposal again to maintain consistency and to evaluate if the departmental suggested changes were made.

• How do upload the proposal for a Turnitin report
•  

• Master’s student:
  • Two reviewers will review the proposal
    • SOHCS PG committee will identify one internal reviewer from another department
    • The same departmental reviewer will review the proposal to ensure that suggestions from the department were incorporated
  • Students do not present the proposal to the SoHCS.
  • SoHCS PG committee and the supervisors will listen to the reviews and the recommendations made. Clarifying questions from the committee should further assist the supervisors and student to finalise the proposal for FHS Research Ethics.
• PhD student:
  • Two reviewers will review the proposal.
    • The supervisor, through the HoD, need to submit name of an external reviewer from another university. All the contact details should be submitted to the SoHCS PG committee administrator who will facilitate further communication
    • SOHCS PG committee will identify one internal reviewer from another department.
  • Oral presentation:
    • The student has 15 minutes to present the proposal to the SoHCS PG committee, supervisors, and the reviewers.

• The PG committee will be able to ask clarifying questions and the two reviewers will present their reports. Recommendation will be made accordingly.

• Reviewers submit written feedback on the SoHCS Evaluation tool for research proposals BEFORE the next SOHCS PG committee meeting.
• The departmental representative is responsible for presenting the student’s information to the PG Core Committee if the internal reviewer cannot attend the meeting.

• SoCHS proposal evaluation report

//www.up.ac.za/media/shared/23/ZP_Files/template-sohcs-evaluation-tool-for-research-proposals-2024.zp243786.docx

• SoHCS PG Proposal meeting is scheduled according to dates identified in the beginning of each year.
• Send PhD defense request with evidence (in writing) of a confirmed external reviewer appointed by HOD (use the template letter).
• Submit to [email protected]

• After the SoHCS PG Committee meeting, The PG student, through the supervisor, need to submit:

• Table with corrections;
• Proposal with track changes; and
• Proposal without track changes

• Submit to [email protected]

• Example of the letter indicating corrections

• SoHCS PG Committee chair will send a formal letter stating the proposal has been approved, and can be submitted to the FHS REC.
• Student can only submit to FHS REC after this letter has been received.

• After receiving evidence of change the chairperson of SoHCS PG Committee sends a letter acknowledging receipt and approval of the proposal to the supervisor.
• The student needs to submit to FHS Research Ethics Committee (REC). This is an online process.

6. FHS Research Ethics Committee (REC) https://www.up.ac.za/healthethics

• Submission documents (ClickUP – Research Grants & Ethics)
  • Proposal
  • Annexures (uploaded separately from the Proposal)
    • Participant's informed consent documents (following the guidelines/templates provided by REC)
    • Questionnaires/interview schedules/data capture sheet
    • If appropriate, permission from the developer to use the questionnaire
    • Approval letters e.g., DoE, DoH
    • Letter: SoHCS approval letter (PG office)
    • Statistical support letter (if applicable)
  • Other documents (where applicable) 

• Student’s responsibility
• Student send amendments, which is approved by the supervisor, to FHS REC.
• Student to upload the letter from REC onto the Online system (My PG student on PeopleSoft)

7. Appointment of internal and external examiners

//www.up.ac.za/media/shared/23/ZP_Files/sop-sohcs-pg-committee-criteria-for-pg-examiners-appointment.zp243892.docx

• Six months prior to final submission:
  • Supervisors present the names and CVs to Departmental PG Committee and/or HoD
  • Remember confidentiality of information to the student
• Supervisor to upload the following forms to the SoHCS PG Submissions folder on Google Drive to evaluate and appoint examiners.
  •  

• PG candidate submission form (Submit no. 5 – 7 Template PG Candidate submission form)
• Internal UP examiner (CV and summary template)
• National external examiner (CV and summary template)
• For PhD candidates: External International examiner (CV and summary template)

(Refer to UP regulations and SOHCS examiner criteria)

• Departmental PG committee and/or HoD to approve the examiners before submission to the SoHCS PG Core committee
• SoHCS PG Core committee approve examiners. Zanele Lesika coordinates this process. [email protected]
• SoHCS PG office update the approved examiners’ information in the Drive where the FHS PG office obtain the information.
• FHS PG office send appoint letters to examiners after Dean’s approval.

• PG Candidate submission form

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1V0jfJvIM6gKSxkXf3LAxmnbS-IXI39u5/edit

8. Submission of Dissertation/Thesis

• Three months prior to completion:
  • Submit a letter of intent to submit dissertation/thesis (see letter template)
• Six months before graduation date submit thesis/dissertation electronically to FHS PG office
• Submit concept article with thesis/dissertation (check regulations regarding M and PhD via manuscript)

• Student submits to FHS PG office

• Supervisor submits to FHS PG office

• Example of letter of intent to submit
• //www.up.ac.za/media/shared/23/ZP_Files/template-intent-to-submit.zp243891.docx

9. Publication

Finalise and publish the articles

Celebrate success