The University of Cape Town (UCT) is a public research university located in Cape Town in the Western Cape province of South Africa. It is jointly the oldest university in South Africa and the oldest extant university in Sub-Saharan Africa alongside Stellenbosch

AMARI (African Mental Health Research Initiative) is delighted to offer AMARI MPhil and PhD fellowships. These fellowships are awarded in the field of Public Mental Health.

This year, AMARI is offering support for a Malawian candidate for an MPhil fellowship in Public Mental Health at the Centre for Public Mental Health, in the Department of Psychiatry & Mental Health at the University of Cape Town (UCT).

The aim of these fellowships is to equip researchers to lead high-quality mental health research programmes that meet the needs of their countries.

Course Level: Fellowships are available to pursue MPhil and PhD programme.

Study Subject: Fellowships are awarded in the field of Public Mental Health.

Scholarship Award: The scholarship will cover the following:

  • The value of the PhD fellowship is R300 000 per year and includes funding to carry out the intended research. Although the tenure of the fellowships are for 3 years, satisfactory academic progress must be evidence for continued registration.
  • The MPhil fellowship cover all the tuition, travel and accommodation fees related to the programme.

Scholarship can be taken in South Africa.

Eligibility Criteria: 

To be eligible:

  • PhD applicants require a prior master’s degree in a foundational discipline relevant to public mental health (e.g. psychology, public health).
  • Applicants should have strong interpersonal skills, and be able to work in a collaborative fashion as part of a multi­disciplinary team. Fellows will need to relocate to Cape Town for the duration of the programme.

MPhil applicants require an Honours degree or post-graduate diploma in Public Mental

Health or a cognate discipline, on NQF level 8. In addition, candidates should:

  • Have experience of working in a mental health, health or development related field for at least three years.
  • Be employed within a managerial or leadership role, or have the capacity for such a role.
  • Show evidence of adequate English language and writing proficiency for postgraduate academic studies.
  • Be a citizen or permanent resident of South Africa, Ethiopia, Malawi, or Zimbabwe successfully gain entry to the MPhil in Public Mental Health.
  • Undertake a research project that is aligned with the goal of AMARI.

Nationality: Applicants of South Africa, Ethiopia, Malawi, or Zimbabwe are eligible to apply.

College Admission Requirement

Entrance Requirement: PhD applicants must have a prior master’s degree in a foundational discipline relevant to public mental health. Mphil applicants must have an Honours degree or post-graduate diploma in Public Mental Health or a cognate discipline, on NQF level 8.

Test Requirement: No

English Language Requirement: Applicants whose first language is not English are usually required to provide evidence of proficiency in English at the higher level required by the University.

Method of Application:

Applicants can apply via email:

  • Admission to the programme is highly competitive and is based primarily on academic merit and potential to contribute to mental health development in under-served areas in Africa. A rigorous selection process will be engaged in to identify the candidates who are most likely to successfully complete the degree within the prescribed period. In addition to the written application, short-listed applicants may be requested to attend a teleconference interview.
  • The application forms are detailed so that we have as much relevant information possible to enable us to select the most suitable candidates. If you have any questions about the application form or process, please contact Ms. Songelwa Mobo (Songelwa.mobo-at-uct.ac.za). The completed application forms, together with all the required supporting documents, must be submitted electronically as a PDF file to Songelwa Mobo on or before the deadline below.

Application form for MPhil programme.
Application form for PhD programme

Scholarship Application Deadline: For MPhil programme is September 1, 2017, and PhD programme is September15, 2017.

For more info, visit Scholarship link