The Graduate School of Economic and Management Sciences’s​ call for applications is open from the 15th of June to 31 July and will recruit for full-time PhD scholarship positions, funded by the Graduate School to a maximum of R138 000 per year for three years. The Graduate School allocates these scholarships by considering each application on its own merit.

Candidates must meet the following minimum criteria to be considered for a scholarship:

  • A candidate must meet the minimum criteria for admission to a PhD at Stellenbosch University. This requires a master’s degree in the relevant discipline or, in exceptional circumstances, an equivalent qualification.
  • Candidates must have achieved a grade of 65% in their master’s programmes.
  • Candidates must be under forty years of age when the programme commences in January.
  • Only applications in one of the Faculty’s Research Themes  will be considered.
  • All students who meet the above criteria will be considered. ​​

​Application process – GEM Scholarships

​Follow these steps to apply for the 2021 cohort of the Graduate School:

  • Read the criteria for eligibility stated above.
  • Fill in the Application form
  • You will be required to write a letter motivating your suitability for the scholarship (maximum length: one A4 page), as well as a research concept note (no maximum length) on one or more selected research topics or problems which you intend to study in the course of your doctoral programme. These should be completed on the application form in the relevant sections.
  • Please consult the ​2020 Research Themes to guide you in choosing a research topic. Research topics outside the listed research themes can be accommodated only if it falls within the current research themes that are active in one of the Faculty’s academic departments.
  • Please note that scholarships can only be awarded where the Faculty is able to appoint a suitable supervisor for the topic to be studied.
  • Submission of an application does not guarantee entry. There are limited scholarships available and awards are made on a competitive basis.
  • Please ensure that your three references are informed that their referee reports stating your capability to complete doctoral studies should be sent directly to the Graduate School via email (GEM@sun.ac.za) on or before 31 July 2020.
  • Send your completed application form electronically to: GEM@sun.ac.za

Due to the large number of applications recieved, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. If you have not received communication from the Graduate School Office by the 16th of October 2020, the application should be considered as unsuccessful.

The new intake of PhD will commence their studies on the 20th of January 2021.

​​Graduate School Office contact details ​Email: GEM@sun.ac.za​

For More Information:

Visit the Official Webpage 

Application Deadline: 31 July 2020.