UNISA DAdmin and DComm

UNISA (South Africa)offers the DAdmin and DComm:

Curriculum

The curriculum comprises a thesis on an approved topic. In the case of Business Management --

1.

the Head of the Department may, if it is deemed necessary, prescribe a reading programme which the student must complete to the satisfaction of the promoter before the student may commence with the writing of the thesis; and
2.

a student must also submit to the promoter at least one article suitable for publication and which is based on the thesis. The promoter will not give permission that the thesis may be submitted for examination unless he or she is satisfied that the article(s) is suitable for publication.

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Looks to me like this would be more user friendly for the distance ed student than the DBL.

Anyone have any experience with either program?

 

Vical,
I can't give you much of a "heads up" on this program. However UNISA does require all doctoral students to submit an 80,000 word dissertation along with an article that is suitable for publication (based on the thesis).

Your promoter (dissertation advisor) will provide you with plently of advice regarding the publication. In my case, I will be publishing an article in the "Journal of American Sociology" as soon as I receive approval from my promoters.

If you need more information you can contact the admission department at UNISA or give Dr. Michael Esselen of ICA a call.

regards

 

The DAdmin and DComm degrees are appropriate for individuals living and working in South Africa. They also have specific academic pre-requisites which you must have in order to be accepted in either program.

If you have an MBA, I would suggest the DBL as the best route as it is comparable to any international DBA program (ie you can apply it to your work in the USA and abroad).

Regards,
John Craparo
US Agent for Unisa

PS - requirements on thesis (dissertation length) and publication requirements vary from program to program and Unisa faculty. The only way you can get the exact information needed is through the applicable tutorial letter related to thesis preparation in the department you might eventually work with.

 

Hello John,
Please accept my apologies. I should have also included your name in my message to Vical.

regards,

 

Dear Roy,

No apology needed... just as long as someone is helping Unisa students or potential students, that is what is important to me. Michael does a fine job and you are part of the proof.

Thanks though!
John

 

Any idea what the minimum length of the program is?

 

At minimum, you must be a registered student for two years. I believe the average DBL takes five years to complete. This is a comprehensive program and the business school at Unisa is very rigorous.

John

 

Can you please let me know the residency requirements at UNISA for DBL?

 

From UNISA DBL,

You could only visit us three times, but if any of your presentations is not accepted you will have to present it again We cannot compromise on uor requirements .

Not sure how long each trip lasts. Perhaps John will know.

 

The colloquia occur during a single day, but I would suggest that you spend a full week there if traveling from the US.

Regards,
John

 

What is the total tuition for the DBL program (excluding residency) assuming to finish it in 3~4 years ?

 

I received conflicting amounts from UNISA but it looks in the area of $1200 US per year broken down as follows:

Standard fee: R4790=$654 US
Foreign student:R4000=$546
Yearly fee for something or other:R50=$6

 

That is correct, and that is what I quote perspective students. The foreign exchange rate for the Rand varies slightly form 9 to 11 Rand per US$. So the realized amount may be a bit different depending upon when you transact the payment.

Keep in mind, under university rules, a person must be registered for two academic years to receive the doctorate. So, this is a minimum.

John

 

The program is so inexpensive even with the travel figured in. Yet it appears not to be in much demand.

My search for people currently in the program or graduates has come up empty!

 

It is a very selective program. It has had several registrants, but those who are accepted must state that they would like their contact information published. My apologies, I do not have anyone who has volunteered to come forward. One person lurks here and perhaps that person will contact you if they see this thread.

Regards,
John

 

One of my concerns is the required reading list. I am wondering if the students were having any problems finding the required books.and other material.

 

No, most of the books are generally available. Some are classics and must be sourced from large libraries, but they are all pretty easy to find.

John

 

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Be very careful if you decide to utilize John Craparo in assisting you in terms of navigating Unisa. Mr. Craparo in the past has had a very bad reputation related to returning phone calls. Even John Bear has made reference to this fact in past Degreeinfo.com communication.

I hope Mr. Craparo has corrected this behavior. Beware, that if you become dependent on this gentleman and he were to revert to this past behavior -- of not returning calls much less being EXTREMELY slow when he did return calls -- you might find your Unisa experience quite frustrating.

I speak from experience.

 

Wes,

Did you ever submit your application to UNISA?

 

Dr. Michael Esselen of ICA-Canada submitted my application back in September of 2002. I had to wait a couple of months for a response. Except for a slight administrative delay I did not encounter any problems.
As far as I'm concerned, the application process was fairly routine. I began receiving correspondence from UNISA almost immediately.