SA Doctorate, Q for Jack/Others who have gone this route

Yes, another SA degree question, so I hope to be brief and painless.
Soon, unless something from out of the blue happens, I will finish up my M.A.
First I'm looking for something equivalant to RA, but since I like History and I'm motivated to seek the degree for personal satisfaction instead of professional, I can't/don't want to swallow the cost of a few expensive distant doctorates offered in the US or UK. So I must look to South Africa.

So here is the questions:

Are there any personal experiences that motivated you to pick a particular school over another in regards to academics, cost, or the avoidance of the bureaucratic monster some SA schools are known for?

Are your degree requirements research only or course work with research?

Thanks for all who chime in!
Gavin

 

Hi Gavin,

For me, I start searching an SA PhD program in Computer Science. I found one at UNISA. However, due to their slowness I searched for another SA university. I found the university of Pretoria. The cost was almost the same. However, they were very fast and all my dealings with them (in 4 years) were first class. Thanks God!

Research only. We have to publish two journal papers to graduate.

Best wishes and welcome to the SA club.

Muhammad

 

Muhammad,
Thanks for your reply, I will be looking into University of Pretoria!
It is nice to know the cost is about the same. I dont know how on this earth they can afford tuition at those prices, but I'm happy nonetheless. I hope to start the application process to a short list of schools by May.
Thanks again,
Gavin

 

Hi Gavin - I made the decision to apply/enroll at UFS (UOVS) for three reasons.
1) This school had, by my own assessment, the best Department of Social Work in the country.
2) I was able to identify at least two faculty members whose research interests overlapped with my own interests.
3) My preliminary contacts strongly suggested that the school was open to considering the necessary accomodations of my enrollment.

I believe that the UNISA system is not as hard to navigate as some might suggest. I have had personal contact with members of three departments and all were receptive and encouraging. The bureaucracy may be somewhat slower than at other schools but if they have a program that interests you then I believe that it is worth whatever effort is required. I eliminated UNISA from my own search list when I discovered that their Social Work PhD program was one of the few in the university that had a residency requirement (it's that internship thing).

My own program is 100% research. No coursework. While this seemed attractive at the outset, it has continues to be problematic for me. The demands of work and family have consistently pulled me away from my project. This, of course, is a decision that I have made as situations have arisen. As a result my progress has been excruciatingly slow and I have found myself, once again, having to question whether this is the right thing for me. The time requirements are substantial and before anyone enrolls I would strongly recommend that they make a very honest assessment as to the amount of time that they can devote to their research. We can all gear up for a few weeks or even a few months, but it is really quite difficult (for me at least) to sustain this sort of time commitment and effort over a period of years. Best of luck to you in your choice of programs.
Jack

 

Thanks Jack,
I will look into UFS.
Yes the time time I will have to dedicate to such an endeavor will consist of about 30 hours a week, plus or minus a few hours. I'm in the same situation as many here, that is, family and full time job.

Thanks for your comments on UNISA, it seems they have a mixed bag of students who have enjoyed the experience or found it troublesome to navigate. I think my best shot with them would be thru IACI in Canada.

Now I guess it's down to brass tacks of finding the right department in which I will either sink or swim, maybe I will make a good David Letterman episode of "Will it Float?".
Thanks again,
Gavin

 

Prior to opting to enroll in the PhD in practical theology at the University of Pretoria, I was accepted into the DTh in practical theology at the University of Stellenbosch.

Purely from the perspective of institutional reputation, Stellenbosch, which is highly regarded in the theological world, was my first choice.

However, I ultimately became frustrated with my lack of success in communicating with folks in Stellenbosch. While my intended supervisor was quite prompt in responding to emails, I couldn't seem to generate responses from anyone within any sector of the administration. Furthermore, I was frustrated by how much of the vital information on the university website was available in Afrikaans only. I also was concerned by how many functions relating to finance and registration still required the use of snail mail. Ultimately, the inability of my supervisor to be able to state definitively how much time I would need to spend in residency (at least a month) made me recognize that this was an arrangement that, despite my fondness for this institution and my intended supervisor, simply was not shaping up in a way that was in my best interest. Thus, I never proceeded with registering.

At the same time that my enthusiasm toward Stellenbosch was waning, I began to explore opportunities at the University of Pretoria. I was pleased to discover that pretty much everything I needed to know was provided for me in clear English on the website. Furthermore, all vital functions related to application and payment could be completed with the aid of the website. The only required appearance in Pretoria would be for my defense. Everyone with whom I corresponded provided prompt, helpful, and polite responses. The clincher for me was my discover that Malan Nel, who is a highly regarded practical theologian who maintains a study center at the University of Pretoria and teaches part-time for the department of practical theology, would be available to serve as my promoter. He is an accomplished scholar in some areas of expertise that are of direct relevance to my research.

My experience with Pretoria has been outstanding thus far. I am nearing the completion of my second year of registration. If I understand the present UNISA degree structure correctly, I believe that I will end up paying quite a bit less in tuition and fees than I would for a comparable program at UNISA.

 

Re: Re: SA Doctorate, Q for Jack/Others who have gone this route

Cory, I enjoy reading about the doctoral experiences of people on this board. I noticed the title of your dissertation on another thread:

"Intergenerational Reconciliation and Justice as Essential Dimensions of Missional Renewal in the Postmodern Era"

As a social worker and Christian counselor I am somewhat intrigued by the title. I'm curious as to the missions efforts you'll be writing about. Are you focussing on urban home missions or foreign missions? Good luck with your research.

Tom

 

Corey,
Thanks for comments on University of Pretoria, the residency requirements are something I have yet to explore, and must hammer that out to a solid time frame with my choices. I simply cant endure a situation in which I spend several years in a program expecting a secenario of a two-week residency and then at someones discretion it ends up being two months!

I can afford some time in residency, albeit a certain amount; really not seeking the most painless route but one that can fit within my paramaters...for me History is not work, but a hobby.
Thanks for your help!
Gavin