An Accredited online phd degree at Pretoria University

For the last four years, I have been searching for an accredited online degree from African Universities, all in vain. During my recent visit to South Africa's National Defence College, I was advised that the University of Pretoria can offer such opportunity. Guys, kindly give me information even outside Africa.
Charles

 

Pretoria might accept someone into a PhD program with the idea that they would spend no time on campus. But they might not. They are not really a distance learning university. On the other hand there is UNISA. I'm surprised that you haven't heard of them as they are huge in the world of distance learning.

Unisa Online

 

Kizmet is correct. South Africa offers some excellent universities but there is a lot of variability in terms of what can be done at a distance. The British style research PhD lends itself to this BUT you have to find a professor willing to be your promoter (due to interest in your topic) and willing to allow email and phone contact. On top of that issue, sometimes there are requirements to come to campus set by the university. Free State has a very good reputation but would not bend on the requirement to spend six month (IIRC) on campus. Plus side is they are in a wine growing region of SA.

University of Zululand did allow students to work completely at a distance (at least in certain fields). The problem is managing to get someone to respond to inquiries. I had problems as have other people I have contacted.

University of South Africa is set up to be done DL. There was an Canadian entity that helped you navigate the system (you must be persistent....persistent....did I mention...persistent with UNISA).

 

"Online" and "distance learning" are two very different ideas.

An SA Uni's PhD isn't going to be "online" since that implies courses conducted over the internet. But the PhD won't have courses, online or otherwise.

It could be, however, "distance learning." That implies the student and instructor (if any) are apart, and the student is apart from the campus.

Finally, nothing is more negotiated in graduate education than the residency involved in a British, South African, or Australian PhD. Even students at the same school--even students with the same advsor!--could have dramatically different experiences in terms of traveling to the campus. You must clarify this ahead of time if traveling to the campus is going to be an issue.