Thus far, I have emailed Pretoria, UniSA, North-West, and Stellenbosch simply requesting information and have received precisely nothing in response (aside from an automated thing from UniSA). It has been several days since I sent the message. My question is: is this a typical response from these schools? Does it take them this long usually? Should I try again? It may be that I sent it to the wrong person, but I would like to think that I am at least intelligent enough to figure out who to sent an inquiry message to. Which schools are known for good response times? Which are the most helpful in that area? Which are known for the opposite? Thanks. Lon
If you're interested in the postgraduate level, you should try calling by phone and asking to speak to the department chair for the discipline that interests you, or, you could consider trying to Google around and find a faculty member who shares your research interests and contact them directly. Good luck, -=Steve=-
A general email to the university doesn't usually seem to get much response. Do what Steve suggests and find someone in the department you are interested in and email or call them directly.
Lon, It took me several months to get information from UNISA. I sent many emails and all were ignored. However, after 2 months I received many books with lots of information and application forms. So you should be patient as SA is not like the US where you expect responses in a matter of hours.
Panicbird, Don't throw the towel in just yet. The others have great advice. My personal experience with UNISA while looking into the History program: I emailed the department head and with in a day or two ( maybe hours) I got a response with a word doc. file attached explaining the procedures a student needs for the history department. Other schools in South Africa have responded in similar fashion, whether they offerd the degree program I was seeking or not. Most responses were within a day or two and only consisted of "Gavin, we do/do not offer the degree you are seeking in a 100% online format, however we do offer [ such & such, and here are the web links]. Sometimes it is a little frustrating trying to drill through a website trying to find the right contact source, but with the SA universities that are seemingly the bureaucratic monsters I think they are, your end results will be quicker. If UNISA is your final choice I would highly recommend http://www.iaci-canada.com/ for registration etc. Good luck, Gavin
Lon, Would you mind sharing your level of education and what subject you want to study? I'm studying with the Univ. of Pretoria. If your interests lie in theology or religion, I can provide you with a couple of contacts. Roscoe
Several days? Dealing with universities in the European Union, you are likely to wait weeks for a reply from your doctoral supervisor! I recall sending a couple of e-mails over a couple of days and waiting 3 weeks for a reply. I've grown used to it and actually don't mind it so much anymore. The doctorate probably takes 3-5 years for good reason. ;-)
Contact for UNISA: Dr. Michael Esselen IACI-CANADA-USA Phone: 604 408 2728 Fax: 604 408 2764; 604 233 8852 Email: [email protected]; [email protected] Website: www.iaci-canada.com Dr. Esselen is prompt and usually follows up to make sure your questions are answered. He answered my emails within a day or so. Roscoe
I am a MTH student through Stellenbosch. Some people get back to me quickly by emails; others take their time. My supervising professor is one of the later. It usually takes about 3-4 weeks for a response. I have found calling on the phone is quicker than anything else. As I understand it, promptness in returning emails is just not part of the culture! Page
