The Faculty of Commerce has a variety of postgraduate options designed for students with a vocational/professional focus or for those who want to pursue the academic discipline of their undergraduate commerce degree. We offer Postgraduate Diplomas, and Honours, Masters (Professional Masters, Coursework and Dissertation, and Dissertation only) and Doctoral degrees in a variety of disciplines.
Masters and Doctoral degrees
- Masters by Dissertation only and PhD: Prospective candidates should consult the appropriate Head of Department, School or Section concerned to discuss both the proposed topic and the availability of suitable supervision. The Faculty Office should be contacted for details regarding the application process.
- The rules for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) are published in Handbook No.3 General Rules and Policy.
- Doctoral candidates
All postgraduate students who are eligible to register for a dissertation must complete the MoU/PPA with their allocated dissertation supervisors before they can complete their registration. The MoU/PPA is completed online, on PeopleSoft, as part of the online registration process. Please download the guide: Completing the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)/Progress and Planned Activity (PPA) on PeopleSoft for Students.
A hold will be placed on your registration until the MoU/PPA is approved. You must, therefore, allow adequate time to work with your supervisor to develop your MoU/PPA so that your MoU/PPA block can be removed and your registration can be completed before the registration cut-off date.
Commerce postgraduates share their stories
Zané Dlamini, a Postgraduate Diploma in Accounting (PGDA) graduate, encourages students to focus on mental wellness. Dr Nqobile Bundwini, PhD in Business Science graduate’s research focused on destigmatising the cannabis industry in South Africa.
WATCH: Zané Dlamini
WATCH: Dr Nqobile Bundwini
Useful Resources for Commerce Postgraduate Applicants
Please consult the Commerce Postgraduate Handbook for details of the postgraduate programmes, including the curriculum and entrance requirements. UCT’s Directions for Postgraduate Applicants contains essential information on the postgraduate application process, dates by which to apply and more.
- Apply Online (the closing date for applications for coursework programmes is 31 October, unless otherwise specified in the UCT Directions for Postgraduate Applicants)
- 2025 Directions for Postgraduate Applicants
- Commerce Postgraduate Handbook
- Postgraduate degree funding
- International and Postgraduate Students FAQs
- International Academic Programmes Office (IAPO)
- Postgraduate Hub
- UCT Postgraduate Guide
- Postgraduate and postdoctoral resources