PhD Registration

Welcome to the PhD programme in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences on the Tygerberg campus of Stellenbosch University. Please follow the steps below in order to register, but only after you have completed the online application process and accepted an offer to study at SU in a particular academic year.

All new entrants to the FMHS doctoral programme are first registered for a doctoral preparatory phase for the purpose of successfully completing the proposal review and ethics clearance process. The ideal is that these milestones should be achieved by September of year 1. This form of registration is significantly more affordable than PhD registration, but fees increase if a second year is required to attain proposal and ethics approval.

• First-year PhD (proposal development phase) students should reach out, right away, to their academic unit to confirm the details of their postgraduate coordinator and their supervisor;
  
• Email the signed MoU​ and NDA​ to the Tygerberg Doctoral Office on tyg-phd@sun.ac.za;
  
• You may find it useful to check out all the resources on this postgraduate orientation page;
  
• You may enjoy joining the activities of the Tygerberg Postgraduate Student Council;
• This interactive map may help you find your way around campus (select Tygerberg campus);
• More information on campus is available here and here.
  

• All returning students should submit an annual progress report and an ethical clearance or renewal letter bearing their name to tyg-phd@sun.ac.za by 15 November every academic year;
  
  
• A supervisor letter motivating continued registration and addressed to the Committee for Postgraduate Research should accompany the progress report, where a student has exceeded the ordinary duration of three to four years of PhD registration.
  
  
• Returning international students should at the start of each year provide their passport, proof of medical insurance, and proof of payment to Ms S Timm (stimm@sun.ac.za​) of Tygerberg International to lift the international block.
  
  
• Students with a financial block will be unable to register, but if a scholarship is due to be paid, please liaise with Ms L Matthee (lm@sun.ac.za​​) about the possibility of lifting the financial block.
  
  
• After completing the steps above, by 28 January each new academic year, returning students may register themselves as follows:
  o Open the my.sun home page at https://midtier.sun.ac.za/html-navbar/home.html​;
  o Click on 'Postgraduate' on the top ribbon;
  
  o Click on the e-registration button found on the far-left corner of the first ribbon;
  o A new window will open where the student will be prompted to sign in using SU credentials;
  o Next, the system will display steps to register starting with updating personal information;
  o Follow the on-screen instructions and complete all the steps;
  o Students may download proof of registration or account details directly.
  
  
  
• Students who still experience difficulties after following all steps above, are invited to write to Ms Vanessa Joseph (vbj@sun.ac.za) of the registrar's division, to assist with registration.