Our department offers a Master’s degree in Chemical Engineering (Research), which is a 100% research-based programme. This programme generally requires full-time study and research under the guidance of a supervisor(s) over a period of 18 – 24 months. Part-time candidates who are working in the industry are considered, and enrolment stretches over approximately three to four years.

For this NQF 9 programme, students are enrolled for a single 180-credit module. No registration for other taught modules are mandatory, although additional modules may be taken with permission of the supervisor. Full-time resident students participate in an in-house research methodology module at the start of the academic year. This module is attended in person at the department. Students are also registered for a 1-credit module during their first-year of study that focusses on professional communication and avoiding plagiarism (ProfCom 871). This is a self-paced learning module that is completed via our online learning platform, SUNLearn.

The residency culminates in the submission and examination of a thesis, as well as academic articles as part of fulfilment and attainment of the degree.

Note that an MEng degree is not a qualifying degree for registration as an engineer.

Programme duration: 

• Full-time enrolment: approx. 2 academic years
• Part-time enrolment: approx. 3 – 4 years

• BEng degree
• Hons BSc degree
• Applicable 4-year Bachelor’s degree
• Applicable Postgraduate Diploma
• MTech

• SA candidates with BEng qualification: 65% average for degree completed in four years, >65% average for degree completed in five years.
• SA candidates with Hons BSc qualification: 65% average. Preference will be given to applicants with average of 70% and above.
• SA candidates with MTech qualification: 65% average and above
• International candidates: 65% average / Second Class Upper Division pass for degree completed in minimum time. Results of individual modules are also scrutinized. Preference will be given to candidates with a First Class Pass.

STEP 1: Make sure you meet the admission requirements

All applicants must meet the minimum admission requirements as detailed in the section above.

STEP 2: Get your documents in order

• Departmental application form (the upload is labelled “Dept-XXX” on the application portal)
• Complete academic record(s),
• Degree certificate(s),
• Comprehensive curriculum vitae, and
• Proof of written academic work: MEng applicants must please submit their final-year research project for proof of written academic work. If you have published articles in accredited journals, please upload those as well. If you have graduated a while ago and have recently written project proposals or reports as part of your professional work, which demonstrate your academic writing skills, such a document may be uploaded as well.

Please take note of the following regarding the compulsory documentation to be uploaded as part of the application:

1. Students currently registered for BEng (Chemical Engineering) at SU aren’t required to complete or upload the departmental application form as part of the institutional application. For other students registered at SU (but not within the department), this may be beneficial to complete and share with potential supervisors if you have not yet secured a supervisor (even though the application will not require the document as a compulsory upload).
2. Regarding references to be included on the departmental application form: Three references are required, preferably from academic referees.
3. All electronic copies of academic records or degree certificates must be certified. A certified copy is a copy (often a photocopy) of a primary document that has on it an endorsement or certificate that it is a true copy of the primary document. Certification can be obtained by taking the original documents and copies to a police station or commissioner of oaths. The certified copy can then be scanned to produce the electronic certified copy.

More information about and descriptions for the compulsory documents that must be uploaded as part of the institutional application can be found here. 

STEP 3: Apply online

Complete and submit an institutional application. Once the application is submitted, it is reviewed by our Central Admissions Office for completeness (status changes to “reviewed”). If the submitted documents are incorrect, candidates will be contacted via the application portal (status changes to “incomplete”).

STEP 4: Selection

Once the application is reviewed by the CAO, it is screened by the department to check whether the candidate meets the admission criteria. All candidates who meet the admission criteria are shared with the department’s supervisors for consideration. Should a supervisor be interested in offering you a position in their research group, they will contact you directly for more information, to complete an assignment, or to schedule an interview. Should the supervisor be interested in offering the candidate a position, they nominate the candidate for approval at a departmental management meeting.

STEP 5: Admission

Successful candidates receive a conditional offer via SUNStudent, which they must accept, and thereafter a final offer is issued, which the candidate must also accept. International candidates must start with their visa application ASAP. Further information and steps are shared with successful candidates at this point. Note that your status on the SU application portal will remain “reviewed” until we reach the point of admission.

STEP 6: Registration

This will take place at the start of the new academic year towards the end of January when registration opens. Admitted candidates will receive communication in this regard.

Please note:

If you are not contacted by any supervisors by the end of the year, you can consider your application unsuccessful. In certain cases supervisors receive late confirmation of research funding early in the new academic year (January – March) and in such situations, candidates may be contacted early in the new year to take up a postgraduate position in our department.

We receive more applications than positions available for a new academic year, and positions are offered to selected applicants only. Applicants are strongly encouraged to apply for research funding – students who are bursary recipients have a higher likelihood of successful admission.

All queries can be directed to postgradchem@sun.ac.za.

A personalised estimate for study fees can be generated here.

All applicants are strongly encouraged to apply for research funding, especially NRF funding. As most South African funders only make funding available to SA citizens, international students are strongly encouraged to apply for funding from their home countries or other international funders.

Keep an eye on SU’s Postgraduate Office Postgraduate Funding Opportunities webpage for calls for bursary applications.

Visit our Departmental opportunities page for all the latest bursaries and research projects we have to offer.

Further examples of postgraduate bursary opportunities include:
NRF Scholarships
Mandela Rhodes Scholarship
PAMSA MEng Bursary Programme
Sasol Bursary Postgraduate Programme