The NRF minimum academic requirement for postgraduate funding is 65%. The entry age requirement is 30 and 32 years or younger for master’s and doctoral studies, respectively, in the year of application, regardless of their 1st year of registration. Successful applicants will be funded either at Full Cost of Study (FCS) or Partial Cost of Study (PCS). FCS funding will be awarded to South African citizens and Permanent Residents only, who are either financially needy (i.e., those whose combined household family income is less than or equal to R350 000 per annum), living with a disability, or exceptional academic achievers. However, the PCS funding will be awarded to 5% of international students including South African citizens and Permanent Residents who could not be funded under FCS but meet other minimum requirements for the NRF scholarship funding criteria.

Please note the following exclusions:

• ​Masters Coursework students with a thesis component weight of less than 50%;
• professional master’s or professional doctoral degree and
• Individuals that are on sabbatical leave from their current employment

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