Entry into the MBA Programme

This section contains important information – please read it carefully. All information was correct at the time of writing but may change without notice.

Applications to the MBA are processed through the Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management. Enquiries regarding the status of your application may be addressed to Noncedo Rwanqa on (011) 717-3553.

GENERAL INFORMATION
Information is listed under the following sections:

1. Admission requirements
2. Application procedures
3. Progress of application
4. Calendar and curriculum information
5. Further studies
6. Foreign students
7. Other information – fees, correspondence, financial aid, accommodation
8. Term dates

To expedite your application –

Ensure that applications and documents are submitted timeously.

Applications received after 30 October for Full time class and the week-day and week-end part-time programmes will be treated as late and will only be considered if places are still available.

The Wits Business School Academic Office is unable to obtain missing documents on an applicant’s behalf.

You will be contacted by email or telephone should you be required to attend an interview.

1. ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

• First degree
• Post-university experience: a minimum of 3 years for the full-time programme, and 4 years for the part-time programme
• Acceptable Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT )* score
• Motivation and referee reports
• Mathematics: a level of competence equivalent to the requirements of the SA
• Matriculation certificate is advisable
• SAQA Accreditation (international applicants only)

2. APPLICATION PROCEDURES

• Application form

  Please ensure that all information given is correct, that you have everything required on the checklist, and that you have signed the form.

• Academic transcript

  Wits undergraduates do not submit a transcript. Graduates from other universities must submit an original certified copy of their academic transcripts. The transcript must include a
  complete list of all subjects taken for a degree, including courses that were failed. A degree certificate is NOT a transcript. Documents not in English must be accompanied by a sworn
  translation.

• Reference forms

  You will be required to select TWO referees. Please note that they have to be at least from your place of employment and or academic background. A close relative will not be
  acceptable. Your referees should be aware of your academic and work aptitude and should be able to confirm your suitability for the MBA.

• Photographs

  Two recent photographs (90 days old or less) must be submitted together with your application form. The photographs must be black and white, 5.5cm high x 4cm wide (passport size), full face and taken against a plain background. Please print your name clearly on the back of the photographs.

• GMAT

  Applicants need to sit for the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT). For more information on how to book, prepare and sit for the GMAT, please visit www.MBA.com or call 011 655 7224

3. MBA SELECTION CRITERIA

Due to the level of intensity of the Wits Business School MBA, classes are made up entirely of highly intelligent overachievers. The selection criteria are thorough and comprehensive to ensure that only suitable candidates are accepted. The application process for prospective students is as follows:

• Sit for the GMAT (see 2.5)
• Complete the application forms (see 2.1)
• Attend an interview with the Faculty if required

From this information the selection panel will assess the suitability of each applicant by carefully examining the following:

• AN acceptable score on the GMAT is a prerequisite for admission onto our MBA programme. Students have to achieve an acceptable score as well as an adequate spread across each of the different test categories.
• The academic record of the student from all previous studies.
• The candidate‘s career path and managerial experience. All full-time MBA students need to have at least three years managerial experience, while part-time students require a minimum of four years.

The above three main categories will be supplemented by the applicant‘s letters of reference, motivation for undertaking studies, prior leadership experience and the outcome of an interview if the Faculty deems one necessary.

The Faculty Office will acknowledge receipt of your application immediately. Please note that many are delayed at this stage for being incomplete; only fully completed applications are forwarded to the selection panel. You will then be notified of the panel’s decision which will take place in four forms:

• Acceptance
• Rejection
• Call for an interview
• Placed on the waitlist

If you are called for an interview you may have to wait until the next predermined interview dates. Following your interview the panel undertakes to inform you of their final decision with 48 hours. Candidates who are borderline or who have applied for a class that is provisionally fully, may be waitlisted until the finalization of class numbers determines the availability of places.

Late applications will only be reviewed if places remain on the programme after applicants who met the closing date have been dealt with.

A non-refundable deposit is payable when accepting the offer of a place. This deposit will be offset against your tuition fees.
Incomplete applications will not be considered.

4. CALENDAR AND CURRICULUM INFORMATION

• Full-time programme

You may complete the full-time curriculum as follows:

• Full-time registration from the beginning of January to the end of December..
• Part-time Programme

The part-time curriculum extends over two calendar years. On this programme students are required to attend two lectures a week, either on weekdays in the evenings or on Saturday mornings. In addition, they must attend a two-day full-time study school at the beginning of the programme, and further study schools as may be necessary. Timetables specifying the days on which lectures will be held for specific classes are available prior to the beginning of each term.

Examinations are normally written during the day at the end of each quarter.
Please note that the degree cannot be studied by correspondence.

5. FURTHER STUDIES
Master of Business Administration graduates are eligible to apply for admission as candidates for the degree Doctor of Philosophy (PhD).

6. INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
International students must ensure that they are able to:

• Obtain a full academic transcript from their university/ universities. (Refer to section 2.2 if your university does not supply an academic transcript.)
• Write the GMAT test.
• Obtain a study permit and renew it for the entire period that they will be in South Africa.
• Submit proof of proficiency in English where the home language is not English. (Refer to the booklet General Information for Postgraduate Applicants).
• Pay all fees before registration. Please also consult section on ‘Fees’.
• Show proof of having South African medical insurance cover.

Please contact the International Office on + 27 11 (0) 717-1052 for information regarding study permits. Email: studysa@international.wits.ac.za

7. OTHER INFORMATION
Fees: please refer to section 8.
Accommodation: please refer to section 1.5 in the booklet ‘General Information for Postgraduate Applicants’. Any query regarding accommodation must be referred to the Accommodation Office. You can contact them on (011) 717-9174 or 9174
Correspondence: please ensure that all information, documentation and correspondence is forwarded to:
The Faculty Office
Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management
P O Box 98, WITS 2050
Please address all telephone queries relating to applications already submitted to:
Noncedo Rwanqa(011) 717-3553

Financial aid: the University’s policy is to assist an indigent student wherever possible with some form of financial aid package, and it is also committed to rewarding academic excellence. Resources, however, are limited and aid is usually only available to full-time students. Should you need to apply for financial aid, in the form of a bursary, loan or scholarship, contact:
The Bursaries Officer
Financial Aid & Scholarships Office
Tel: (011) 717-1075
Private Bag 3
WITS 2050

Please specify to the Bursaries Officer that you are applying to the Business School (only available for full-time students)
The major banks and the University offer loans to students at a reasonable rate of interest, repayable only after the degree has been completed and the student commences employment. You may wish to consider this avenue.

8. FEES
Detailed information will be found in the Fees Booklet, which is given to students when they register. Please contact the Faculty Office then for further details. The cost of the MBA in 2011 is approximately R145 076.00.

DATES FOR PAYMENT
Tuition
100% of the fee is payable by the last working day in March for part-time students and 100% by the last working day in May for full-time students.
A student may pay by instalments and interest will be charged at the rate of 1,5% per month from mid-March. However, foreign students (i.e. those who are not South African citizens or who do not have permanent residence) are required to pay all fees before registration.

Admission to status or to candidature
A person who is admitted to candidature for a postgraduate degree or diploma and who is not a graduate of the University is required to pay a fee.

Late registration
A student must inform the Faculty Office if late registration is intended.