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Call for applications for Postgraduate Diploma in Public Mental…

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CALL FOR APPLICATIONS FOR THE PGDip IN PUBLIC MENTAL HEALTH FOR 2027
*no fellowships available*
DUE DATE: 30 August 2026

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The Alan J. Flisher Centre for Public Mental Health (CPMH) is a joint initiative of the Department of Psychology at Stellenbosch University and the Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health at the University of Cape Town. CPMH is an independent inter-disciplinary academic research and teaching centre for public mental health promotion and service development in Africa. We are proud to invite applications from across the African continent for the Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) in Public Mental Health in 2027

POSTGRADUATE DIPLOMA IN PUBLIC MENTAL HEALTH

The PGDip in Public Mental Health is a one-year Africa-centred coursework-based diploma that aims to guide students in developing a good understanding of the discipline of public mental health, as well as the skills required to: (i) undertake research, (ii) participate in improving services and access to mental health interventions, and (iii) advocate for increased attention for public mental health in Africa. Further, completion of the PGDip will introduce students to the public mental health community and prepare graduates for further Masters level studies should they wish to continue their studies. The programme is designed to be accessible to practitioners who work full-time, and who are from a range of backgrounds including social work, psychology, psychiatry, medicine, occupational therapy, nursing, health economics, public mental health, public health, health service management, policy making and non-governmental organisations (NGOs). The training aims to build the professional capacity and leadership of the participants in their work, while contributing to public mental health expertise in Africa.

The programme comprises the following 4 courses: Introduction to Public Mental Health, Mental Health Epidemiology, Research Methodology for Public Mental Health and Interventions for Mental Health. In addition, the programme includes instruction on research integrity and other academic and professional skills such as academic writing, leadership and presentation skills. The PGDip faculty are academics, clinicians and practitioners active in the public mental health sphere in Africa

The diploma requires:

• The completion of a 2-week residential training block in January 2027;
• The resources (reliable internet and a fully functioning laptop) necessary to access asynchronous learning material, and complete activities or assignments either individually or with fellow students;
• The resources necessary to participate in at least 1 synchronous online session per week during the courses;
• That students make time to engage in learning activities weekly in order to complete the PGDip within the 12- month period;
• The completion of several assignments and activities throughout the PGDip, as well as a research/project proposal of approximately 5000 words. (Students are not required to conduct the study during the PGDip.)

* Note: a reliable internet connection is necessary for downloading material, watching videos online and attending video calls every week.

Two-week residential training block

The course will start with a 2-week residential training block in Cape Town from 18 January – 29 January 2027. Students will attend lectures, seminars and workshops at the Valkenberg Hospital Education Centre. The training block will include an orientation to online postgraduate learning and university resources, and an introduction to the PGDip programme as well as the field of public mental health and academic writing skills. All students are required to be present for full weekdays during the 2-week training session. Following the training block, students will commence online learning with ongoing support via online platforms.

Registration

Registration is for 1 year at UCT, although students who need to repeat a course may reregister to complete the programme requirements.

Admission requirements

Candidates for this programme should be in possession of a bachelor’s degree, or an equivalent three-year qualification, in a health- or development-related field (e.g. occupational therapy, medicine, nursing, social work, psychology, public health, anthropology and sociology). In addition, candidates should:

• have experience of working in a mental health, health or a related field (at least 1 year);
• have the capacity for a management or leadership role;
• show evidence of adequate English language and writing proficiency for postgraduate academic studies, and evidence of computer literacy in basic Microsoft Office (or equivalent) packages
• preferably be currently working in a workplace setting related to public mental health, such as a Ministry of Health, NGO or mental health service.

Please Note:

• A programme of this nature requires dedicated time and the ability to work independently. You will require a minimum of 15 hours per week on average to complete the PGDip. You will also need to attend weekly sessions on Tuesday and Thursday at 3pm-5pm SAST. Applicants are encouraged to consider this commitment carefully and seek approval from their employer before applying.
• The PGDip in Public Mental Health does not lead to a professional qualification which can be registered with the Health Professions Council of South Africa or any other professional council. It is strictly an academic course, with no clinical components.
• Students may not be registered for another PGDip/degree programme while they are registered for the PGDip (Public Mental Health).

Funding and fees

The fees for this course for 2026 were as follows:

Tuition fees (per year)	ZAR 48 080 (full programme of 4 courses)
International student administration fee & term fees**	ZAR 5 600 Non-SADC African countries: ZAR R60 300 Non-SADC countries beyond Africa: ZAR 80 400
Application fee	ZAR 100 (RSA and SADC**) ZAR 300 (rest of world)

** SADC countries (Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe)

Fees for 2027 will be finalised in October/November 2026. The information will be posted on the University of Cape Town’s website once available. Search for the course codes (PRY4003W, PRY4004W, PRY4005W, PRY4006W) for the tuition fees. Payment is due prior to the 18^th of January 2027. Please note that there are no fellowships available.

Admission to the programme is highly competitive, and is based primarily on academic merit and the potential to contribute to mental health development in under-served areas in Africa. We will engage in a rigorous selection process to identify the candidates who are most likely to successfully complete the PGDip within the prescribed period. In addition to the written application, short-listed applicants may be requested to attend a teleconference interview. The deadline for applications is 30 August 2026. The outcome of the selection process will be communicated to all applicants by 9 October 2026.

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

Please read these instructions carefully and follow the outlined steps:

• Navigate to the online application page for the University of Cape Town, complete the online form and submit the necessary documents. Please see this webpage for further information. Please note the relevant programme code (MG023) and course codes (PRY4003W, PRY4004W, PRY4005W & PRY4006W).
• Please email Ms Songelwa Mobo (Songelwa.Mobo@uct.ac.za) if you have any questions and to confirm that you have submitted an online application by the deadline. There is no need to attach any documents to this email.

Call for applications for Master of Philosophy in Public…

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CALL FOR APPLICATIONS FOR THE MPHIL IN PUBLIC MENTAL HEALTH FOR 2027
*no fellowships available*
DUE DATE: 30 August 2026

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The Alan J. Flisher Centre for Public Mental Health (CPMH) is a joint initiative of the Department of Psychology at Stellenbosch University and the Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health at the University of Cape Town. CPMH is an independent inter-disciplinary academic research and teaching centre for public mental health promotion and service development in Africa. We are proud to invite applications from across the African continent for the Master of Philosophy (MPhil) in Public Mental Health in 2027.

MASTER OF PHILOSOPHY IN PUBLIC MENTAL HEALTH

The MPhil in Public Mental Health is a part-time research degree completed over a minimum of 2 years. The MPhil programme aims to develop advanced research skills, enabling participants to undertake their own research project, as well as interpret research findings for mental health policy and practice. The programme is designed to be accessible to practitioners who work full-time, and who are from a range of backgrounds, including social work, psychology, psychiatry, medicine, occupational therapy, nursing, health economics, public mental health, public health, health service management, policy making and non-governmental organisations (NGOs). The training aims to build the professional capacity and leadership of the participants in their work, while contributing to public mental health knowledge generation in Africa.

The degree requires:

• Completion of a 3-week residential training module in research methodology for public mental health in January/February 2027;
• Participation in a 6-week online writing course in February/March 2027;
• Participation in monthly webinars;
• The preparation of a dissertation of a minimum of 20 000 words.

3-week residential training module in Research Methodology

The course will start with a 3-week residential training session in Cape Town from 18 January-05 February 2027. Students will attend lectures, seminars and workshops at Valkenberg Hospital Education Centre. The training includes public mental health concepts and approaches, quantitative and qualitative research methods, statistics and epidemiology for mental health and an introduction to the responsible conduct of research. All students are required to attend in person for full weekdays during the 3-week training session. During this period, students are also expected to meet with their research supervisors and develop their draft research proposals, which they will present to a review panel on Friday 05 February 2027.

Following the training session, students will be provided with ongoing support and supervision via online platforms, guiding them through the process of finalising their research proposals, gaining ethical approval for the research, gathering and analysing data, and eventually completing their dissertations. During the 2-year degree programme, students attend mandatory monthly webinars from their home countries. These webinars are used to provide additional structured teaching and review research progress.

Public Mental Health dissertation

The dissertation component aims to provide students with the opportunity to acquire specialised knowledge in a specific area of public mental health. It also provides a practical opportunity for the student to master the research process, which includes selection of a topic; self-driven but supervised investigation; data collection and management; assimilation, analysis, interpretation and critical discussion; understanding and coherent presentation. The dissertation will preferably be related to the ongoing work conducted by participants in their respective countries. For example, students may choose to evaluate a mental health programme in their own service organisation or region. This would serve the dual function of the development of the student’s research skills and service development, with ongoing support and supervision from the CPMH. Research supervisors employed by the Centre are acknowledged experts in public mental health, with a proven publication record and experience of supervising and mentoring students at master’s level.

The dissertation is examined according to university regulations for the examination of master’s dissertations as stipulated in the university handbook. Dissertations will be assessed by two external examiners based at South African institutions other than the one at which the student is registered and/or international academic institutions.

Registration

Registration is for a minimum of 1 year, and the programme normally takes 2-3 years to complete. Students will need to register for each year of study until dissertation submission.

Admission requirements

Candidates for this programme should be in possession of an honours degree or an equivalent four-year qualification, or a post-graduate diploma in public mental health in a cognate discipline. In addition, candidates should:

• • • have experience of working in a mental health, health, social sciences or a development-related field for at least three years;
    • be employed within a managerial or leadership role, or have the capacity for such a role;
    • have experience in conducting research, with participation in one or more research projects;
    • show evidence of adequate English language and writing proficiency for postgraduate academic studies.

Please note:

• • • A research programme of this nature requires dedicated time and the ability to work independently. You will require a minimum of 10 hours per week on average to complete the dissertation. Please consider this carefully before applying.
    • The MPhil in Public Mental Health does not lead to a professional qualification that can be registered with the Health Professions Council of South Africa or any other professional council. It is strictly an academic research degree, with no clinical components. The programme is not designed as a steppingstone to further clinical study but is focused on strengthening research knowledge and skills.
    • Students may not be registered for another diploma/degree programme while they are registered for the MPhil (Public Mental Health).

Funding and fees

The fees for this course for 2026 were as follows:

	UCT
Tuition Fees (per year)	ZAR 45 030
International student administration fee**	ZAR 5 600
Application Fee	ZAR 100 (RSA and SADC**) ZAR 300 (rest of world)

** SADC countries (Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe)

Fees for 2027 will be finalised in October/November 2026. The information will be posted on the University of Cape Town’s website once available. Search for the course code (PRY6001W) for the tuition fees. Payment is due prior to the 18^th of January 2027. See the UCT handbook 14: financial assistance for postgraduate study for funding options. CPMH does not currently have any fellowships available.

Admission to the programme is highly competitive, and is based primarily on academic merit and the potential to contribute to mental health development in under-served areas in Africa. We will engage in a rigorous selection process to identify the candidates who are most likely to successfully complete the degree within the prescribed period. In addition to the written application, short-listed applicants may be requested to attend a teleconference interview. The deadline for applications is 30 August 2026. The outcome of the selection process will be communicated to all applicants by 9 October 2026.

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

Do not apply directly on the university website; the CPMH application process is completed. Only selected applicants will be asked to complete the online application. The CPMH application forms are detailed, so that we have as much relevant information possible to enable us to select the most suitable candidates. Please see this page for a list of potential supervisors. If any, indicate your preference on the form, but take note that we cannot guarantee placement with the identified supervisor.

• • • Download the application form by clicking on the button below.
    • The application forms must be completed in full electronically and submitted with all required supporting documents as a single PDF file, with your surname and initial as the file name, to Songelwa.Mobo@uct.ac.za on or before 30 August 2026.
    • Each application should consist of the following:
    • Completed application form, including:
    • • • Photograph
        • Signed declaration
        • Research proposal (see format in the application form)
        • Names of 2 referees. We will contact them directly.
    • Certified copies of original academic transcripts
    • A letter of support from your employer for attendance of the 3-week course in January/February 2027. (Your application will not be considered without this letter.)
    • Please do not include any additional material (such as a separate CV) in your application package. Provision has been made on the application form for all information required for the selection process. 

If you have any questions about the application form or process, please contact Songelwa Mobo (Songelwa.Mobo@uct.ac.za). Upon selection, students will be given additional information on registration and preparations for the course.

Download application form