Doctor of Philosophy in Artificial Intelligence
Africa cannot import its way to research capacity. This doctorate is designed to produce researchers who will stay, supervise, and build institutions, and it therefore carries two requirements unusual in the region: every candidate must pub...
Employment thesis
What this programme is designed to produce
Forward publishes the destination of every programme before you enrol. If the thesis stops holding, the programme is reviewed and, where necessary, retired. Next review: 2031.
Roles
- University academic
- research scientist
- principal research engineer
- national research or standards leader
- founder of a deep technology venture.
Employer types
- Universities and research institutes across Africa and internationally
- industrial research laboratories
- national AI capability
- and standards bodies.
Target outcomes we hold ourselves to
- The programme's explicit institutional purpose is to convert doctoral graduates into supervisors rather than emigrants, and the University commits to preferential academic appointment for graduates who take up teaching roles in the region.
Compulsory · The Forward Core
How the Core works →Every Forward programme, including this one, carries the same five cross-cutting requirements. They are graded, not optional.
- AI Fluency
- Quantitative Reasoning
- Ethics and African Context
- Human-Advantage Skills
- Enterprise
Includes 12 months paid work-integrated learning
Am I eligible?
Check yourself against the published requirements
7 questions written specifically for Doctor of Philosophy in Artificial Intelligence. Every answer is checked against a requirement Forward has published, and the result tells you which page that requirement comes from. Indicative only, the admissions office decides on your full file.
What is the highest qualification you hold?
Curriculum structure
The same degree, in both pathways
Every Forward programme is published in both pathways: Path One, the term plan of two six-month terms, and Path Two, the block sequence of twelve four-week blocks. Same competencies, same assessments, same award. Toggle to see this programme in each.
Path One term plan shown
Path One · The Term Model
| Code | Course | CU | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| AIC 110 | Doctoral Research Methods and Experimental Design Both | 8 | 6-2-2 |
| AIC 111 | Advanced Topics in Machine Learning Objective | 8 | 7-2-0 |
| AIC 112 | Research Ethics, Integrity and Dual Use Assessment Objective | 4 | 3-2-0 |
| AIC 113 | Academic Writing and Peer Review Objective | 4 | 3-2-0 |
| Code | Course | CU | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| AIC 130 | Specialist Reading and Literature Synthesis Objective | 8 | 7-2-0 |
| AIC 131 | Teaching Practice and Supervision Apprenticeship Performance | 6 | 1-0-10 |
| AIC 132 | Research Translation, Commercialisation and Standards Objective | 6 | 5-2-0 |
| AIC 133 | Thesis Proposal and Public Defence Performance | 16 | 0-2-30 |
| Code | Course | CU | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| AIC 610 | Doctoral Thesis Research and Supervision (continuous registration) Performance | 0 | 0-0-0 |
| AIC 611 | Doctoral Colloquium and Publication Seminar (each semester) Performance | 0 | 0-0-0 |
Total credit units: 60
Curriculum source
Forward University Curriculum Compendium
Assessment
Coursework + project + integrated exam
Work-integrated learning
12 months paid co-operative education
Your week at Forward
A typical week on Doctor of Philosophy in Artificial Intelligence
Path One, the Term Model: your own pace across a six-month term, one live session a week, short flexible lessons, and assessment on demand.
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Curriculum explorer
Drill into the degree, step by step
Choose a study path, then a year, then a term or block, then a course. Credit totals add up as you go, and every course shows what comes before it and what it unlocks.
Step 1, choose a year
Step 2, choose a term
YEAR 1, SEMESTER 1: DOCTORAL COURSEWORK
Year 1 · this step is worth 24 CU
Cumulative
24
Programme total
60
24 CU of 60 CU completed by the end of this step (40%)
Step 3, choose a course
Pick a course to see the detail
Credits, assessment, prerequisites and what each course unlocks later.
The twelve Forward capabilities
What this programme develops in you
Every Forward degree develops the same twelve cross-cutting capabilities. The profile below is the level this programme is designed to develop and verify by graduation, on the four-level scale in Part B2 of the Curriculum Compendium. Every claim above Level 2 is verified by someone other than the teaching lecturer.
- C1Intelligent Systems FluencyLevel 4 of 4, Leading
- C2Quantitative and Evidential Reasoning CriticalLevel 4 of 4, Leading
- C3Ethical and Contextual JudgementLevel 3 of 4, Independent
- C4Communication and PersuasionLevel 4 of 4, Leading
- C5Disciplinary Mastery CriticalLevel 4 of 4, Leading
- C6Technical Production and CraftLevel 4 of 4, Leading
- C7Problem Framing and Systems ThinkingLevel 4 of 4, Leading
- C8Collaboration and Multidisciplinary TeamingLevel 3 of 4, Independent
- C9Enterprise, Value and Commercial LiteracyLevel 3 of 4, Independent
- C10Professional Conduct and Workplace PerformanceLevel 4 of 4, Leading
- C11Learning to Learn and Adaptive Capacity CriticalLevel 4 of 4, Leading
- C12Stewardship and Public Contribution CriticalLevel 3 of 4, Independent
Critical capabilities for this programme: Quantitative and Evidential Reasoning · Disciplinary Mastery · Learning to Learn and Adaptive Capacity · Stewardship and Public Contribution. A graduate cannot pass out of this programme below the stated level on any capability marked critical.
Programme Learning Outcomes
What you will be able to do
Each outcome is assessed, and each is tagged with the Forward capabilities it is verified against.
- PLO 1Make an original, defensible and documented contribution to knowledge in artificial intelligence.
- PLO 2Design, execute and report a substantial independent research programme.
- PLO 3Publish in peer reviewed venues and withstand expert scrutiny.
- PLO 4Translate research into use through deployment, licence standard or public good release.
- PLO 5Teach and supervise at university level under mentorship.
- PLO 6Exercise research ethics and integrity, including data governance and dual use assessment.
Why this programme exists
Africa cannot import its way to research capacity. This doctorate is designed to produce researchers who will stay, supervise, and build institutions, and it therefore carries two requirements unusual in the region: every candidate must publish in a peer reviewed venue before submission, and every thesis must contain a translation statement describing the path from the research result to use — a deployment, a licence, a standard, a policy instrument or a released public good.
Admission requirements
A Master's degree in a relevant discipline from a recognised university, a defensible research proposal, evidence of research capability, and acceptance by a supervisor with capacity. Candidates without a research masters may be admitted to a probationary year and confirmed on passing the proposal defence. Alternative pathways: Foundation Year, diploma entry with advanced standing, mature age entry and recognition of prior learning, all governed by Part A5 and Part G. Online applicants additionally complete the compulsory Digital Readiness orientation under Part D6.
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