Doctor of Philosophy in Innovation, Invention and Technology Entrepreneurship
Doctoral research on how invention, commercialisation and venture creation actually work in African conditions — a body of knowledge that is currently thin, largely imported and frequently wrong about the constraints that matter here. The p...
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
- principal investigator
- research and development director
- innovation policy leader
- Professor of Practice
- scientific or technical founder.
Employer types
- Universities and research institutes
- national research and innovation councils
- corporate research and development functions
- development finance institutions
- policy bodies
- and technology ventures.
Target outcomes we hold ourselves to
- Designed to build African scholarly and institutional leadership in innovation and commercialisation, and to supply the School's own future establishment.
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 Innovation, Invention and Technology Entrepreneurship. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| BIV 110 | Doctoral Research Methods in Innovation and Design Led Inquiry Both | 8 | 6-2-2 |
| BIV 111 | Advanced Topics in Innovation and Entrepreneurship Objective | 8 | 7-2-0 |
| BIV 112 | Research Ethics, Disclosure and Conflict of Interest Objective | 4 | 3-2-0 |
| BIV 113 | Academic Writing and Peer Review Objective | 4 | 3-2-0 |
| Code | Course | CU | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| BIV 130 | Specialist Reading and Literature Synthesis Objective | 8 | 7-2-0 |
| BIV 131 | Teaching Practice and Supervision Apprenticeship Performance | 6 | 1-0-10 |
| BIV 132 | Translation to Enterprise, Technology and Policy Performance | 6 | 1-0-10 |
| BIV 133 | Thesis Proposal and Public Defence Performance | 16 | 0-2-30 |
| Code | Course | CU | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| BIV 610 | Doctoral Thesis Research and Supervision (continuous registration) Performance | 0 | 0-0-0 |
| BIV 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 Innovation, Invention and Technology Entrepreneurship
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 MasteryLevel 4 of 4, Leading
- C6Technical Production and CraftLevel 4 of 4, Leading
- C7Problem Framing and Systems Thinking CriticalLevel 4 of 4, Leading
- C8Collaboration and Multidisciplinary TeamingLevel 3 of 4, Independent
- C9Enterprise, Value and Commercial Literacy CriticalLevel 3 of 4, Independent
- C10Professional Conduct and Workplace PerformanceLevel 4 of 4, Leading
- C11Learning to Learn and Adaptive CapacityLevel 4 of 4, Leading
- C12Stewardship and Public Contribution CriticalLevel 3 of 4, Independent
Critical capabilities for this programme: Quantitative and Evidential Reasoning · Problem Framing and Systems Thinking · Enterprise, Value and Commercial Literacy · 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 contribution to knowledge in innovation invention or entrepreneurship.
- PLO 2Design and execute rigorous research, including inventive and design led inquiry.
- PLO 3Publish in peer reviewed venues, or file and defend novel inventive work.
- PLO 4Translate findings into practice, policy, protected technology or enterprise.
- PLO 5Teach and supervise under mentorship.
- PLO 6Apply research ethics, disclosure discipline and conflict of interest management.
Why this programme exists
Doctoral research on how invention, commercialisation and venture creation actually work in African conditions — a body of knowledge that is currently thin, largely imported and frequently wrong about the constraints that matter here. The p...
Admission requirements
A Master's degree in a relevant discipline, or on the invention route an exceptional portfolio of inventive work assessed under Part G3; a defensible proposal; confirmation of any required institutional or industry access; and a supervisor with capacity. 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.
Business & Venture Creation
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