South African Journal on Human Rights (SAJHR) Postgraduate Bursaries 2025
SAJHR Postgraduate Top-Up Bursaries
Every year, the South African Journal on Human Rights (SAJHR) offers one or more top-up bursaries, valued up to R30,000 each, to LLB graduates pursuing LLM studies that focus on constitutional, human rights, and/or justice-related issues. These bursaries are available for study at any South African public university, and are designed to assist students in covering their study-related costs.
About the SAJHR
Founded in 1985 by the Centre for Applied Legal Studies (CALS) and housed at the School of Law at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, the South African Journal on Human Rights (SAJHR) is a leading public law journal in South Africa. It publishes world-class scholarship on human rights, constitutional law, and justice-related issues, with a broad global readership. The journal is committed to advancing legal scholarship in the fields of human rights and constitutional law within the South African context.
Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible for the SAJHR Top-Up Bursary, applicants must meet the following criteria:
- Citizenship & Residency: The applicant must be Black South African or African with permanent South African residency.
- Educational Requirements: The applicant must have recently graduated with an LLB from a South African university. Preference will be given to candidates from the following universities:
- University of Fort Hare
- University of Venda
- University of Limpopo
- University of Zululand
- University of the Western Cape
- Walter Sisulu University
- Academic Performance: Applicants must have an academic average of at least 65%.
- LLM Registration: The applicant must be registered for an LLM at a South African public university in their first or second (final) year of studies.
- Research Focus: The applicant must be completing coursework and research, including a research report/mini-dissertation or a full research dissertation, in the broad field of constitutional, human rights, and/or justice-related law.
- Financial Need: Preference will be given to academically deserving applicants who are nearing graduation and can demonstrate financial need, such as through a student account statement.
How to Apply
Interested applicants should submit the following documents to the SAJHR managing editor, Dr. Joey Kok, via email at [email protected]. Please use the subject line “SAJHR top-up bursary 2025.”
Required documents:
- Curriculum Vitae (CV)
- Certified copy of South African ID or passport showing permanent residency
- Details of two contactable references
- Full academic transcript
- A letter of motivation, including financial need documentation (such as a student account statement)
Closing Date:
The deadline for applications is 11 April 2025.
Successful candidates will be notified by early May 2025.
