Commerce, Law and Management

The University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) is a research-intensive University, and all of our academic staff are expected to be active researchers. We sustain an impressive research output at Wits, and strive to attain the highest levels of excellence. Wits is committed to providing quality training of postgraduate students, as one means of ensuring a continuing supply of active and motivated researchers.

The fundamental role of any university is to promote freedom of enquiry and the search for knowledge and truth. Wits has built a reputation for itself in this role, establishing itself at the industrial and commercial heart of South Africa as a centre for education and research of the highest quality. Wits’ mission is to build on this foundation in way that takes account of its responsibilities with South Africa today: and to maintain and enhance its position as a leading university in South Africa, in Africa and in the world, by sustaining globally competitive standards of excellence in learning, teaching and research’ (Mission Statement, Wits University).

Wits regularly hosts illustrious visitors. In 2009 Economics Nobel Laureate Prof. Joseph Stiglitz and Professor Robert Aumann, 2005 joint Nobel Economics Prize winner, visited the campus. Ninety Rhodes Scholars have originated from Wits. Only a limited number of these coveted scholarships are awarded to outstanding students worldwide.
The Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management has a strong tradition of professional training and associated research activity aimed at policy work and research support to civil society. The Faculty Research Plan (2002-2005) commits the Faculty to greater research productivity, especially in relation to the opportunities presented by Wits University’s location within the economic heartland of South and Southern Africa.

There are five major teaching and research centres attached to Schools in the Faculty. The Mandela Institute, the Centre for
Applied Legal Studies and the Wits Law Clinic fall under the School of Law, while the Learning Information Networking Knowledge Centre and the Southern African Defence and Security Management Network are located in the School of Public
and Development Management.

Wits Business School
The Wits Business School, rated second in Africa in the Financial Times international survey released in 2007, was also ranked 53rd  in the UK-based Financial Times Survey for Executive Education Courses in 2006. The Wits MBA programme was voted the best in South Africa for six consecutive years in the Financial Mail annual survey. It was also rated as the  top Business School for four consecutive years (2004 – 2007) in the Sunday Times Top Brands Survey. The Wits Business School is fully accredited by the South African Council for Higher Education and holds the prestigious International Accreditation by the Association of MBA’s

The School of Law

The School of Law has an international reputation and regularly hosts international guests, events, seminars and symposia on campus. One of the country’s premier institutions, this School produced two of South Africa’s post-1994 Chief Justices of  the Constitutional Court. The Centre for Applied Legal Studies plays an integral role in advocating for the Constitutional rights of ordinary South Africans, particularly with issues related to basic services, education, gender issues, housing evictions and social security.

The Wits Law Clinic is one of the biggest in South Africa and is renowned for its work, particularly in areas of public interest law.

The School of Accountancy
The School of Accountancy’s chartered accountancy programme is rated as one of the best in the country and is accredited by SAICA. In 2008, 96% of its candidates passed and the school produced two of the top ten. In the past eight years, the Wits School achieved an average pass rate of 90% in the QE2 exam and 80% in the IRBA exam.

For more information, visit the following website: www.wits.ac.za/clm