Hello and welcome! On this page, you will find information on how to submit an application to become an official member of the RAIL lab. Please read everything on this page to ensure that you are applying for the correct degree, and that the work we focus on is something that interests you.
Before applying to the lab, please make sure that you meet the university’s entry requirements for your prospective degree. More information about these requirements can be found on the official Wits website here. Please note that our application process is only for research-based degrees. Applications for degrees involving coursework should be submitted through the University’s application portal here.
We are a South African research lab who are passionate about producing world-class research and advancing the state of AI and machine learning both locally and abroad. We publish our research at the top venues around the world for maximum impact. You can read more about our overall vision and mission here, but feel free to check out our current students and what we’re all working on here. If everything you’ve seen so far excites you, then please read on!
As a next step, read some of our published work. Is there anything that particularly grabs your interest? What do you like about any of them? What do you dislike? Is there anything you would like to change, improve or do differently? Let us know exactly what you want to invest your time in!
Once you’ve done that, fill out the application form by clicking on the link below:
Please complete the form to the best of your ability, since places are limited and acceptance to the lab is competitive.
Admission to the lab will follow a two-stage process. After an initial review, applicants will be shortlisted and contacted to arrange online interviews. All final decisions will be made at the conclusion of these interviews. Please see the table below indicating the closing deadlines for applications, as well as the dates you can expect to hear back from us.
If your application is successful, congratulations!! We can’t wait to start working with you, and we’ll be in touch shortly to walk you through the process of officially registering with the University and enrolling in your chosen degree.
If your application has been unsuccessful, do not worry. Unfortunately, we can only accept a small number of students each year, but the School offers many other options going forward. If you are interested in pursuing a PhD or research-only MSc degree, then we encourage you to reach out to one of the other staff members in the School to enquire about supervision. A list of all staff members can be found here. Alternatively, the School also offers a number of MSc degrees by coursework and research report, the list of which can be found here.