  We study unitary invariant random matrix ensembles with singular potentials.
We obtain asymptotics for the partition functions associated to the Laguerre
and Gaussian Unitary Ensembles perturbed with a pole of order $k$ at the
origin, in the double scaling limit where the size of the matrices grows, and
at the same time the strength of the pole decreases at an appropriate speed. In
addition, we obtain double scaling asymptotics of the correlation kernel for a
general class of ensembles of positive-definite Hermitian matrices perturbed
with a pole. Our results are described in terms of a hierarchy of higher order
analogues to the Painlev\'e III equation, which reduces to the Painlev\'e III
equation itself when the pole is simple.
