University of Cape Town (UCT) Prospectus
This prospectus is a guide for school leavers and others who are interested in studying for a first qualification at the University of Cape Town. It introduces you to life at UCT, describing the campus and detailing the services and facilities we provide for students. Details of all undergraduate programmes offered are provided. We recommend that you also visit the websites of faculties and departments in which you may be interested. To help you understand the contents of this prospectus, we list below some of the terms that we use in this prospectus and what we mean by these terms.
Important UCT Application Information
UCT Important Application Dates
Admission Points Score (APS):
This is the measure of your academic achievement based on your school-leaving results (or an acceptable equivalent). The APS either on its own or (as in some faculties) combined with your NBT scores produces a Faculty Points Score (FPS) which we use to rank applicants
Admissions selection criteria:
We use these to select whom we will accept to study at UCT. First, we decide who has met the (minimum) admission requirements Then, we apply the admissions selection criteria for the programme concerned.
Applicant:
You (A person who applies to study for a degree, diploma or certificate). Once you register at UCT, you become a student
Application fee:
This is the fee required as part of your application. It is non-refundable, even if your application is unsuccessful.
Applicant number:
An alpha-numeric number will be allocated to you to identify and track your application. It normally consists of the first three consonants of your surname, and the first three characters of your first name, followed by a unique three digit number. It is important that you quote this number in any subsequent correspondence that you have with us.
Applicant status: Once you have submitted your application, you can check the progress of your application on the UCT website. You will need to use your applicant number or personal details to access information.
Disadvantage factor: This is a percentage, between 0 and 10%, by which we adjust the FPS of South African NSC candidates to arrive at the WPS. The disadvantage factor is in turn derived from factors related to the disadvantage experienced by applicants in their school and at home.
Early conditional offer: This is an offer of admission, made during the course of the year preceding admission, which is conditional on performance in your final school examinations. Early conditional offers are not made to all applicants. An early conditional offer will be withdrawn if the conditions for admission are not met.
Faculty Points Score (FPS):
This is the score we use to rank applicants. In two faculties it combines the APS and NBT scores. In other faculties it is the APS. Faculty: A faculty is a grouping of departments and offers specific degree and diploma programmes. There are six faculties at UCT. Students register in a faculty.
Matriculation / Matriculation Endorsement:
If you obtain a NSC endorsed for bachelors degree study you do not need a matriculation certificate or a certificate of Using this Prospectus exemption. If your school-leaving certificate is from another examining authority you will need to obtain a matriculation exemption certificate.
Minimum Admission requirements:
What you must have: for example, Mathematics is required for admission to some programmes. These are necessary requirements you must meet, but are not necessarily sufficient for entry.
National Benchmark Tests (NBT):
All applicants to undergraduate programmes living in, or at school in, South Africa, and all Health Sciences applicants, must write the NBTs. The NBTs comprise of three tests.
National Senior Certificate (NSC): Since 2008, South African school-leavers write the NSC examinations. This may be under the auspices of one of three examining authorities: The Department of Basic Education (DBE), the Independent Examinations Board (IEB) or the South African Comprehensive Assessment Institute (SACAI). Scores in this prospectus are calculated for NSC applicants.
Programme:
Students enter a degree, diploma or certificate programme, which is a combination of subjects that have been constructed to provide you with a particular knowledge and skills base, and leads to a qualification.
Redress Category: The redress category is derived, for South African applicants only, from the racial classification of their parents during Apartheid.
Registration: If you are offered a study place, you must sign up before the start of the first term. We call this registration. Registration gives you student status, commits you to a certain programme, and to pay fees for it.
School subject requirements: The subjects and ratings that you must obtain to be considered for admission for a particular degree or diploma programme. Obtaining the NSC with bachelors endorsement and meeting the minimum admission requirement does not guarantee admission to the University.
Undergraduate: A university student registered for a first degree or an undergraduate diploma. This Prospectus is intended for you if you wish to be admitted to an undergraduate programme at UCT.
Weighted Points Score (WPS): For South African NSC applicants only, this is the faculty points score weighted by the disadvantage factor applicable to each applicant.
Download University of Cape Town UCT Prospectus
You can also read the prospectus below
Contact UCT
For a hard copy of the undergraduate prospectus:
Tel: +27 (0)21 650 2128
See the prospectus for other South African universities below;
Cape Peninsula University of Technology CPUT Prospectus
Central University of Technology CUT Prospectus
Durban University of Technology DUT Prospectus
Mangosuthu University of Technology MUT Prospectus
Nelson Mandela University NMU Prospectus
North-West University NWU Prospectus
Rhodes University RU Prospectus
Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University SMU Prospectus
Stellenbosch University US Prospectus
Tshwane University of Technology TUT Prospectus
University of Fort Hare UFH Prospectus
University of Johannesburg UJ Prospectus
University of KwaZulu-Natal UKZN Prospectus
University of Limpopo UL Prospectus
University of Pretoria UP Prospectus
University of South Africa UNISA Prospectus
University of the Free State UFS Prospectus
University of the Western Cape UWC Prospectus
University of the Witwatersrand WITS Prospectus
University of Zululand Unizulu Prospectus
Vaal University of Technology VUT Prospectus
Walter Sisulu University WSU Prospectus
Mpumalanga University Prospectus
Sol Plaatje University Prospectus
University Of Venda Prospectus