WHAT IS A UNIVERSITY?
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is a corporation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education. The word university is derived from the Latin universitas magistrorum et scholarium, roughly meaning “community of teachers and scholars.”
| UNIVERSITY | WEBSITE | TELEPHONE |
| University of Johannesburg | www.uj.ac.za | Tel: 011 559 4555 |
| University of KwaZulu-Natal | www.ukzn.ac.za | Tel: 035 902 6346 |
| University of Witwatersrand | www.wits.ac.za | Tel: 011 717 1030/1/2 |
| University of Fort Hare | www.ufh.ac.za | Tel: 040 602 2011/043 704 7000 |
| Rhodes University | www.ru.ac.za | Tel: 046 603 8111 |
| University of the Western Cape | www.uwc.ac.za | Tel: 021 959 2911/ 959 3900 |
| University of Cape Town | www.uct.ac.za | Tel: 021 650 2128 |
| University of the Free State | www.uovs.ac.za | Tel: 051 401 9000 |
| University of Pretoria | www.up.ac.za | Tel: 012 420 3111 |
| University of Stellenbosch | www.sun.ac.za | Tel: 021 808 4709 |
| University of North West | www.nwu.ac.za | Tel: 018 389 2111 |
| University of Venda | www.univen.ac.za | Tel: 015 962 8000 |
| University of South Africa | www.unisa.ac.za | Tel: 012 441 5888 |
| Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University | www.nmmu.ac.za | Tel: 041 504 2111/504 |
| University of Limpopo | www.ul.ac.za | Tel: 015 268 3276 |
| Walter Sisulu University | www.wsu.ac.za | Tel: 047 502 2011 |
WHAT IS A UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY?
A University of Technology offers technological career directed educational programmes, focuses on innovative problem solving research and engages with government/business/industry with communities as end users. (Source: SATN)
| UNIVERSITY | WEBSITE | TELEPHONE |
| Cape Peninsula University of Technology | www.cput.ac.za | Tel: 021 959 6653 |
| Central University of Technology | www.cut.ac.za | Tel: 012 382 6377 |
| Durban University of Technology | www.dut.ac.za | Tel: 031 268 4444 |
| Mangosuthu University of Technology | www.mantec.ac.za | Tel: 031 907 7111 |
| Tshwane University of Technology | www.tut.ac.za | Tel: 012 382 6377 |
| Vaal University of Technology | www.vut.ac.za | Tel: 016 950 9000 |
Universities are institutions of higher learning and offer qualifications such as certificates, diplomas and degrees. The education is mainly theoretical and focused on research. The universities of Technology are oriented towards professional qualifications, leading students quite directly into a career.
Undergraduate studies can lead to a higher certificate, diploma or a degree. If you want to specialise further, you can study for post graduate or advanced diplomas, Honours, Masters or Doctoral degrees. Universities equip graduates for anything from science, engineering and medicine to law, business, teaching and acting. Courses can last for periods ranging from twelve months to six years.
Each university and each course has a different set of entry requirements. These requirements can refer to compulsory subjects, score in a specific subject, total score (APS). Most tertiary institutions close new applications in August annually for study in the following year, while other close as early as May. You can apply with your Grade 11 final results, so make sure these are good enough and apply in time!
Spaces for study at Universities and Universities of Technology are limited and competition is tough.
Please note: for some universities and some courses, you will be required to write the National Benchmark Test (NBT). Information on dates, venues, test registration and costs is available from the NBT website www.nbt.ac.za