If you are looking to study toward a degree via distance learning, then the University of South Africa (Unisa) is an ideal choice for you. With that said, many students find the application process to be confusing or difficult, which is why we’re here to help. Whether you’re a fresh undergraduate student or preparing for your Master’s—here’s everything you need to know about applying to Unisa.
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How to Apply for Unisa Admission
At Unisa, you can study undergraduate, postgraduate, master’s and doctoral degrees as well as a few short learning programmes. Each qualification has a slightly different application process and Unisa accepts online applications for all qualifications offered within the prescribed application dates.Â
Everyone wanting to start a new qualification must apply for admission at Unisa. And so, without further ado, here is the application process for each qualification at Unisa.
Applying to Unisa: Undergraduate
If you are applying to Unisa as a new undergraduate, you will need to complete the application process. This includes:Â
- First-time applicants,
- Unisa students changing qualifications,
- Students that have applied previously that did not register for whatever reason, and
- Students that are currently completing another qualification but wish to further their studies at Unisa.
1. Select a Course at Unisa
When you’re applying to Unisa, the first thing you need to do is choose two courses you’d like to study. The reason why you need to choose two courses and not one is because Unisa allows applicants to apply for admission to two qualifications, and these choices will be ranked based on preference.
It’s advisable to consider going for a slightly easier qualification as your second choice. This way, if your first choice doesn’t work out, you still have another option as a backup. Having a backup plan increases your chances of getting into a course that suits you. Thus, when applying to Unisa, think about your main choice and have a second one in mind just in case.
2. Start Applying to Unisa
After you have chosen the degree that you would like to study, you will then proceed to the Unisa application tool. Here you will need to upload all of your supporting documentation. Before you start gathering your documents though, it’s important to ensure that you meet the below requirements.
To be accepted into your course of choice you will need the following:Â
- To meet the admission requirements for your qualification of choice
- To meet the minimum academic points score (APS) for your qualification of choice
- A valid email address and cellphone number. This is how Unisa will contact you and keep you up to date with your application.Â
You will need the below documents to complete the undergraduate application process:Â
- A copy of your school qualifications
- A copy of your your official tertiary academic records (if applicable)
- A copy of your ID (South Africa residents) or your ID/passport (international students)
- A copy of your marriage certificate (if applicable)
Some qualifications might need additional documentation, but that will be communicated to you.Â
When you are uploading these documents, Unisa requests that applicants follow the below guidelines:
- Documentation should not be larger than 2MB each.Â
- All documents must be in black and white.Â
- Only submit documents in PDF, DOC or TIF format.
3. Pay the Undergraduate Application Fee
When you have uploaded all of the relevant documents and finished the initial application steps, you will need to pay the application fee of R140. The application fee is non-refundable and for the payment you will need to use the student number that you received from Unisa as well as the Unisa application fee reference number as payment reference (this means when you are paying the reference you must use is: (Student number 5370810030). You can find more payment details on Unisa’s website.Â
The application fee will need to be paid before the application closing date. Any applications without the application fee will not be processed. Also, make sure to keep a copy of your proof of payment.
4. Assessing Your Unisa Application
Once you have completed the application process, and paid the application fee, Unisa will assess your application. This assessment takes into consideration your APS score, academic record and the number of spaces available for your qualification of choice.Â
Applicants that are successful will receive final feedback once all applications have been processed. Applicants that are not accepted will be notified as soon as their application has been processed.Â
If you are a first-time applicant you will need to complete the First-Year experience MOOC (FYE massive open online course). Once you have completed this, then you will be able to proceed to registration for your degree.Â
If your application is successful, Unisa will send you an offer to study at the university. You will need to accept or decline the offer within 10 days of receiving it or risk having the university withdraw the offer. To accept the offer, you will need to visit the accept offer URL. Unisa can withdraw your offer if it is not accepted within 10 days or the response time period indicated in the offer email.Â
Once you have accepted the offer to study, the next step will be to register at Unisa. If you miss registration, you will unfortunately not be able to study that year and you will need to re-apply to during the next application period.
Applying to Unisa: Honours and Postgraduate Diploma
Applying for a postgraduate degree at Unisa follows a similar process to that of an undergraduate Unisa degree. The initial step is selecting the honours degree or postgraduate diploma you wish to pursue.
Once you’ve decided on your qualifications, you can proceed with the application process. Similar to undergraduate applications, you have the option to apply for two qualifications, with your first choice given priority.
The application process mirrors the steps for applying to an undergraduate degree and includes:
- Uploading the necessary documents,
- Paying the application fee,
- Accepting the study offer, and
- Registering for your chosen qualification.
Uploading the Necessary Documents
When applying to Unisa, you will need to ensure that you meet the following criteria listed below:Â
- You meet the admission requirements for the qualification of choice.
- You have a valid email address and cellphone number. If you previously studied through Unisa, they will communicate with you via your Unisa (myLife) email address.Â
You will need the following documents when applying for an honours or postgraduate diploma qualification at Unisa:Â
- A copy of your school qualifications.
- A copy of your tertiary academic records, which states all years of registration, modules passed and percentages obtained.
- International students must upload a copy of their university ledger. Additionally, a SAQA evaluation may be required for international students.
- A copy of your marriage/divorce certificate (if applicable).
- Sworn translations of documents if they are not in English or Afrikaans.
Some qualifications may require additional documentation, but Unisa will communicate this to you if that is the case.
Final year students who do not yet have their official academic transcripts yet must upload their most recent official academic record to Unisa before the end of January. This only applies to students who have never studied at Unisa.
The guidelines for documents submitted when applying for a postgraduate degree are the same as for when you are applying for any degree or qualification. Documents must be:Â
- Smaller than 2MB each,Â
- Documents must be in black and white, andÂ
- Documents must be in PDF, DOC or TIF format.
Unisa Honours and Postgraduate Diploma Application Fee
The application fee for a postgraduate application at Unisa is R140. It is, however, only applicable to students that do not have a formal Unisa student number.Â
This fee must be paid before the application closing date in order to confirm your postgraduate application.
What to Do After Applying for Your Postgraduate Degree at Unisa
After you have applied, Unisa will get in contact with you to let you know if you have been accepted to study or not.
If you are not accepted to study at Unisa, they will send you an email with details of the potential different options you can pursue. It is important to note that incorrect or incomplete applications will be automatically rejected. You do, however, have 10 days to appeal the outcome of your application. You can appeal on the grounds that you believe the university made a mistake or that further supporting documents will result in a different outcome.
If you are accepted to study at Unisa, you will then need to accept their offer of study. After that, you will need to register. If you fail to register, you will only be able to apply again to study at the university the next year.
Applying to Unisa: Master's and Doctoral Degree
The process when applying to study a master’s or doctoral degree at Unisa is slightly different than applying for an undergraduate or postgraduate qualification.
One of the extra steps required when applying to study a master’s or doctoral degree is that you need to apply for a student number before completing the application for the qualification. With that said, the procedure after that is fairly straightforward. Let’s take a look at how to apply for a master’s or doctoral degree at Unisa:
Apply for a Unisa Student Number
If you’ve studied an undergraduate or postgraduate degree through Unisa, this step won’t be relevant to you. However, if you received a student number for a short learning programme, you will still need to apply for a new student number at Unisa.Â
You will also need to apply for a student number if you are applying for a master’s, doctoral, selection degree or to the Graduate School of Business Leadership.Â
You can apply for a student number using the Unisa application tool. If you do not have a student number, you will not be able to complete the application process.
Complete Your Master's or Doctoral Degree Application
Once you’ve received your student number from Unisa, you’ll need to complete your application. To do so, you must complete the application for admission form on the Unisa website and submit your supporting documents.Â
Ensure You Meet All the Requirements
You will need to have the following prepared and ready before you apply for a doctoral or master’s degree at Unisa:Â
- A valid Unisa student number
- Chosen the correct Unisa qualification
- A prepared research outline. The outline must be in line with the departmental focus and must be two to five pages in length
- A valid email address and accept that Unisa will contact you via email.
- Letter of permission from the College of Science, Engineering and Technology (if applicable)
- Departmental forms for the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences (if applicable)
- The departmental application form for the coursework MCom in Industrial Psychology (if applicable)
- Your RPL approval letter (if applicable)Â
When you apply, you will need to submit the following documents as part of your application:Â
- Copies of all of your academic records. This includes papers and modules, percentages obtained and your academic ledger. If you studied at Unisa at any point, you do not need to submit your academic record.Â
- A copy of your ID or passport
- Your research outline and CV
- Any additional letters/departmental approvals listed above or communicated to you by the department
Once you have applied for your master’s or doctorate, you will have 10 working days to upload your supporting documents. They will also need to be uploaded before the closing date for applications.
If you fail to upload the supporting documents within 10 working days of submitting your application, your application will be declined. This means that you’ll need to re-apply for admission and upload the documents before the application closing date.Â
When you’re uploading the documents, make sure that they follow the document guidelines as set out by Unisa. That means documents:
- must be smaller than 2MB each,Â
- must be in black and white, andÂ
- must be in PDF, DOC or TIF format.Â
Pay the Unisa Application Fee
To finalise your application with Unisa, you will need to pay the application fee of R140. Once you have completed your master’s or doctoral degree application, Unisa will be in contact with you as to whether your application was successful or not.Â
Await Feedback From Unisa
If your application was successful, Unisa will confirm via email and give you the contact details of a specific member of staff within the relevant department. This will probably be your supervisor.Â
If it was unsuccessful, the university will email this fact, and they will provide you with a reason as to why your application was unsuccessful.
Applying to Unisa: Short Learning Programme
If you want to apply for a short learning programme (SLP), the first step is to select a short learning programme from the Unisa website. Unisa has a large variety of SLPs on offer, so be sure to read through each course carefully to ensure you make right selection.
Once you have selected a SLP, you will begin the application process. The application process for a SLP is similar to applying for a full degree at the University.Â
Everyone wanting to study an SLP at Unisa needs to apply. This includes current Unisa students, new students, and previous applicants that applied but did not end up completing the course.Â
You may apply for two programmes, and you may register for one of the programmes. Your application for the two programmes will be ranked based on preference.Â
To study a short learning programme (SLP) at Unisa, you must apply online and submit the same documents as an undergraduate application. The documents also need to follow the same guidelines. There is, however, no application fee to apply for a short learning programme.Â
Like all other applications at Unisa, the university will offer you a place to study and you will need to respond within the prescribed time. Once you have accepted the offer, you can register for the programme you have been accepted into and start studying.
Unisa Application Dates
The Unisa applications typically open around August or September and close anywhere between October up until December. Certain programmes may be available for late applications, but is subject to the number of spaces available.
Currently, undergraduates can apply for the 2025 academic year between 21 August 2025 and 11 October 2024. Master’s and Doctoral Qualifications will open on 2 September 2024 and will close on 22 November 2024.
If you have missed the late application dates, you will need to wait for the application period for 2026. That period should open around September, but be sure to check on the FundiConnect website for any updates regarding second semester applications.
Fund Your Studies With Fundi
If you are currently applying to Unisa, and need funding, Fundi can help. Fundi provides everything you need to finance your studies—from tuition and device loans, to textbooks, airtime and data. If you need any help with funding your studies, Find out if you qualify for a loan today!
