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Not sure what to study? This section lets you click over the top 8 institutions and getย an overview of the general faculties. We also break down what you need to know about course credit transfers and what you’ll need to do before you decide what to study. We’ve got you covered.ย
Now that you’re sold on South Africa, itโs time to zoom in even further on the academic side of things.
You could choose a university based on its location, or its popularity and reputation among study abroad and international students, and end up studying whatever fits best. However, if you are going to leave your home country for the sake of studying, then a specific degree or course can also direct your choice of institution.ย
- NB NB! If you are aย study abroad student, you want to make sure that the university of your choice has courses on offer that will not only interest you, but that also accommodate theย course credit transferย system.ย
- If you are anย international student, you probably have an idea of which degree or qualification you want to pursue, so have a look at the different universities and whether their departments specialise in that area. Different universities have a reputation for excelling in different fields of study โ hopefully you can get an idea about a department’s reputation based on it’s outputs and by asking around.ย
- If you have no idea what you want to study, but you know you want to study in South Africa, or a specific city in South Africa, then the process is basically the same as it would be for any South African who needs to decide what to study. Browse the differentย facultiesย (explained below)ย of a university (easily found on their website), and see if any specific degrees or courses spark your interests and talents. Also, visit our page on page on qualificationsย hereย for inspiration.ย
Below you can read about everything you need to know regarding the general faculties at South African universities, as well as the course credit transfer system.ย
Faculties
Needless to say, each university (in each country) has its own specific faculty layout. The way certain departments are sub-categorised may also differ, for example โ one university might have a Psychology department within its Health Sciences faculty, a second university might have it in its Humanities faculty, and a third might have Psychology as an entire faculty on its own.ย
For studies in South Africa, weโve drawn up a list of theย general academic facultiesย we have at our universities:
Commerce
In general, the commerce faculty comprises studies in Economic, Law, Business, Management, and Political Studies. There are plenty of specialized areas within these departments, from Actuarial Science to Information Systems.ย
Here are someย departmental/ subject examplesย that generally belong to the Commerce faculty:
- Chartered Accounting
- PPE (Philosophy, Politics, and Economics)
- Financial Management
- Human Resources
- Marketing
- Statistics
- Income Tax Law
Education
This faculty aims to give students the necessary skills and qualifications to become top of the rank teachers in various sectors โ schools, hospitals, organisations, and many more. It covers different areas of educational training, including teaching methodologies, and on-site observations.ย
Here are someย departmental/ย subject examplesย that generally belong to the Education faculty:
- Educational Psychology
- Secondary Education – Subject Specialisationย
- Early Childhood Education
- Adult Basic Education and Training
- Environmental Education
- School Guidance and Counselingย
- Educational Researchย
Engineering
Within the engineering faculty you will find various different Engineering streams. Engineering studies equip students with aspects like organisation, design, operation, maintenance, supply chain logistics, etc. within their specific field.ย
Here are someย departmental/ย subject examplesย that generally belong to the Engineering faculty:
- Civil Engineering
- Industrial Engineering
- Mechanical & Mechatronic Engineering
- Electrical & Electronic Engineering
- Aeronautical Engineering
- Chemical Engineering & Mineral Processing
- Mining Engineering
Health Science
As its name suggests, the faculty of Health Sciences caters for the studies of health-related disciplines like medical studies or various forms of therapy that require a core understanding of science.ย
Here are someย departmental/ย subject examplesย that generally belong to the Health Sciences faculty:
- Medicine
- Dentistry
- Physiotherapy
- Occupational and Speech Therapy
- Psychiatry
- Pharmacy
- Radiography
- Biomedical Technology
Humanities
The Humanities faculty is the home of the Arts, Languages, Cultural & Religious Studies, as well the Social Sciences. Students tend to complete their Humanities degrees on an interdisciplinary level, exploring various subjects within the faculty alongside their majors.ย
Here are someย departmental/ย subject examplesย that generally belong to the Humanities faculty:
- Languages and Literature
- Fine Art, Dance, Music, and Theatre & Performance
- Sociology and Social Anthropologyย
- Social Work
- Media Studies
- Creative Writing
- Film Studies
- Religious Studies
- Philosophy
- History
Law
All things legal โ the Law faculty aims to develop and shape students into legal specialists. There are multiple platforms on which Law touches and where it promotes its principles.ย
Here are someย departmental/ย subject examplesย that generally belong to the Law faculty:
- Medical Law
- Business Law
- Insurance Law
- Copyright Law
- Legal Editing or Writing
- Crime Studies
- Social Security
Science
There are many different fields in the study of sciences, and thousands of streams within each field, all dedicated to understanding the nitty-gritty nature of the universe and the world we live in.ย
Here are someย departmental/ย subject examplesย that generally belong to the Science faculty:
- Chemistry and Biochemistry
- Biology
- Physics
- Genetics
- Applied Mathematics
- Ecology and Evolution
- Computer Science
- Environmental Sciences
Theology
Theological studies delve into the nature of Godโs relationship to humankind and the world, structured within the greater framework of Christianity. It generally explores a variety of churches, from Baptist and Catholic to Pentecostal and Zionist churches.ย
Here are someย departmental/ย subject examplesย that generally belong to the Theology faculty:
- Christian Leadership
- Pastoral Counseling
- Ethics
- Hermeneutics
- Ancient Language and Text Studies
- Biblical Psychology
Course Credit Transfer
If you intend on studying at an institution in South Africa the next step is to make sure youย find correspondent coursesย to match your courses back home. Once found you need to liaise with your home institution about the credit transfer process. Yes, we know – this is where the administration starts, but donโt worry! Below we give you a breakdown of what you need to know. In the end it isย your responsibilityย to find out the compatibility of your courses and confirm the credit transfer with your institution,ย BEFOREย you study abroad. ย Remember that your home institution is there to help you figure out specific requirements regarding credit transfer.ย
What does this mean?
To start off, university credits (nope, weโre not talking about money) represent your learning process at an institution and showcase all the work youโve put in over the 3 โ 4 years of your degree: your projects, exams, tutorial work, assignments etc. Every institution varies with regards to their grading system and credit transfer process. Depending on your previous studies and if you are planning to study abroad, you should generally select courses that are similar to those of yourย current yearย of studying. For example, if you are in second-year at your home institution, check out second-year courses at the SA university you want to go to.ย
To graduate you need to have a certain amount of credits and the courses you take ultimately contribute towards your degree. This is why it is very important for you toย work closely with your International Officeย orย consult your Head of Departmentsย to make sure they are happy with you continuing part of your degree at another institution. You donโt want to re-enter your home university and realise your credits canโt be transferred (what a fail).
Hereโs what you need to do:
- Find an institution in SA.
- Research courses similar to your courses back home.
- Take into consideration that each university has its own grading system.ย
- Find out how many credits you need for your specific courses from your home institution.
- Stay calm. Researching your courses can become tedious and frustrating. If you canโt find a course thatโs similar to your courses back home just remember there may be other options. Always ask before you give up.
- Departments at your home institution will want to see short descriptions of the courses you choose to tell you what type of credit or course may be equivalent.
- Your institution needs to approve your courses before you come study in South Africa. In the end itโs up to your institution to give you the heads up or not.
- Donโt be afraid to contact departments if youโd like to find out about certain courses. Itโs easier to speak to the person directly via email or phone than fight a battle trying to find the specific requirements on the institution websites.
Top 8 Universities and their Credit System
Top 8 Universities and their Credit System
Below you will find theย course credit transferย details andย available coursesย for each of our top 8 universities (just to make your life easier).
University of Cape Town
Credit transfer:
https://www.iapo.uct.ac.za/iapo/intstud/ssa/credtrans#sthash.5Txjyiq1.dpuf
Stellenbosch University
Course listings:
Credit transfer:
Rhodes University
Course listings:ย
Click hereย to view the various departments at Rhodes – select the academic department youโd like to explore and you can read up on the credits for the courses
Credit transfer:
Students going on exchange need to contact the head of departments to find out about specific course transfer. Have a look at the grade conversions rate tableย here.
University of Pretoria
Course listings:ย
https://www.up.ac.za/programmes/ย
Credit transfer:
To find information on the course credit transfer process for a specific facultyย click here. Go to the faculty yearbook and youโll find the necessary information for the courses.
University of Western Cape
Course listings:
Follow theย link. Choose the specific faculty youโd like to explore, click view, and you will see all the courses listed.
Credit transfer:
Contact the department directly.
University of KwaZulu-Natal
Course listings:ย
https://applications.ukzn.ac.za/Files/UKZN%20Undergrad%202016%20PROSPECTUS.pdf
Credit transfer:
Contact the department directly.
University of Witwatersrand
Course listings:
https://www.wits.ac.za/undergraduate/2017-guide-for-undergraduates/
Credit transfer:ย
https://www.wits.ac.za/media/migration/files/Credit%20Conversion%20Guidelines.pdf
Cape Peninsula University of Technology
Course listings:
Followย this linkย to view the different faculties. Select the faculty of your choice and view the handbook on the right-hand side of the page.
Credit transfer:
Contact the department directly.
Student Advice
Tahila Pimentel, current international student from Mozambique doing her Masters degree in African Studies at UCT.
Ruben Masar, previous international student from Switzerland, completed his LLM postgrad at Stellenbosch in 2013.
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