This prospectus covers postgraduate study only (Honours, Postgraduate Diplomas, Master's, and PhD).
Application Fee:
UCT graduates applying to non-GSB programmes: Free
South African & SADC applicants: R100
Outside SADC: R300
GSB (African citizens/permanent residents): R1,000
GSB (outside Africa): US$100
Closing Date
Standard 2027 Closing Date: 30 September 2026 (most coursework programmes)
Earliest Deadline (Health Sciences Honours & some MPhils): 31 July 2026
Research Master's & PhDs: Open year-round
Apply at: http://applyonline.uct.ac.za
Faculty Breakdown
Faculty of Commerce
Entry requirement: A relevant undergraduate degree (honours-level entry typically requires strong academic standing in your discipline)
Most programmes close 30 September 2026
Actuarial Science applicants must also submit their ASSA Exemption Record letter
Exception: Economic Analysis of Financial Markets (June intake) closes 30 April 2027
Most dissertation-track Master's require: CV, 500-word research outline, referees, and a motivation letter.
Faculty of Engineering & the Built Environment
Entry requirement: Relevant undergraduate degree in engineering or built environment discipline
Most programmes close 30 September 2026
International applicants for BAS Honours and MArch (Professional) must apply by 31 August 2026
Important: For MSc in Engineering (research tracks), you must secure a supervisor before applying — especially for Electrical Engineering
Power Plant Engineering PGDip has two intake windows: Semester 1 (Sept 2026) and Semester 2 (April 2027)
Faculty of Health Sciences
Entry requirement: Relevant health/medical degree; MMed applicants must first secure a hospital training post through the relevant academic department
This is the faculty with the most deadline variation — several programmes close as early as 31 July 2026
MMed candidates additionally need: certified degree copies, hospital offer letter, and valid HPCSA membership card
The faculty explicitly asks prospective applicants to contact the relevant department before applying
Contact: fhs-pg@uct.ac.za
Faculty of Humanities
Entry requirement: Relevant undergraduate degree; some programmes (Clinical Psychology, Neuropsychology) are highly competitive with limited cohort sizes
Master's in Clinical Psychology closes 31 May 2026 — the earliest deadline in the entire document
Master's in Neuropsychology closes 31 August 2026
Fine Art, Dance, Theatre, Music, and Film programmes may require a portfolio, audition, or creative research outline in addition to standard documents
Some Philosophy programmes require two writing samples submitted as a single document
Faculty of Law
Entry requirement: LLB holders may apply for LLM; applicants without an LLB must apply for MPhil instead
All programmes close 30 September 2026
Dissertation-track applicants should complete the Statement of Interest form (available at the Law Faculty website)
Contact: law-studies@uct.ac.za
Faculty of Science
Entry requirement: Relevant BSc or equivalent; research Master's and PhD applicants must discuss their proposed research with the relevant department before applying
Several programmes (Conservation Biology, Astrophysics, Climate Change & Development, Applied Ocean Sciences, Environmental & Geographical Science) close 31 August 2026
PhD applicants need a supervisor confirmed, a summary of their MSc research, and a stated start date
Contact: sci-postgrad@uct.ac.za
Graduate School of Business (GSB)
Separate application process with different fee structure and deadlines
All GSB programmes require: CV, three motivations, and evaluators' names
Check GSB-specific deadlines directly at the GSB website — they are not listed in this document
Acceptance fee on admission: R15,000 (PGDip level) or R25,000 (Master's level) — this is credited to your student account, not lost
The VarsityToolkit Insider Tip
The "English Proficiency Trap" most applicants miss: If English is not your first language and you did not pass English at NSC Grade 12 (or equivalent), you must submit a valid language test score — and the validity windows differ per test. Your TOEFL or IELTS result must be no more than 2 years old, but your NBT Academic Literacy result has a 3-year validity window. More critically, if you are writing TOEFL or IELTS, your score must physically arrive at the UCT Admissions Office by 12 January 2027 — not just be submitted by that date. Build significant lead time into your test booking. For graduate-specific NBT requirements, you need 68% or above on the Graduate Academic Literacy test and 70% or above on the Graduate Quantitative test — thresholds that are higher than standard undergraduate NBT benchmarks and which many applicants are unaware of.