UP Undergraduate Admission Requirements — 2027

APS calculation (standard for all faculties):

APS is based on the NSC 1–7 achievement scale
Calculated from the candidate's six best recognised 20-credit subjects
Life Orientation is a 10-credit subject and is excluded from the APS calculation
Maximum achievable APS: 42
NSC and IEB qualifications are both accepted

Important: Meeting the minimum APS does not guarantee admission to any programme. All programmes are number-limited and selection is competitive.

Faculty of Education — Minimum Requirements (all programmes close 30 June 2026)

All BEd degrees: English HL or FAL at achievement level 4 (50–59%) | APS: 28

BEd in Early Childhood Care and Education (4 years): APS 28; English level 4
BEd in Foundation Phase Teaching (Grade R–3) (4 years): APS 28; English level 4
BEd in Intermediate Phase Teaching (Grades 4–6) (4 years): APS 28; English level 4
BEd in Senior Phase and FET Teaching (Grades 7–12) (4 years): APS 28; English level 4
- Additional requirement for electives in Physical Sciences or Life Sciences: Mathematics passed at achievement level 5 (60–69%) AND Physical Sciences passed at achievement level 5 (60–69%)
Higher Certificate in Sports Sciences (contact, 1 year): APS 20; English level 4; selection process applies — preference given to applicants nominated by a UP official sports club; TuksSport is consulted
Higher Certificate in Sports Sciences (online, 2 years): APS 20; English level 4

Postgraduate programmes in Education (distance education available for selected programmes):

Advanced Diploma in School Leadership and Management
Advanced Diploma in Visual Impairment
Postgraduate Diploma in TVET
Bachelor of Education Honours (distance)

Faculty of Law — Minimum Requirements (close 30 June 2026)

Bachelor of Laws (LLB, 4 years): Minimum APS is not stated explicitly in the brochure — the brochure notes that the Faculty aims for at least 50% of the first-year class to be from designated groups. Applicants with an APS of 38 or higher with at least English level 6 may still be considered after the closing date if places are available.
- After completing a BA specialising in Law: LLB continues as a further degree
- After completing a BCom specialising in Law: LLB continues as a further degree
Law programmes in other faculties: BA specialising in Law (Faculty of Humanities); BCom specialising in Law (Faculty of EMS)
Faculty note: The Faculty aims for first-year class diversity with at least 50% of places from designated groups (Black African, Indian, Coloured South African applicants).

Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences — Minimum Requirements (close 30 June 2026)

Foundation programme rules (4-year BSc and 5-year BScAgric):

Maximum 30 students per programme
Preference given to students from Quintile 1–4 schools
Only students who completed school within the last two years and have not studied at a tertiary institution are eligible
Transfer options exist but only to similar specialisations

Agricultural and Food Sciences (5-year BScAgric programmes):

BSc Agriculture in Agricultural Economics in Agribusiness Management
BSc Agriculture in Animal Science
BSc Agriculture in Applied Plant and Soil Sciences
BSc Agriculture in Plant Pathology
BSc in Food Management — Culinary Science (only degree of its kind in Africa)
BSc in Food Management — Nutritional Science
BSc in Food Science
Bachelor of Consumer Science in Clothing Retail Management
Bachelor of Consumer Science in Food Management

Biological Sciences (3-year BSc programmes):

BSc in Biochemistry
BSc in Ecology
BSc in Entomology
BSc in Genetics
BSc in Human Genetics
BSc in Biotechnology
BSc in Human Physiology
BSc in Human Physiology, Genetics and Psychology (South Africa's only triple major of its kind)
BSc in Medical Sciences
BSc in Microbiology
BSc in Plant Science
BSc in Zoology

Mathematical Sciences (3-year BSc programmes):

BSc in Actuarial and Financial Mathematics
BSc in Mathematics
BSc in Applied Mathematics
BSc in Mathematical Statistics

Physical Sciences (3-year BSc programmes):

BSc in Chemistry
BSc in Environmental and Engineering Geology
BSc in Geography (Option: Geography and Environmental Science)
BSc in Geoinformatics
BSc in Geology
BSc in Meteorology (only degree of its kind in sub-Saharan Africa)
BSc in Physics

Note: The specific APS and subject-level requirements for each NAS programme are published in the full brochure. The brochure confirms that Physics and Chemistry Cambridge International students must have completed both with an achievement level equivalent to NSC Physical Sciences.

Faculty of Health Sciences — Minimum Requirements (close 30 June 2026)

The Faculty uses a Merit Point Score (MPS) — not the standard APS — to rank applicants. Selection is conducted in two categories:

Designated Group: South African Black African and Coloured applicants
Open category: All applicants — Designated Group applicants compete here first; if not selected, they move to the Designated Group category

Applicants from countries that already have their own medical schools cannot apply for MBChB.

A small number of places are available for foreign nationals; SADC citizens are preferred.

Key rules:

No fixed cut-off MPS points — cut-offs depend on the ratio of applicants to available places in each category
Conditional offers remain valid if the final NSC MPS is not more than 5 points lower than the Grade 11 MPS
Incomplete applications will not be considered
False or withheld information: application, admission, or registration cancelled

School of Medicine programmes:

MBChB (Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery)
Clinical Medical Practice
Other medical science programmes

School of Dentistry programmes:

Dental Science (BDS)
Oral Health Sciences

School of Healthcare Sciences programmes:

Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Dietetics, Nursing, Physiotherapy, Radiography, Optometry, Sport Science, Clinical Associate, Emergency Medical Care (EMS)

Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences — Minimum Requirements (close 30 June 2026)

All undergraduate EMS programmes require English HL or FAL. The brochure lists 16 undergraduate programmes:

Bachelor of Administration specialising in Public Administration and International Relations
Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting Sciences (SAICA CA(SA) and AGA(SA) pathways; 100% IAC pass rate for third consecutive year)
Bachelor of Commerce specialising in Agribusiness Management
Bachelor of Commerce specialising in Business Management
Bachelor of Commerce specialising in Econometrics
Bachelor of Commerce specialising in Economics
Bachelor of Commerce specialising in Financial Management Sciences
Bachelor of Commerce specialising in Human Resource Management
Bachelor of Commerce specialising in Information Systems (ABET Computing Accreditation Commission)
Bachelor of Commerce specialising in Investment Management (CFA Institute University Affiliation)
Bachelor of Commerce specialising in Law
Bachelor of Commerce specialising in Marketing Management
Bachelor of Commerce specialising in Statistics and Data Science
Bachelor of Commerce specialising in Supply Chain Management (ELA accredited)
Bachelor of Commerce (3-year programme)
Bachelor of Commerce (4-year programme)

Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment and Information Technology (EBIT) — Minimum Requirements (close 30 June 2026)

School of Engineering — four-year BEng programmes (all engineering disciplines): Subject requirements for all engineering programmes include Mathematics and Physical Sciences at specific achievement levels.

Five-year BEng programme (all engineering disciplines):

APS: 33
Mathematics: minimum 65% (achievement level 5)
Physical Sciences: minimum 65% (achievement level 5)
English: minimum 65% (achievement level 5)
Students can apply directly for the five-year programme for any engineering discipline.
If a prospective student meets the APS requirements but is not accepted into their first-choice four-year BEng programme, they may be offered the five-year programme instead.

School for the Built Environment:

BSc in Architecture
BSc in Construction Management
BSc in Quantity Surveying
BSc in Real Estate
Bachelor of Town and Regional Planning

School of Information Technology:

BSc in Computer Science
BSc in Information Technology in Information and Knowledge Systems
Bachelor of Information Technology in Information Systems
Bachelor of Commerce specialising in Information Systems (joint with EMS)
Bachelor of Information Science specialising in Multimedia (possible name change to Interactive Technology)
Bachelor of Information Science
Bachelor of Information Science specialising in Publishing

Faculty of Theology and Religion — Minimum Requirements (close 30 June 2026)

Applicants who indicate Theology as their second choice may need to submit a motivation.

Faculty/department-specific requirements may differ. Meeting minimums does not guarantee admission. Confirm with the relevant faculty before applying.

University of Pretoria

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