As reflected in the application statistics from the University, the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences remains a successful and popular choice for students to earn a degree or postgraduate qualification. During its graduation ceremony today (Friday 6 September) the Faculty is set to hand out 25 new PhDs, 48 master’s degrees and 17 honours degrees.

Other faculties that can boast with a dozen or more new doctorates are Humanities (15), Economic and Management Sciences (14) and Health Sciences (13 PhDs). The Faculty for Engineering, Built Environment and Information Science, the biggest trainer of engineers in the country, bestowed doctorate degrees on 15 of its graduates. The smaller faculties also boasted postgraduate success. The Faculty of Veterinary Sciences had 7 veterinarians who completed a PhD and 14 who now hold a Master’s degree. The Faculty of Education Awarded 10 doctorates and Theology and Law six each.

Excluding distance-learning university Unisa, UP is the South African university that annually confers the most bachelors and honours degrees. In 2012, UP held more than 40 graduation ceremonies during which a total of 12 981 degrees, diplomas and certificates were awarded to successful candidates.

Statistics for 2013 show that the University has handed out a total of 14 369 degrees and diplomas. All nine faculties, as well as the Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) in Johannesburg, were involved in the University’s graduation ceremonies in 2013. Ceremonies were held not only on the UP campuses in Pretoria and Johannesburg, but also in Limpopo, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape. No less than 661 honours degrees and 441 advanced diplomas will be awarded during the last part of the Spring Graduation Ceremonies in Polokwane, Durban and Nelspruit later this month.