In an age where many 21st-century services have moved online, from banking to shopping to entertainment, higher education should not be the exception. The University of Pretoria (UP) has taken the bold step to officially launch its first fully online accredited programme through the UPOnline initiative.

Applications for the fully online Postgraduate Diploma in Public Health in the Faculty of Health Sciences opened on 19 March 2020, with the first module officially kicking off in May 2020.  Students who miss the first offering of this exciting new programme will not have to wait long because, going forward, there will be a new intake of students every eight weeks.

This initiative should not be conflated with the emergency steps taken by the University due to the COVID-19 pandemic (in relation to contact programmes). The UPOnline project is an independent initiative which aims to broaden access to a select number of accredited programmes at UP.