Research Focus Areas

The Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment & IT (EBIT) is aligned with the overall 2025 research strategy of the University of Pretoria and its aim to be a research-intensive institution. To implement this strategy, the research strengths of EBIT are focused across the following six broad research themes:

1. Water and Environmental Engineering
2. Minerals and Materials Beneficiation
3. 4IR
4. Smart Cities and Transportation
5. Big Data Science, ICT & Technology Innovation Management
6. Energy

The Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment & IT (EBIT) is aligned with the overall 2025 research strategy of the University of Pretoria and its aim to be a research-intensive institution. To implement this strategy, the research strengths of EBIT are focused across the following six broad research themes:

1. Water and Environmental Engineering
2. Minerals and Materials Beneficiation
3. 4IR
4. Smart Cities and Transportation
5. Big Data Science, ICT & Technology Innovation Management
6. Energy

The physics department has six main research focus areas, namely:

1. Astronomy
2. Biophysics
3. Materials
4. Physics Education
5. Philosophy of Physics
6. Theoretical Physics

If chemistry is your chosen field of research, there are eight diverse research focus areas for you to explore. These are:

1. Environmental Monitoring and Sensing
2. Flow Chemistry
3. Material Science
4. Natural Products
5. Organic Synthesis and Drug Discovery
6. Separation Science
7. Solar Energy
8. Tertiary Chemistry Education

Join us to play a proactive role in addressing practical health challenges in Africa. We are the link between global academic communities and African health problems as we challenge our postgraduate students to conduct transformative research that contributes to social action and justice.

We have a multi-strategy approach to building research capacity and have recently introduced evidence synthesis research capacity building and research visibility and impact.

As part of UP’s 2025 vision, we have research groups in wildlife, infectious disease, One Health, epidemiology and veterinary public health. Be part of an internationally recognised research group and faculty that have developed four new research themes that were chosen to establish, achieve and project an African uniqueness.

The four niche research themes are Translational Medicine; African Wildlife Health and Management; Pathobiology of Disease; and Sustainable Livelihoods and Well-being.

The only way a society can truly grow and prosper is by providing proper education to all people at all levels. Research shows that it is one of the most important factors for escaping poverty, which highlights its importance in South Africa. To this end, there are seven research focus areas in this important faculty.

1. HIV/AIDS in Education
2. Language and Literacy in Education
3. Assessment, Evaluation and Quality Assurance
4. Early Childhood Education
5. Science, Mathematics and Technology Education
6. Power, Reform, Change and Continuity in Education
7. Teacher Development and Professionalism.

Once three separate departments, the now singular Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology has research focus areas that are divided into the following three themes:

1. Biodiversity
2. BioEconomy
3. Human and Animal Health

Each theme has at least eight sub-themes, including a wide range of topics, such as Ffungal Ggenomics, Pplant Vvirology and Fforest Ggenetics (Bbiodiversity); Aavocado Rresearch, Ppathogen Iinteractions and Mmacadamia Pprotection under BbioEconomy; Aanimal Vvirology, Ccomplementary and Aalternative Mmedicines and Ccancer Ggenetics (Hhuman and Aanimal Hhealth).

UP’s Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences is rated as one of the most diverse and best science faculties in South Africa. We host half of the A-rated NRF researchers and 40% of all the NRF-rated researchers. Our faculty contributes to building the research and teaching capacity of South Africa by producing skilled graduates and generating new scientific knowledge.

Our niche areas of research include: Traditional medicine, physical sciences, big data and data science. We are also proud to say that a study we led found an aloe plant that could impede the life cycle of malaria-carrying parasites and UP scientists contributed to a key global study on the effects of grazing in deserts.

UP’s Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences is rated as one of the most diverse and best science faculties in South Africa. We host half of the A-rated NRF researchers and 40% of all the NRF-rated researchers. Our faculty contributes to the building and research and teaching capacity of South Africa by producing skilled graduates and generating new scientific knowledge.

Our niche areas of research include: Traditional medicine, physical sciences, big data and data science. We are also proud to say that a study we led found an aloe plant that could impede the life cycle of malaria-carrying parasites and UP scientists contributed to a key global study on the effects of grazing in deserts.

Join us to play a proactive role in addressing practical health challenges in Africa. We are the link between global academic communities and African health problems as we challenge our postgraduate students to conduct transformative research that contributes to social action and justice.

We have a multi-strategy approach to building research capacity and have recently introduced evidence synthesis research capacity building and research visibility and impact.

Once three separate departments, the now singular Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology has research focus areas that are divided into the following three themes:

1. Biodiversity
2. BioEconomy
3. Human and Animal Health

Each theme has at least eight sub-themes, including a wide range of topics, such as Fungal Genomics, Plant Virology and Forest Genetics (Biodiversity); Avocado Research, Pathogen Interactions and Macadamia Protection under BioEconomy; Animal Virology, Complementary and Alternative medicines and Cancer Genetics (Human and Animal Health).

Once three separate departments, the now singular Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology has research focus areas that are divided into the following three themes:

1. Biodiversity
2. BioEconomy
3. Human and Animal Health

Each theme has at least eight sub-themes, including a wide range of topics, such as Fungal Genomics, Plant Virology and Forest Genetics (Biodiversity); Avocado Research, Pathogen Interactions and Macadamia Protection under BioEconomy; Animal Virology, Complementary and Alternative medicines and Cancer Genetics (Human and Animal Health).

Once three separate departments, the now singular Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology has research focus areas that are divided into the following three themes:

1. Biodiversity
2. BioEconomy
3. Human and Animal Health

Each theme has at least eight sub-themes, including a wide range of topics, such as Fungal Genomics, Plant Virology and Forest Genetics (Biodiversity); Avocado Research, Pathogen Interactions and Macadamia Protection under BioEconomy; Animal Virology, Complementary and Alternative medicines and Cancer Genetics (Human and Animal Health).

Bioinformatics is the integration of mathematical, computer, statistical and biological sciences to analyse biological data. The Centre for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology and offers you three main research areas:

• Phylogenomics and DNA visualisation.
• Variant detection in breast cancer.
• Development of in silico methods to infer immunological relationships between proteins with special focus on Cytotoxic T-Cell epitope repertoires.

Join us to play a proactive role in addressing practical health challenges in Africa. We are the link between global academic communities and African health problems as we challenge our postgraduate students to conduct transformative research that contributes to social action and social justice.

We have a multi-strategy approach to building research capacity and have recently introduced evidence synthesis research capacity building and research visibility and impact.

Be part of the only faculty of its kind in South Africa and one that has been ranked highly among all veterinary schools in the world. The Faculty of Veterinary Science works to serve the people of South Africa and is, as such, indispensable to the economy of our country.

Well known for its quality of training, research, services and community engagement, the Faculty aims to be an internationally accredited seat of veterinary excellence. As a whole, it aims to improve nutrition and grow the South African agro-economy, making it both an important and sought-after research area for postgraduates.

Students from South Africa and beyond are invited to be part of continuing a tradition of excellence in tropical animal health at the Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases (DVTD).

To ensure that the Department continues to develop, we are in the process of establishing links and agreements with several national and international training and research institutions to complement its resources.

Two research programmes include:

• Vectors and Vector-borne Diseases
• Tuberculosis and Brucellosis

Once three separate departments, the now singular Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology has research focus areas that are divided into the following three themes:

1. Biodiversity
2. BioEconomy
3. Human and Animal Health

Each theme has at least eight sub-themes, including a wide range of topics, such as Fungal Genomics, Plant Virology and Forest Genetics (Biodiversity); Avocado Research, Pathogen Interactions and Macadamia Protection under BioEconomy; Animal Virology, Complementary and Alternative medicines and Cancer Genetics (Human and Animal Health).

Once three separate departments, the now singular Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology has research focus areas that are divided into the following three themes:

1. Biodiversity
2. BioEconomy
3. Human and Animal Health

Each theme has at least eight sub-themes, including a wide range of topics, such as Fungal Genomics, Plant Virology and Forest Genetics (Biodiversity); Avocado Research, Pathogen Interactions and Macadamia Protection under BioEconomy; Animal Virology, Complementary and Alternative medicines and Cancer Genetics (Human and Animal Health).

Join us to play a proactive role in addressing practical health challenges in Africa. We are the link between global academic communities and African health problems as we challenge our postgraduate students to conduct transformative research that contributes to social action and social justice.

We have a multi-strategy approach to building research capacity and have recently introduced evidence synthesis research capacity building and research visibility and impact

As part of UP’s vision to use research and innovation to make an impact on socio-economic development in Southern Africa, the School of Health Systems and Public Health (SHSPH) is committed to enriching the lives of South Africans and Africans by graduating a new generation of public health professionals. To achieve this we provide context-driven education and training, guided by societal needs as informed by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and aided with new technologies brought about by the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Once three separate departments, the now singular Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology has research focus areas that are divided into the following three themes:

1. Biodiversity
2. BioEconomy
3. Human and Animal Health

Each theme has at least eight sub-themes, including a wide range of topics, such as Fungal Genomics, Plant Virology and Forest Genetics (Biodiversity); Avocado Research, Pathogen Interactions and Macadamia Protection under BioEconomy; Animal Virology, Complementary and Alternative medicines and Cancer Genetics (Human and Animal Health).

If you want to be at the cutting edge of economic, financial and management education and research with an African focus, the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences offers you the opportunity to be part of its vision to be an internationally recognised and locally relevant centre of research excellence in the economic, management and financial sciences.

UP prides itself on the legal research performed by esteemed scholars, students and lecturers alike. As an institute of higher education, UP provides a well-rounded education experience for both undergraduate and postgraduate students.

The Department of Political Sciences presents honours, master's and doctoral degrees.

Postgraduates looking to study at honours, master’s and doctoral level will benefit from the guidance and tuition of top academics who are involved in various research projects. You can choose to study in one of these three fields:

• Sociology
• Industrial Sociology and Labour Studies
• Gender Studies

The Department of Psychology conducts research in four broad research themes linked with various research focus areas.

1. Health and well-being across the lifespan
2. Communities and Society
3. Theories and Measures in Psychology
4. Teaching and Learning in Psychology

Once three separate departments, the department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology have research focus areas that are divided into the following three themes:

1. Biodiversity
2. BioEconomy
3. Human and Animal Health

Each theme has at least eight sub-themes, including a wide range of topics, such as Fungal Genomics, Plant Virology and Forest Genetics (Biodiversity); Avocado Research, Pathogen Interactions and Macadamia Protection under BioEconomy; Animal Virology, Complementary and Alternative medicines and Cancer Genetics (Human and Animal Health).

The study of geographics in Africa for Africa, including studies of the earth, how humanity has shaped the world, spatial patterns and inter-disciplinary environmental studies. To help us enhance our understanding of the above, we make use of geospatial information and technology.

UP’s Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences is rated as one of the most diverse and best science faculties in South Africa. We host half of the A-rated NRF researchers and 40% of all the NRF-rated researchers. Our faculty contributes to the building and research and teaching capacity of South Africa by producing skilled graduates and generating new scientific knowledge.

Our niche areas of research include: Traditional medicine, physical sciences, big data and data science. We are also proud to say that a study we led found an aloe plant that could impede the life cycle of malaria-carrying parasites and UP scientists contributed to a key global study on the effects of grazing in deserts.

Postgraduates looking to study at honours, master’s and doctoral level will benefit from the guidance and tuition of top academics who are involved in various research projects. You can choose to study in one of these three fields:

• Sociology
• Industrial Sociology and Labour Studies
• Gender Studies

Postgraduate students in environmental science, geography, geoinformatics and meteorology. It includes studies of the earth, how humanity has shaped the world, spatial patterns, and inter-disciplinary environmental studies. To help us enhance our understanding of the above, we make use of geospatial information and technology.

If you are interested in any aspect of the broad education research areas, apply to our Faculty of Education which has firmly established itself as one of the premier facilities for education research, capacity development, and productivity in Southern Africa. To achieve this we have a highly selective admissions process. But once admitted you’ll benefit from world-class research culture, sufficient resources and highest ethical standards.

The best of student research and achievement is showcased in the Annual Postgraduate Research Indaba, a highly regarded event inside and outside of the University of Pretoria.

As factors continue to have an impact on how much quicker and how diversely our world changes, we have to be prepared for a range of social, political, environmental and economic problems that we believe humanities studies can provide the solutions for.

Join our local academics and international partners to create a multidisciplinary team focusing on a wide range of research projects.