Geographers and environmental scientists study processes, relationships and the interdependence between the natural environment and humans. Anyone who has a passion for the environment and has a background in the sciences will be interested in the Bachelor of Science in Geography [Option: Geography and Environmental Science] programme.

The programme enhances students’ understanding of the physical, social and constructed environments, incorporating all the natural processes that take place on earth, as well as the socio-political and cultural activities that dominate the planet.

Geography and environmental science offer a range of career paths, including teaching, research (for a variety of bodies) and careers requiring the application of geographical knowledge and skills in practice. Graduates can focus on environmental management; urban development issues, regional and rural development; and environmental health or environmental issues, including pollution, climate change and the understanding and addressing of negative impacts on biodiversity/ecosystem services through activities such as mining, agriculture and tourism.

For more information, please consult the Faculty webpage.

Geography and environmental science offer a range of career paths, including teaching, research (for a variety of bodies) and the application of geographical knowledge and skills in practice. Graduates can focus on environmental management; urban issues such as informal settlements; regional and rural development; and environmental health or environmental issues, including pollution, climate change and the understanding and addressing of negative impacts on biodiversity/ecosystem services through activities such as mining, agriculture and tourism.

Environmental specialists act as consultants in the fields of environmental analysis and management, environmental law, environmental standards, environmental management systems and environmental auditing. They are needed by, among others, professionals in private sector institutions involved with environmental issues, for example, transport and civil engineers, town and regional planners and landscape architects.

In the private sector, graduates are generally employed by real estate, planning, architectural and engineering firms, and by banks, tourism organisations, environmental conservation bodies and industry. Government departments such as the Departments of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DEFF), Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD), Water and Sanitation (DWS), Tourism (DT), Basic Education (DBE) and Higher Education and Training (DHET), and Statistics South Africa (Stats SA), the South African National Antarctic Programme (SANAP), and the Environmental Management Inspectorate (EMI). Green Scorpions also employ these graduates, as do parastatal organisations such as the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS), the South African Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). Many graduates are also self-employed, working mainly in areas such as marketing, planning, development, tourism, cartography, remote sensing, environmental analysis, social impact assessments and environmental auditing.

Important information for all prospective students for 2026

The admission requirements below apply to all who apply for admission to the University of Pretoria with a National Senior Certificate (NSC) and Independent Examination Board (IEB) qualifications. Click here for this Faculty Brochure.

Life Orientation is excluded when calculating the APS. 

Applicants currently in Grade 12 must apply with their final Grade 11 (or equivalent) results.

Applicants who have completed Grade 12 must apply with their final NSC or equivalent qualification results.

Please note that meeting the minimum academic requirements does not guarantee admission.

Successful candidates will be notified once admitted or conditionally admitted.

Unsuccessful candidates will be notified after 30 June.

Applicants should check their application status regularly on the UP Student Portal at click here.

Applicants with qualifications other than the abovementioned should refer to the International undergraduate prospectus 2026: Applicants with a school leaving certificate not issued by Umalusi (South Africa), available at click here.

International students: Click here.

Transferring students

A transferring student is a student who, at the time of applying at the University of Pretoria (UP) is/was a registered student at another tertiary institution. A transferring student will be considered for admission based on NSC or equivalent qualification and previous academic performance. Students who have been dismissed from other institutions due to poor academic performance will not be considered for admission to UP.

Closing dates: Same as above.

Returning students

A returning student is a student who, at the time of application for a degree programme is/was a registered student at UP, and wants to transfer to another degree at UP. A returning student will be considered for admission based on NSC or equivalent qualification and previous academic performance.

Note:

• Students who have been excluded/dismissed from a faculty due to poor academic performance may be considered for admission to another programme at UP, as per faculty-specific requirements.
• Only ONE transfer between UP faculties and TWO transfers within a faculty will be allowed.
• Admission of returning students will always depend on the faculty concerned and the availability of space in the programmes for which they apply.

Closing date for applications from returning students

Unless capacity allows for an extension of the closing date, applications from returning students must be submitted before the end of August via your UP Student Centre.

All modules will only be presented in English, as English is the language of tuition, communication and correspondence at the University of Pretoria.

Faculty Yearbooks: click here. 

The University of Pretoria has decided not to set a specific closing date for applications to non-selection programmes for 2023. Applications will close when the available study spaces are filled (close on availability of space). Once the available number of study places for a specific programme are filled, no further applications for that particular programme will be considered. All applicants are therefore strongly advised and encouraged to submit their applications as soon as possible after 1 April 2022 and to check the application site (UP Student Portal) regularly. 

The Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences is home to more than 6 500 undergraduate and postgraduate students. The Faculty presents degrees in fields ranging from the proverbial A to Z – from actuaries to zoologists, and consists of 13 departments.

All degree programmes are designed to develop problem-solving individuals who can easily adapt to changing circumstances and take the lead in their chosen fields of specialisation. The qualifications awarded are of world-class and provide access to a multitude of career opportunities for dynamic and creative people. According to the latest Times Higher Education World University Rankings the University has achieved new world rankings in Physical Sciences, a discipline which features strongly in NAS and also maintains excellent positions on the ISI Web of Science (WOS) field rankings in Plant and Animal Sciences, Agricultural Sciences, and Environment and Ecology Sciences.

In the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, we strive to continuously improve our high impact research and significantly address the national shortage of PhD graduates that respond to global and local challenges.

• Disclaimer: This publication contains information about regulations and programmes of the University of Pretoria. Amendments to or updating of the information may be effected from time to time without prior notification. The accuracy, correctness or validity of the information contained here is therefore not guaranteed by the University at any given time and is always subject to verification. The user is kindly requested to verify the correctness of the information with the University at all times. Failure to do so will not give rise to any claim or action of any nature against the University by any party whatsoever.