Important information for all prospective students for 2023

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.

This is a generic first-year programme in Biological Sciences. Only first-time university entry students who are uncertain about which specialisation degree programme to choose may apply for this programme. 

Life Orientation is excluded when calculating the APS. 

You will be considered for final admission to degree studies if space allows, and if you have a National Senior Certificate (NSC) or equivalent qualification with admission to bachelor’s degree studies, and comply with the minimum subject requirements as well as the APS requirements of your chosen programme.

Applicants with qualifications other than the abovementioned should refer to the Brochure: Undergraduate Programme Information 2023: Qualifications other than the NSC and IEB, available at click here.

International students: Click here.

MBChB or BChD selection:

Students who intend to apply for admission to MBChB or BChD in the second semester, when places become available in those programmes, may register for any BSc biological sciences modules in the first semester, replacing Mathematics (WTW 134) with Science and World Views (FIL 155), People and their Environment (MGW 112) and Medical Terminology (MTL 180), with the proviso that should they not be selected and should they wish to continue with one of the biological sciences programmes, they must complete Mathematics (WTW 165) in the second semester of their first year. Students  who wish to add these three modules (FIL 155, MGW 112 and MTL 180) are required to have an APS of at least 35 and a minimum of 70% for Mathematics in the final NSC or equivalent qualification. Students should contact the Faculty of Health Sciences for their added criteria.

BVSc and BVetNurs selection:

Students who intend to apply for admission to BVSc may register for BSc (Biological Sciences) modules including Medical Terminology (MTL 180). Applicants enrolled in the extended BSc programmes must complete the first 3 semesters of the BSc – Extended programme with the correct (equivalent) modules to be eligible for selection into the BVSc or BVetNurs programme. Students should contact the Faculty of Veterinary Science for their selection criteria.

Candidates who do not comply with the minimum admission requirements for BSc (Biological Sciences), may be considered for admission to the BSc – Extended programme – Biological and Agricultural Sciences, which requires an additional year of study.

*Students enrolled for the BSc – Extended programme – Biological and Agricultural Sciences, do not qualify to apply for the mid-year intake in the Faculty of Health Sciences.

Note:

*The BSc – Extended programmes are not available for students who meet all the requirements for the corresponding mainstream programme.

*Please note that only students who apply in their final NSC or equivalent qualification year will be considered for admission into any of the BSc – Extended programmes. Students who are upgrading or taking a gap year will not be considered.

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.