BScAgric Animal Science

Animal Science is a scientific field that involves the study of the three major disciplines, namely animal breeding and genetics, physiology, and the nutrition of all farm, equine and companion animals. The Department of Animal and Wildlife Sciences offers a four-year BScAgric degree programme that will prepare you for a professional career in the livestock, poultry and pig industry. The Department of Animal Science at UP is more than 100 years old. It has a rich history of producing animal scientists and performing relevant research that contributed to the development of the South African livestock industry.

The way we practise livestock production has changed worldwide over the past century and new technological developments have created new opportunities for innovative research and application in all three disciplines of animal nutrition, animal breeding and genetics, and animal physiology. Animal scientists work in collaboration with veterinary scientists, crop scientists and agricultural economists to provide solutions to improve animal health and welfare, reduce CH4 emissions and increase the efficiency of production to meet the demands of the world’s growing population.

Animal science is a profession in its own right, according to Act 27 of 2003, and this requires animal scientists to register with SACNSP, the SA Council for Natural Science Professions, once they have completed their degrees and start working in the livestock industry.

The Animal Science programme provides a sound basis of fundamental sciences during the first two years of study including Physics, Chemistry, Microbiology, Genetics, Mathematics and Biochemistry. These are essential for understanding and integration of advanced principles in animal genetics, animal physiology and nutrition that follow in the third and final year.

In the final year, the three major focus areas of genetics, physiology and nutrition, are integrated to teach the management and application of large livestock, small stock, poultry, pigs and companion animals. The BScAgric (Animal Science) programme can lead to MScAgric programmes in animal nutrition, production physiology or animal breeding and genetics, as well as honours degree in Wildlife Management.

For more information, please consult the Faculty webpage.

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.

Career Opportunities

Animal science is focused on the application of the scientific aspects of animal production and the quality control of products to ensure consumer satisfaction. Careers in this field make an essential contribution to food (protein) production in South Africa. Based on the most recent research and the needs of both animals and humans, animal science focuses on the entire livestock production value chain, from conception to consumption. There are numerous career opportunities for animal and wildlife scientists in research, commercial farming and the public sector, and for professionals in the livestock and feed industry. Animal scientists can work on different levels in these sectors, eg as researchers or consultants on animal nutrition or breeding, technical representatives, managers of intensive and extensive animal production systems and policymakers. The BScAgric (Animal Science) degree is acknowledged as a professional qualification by SACNSP in terms of Act 106 of 1993. It is internationally recognised, which means that graduates can register as professional animal scientists.

Programme Code

02133411

Closing Dates

Applications for this plan have closed.

Admission Requirements

Important information for all prospective students for 2022

The admission requirements apply to students who apply for admission to the University of Pretoria with a National Senior Certificate (NSC) and Independent Examination Board (IEB) qualifications.
Applicants with qualifications other than the abovementioned should refer to:
- Brochure: Undergraduate Programme Information 2022: Qualifications other than the NSC and IEB, available at click here.
Citizens from countries other than South Africa (applicants who are not South African citizens) should also refer to:
- Brochure: Newcomer’s Guide 2021, available at click here.
- Website: click here.
School of Tomorrow (SOT), Accelerated Christian Education (ACE) and General Education Development Test (GED): The University of Pretoria no longer accepts qualifications awarded by these institutions.
National Certificate (Vocational) (NCV) Level 4: The University of Pretoria may consider NCV candidates, provided they meet the exemption for bachelor’s status criteria and the programme requirements.

Transferring students

A transferring student is a student who, at the time of application for a degree programme at the University of Pretoria (UP) –

is a registered student at another tertiary institution, or was previously registered at another tertiary institution and did not complete the programme enrolled for at that institution, and is not currently enrolled at a tertiary institution, or has completed studies at another tertiary institution, but is not currently enrolled at a tertiary institution, or has started with tertiary studies at UP, then moved to another tertiary institution and wants to be readmitted at UP.

A transferring student will be considered for admission based on

an NSC or equivalent qualification with exemption to bachelor’s or diploma studies (whichever is applicable); and meeting the minimum faculty-specific subject requirements at NSC or tertiary level; or having completed a higher certificate at a tertiary institution with faculty-specific subjects/modules passed (equal to or more than 50%), as well as complying with faculty rules on admission;
previous academic performance (must have passed all modules registered for up to the closing date of application ) or as per faculty regulation/promotion requirements;
a certificate of good conduct.

Note: Students who have been dismissed at the previous institution due to poor academic performance, will not be considered for admission to UP.

Returning students

A returning student is a student who, at the time of application for a degree programme –

is a registered student at UP, and wants to transfer to another degree at UP, or was previously registered at UP and did not complete the programme enrolled for, and did not enrol at another tertiary institution in the meantime (including students who applied for leave of absence), or has completed studies at UP, but is not currently enrolled or was not enrolled at another tertiary institution after graduation.

A returning student will be considered for admission based on

an NSC or equivalent qualification with exemption to bachelor’s or diploma studies (whichever is applicable); and meeting the minimum faculty-specific subject requirements at NSC or tertiary level; or previous academic performance (should have a cumulative weighted average of at least 50% for the programme enrolled for);
having applied for and was granted leave of absence.

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. The Admissions Committee may consider such students if they were not dismissed more than twice. Only ONE transfer between UP faculties will be allowed, and a maximum of two (2) transfers within a faculty.

Important faculty-specific information on undergraduate programmes for 2022

The closing date is an administrative admission guideline for non-selection programmes. Once a non-selection programme is full and has reached the institutional targets, then that programme will be closed for further admissions, irrespective of the closing date. However, if the institutional targets have not been met by the closing date, then that programme will remain open for admissions until the institutional targets are met.
The following persons will be considered for admission: Candidates who have a certificate that is deemed by the University to be equivalent to the required National Senior Certificate (NSC) with university endorsement; candidates who are graduates from another tertiary institution or have been granted the status of a graduate of such an institution, and candidates who are graduates of another faculty at the University of Pretoria.
Life Orientation is excluded when calculating the Admission Point Score (APS).
Grade 11 results are used for the conditional admission of prospective students. Final admission is based on the final NSC/IEB results.

University of Pretoria website: click here

Minimum requirements
Achievement level
English Home Language or English First Additional Language	Mathematics	Physical Sciences	APS
NSC/IEB	NSC/IEB	NSC/IEB	APS
5	5	5	32

Candidates who do not comply with the minimum admission requirements for BScAgric (Animal Science), may be considered for admission to the BSc – Extended programme – Biological and Agricultural Sciences, which requires an additional year of study. Students who are placed in the BSc – Extended programme – Biological and Agricultural Sciences will take a minimum of five years to complete the BScAgric (Animal Science) programme.

BSc – Extended Programme – Biological and Agricultural Sciences Minimum requirements
Achievement level
English Home Language or English First Additional Language	Mathematics	Physical Sciences	APS
NSC/IEB	NSC/IEB	NSC/IEB	APS
4	4	4	26

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.

Duration of study

4 years, full-time.

Faculty Notes

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.

Enquiries about the programme

Click Here

UP confers honorary doctorate on Dr Matshidiso Moeti

UP Chancellor’s Medal awarded to Nonkululeko Gobodo

UP provided financial support to 55% of the 12 511 students set to graduate this autumn

UP Autumn Graduations: 15 April to 16 May 2024