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Program: BSc (Biological Sciences)

Kindly take note of the disclaimer regarding qualifications and degree names.

Code	Faculty	Department
02133397	Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences	Department: Natural and Agricultural Sciences Dean's Office

Credits	Duration	NQF level
Minimum duration of study: 3 jaar	Totale krediete: 142	NQF level: 07

Programme information
Kurrikulum: Jaar 1

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

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.

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 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.

Note: Consideration for MBChB or BChD: 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.

BVSc selection:

Students who intend to apply for admission to BVSc may register for BSc (Biological Sciences) modules including Medical Terminology (MTL 180).

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.

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

*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.

Other programme-specific information

1.1 Requirements for specific modules
A candidate who:

does not qualify for STK 110, must enrol for STK 113 and STK 123;
egisters for Mathematical Statistics (WST) and Statistics (STK) modules must take note that WST and STK modules, except for STK 281, may not be taken simultaneously in a programme; a student must take one and only one of the following options:

WST 111, WST 121, WST 212, WST 211, WST 221, WST 311, WST 312, WST 322, WST 321, and STK 353

WST 111, WST 121, WST 212, WST 211, WST 221, WST 311, WST 312, WST 322, STK320, STK353.

STK 110, STC 122, STK 210, STK 220, WST 212, STK 310, STK 320, STK 353.

registers for a module presented by another faculty must take note of the timetable clashes, prerequisites for that module, subminimum required in examination papers, supplementary examinations, etc.

1.2 Fundamental modules

It is compulsory for all new first-year students to satisfactorily complete the Academic orientation (UPO 102) and to take Academic information management modules (AIM 111 and AIM 121) and Language and study skills (LST 110). Please see curricula for details.
Students who intend to apply for admission to MBChB or BChD in the second semester, when places become available in those programmes, may be permitted to register for up to 80 module credits and 4 core modules in the first semester during the first year provided that they obtained a final mark of no less than 70% for Grade 12 Mathematics and achieved an APS of 34 or more in the NSC.

Promotion to next study year

A student will be promoted to the following year of study if he or she passed 100 credits of the prescribed credits for a year of study, unless the Dean on the recommendation of the relevant head of department decides otherwise. A student who does not comply with the requirements for promotion to the following year of study, retains the credit for the modules already passed and may be admitted by the Dean, on recommendation of the relevant head of department, to modules of the following year of study to a maximum of 48 credits, provided that it will fit in with both the lecture and examination timetable.

Minimum krediete: 142

Fundamental = 14
Core = 128

Additional information:

Students who intend on applying for MBChB, or BChD selection, have to enrol for FIL 155(6), MGW 112(6) and MTL 180(12) with the understanding that they defer doing WTW 134 in the first semester, however, should they not be selected and want to continue with a BSc programme, WTW 165 must be taken in the second semester of the first year.
Students intending to apply for the BVSc selection have to enrol for MTL 180(12).
Please note: ANA modules can only be taken by BSc (Medical Science) students.
Please note: A student may be permitted to register for up to 80 module credits in a the first semester during the first year provided that he or she obtained a final mark of no less than 70% for grade 12 Mathematics and achieved an APS of 34 or more in the NSC.

Fundamental modules

AIM 111

Academic information management 111

Krediete: 4.00

Module-inhoud:
Find, evaluate, process, manage and present information resources for academic purposes using appropriate technology.

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AIM 121

Academic information management 121

Krediete: 4.00

Module-inhoud:
Apply effective search strategies in different technological environments. Demonstrate the ethical and fair use of information resources. Integrate 21st-century communications into the management of academic information.

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LST 110

Language and study skills 110

Krediete: 6.00

Module-inhoud:
The module aims to equip students with the ability to cope with the reading and writing demands of scientific disciplines.

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UPO 102

Academic orientation 102

Krediete: 0.00

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Core modules

BME 120

Biometry 120

Krediete: 16.00

Module-inhoud:
Simple statistical analysis: Data collection and analysis: Samples, tabulation, graphical representation, describing location, spread and skewness. Introductory probability and distribution theory. Sampling distributions and the central limit theorem. Statistical inference: Basic principles, estimation and testing in the one- and two-sample cases (parametric and non-parametric). Introduction to experimental design. One- and twoway designs, randomised blocks. Multiple statistical analysis: Bivariate data sets: Curve fitting (linear and non-linear), growth curves. Statistical inference in the simple regression case. Categorical analysis: Testing goodness of fit and contingency tables. Multiple regression and correlation: Fitting and testing of models. Residual analysis. Computer literacy: Use of computer packages in data analysis and report writing.

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BOT 161

Plants and society 161

Krediete: 8.00

Module-inhoud:
Botanical principles of structure and function; diversity of plants; introductory plant systematics and evolution; role of plants in agriculture and food security; principles and applications of plant biotechnology; economical and valuable medicinal products derived from plants; basic principles of plant ecology and their application in conservation and biodiversity management.
This content aligns with the United Nation's Sustainable Debelopment Goals of No Poverty, Good Health and Well-being, Climate Action, Responsible Consumption and Production, and Life on Land.

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CMY 117

General chemistry 117

Krediete: 16.00

Module-inhoud:
General introduction to inorganic, analytical and physical chemistry. Atomic structure and periodicity. Molecular structure and chemical bonding using the VSEOR model. Nomenclature of inorganic ions and compounds. Classification of reactions: precipitation, acid-base, redox reactions and gas-forming reactions. Mole concept and stoichiometric calculations concerning chemical formulas and chemical reactions. Principles of reactivity: energy and chemical reactions. Physical behaviour gases, liquids, solids and solutions and the role of intermolecular forces. Rate of reactions: Introduction to chemical kinetics.

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CMY 127

General chemistry 127

Krediete: 16.00

Module-inhoud:
Theory: General physical-analytical chemistry: Chemical equilibrium, acids and bases, buffers, solubility equilibrium, entropy and free energy, electrochemistry. Organic chemistry: Structure (bonding), nomenclature, isomerism, introductory stereochemistry, introduction to chemical reactions and chemical properties of organic compounds and biological compounds, i.e. carbohydrates and aminoacids. Practical: Molecular structure (model building), synthesis and properties of simple organic compounds.

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GTS 161

Introductory genetics 161

Krediete: 8.00

Module-inhoud:
Chromosomes and cell division. Principles of Mendelian inheritance: locus and alleles, dominance interactions, extensions and modifications of basic principles.. Probability studies. Sex determination and sex linked traits. Pedigree analysis. Genetic linkage and chromosome mapping. Chromosome variation.

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MBY 161

Introduction to microbiology 161

Krediete: 8.00

Module-inhoud:
The module will introduce the student to the field of Microbiology. Basic Microbiological aspects that will be covered include introduction into the diversity of the microbial world (bacteria, archaea, eukaryotic microorganisms and viruses), basic principles of cell structure and function, microbial nutrition and microbial growth and growth control. Applications in Microbiology will be illustrated by specific examples i.e. bioremediation, animal-microbial symbiosis, plant-microbial symbiosis and the use of microorganisms in industrial microbiology. Wastewater treatment, microbial diseases and food will be introduced using specific examples.

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MLB 111

Molecular and cell biology 111

Krediete: 16.00

Module-inhoud:
Introduction to the molecular structure and function of the cell. Basic chemistry of the cell. Structure and composition of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. Ultrastructure and function of cellular organelles, membranes and the cytoskeleton. General principles of energy, enzymes and cell metabolism. Selected processes, e.g. glycolysis, respiration and/or photosynthesis. Introduction to molecular genetics: DNA structure and replication, transcription, translation. Cell growth and cell division.

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PHY 131

Physics for biology students 131

Krediete: 16.00

Module-inhoud:
Units, vectors, one dimensional kinematics, dynamics, work, equilibrium, sound, liquids, heat, thermodynamic processes, electric potential and capacitance, direct current and alternating current, optics, modern physics, radio activity.

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WTW 134

Mathematics 134

Krediete: 16.00

Module-inhoud:
*Students will not be credited for more than one of the following modules for their degree: WTW 134, WTW 165, WTW 114, WTW 158. WTW 134 does not lead to admission to Mathematics at 200 level and is intended for students who require Mathematics at 100 level only. WTW 134 is offered as WTW 165 in the second semester only to students who have applied in the first semester of the current year for the approximately 65 MBChB, or the 5-6 BChD places becoming available in the second semester and who were therefore enrolled for MGW 112 in the first semester of the current year.
Functions, derivatives, interpretation of the derivative, rules of differentiation, applications of differentiation, integration, interpretation of the definite integral, applications of integration. Matrices, solutions of systems of equations. All topics are studied in the context of applications.

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WTW 165

Mathematics 165

Krediete: 16.00

Module-inhoud:
*Students will not be credited for more than one of the following modules for their degree: WTW 134, WTW 165, WTW 114, WTW 158. WTW 165 does not lead to Mathematics at 200 level and is intended for students who require Mathematics at 100 level only. WTW 165 is offered in English in the second semester only to students who have applied in the first semester of the current year for the approximately 65 MBChB, or the 5-6 BChD places becoming available in the second semester and who were therefore enrolled for MGW 112 in the first semester of the current year.
Functions, derivatives, interpretation of the derivative, rules of differentiation, applications of differentiation, integration, interpretation of the definite integral, applications of integration, matrices, solutions of systems of equations. All topics are studied in the context of applications.

Sien meer
ZEN 161

Animal diversity 161

Krediete: 8.00

Module-inhoud:
Animal classification, phylogeny organisation and terminology. Evolution of the various animal phyla, morphological characteristics and life cycles of parasitic and non-parasitic animals. Structure and function of reproductive,
respiratory, excretory, circulatory and digestive systems in various animal phyla. In-class discussion will address the sustainable development goals #3, 12, 13, 14 and 15 (Good Health and Well-being. Responsible Consumption and Production, Climate Action, Life Below Water, Life on Land).

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The regulations and rules for the degrees published here are subject to change and may be amended after the publication of this information.

The General Academic Regulations (G Regulations) and General Student Rules apply to all faculties and registered students of the University, as well as all prospective students who have accepted an offer of a place at the University of Pretoria. On registering for a programme, the student bears the responsibility of ensuring that they familiarise themselves with the General Academic Regulations applicable to their registration, as well as the relevant faculty-specific and programme-specific regulations and information as stipulated in the relevant yearbook. Ignorance concerning these regulations will not be accepted as an excuse for any transgression, or basis for an exception to any of the aforementioned regulations.

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