The University of Cape Town (UCT) is a public research university in Cape Town, South Africa. Established in 1829 as the South African College, it was granted full university status in 1918, making it the oldest university in South Africa and the oldest university in Sub-Saharan Africa in continuous operation.
UCT has six campuses, including Upper, Middle and Lower campuses; Hiddingh Campus; the Health Sciences Campus; and the Breakwater Campus, which has a newly established satellite facility in Phillippi. If you are thinking about studying at UCT, please come and visit us on one of our annual open days, or arrange with the Admissions Office to take a guided tour of our beautiful institution.
UCT is a community of exceptionally talented students, teachers and researchers – and a wide range of professional, administrative support and service staff – all of whom are committed to help change this world for the better. We encourage one another to work hard, not only to earn degrees or public recognition, but also to be leaders in this increasingly changing world.
Our vision is to be an inclusive, research-intensive African university that addresses the challenges of our time with cutting-edge teaching, research and facilities. As a university we are committed to promoting transformation, to working tirelessly to guarantee the sustainability of our institution, and to ensuring excellence in all we do.
- Applications for admission in 2023 open at 12:00 noon.
- The National Benchmark Tests (NBTs) registrations open.
- The UCT Virtual Open Day is hosted on Microsoft Teams Live.
- All undergraduate applications close. We do not accept late applications.
- Applications for student housing close.
- The last date to write the NBTs if you wish to be considered for a conditional offer by the Faculty of Health Sciences.
- Preferred date for the submission of Bachelor of Architectural Studies (BAS) portfolios.
- Closing date for undergraduate programme changes. Requests must be sent to admissions-ug@uct.ac.za with the subject line “Request for programme change”.
- Bachelor of Arts in Fine Art (BA(FA)) portfolios are due.
- Bachelor of Architectural Studies (BAS) portfolios are due.
- The last date to write the NBTs for admission to UCT.
- All grade 12 interim results, or predicted scores in the case of non-NSC candidates, are due.
- Interim and past transcripts for transferring applicants are due.
- Proof of English language proficiency is due.
- We aim to finalise all international applications to allow sufficient time for visa applications.
- Deadline for international applicants to attract an offer of admission. This is necessary to allow for sufficient time to obtain a study visa.
- Final transcripts for transferring applicants are due.
Full details are available in the undergraduate prospectus.
UCT has a proud tradition of academic excellence and is currently the top-rated university in Africa and one of the top-rated universities in the world. Our researchers continue to help with the creation of African-based solutions to global problems, including issues relating to climate change, urbanisation, safety and security, education and health, to name just a few. Many UCT researchers are recognised world leaders in their respective fields, which means that if you choose to study with us, you will continually be exposed to the latest scholarly work and research discoveries.
In addition to providing excellent teaching, UCT encourages students to build their leadership and service skills. We invite our students to participate in the many volunteer projects taking place in the local communities, to become active members of the 100+ societies and over 40 sports clubs on campus, or to give something back to the institution by serving in student governance.
UCT has a vibrant, diverse, cosmopolitan community. Our staff and students come from many different communities in South Africa, as well as more than 100 countries across Africa and the rest of the world. Every person has something to contribute to UCT’s quality and growth, and our goal is to ensure that everyone feels at home during their time here.
Higher education not only opens the door to exciting career opportunities, but it can also help to build South Africa’s young democracy. Good citizenship requires each of us to understand the issues our country is dealing with and our individual responsibilities. In this sense, education can help to transform society as a whole, and many UCT alumni are currently making outstanding contributions to society through the skills they learned here.
Despite the many challenges we face as a university and a country, I believe that this is a great time to be at UCT. This is a time that offers the prospect of making real change happen.
Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng
Vice-Chancellor
Email: vc@uct.ac.za