Overview

Key Features

Chemical Pathology is a multi-faceted discipline which intersects with a number of specialities in medicine. Nationally there is a profound lack of adequately qualified scientists in this field.

The Department of Chemical Pathology (Honours) offered at University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg aims to equip students for laboratory-based research focused on the pathophysiology of diseases (e.g. diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease) and the establishment/validation of new diagnostic tests.

The course introduces students to key concepts relating to molecular biology, pathogenesis of diseases, mass spectrometry as well as basic human physiology and biochemistry. At the end of the course, students should have sufficient theoretical knowledge and research tools to lay the foundation for an exciting career in the biomedical/health sciences arena.

Career Opportunities

The Chemical Pathology honours programme will allow graduates to undertake research in a wide array of medical disciplines. Upon completion of this degree, students will be eligible to register for the HPCSA intern medical scientist programme. Potential careers include:

Scientist in an academic or private medical/diagnostic laboratory
Medical sales representative
Application specialist in a pharmaceutical/biotechnology company
Clinical research associate
Data analyst in financial services
Consultancy
Teaching
Intellectual property and patent lawyers
Science writer, journalist or editor

Programme Structure

Courses include:

The degree consists of a coursework and research component.
The coursework component consists of a series of theoretical topics in molecular biology, endocrinology and physiology related to Chemical Pathology. Examples of topics covered include therapeutic drug monitoring, pharmacokinetics, obesity and diabetes. These topics are assessed in two written exams. Students are required to write a review article and complete assignments (practical and/or theoretical). In addition, students will complete a three-week techniques course covering molecular biology, immunohistochemistry and chromatography techniques.
The research component requires students to complete a six-month research project. The students are required to write a comprehensive research report and to present their work orally.

Key information

Duration

Full-time
- 12 months

Start dates & application deadlines

Starting 2027-02-10 00:00:00
- Apply before 2026-09-30 00:00:00

Language

English

TOEFL^® IBT

100

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Credits

120 alternative credits

Delivered

On Campus

Campus Location

Johannesburg, South Africa

Disciplines

Chemistry Pathology View 22 other Bachelors in Chemistry in South Africa

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Academic requirements

We are not aware of any specific GRE, GMAT or GPA grading score requirements for this programme.

English requirements

TOEFL^® IBT

100

Schedule TOEFL®

Other requirements

General requirements

Admission into this course requires students to have a BHSc/BSc degree (NQF7) with majors in Molecular Medicine, Biochemistry, Genetics, Physiology or similar. A minimum of 60% is required for major third year subjects.
Medical Aid
English language proficiency
Study Visa
International Clearance to Register
Fee Structure
Passport
Matriculation exemption

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Tuition Fees

Tuition fees are shown in and the most likely applicable fee is shown based on your nationality.

International Applies to you

Applies to you

Non-residents

75730 ZAR / year

≈ 75730 ZAR / year
Domestic Applies to you

Applies to you

Citizens or residents

75730 ZAR / year

≈ 75730 ZAR / year

Living costs

Johannesburg

South Africa

8434 - 12036 ZAR / month

The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.

Funding

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Scholarships Information

Below you will find Bachelor's scholarship opportunities for Chemical Pathology (Honours).

Available Scholarships

You are eligible to apply for these scholarships but a selection process will still be applied by the provider.

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