The University was borne from a vision to create a space for quality education and for new ideas to flourish. Over the course of its existence, and through different phases of political power and social change, UP has been resilient in its commitment to academic quality.
4.2 out of 5 (180 ratings / 146 reviews) Pretoria, South Africa
Top reasons to study here
- UP has been resilient in its commitment to academic quality. This has allowed us to establish a presence among the top 1,9% of universities worldwide.
- Many alumni are on the path to success, while others have already become leaders in their fields both locally and internationally.
- UP has grown to become one of the top universities on the continent, and we are proud that our reputation precedes our graduates around the world.
Bachelor's programmes
Natural Sciences & Mathematics (49)
- B.Sc. Actuarial Science (Hons)
- BScAgric Animal Science
- B.Sc. Applied Mathematics
- B.Sc. Biochemistry
- B.Sc. Biochemistry (Hons)
- B.Sc. Bioinformatics (Hons)
- B.Sc. Biological Sciences
- B.Sc. Biotechnology
- B.Sc. Biotechnology (Hons)
- B.Sc. Cell Biology (Hons)
- B.Sc. Chemistry
- B.Sc. Chemistry (Hons)
- B.Sc. Ecology
- B.Sc. Entomology
- B.Sc. Genetics
- B.Sc. Genetics (Hons)
- B.Sc. Human Genetics
- B.Sc. Human Genetics (Hons)
- B.Sc. Human Physiology
- B.Com. Mathematical Statistics
- B.Sc. Mathematical Statistics
- B.Sc. Mathematics
- B.Sc. Mathematics (Hons)
- B.Sc. Microbiology
- B.Sc. Microbiology (Hons)
- B.Sc. Physics
- B.Sc. Physics (Hons)
- B.Sc. Plant Pathology
- B.Sc. Zoology
Engineering & Technology (48)
- B.Eng. Chemical Engineering
- B.Eng. Chemical Engineering (Hons)
- B.Eng. Chemical Engineering ENGAGE
- B.Eng. Civil Engineering
- B.Eng. Civil Engineering ENGAGE
- B.Eng. Computer Engineering
- B.Eng. Computer Engineering (Hons)
- B.Sc. Construction Management
- B.Eng. Control Engineering (Hons)
- B.Eng. Electrical Engineering
- B.Eng. Electronic Engineering
- Bachelor Electronic Engineering (Hons)
- B.Eng. Industrial Engineering
- B.Eng. Mechanical Engineering
- B.Eng. Metallurgical Engineering
- B.Eng. Mining Engineering
- B.Eng. Mining Engineering (Hons)
- B.Eng. Mining Engineering ENGAGE
- Bachelor Town and Regional Planning
Medicine & Health (41)
- B.Sc. Anatomy (Hons)
- B.A. Audiology
- B.Sc. Biokinetics (Hons)
- Bachelor Clinical Medical Practice
- BChD Dental Surgery
- Bachelor Dentistry
- B.Rad. Diagnostics (Hons)
- Bachelor Dietetics
- B.Sc. Haematology (Hons)
- B.Sc. Human Genetics
- B.Sc. Human Genetics (Hons)
- B.Sc. Human Histology (Hons)
- B.Sc. Human Physiology
- B.Sc. Human Physiology (Hons)
- B.Sc. Macro-anatomy (Hons)
- B.Sc. Medical Oncology (Hons)
- B.Sc. Medical Sciences
- B.Sc. Medical Virology (Hons)
- B.Sc. Neuro-anatomy (Hons)
- B.Rad. Nuclear Medicine (Hons)
- Bachelor Nursing
- B.Sc. Nutrition
- Bachelor Oral Hygiene
- B.Sc. Pharmacology (Hons)
- Bachelor Physiotherapy
- B.Rad. Radiation Therapy (Hons)
- BVSc Veterinary Science
Social Sciences (37)
- B.A. Afrikaans (Hons)
- B.Sc. Anthropology (Hons)
- B.A. Archaeology (Hons)
- B.A. Criminology (Hons)
- Bachelor Development Studies (Hons)
- B.Com. Econometrics
- B.Com. Econometrics (Hons)
- B.Com. Economics
- B.Com. Economics (Hons)
- Bachelor Gender Studies (Hons)
- B.Sc. Geoinformatics
- B.Sc. Geoinformatics (Hons)
- Bachelor Heritage and Cultural Tourism
- Bachelor Heritage and Cultural Tourism (Hons)
- Bachelor International Studies
- Bachelor Occupational Therapy
- Bachelor Philosophy, Politics and Economics
- Bachelor Political Studies
- Bachelor Psychology (Hons)
- B.Sc. Quantity Surveying
- Bachelor Sociology (Hons)
Business & Management (30)
- B.Com. Accounting Sciences
- B.Sc. Actuarial Science (Hons)
- B.Com. BCom (Marketing Management)
- B.Com. Business Management
- B.Com. Business Management (Hons)
- B.Sc. Construction Management
- B.Com. Financial Sciences
- BConSci Food Retail Management
- B.Com. Human Resource Management
- B.Com. Investment Management
- B.Com. Investment Management (Hons)
- B.Com. Marketing Management
- B.Com. Marketing Management (Hons)
- B.Com. Mathematical Statistics
- B.Sc. Mathematical Statistics
- B.Com. Taxation (Hons)
Computer Science & IT (18)
- Bachelor BIS (Multimedia)
- B.Sc. Bioinformatics (Hons)
- B.Eng. Computer Engineering
- B.Eng. Computer Engineering (Hons)
- B.Eng. Computer Engineering ENGAGE
- B.Sc. Computer Science
- B.Sc. Computer Science (Hons)
- B.Eng. Electronic Engineering
- B.Sc. Geoinformatics
- B.Sc. Geoinformatics (Hons)
- B.A. Information Design
- B.I.S. Information Science
- B.I.S. Information Science (Hons)
- BIS Multimedia
Environmental Studies & Earth Sciences (17)
- B.Sc. Ecology
- B.Sc. Geology
- B.Sc. Geology (Hons)
- B.Sc. Meteorology
- B.Sc. Meteorology (Hons)
- BAgric Rural Development (Hons)
Humanities (15)
- Bachelor Divinity
- B.A. English (Hons)
- B.A. French (Hons)
- B.A. German (Hons)
- Bachelor History (Hons)
- B.A. Languages
- B.A. Philosophy (Hons)
- Bachelor Philosophy, Politics and Economics
- B.A. Spanish (Hons)
- Bachelor Theology
Agriculture & Forestry (12)
- BScAgric Animal Science
- B.Sc. Crop Science (Hons)
- B.Sc. Entomology
- B.Sc. Entomology (Hons)
- B.Sc. Plant Pathology
- B.Sc. Plant Science
- B.Sc. Plant Science (Hons)
- B.Sc. Zoology
Arts, Design & Architecture (10)
- B.Sc. Architecture
- BDram Bachelor of Drama
- Bachelor Drama
- B.A. Fine Arts
- B.A. Information Design
- B.Sc. Interior Architecture
- B.A. Music (Hons)
- B.A. Visual Studies
Applied Sciences & Professions (9)
- B.Sc. Culinary Science
- BConSci Food Retail Management
- B.Sc. Food Science
- B.Sc. Food Science (Hons)
- B.Sc. Real Estate (Hons)
Education & Training (5)
Hospitality, Leisure & Sports (4)
- Bachelor Heritage and Cultural Tourism
- Bachelor Heritage and Cultural Tourism (Hons)
- Bachelor Sports Science (Hons)
Journalism & Media (2)
- B.I.S. Publishing
- Bachelor Publishing (Hons)
About
History
The University of Pretoria (UP) was established in 1908 with just four professors and 32 students, in a little house called Kya Rosa. Today, it is one of the largest research universities in South Africa. UP has transformed into a dynamic university community of staff and students who come from a range of diverse backgrounds and cultures showcasing South African and global societies.
Education
Our faculties comprise 120 academic departments that provide a combined course offering of over 1 200 programmes across our faculties of Humanities; Education; Economic and Management Sciences; Natural and Agricultural Sciences; Health Sciences; Veterinary Science; Theology and Religion; Law; and Engineering, Built Environment and Information Technology.
Research
We present here UP’s research achievements, including the increase in research publications, a trend that has continued over the past five years, and since the start of the implementation of the University’s long-term strategic plan, UP 2025. Notable also with respect to strengthening our research identity, there has been a year-on-year increase in doctoral enrolments and graduates, and in the overall number of graduates with postgraduate qualifications. By December 2018, 66% of our academic staff held doctoral degrees, which underscores the research and postgraduate training capacity at UP.
Career
Choose UP to start your career or to keep it growing. We are ranked as one of the top universities worldwide. Our campuses provide some of the most beautiful work environments with easy access to many lifestyle facilities to help you achieve your personal and professional goals.
We are home to a diverse cohort of local and international academic, professional and support staff who all strive to ensure that UP continues to be renowned for its quality, relevance and impact. Lifelong learning is what we are about. If you would like to join our great team, please browse the vacancies currently available and submit your online application.
Global Student Satisfaction Awards 2019
GSSA 2019
The Global Student Satisfaction Awards empower students across the globe to determine the best universities of 2019. By rating institutions on a scale from 1 to 5, on multiple studies-related questions, we found the top educators in the world.
Learn more about the Global Student Satisfaction AwardsUniversity Ranking
Academic Ranking of World Universities by Shanghai Jiao Tong University
2020
401
2019
401
2018
401
ARWU World University rankings is the first world university ranking. It ranks the world's top 1000 colleges and universities based on objective indicator. They look at the number of award-winning (Fields Medals and Nobel Prize) scientists who are located there, how much of their research is cited and referenced around the world, and how much they've contributed to different academic fields. After calculating and comparing these criteria, ARWU ranks the universities accordingly.
QS World University Rankings by TopUniversities
2021
561 -10
2020
551 10
2019
561
QS World University Rankings is one of the top international rankings measuring the popularity and performance of universities all over the world. They measure university reputation based on the impressions of higher education experts, companies who hire graduates, and teaching quality. QS also considers the ratio of international teachers and students present at universities, as well as the times research papers were mentioned by researchers. After calculating and comparing these criteria, QS ranks the universities accordingly.
World University Rankings by Times Higher Education
2021
601
2020
601
2019
601
World University Rankings is a vital resource that provides the definitive list of the world's best universities. They look at how often they're producing new ideas, what their reputation is around the world, and how much they're contributing to science and academic fields. After calculating and comparing these criteria, THE ranks the universities accordingly.
Best Global Universities Rankings by U.S. News & World Report
2021
-
2020
441 -14
2019
427
Best Global Universities Rankings by U.S. News & World Report presents all the top universities from the U.S. and 60 other countries around the world. They measure the rate of students going to their second year of studies, as well as the rate of students who graduate. It also asks university representatives on the performance of universities, and evaluates university resources, teacher salaries, graduation rates, student academic achievements and satisfaction. After calculating and comparing these criteria, U.S. News ranks the top international universities accordingly.
Services
Housing services
UP has residence accommodation available at most of its campuses. Should you need to apply for a place to stay at a UP residence, you must do so when you apply to study at UP. Remember that the demand for UP residence accommodation exceeds the space available, so please note that even if you are admitted to study a programme, you may not get a space at residence. If you are given a space at a residence, you need to pay a levy to secure your space. Accommodation is only provided for one year and you need to re-apply for the following year
Library services
The Department of Library Services (UP library) offers a client-focused service to students, lecturers and researchers from the various UP Faculties. Information Specialists are assigned to specific Faculties / Departments to attend to the special needs of their clients. The Information Specialists are situated in the different libraries on the main campus as well as in the off-campus libraries.
ICT services
Each campus of the University presented unique challenges for the implementation of the WiFi access points and technology. The project team had to assess each installation based on the best WiFi coverage maps and physical placement of the WiFi infrastructure. The Google campus maps are continously updated with new WiFi access points - please see the short URLs below for each campus.
Medical services
Student life can sometimes be a bit stressful when you have to juggle a high-volume workload and a host of other responsibilities. UP Student Counselling will assist you by providing guidance and counselling when you need it. We have Student Health Services facilities on all campuses if you are not feeling well and our Disability Unit helps to accommodate students with disabilities.
Student Life
Campus life
UP has seven beautiful campuses, each with its own unique character and purpose. The faculties of Veterinary Science, Health Science, and Education are customised to their purposes, self-contained on campuses at Onderstepoort, Prinshof and Groenkloof respectively. Our Hillcrest campus is home to all our sporting codes, professional and recreational sport teams, and sports science research facilities. Our business school, the Gordon Institute of Business Science, is in Illovo, Johannesburg. All other faculties are located centrally at the Hatfield Campus. For students who have lectures across multiple campuses, a regular bus service connects all the campuses to and from Hatfield and official residences.
Sports facilities
We are proud of our reputation for sporting excellence, which spans performance, facilities, expertise and working partnerships, but one thing we’re incredibly proud of is how broad our sports offer is. Whether you’re a complete beginner looking to try something new or an elite athlete with a record of high achievement, our campus is home to some of the best sporting opportunities in the world.
Student Reviews
Sometimes where you come from does define where you go
Anonymous rated 5 out of 5 stars
My time studying in the University of Pretoria was an extremely fullfilling experience in which I grew as a person both intellectually and emotionally. The chance to adapt to the university life was one of a life time. Excellent lecturers and courses. I met extraordinary people wherever I looked. My only problem was my finances and difficult past that did not fit into the...
My university journey: An African perspective
Anonymous rated 5 out of 5 stars
My university experience was intuitive. I learnt a lot in 3 years, gained valuable interpersonal skills and management to overcome various academic and personal life challenges
Tuks awesomeness
Anonymous rated 5 out of 5 stars
It is awesome, and very informative
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