Undergraduate Application procedure University of Cape Town (UCT)

Undergraduate Application procedure University of Cape Town (UCT)

The University of Cape Town (UCT) is South Africa's oldest university, and is one of Africa's leading teaching and research institutions. UCT was founded in 1829 as the South African College, a high school for boys.

The College had a small tertiary-education facility that grew substantially after 1880, when the discovery of gold and diamonds in the north – and the resulting demand for skills in mining – gave it the financial boost it needed to grow.

The College developed into a fully fledged university during the period 1880 to 1900, thanks to increased funding from private sources and the government.

During these years, the College built its first dedicated science laboratories, and started the departments of mineralogy and geology to meet the need for skilled personnel in the country's emerging diamond and gold-mining industries.

When to apply

Applications opened on 2 April 2024. The closing date for applications for undergraduate study at UCT in 2025 is 31 July 2024. We will not consider applications received after this date.

For applicants who would like more information before submitting an application, there is an annual UCT Open Day aimed at high school learners in Grades 10, 11 and 12, their families and teachers. This year UCT Open Day was from 10:00 to 15:00 on Saturday, 4 May 2024.

Application Fees

An application fee must be paid for every application. UCT students and graduates, as well as Semester Study Abroad (SSA) applicants, are exempt from the application fee unless applying to a Graduate School of Business (GSB) programme.

The relevant application fee should accompany all applications:

Undergraduate and postgraduate applications from South Africa and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region	R100
Undergraduate and postgraduate applications from outside the SADC region	R300
Graduate School of Business (GSB) applications from South Africa and African citizens/residents	R1 000
GSB applications from outside of Africa	USD 100

Note

• Application fees will not be refunded. Paying an application fee does not mean that your application will be successful.
• The application fee may be paid by cash, credit card, direct bank deposit or electronic funds transfer (EFT). Cash payments must be made at the Cashiers Office, Kramer Building, Middle Campus, UCT.
  Credit card payments must be made online.
• EFT payments for all degrees/diplomas EXCEPT GSB must be made to the following account:

  Beneficiary:

  UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN - No.1 Sundries Account

  Bank:

  Standard Bank SA Ltd

  Branch:

  Rondebosch, Western Cape

  Branch Code:

  025009

  Account:

  071503854

  Swift code (for international payments):

  SBZAZAJJ

  Reference Number:

  11196, applicant number (you will receive your applicant number when your application is captured).

  E.g. 11196 ABCDEF001.

   (This reference number must be entered on the appropriate bank form.)

• *EFT payments for the GSB (Graduate School of Business) programmes must be made to the following account:

  Beneficiary:

  UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN - No.9 GSB Account

  Bank:

  Standard Bank SA Ltd

  Branch:

  Rondebosch, Western Cape

  Branch Code:

  025009

  Account:

  072953004

  Swift code (for international payments):

  SBZAZAJJ

  GSB Reference Number:

  GSB, applicant’s first name, applicant’s last name.

  E.g. GSB Betty Brown.

   (This reference number must be entered on the appropriate bank form.)

• Application fees should be paid in South African Rands, except when applying for a GSB qualification from outside the SADC region, in which case payment should be in US dollars.
• UCT graduates are exempt from paying an application fee, except in the case of GSB qualifications.

Submitting results and documents

Current learners at school must make sure that all examination results from Grade 11 until September of grade 12 are submitted. Failure to submit these results may result in delays.

Transferring students should submit all transcripts and academic records as early as possible.

Documents must be submitted as certified electronic copies to admissions@uct.ac.za. Please do not send your submissions to any other email address/es as this will only delay the processing of your application.

Monitor your application

When we update your application, you will receive an email communication. Please monitor your email account closely for updates. You can also check your status online with the log-in credentials that we will send you after you apply. We are not permitted to disclose your application status telephonically.