Various Universities and Universities of Technology offer courses or programmes to assist students who do not meet their requirements fully. This is usually determined via a Benchmark test.
These options have various names, depending on the university or the faculty: Extended, Access, Engage, Augmented, Foundation programmes etc.
NOTE: Does not apply when you do NOT have required subjects like Maths or Science. You would have to add them to your NSC. If your marks do not meet requirements you need to rewrite (up to 2 subjects).
The good news is that there are options:
- Rewrite the subjects to get better marks
- Add subjects you don’t have
- Do the certificate or diploma course you qualified for – that could act as a Bridging course. But FIRST ask the university if they will accept that qualification.
EXTENDED
This option is the most common where usually an extra year is added to a degree – eg a 3 year degree takes 4 years. You will be required to write a benchmarking test.
TRADITIONAL UNIVERSITIES
PUBLIC universities in South Africa are divided into three types:
- TRADITIONAL universities, which offer theoretically-oriented university degrees;
- UNIVERSITIES OF TECHNOLOGY (see below), which offer vocational oriented diplomas and degrees
- COMPREHENSIVE universities (see below), which offer a combination of both types of qualifications.
We recommend that you download the Prospectus or Student Guide for the university if you are able to. It will give you all the information you require to fulfill all the requirements at a particular institution.
UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN (UCT): www.uct.ac.za
Click here for a link to the 2019 prospectus which contains information about ASPECT and EXTENDED programmes
UNIVERSITY OF FORT HARE: www.ufh.ac.za
Ask about AUGMENTED, EXTENDED, BRIDGING OR FOUNDATION programmes when applying.
UNIVERSITY OF THE FREE STATE: http://www.ufs.ac.za/
UFS offers various EXTENDED programmes – Click here to find the faculty of your choice.
UNIVERSITY OF KWAZULU NATAL; www.ukzn.ac.za/
AUGMENTED AND EXTENDED Programmes available. Enquire when applying.
UNIVERSITY OF LIMPOPO: www.ul.ac.za
Enquire about various EXTENDED programmes when applying. Click here for the 2019 prospectus
NORTHWEST UNIVERSITY : http://www.nwu.ac.za/
There is no information available about EXTENDED but enquire when applying if you do not meet the requirements.
UNIVERSITY OF PRETORIA: www.up.ac.za
They offer various EXTENDED programmes and the ENGAGE programme in Engineering. Please click here for the 2019 Prospectus
RHODES UNIVERSITY: www.ru.ac.za
Enquire about their EXTENDED programmes when you apply.
SEFAKO MAKGATHO HEALTH SCIENCES UNIVERSITY
(MEDICAL COURSES) No EXTENDED options.
Click here for the 2019 prospectus
UNIVERSITY OF STELLENBOSCH: www.maties.com
Enquire about EXTENDED programmes when you apply.
UNIVERSITY OF THE WESTERN CAPE
Click here for the 2019 prospectus
Enquire about EXTENDED programmes when you apply.
UNIVERSITY OF WITWATERSRAND: www.wits.ac.za|
WITS does not appear to offer any EXTENDED programmes.
Click here for the 2019 prospectus
SOL PLAATJIES UNIVERSITY: www.spu.ac.za
(Formerly University of the Northern Cape)
SPU do not offer EXTENDED programmes. Click here for the 2019 prospectus
COMPREHENSIVE UNIVERSITIES
Public COMPREHENSIVE universities offer a combination of higher certificate, diploma and degree types of qualifications.
NELSON MANDELA METROPOLITAN UNIVERSITY (NMMU): www.mandela.ac.za
Enquire about their EXTENDED programmes when you apply. Click here for the 2019 prospectus
UNIVERSITY OF ZULULAND: www.unizulu.ac.za/
UZ offers AUGMENTED and EXTENDED programmes. Enquire when applying.
Click here for the 2019 prospectus
WALTER SISULU UNIVERSITY : www.wsu.ac.za
Enquire about EXTENDED programmes when you apply.
UNIVERSITY OF JOHANNESBURG (UJ): www.uj/ac.za
Click here for the 2019 prospectus which lists all EXTENDED programmes.
UNIVERSITY OF MPUMALANGA: www.ump.ac.za
Enquire when applying.
UNIVERSITIES OF TECHNOLOGY
Universities of technology offer vocational oriented diplomas and degrees.
CAPE PENINSULA UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY (CPUT): http://www.cput.ac.za
Enquire about EXTENDED programmes when you apply.
Click here for the 2019 prospectus
MANGOSUTHO UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY (MUT): http://www.mut.ac.za
All first year applications are submitted through the Central Applications Office (CAO).
Enquire about EXTENDED programmes when applying. Click here for the 2019 prospectus
CENTRAL UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY (CUT): http://www.cut.ac.za
Enquire about EXTENDED programmes when applying. Click here for the 2019 prospectus
DURBAN UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY (DUT): http://www.dut.ac.za
Enquire about EXTENDED programmes when applying. Click here for the 2019 prospectus. All first year applications are submitted through the Central Applications Office (CAO).
TSHWANE UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY (TUT): http://www.tut.ac.za
VAAL UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY: www.vut.ac.za
Click here for information about extended programmes.
