University of Cape Town

Overview

The University of Cape Town (UCT) is a public research university in Cape Town, South Africa. It is the oldest higher education institution in South Africa, having been established in 1829 as the South African College. It became a university in 1918, which makes it one of the two oldest existing universities in Sub-Saharan Africa.

UCT is the highest-ranked university throughout the African continent according to major global ranking bodies and the only Global University Leaders Forum (GULF) member university from Africa. GULF is an exclusive group of the 26 leading universities across the world under the World Economic Forum. The university’s faculties of Medicine, Law, and Commerce have consistently ranked among the top 100 faculties in the world.

UCT has over six campuses spread across the various suburbs of Cape Town, such as Rondebosch, V&A Waterfront, Mowbray, Observatory, and Hiddingh. UCT is divided into six faculties comprising 57 departments. These are the Faculty of Science, Faculty of Law, Faculty of Humanities, Faculty of Health Sciences, Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, and Faculty of Commerce.

The Centre for Higher Education Development and the Graduate School of Business comprise its two other scholastic units. These academic units offer undergraduate, graduate, and professional degree programs, with English as the only medium of instruction.

The Faculty of Commerce, for instance, offers an Advanced Diploma in Actuarial Science and two types of undergraduate degrees, Bachelor of Commerce (BCom, 3 years) and Bachelor of Business Science (BBusSc, 4 years). Under its BCom program, degree offerings include BCom in Actuarial Science and BCom specializing in Economics and Statistics.

In addition, this faculty offers master’s and PhD diplomas and degree programs, such as Postgraduate Diploma in Accounting, Postgraduate Diploma in Management in Entrepreneurship, Bachelor of Commerce Honours specializing in Financial Analysis and Portfolio Management, Master of Philosophy specializing in Mathematical Finance, Doctor of Philosophy in Development Policy and Practice, and Doctor of Philosophy specializing in Information Systems (with coursework).

Aside from regular degree-granting programs, the UCT also offers a host of short courses and other forms of continuing education programs such as conferences, lectures, seminars, and workshops. These are provided by UCT centers and institutes like the Continuing Education Unit Health, UCT English Language Center, UCT Law @ Work, Centre for Extra-Mural Studies, and Continuing Professional Education.

Finally, the university has an active student community comprising more than a hundred clubs and societies involved in various interests such as sports, community service, culture, politics, and religion. It has produced a number of notable alumni who have made their mark in various fields, including a number of Nobel laureates.