University of Pretoria

University description (as per official university website)

UP is the leading research university in South Africa and one of the largest in the country.

The University has six campuses as well as a number of other sites of operation , such as the Pretoria Academic Hospital. Central administration is located at the Hatfield campus.

Online Applications 2019 for University of Pretoria

University of Pretoria – Important Dates

How to apply to study at the University of Pretoria

University of Pretoria – Prospectus 2019

University of Pretoria – Faculties

University of Pretoria details

The University of Pretoria offers more than 1800 academic programmes in two of the official languages, namely Afrikaans and English. (Some programmes and modules are offered only in English.)

In 1996, the University of Pretoria became the university with the highest research output in South Africa and have maintained this status.

The academic programmes of the University are offered in the nine faculties stated below, as well as a business school. The faculties comprise a total of 140 departments and 85 centres, institutes and bureaus.

UP is at the forefront of tertiary education in the country and collaborate with world-class partners to ensure continued excellence in learning and teaching.

History of the University of Pretoria

The University of Pretoria has its origins in the establishment of the Pretoria Centre of the Transvaal University College in 1908. The colloquial name of the university, Tuks or Tukkies, was derived from the acronym of the college – TUC.

The college opened its doors as an English language institution housed in Kya Rosa, a four-bedroom residential property in the centre of Pretoria. TUC started off with four professors and three lecturers and 32 enrolled students. Courses were presented in Dutch and other Modern Languages, English Language and Literature, Classics (which included Philosophy, Latin and Hebrew), as well as Natural Sciences.

On 10 October 1930, an act of Parliament – championed by General Jan Smuts – gave rise to the name TUC becoming the University of Pretoria. At the time the University had more than 900 students, making it the largest tertiary institution in the country at the time.

UP currently has more than 50 000 students and has become one of the leading higher education institutions on the continent and indeed, in the world. It now offers courses in both English and Afrikaans and has transformed from a mainly white, Afrikaner institution to a multicultural, multiracial university that offers quality education to South Africans from all walks of life.

Vision

The University of Pretoria strives to be:

a leader in higher education that is recognised internationally for academic excellence, with a focus on quality;
a university that is known for international competitiveness and local relevance through continuous innovation;
the university of choice for students, staff, employers of graduates and those requiring research solutions;
a university with an inclusive and enabling, value-driven organisational culture that provides an intellectual home for the rich diversity of South African academic talent; and
the premier university in South Africa that acknowledges its prominent role in Africa, is a symbol of national aspiration and hope, reconciliation and pride, and is committed to discharging its social responsibilities.
Mission

The mission of the University of Pretoria is to be an internationally recognised South African teaching and research university and a member of the international community of scholarly institutions that:

provides excellent education in a wide spectrum of academic disciplines;
promotes scholarship through:
– the creation, advancement, application, transmission and preservation of knowledge;
– the stimulation of critical and independent thinking;
creates flexible, life-long learning opportunities;
encourages academically rigorous and socially meaningful research, particularly in fields relevant to emerging economies;
enables students to become well-rounded, creative people, responsible, productive citizens and future leaders by:
– providing an excellent academic education;
– developing their leadership abilities and potential to be world-class, innovative graduates with competitive skills;
– instilling in them the importance of a sound value framework;
– developing their ability to adapt to the rapidly changing environments of the information era;
– encouraging them to participate in and excel in sport, cultural activities, and the arts;
is locally relevant through:
– its promotion of equity, access, equal opportunities, redress, transformation and diversity;
– its contribution to the prosperity, competitiveness and quality of life in South Africa;
– its responsiveness to the educational, cultural, economic, scientific, technological, industrial, health, environmental and social needs of the country;
– its active and constructive involvement in community development and service;
– its sensitivity to the demands of our time and its proactive contribution towards shaping the future;
creates an intellectually stimulating and culturally vibrant, pleasant and safe environment in which its students and staff can flourish; and
is committed to effective, efficient, caring and innovative approaches to teaching, research and community service, client-centred management and administration, and good governance.