UJ spreads close to 200 undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications across seven faculties and one college (the College of Business and Economics), spanning nearly every academic discipline from creative design through to engineering. Admission comes down to your Admission Point Score (APS) plus specific subject requirements, with Life Orientation excluded from the calculation across every faculty.
Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture (FADA)
Runs degrees and diplomas across architecture, design, and fine arts, drawing students into UJ’s creative disciplines from foundation study through to postgraduate work.
College of Business and Economics (CBE)
UJ’s largest faculty by enrolment, formed by merging the former Faculty of Management with the Faculty of Economic and Financial Sciences. Organised into six schools, including the Johannesburg Business School, it covers accounting, finance, business management, economics, marketing, human resources, transport and supply chain management, and tourism and hospitality. Because it absorbed what used to be two separate faculties, CBE now houses degree types that once sat under “Management” as a standalone faculty.
Faculty of Education
Covers Foundation Phase, Intermediate Phase, and Senior Phase teaching qualifications, training the next generation of classroom teachers across different school levels.
Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment (FEBE)
Offers Civil, Electrical, Mechanical, and Mining Engineering alongside Construction Management. Generally among UJ’s more APS-demanding programmes, with strong Mathematics and Physical Science results expected.
Faculty of Health Sciences
Includes Nursing, Optometry, Emergency Medical Care, and Sport and Movement Studies, blending clinical training with academic coursework across its programmes.
Faculty of Humanities
UJ’s broadest faculty by subject range, covering languages, sociology, psychology, public relations, and political studies.
Faculty of Law
Offers both the LLB and a BCom (Law) route, giving students a choice between a direct legal qualification and a commerce-based pathway into legal study.
Faculty of Science
Covers Biotechnology, Computer Science, Geology, Mathematics, and Physics: UJ’s core home for laboratory and quantitative disciplines.
How Entry Requirements Vary
Requirements differ sharply even within similar-sounding degrees. A BA Law, for instance, generally needs an APS of 31 along with Mathematics, while a general BA sits closer to an APS of 27 with no Mathematics requirement. This kind of gap is common across UJ’s programmes, so checking the specific qualification you want, rather than assuming a faculty-wide minimum, matters more than it might seem.
Where to Check Exact Requirements
The UJ Undergraduate Prospectus lists exact APS thresholds, subject prerequisites, and course codes for every qualification. Since these figures shift slightly between intakes, cross-check the current year’s prospectus rather than relying on a previous year’s numbers.
Applying
You can apply for up to two qualifications at once through the UJ Undergraduate Admissions portal. Choose carefully, since these choices can’t be changed once submitted, and being admitted to your first choice automatically cancels the second.
Finding Your Fit
To help match you to the right faculty and qualification, it’s useful to know:
- Which subject area or career path interests you most.
- Your current APS, or the subjects and marks you’d use to calculate it.
- Whether you’re aiming for a diploma, degree, or postgraduate qualification.