UP runs more than 1,200 accredited programmes across nine faculties, covering everything from first-year diplomas to doctoral research. Full degree listings, APS cut-offs, and subject-specific entry requirements sit in the UP Undergraduate Prospectus, which is worth checking directly since exact requirements shift slightly between intakes.
The Nine Faculties at a Glance
| Faculty | Typical Programme Areas |
|---|---|
| Economic and Management Sciences | Accounting, Economics, Financial Sciences, Data Science, BCom variants |
| Education | Foundation Phase, Intermediate Phase, Senior Phase teaching degrees, postgraduate diplomas |
| Engineering, Built Environment and IT (EBIT) | Civil, Mechanical, Electrical, Industrial Engineering; Architecture; Computer Science; IT |
| Health Sciences | Medicine and Surgery (MBChB), Dentistry, Nursing, Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy |
| Humanities | Languages, Social Work, Psychology, Political Science, Communication, Fine Arts |
| Law | LLB (direct-entry and postgraduate route), specialised legal fields |
| Natural and Agricultural Sciences | Biological Sciences, Physical Sciences, Mathematical Sciences, Agricultural Sciences, extended foundation programmes |
| Theology and Religion | Theology, Religious Studies |
| Veterinary Science | BVSc, Veterinary Nursing, Animal Health |
Notes on Each Faculty
Economic and Management Sciences houses UP’s commerce degrees, ranging from general BCom streams to more specialised, higher-APS options like Accounting Sciences and Data Science.
Education trains teachers across different school phases and offers postgraduate diplomas for graduates moving into the profession from another field.
EBIT combines engineering, architecture, and computing under one faculty. Its programmes generally carry some of the highest APS requirements at UP, alongside firm Mathematics and Physical Science prerequisites.
Health Sciences covers UP’s clinical training programmes, taught partly at teaching hospitals affiliated with the university. Medicine remains one of the most selective programmes on offer, evaluating applicants on more than APS alone.
Humanities is UP’s broadest faculty by subject spread, spanning creative, social science, and language-based degrees.
Law offers the LLB either as a first degree straight out of school or as a postgraduate qualification for students who complete an unrelated degree first.
Natural and Agricultural Sciences runs both mainstream science degrees and extended foundation programmes, which give students who narrowly miss standard entry requirements an additional year to build up their academic base.
Theology and Religion is UP’s smallest faculty, focused specifically on theological and religious studies.
Veterinary Science, based at the Onderstepoort campus, is the only faculty of its kind in South Africa. That exclusivity is part of why its application window closes a month earlier than the rest of the university, and why its APS requirements sit near the top of UP’s range.
Where to Check Exact Requirements
Because APS thresholds, subject prerequisites, and available specialisations change slightly year to year, the prospectus remains the most reliable source for a specific degree. General faculty summaries are a starting point, not a substitute for checking your intended programme directly.
Narrowing It Down
To point you toward the right faculty and degree, it helps to know:
- What subject area or career direction interests you most.
- Whether you’re applying as a school leaver or already hold another qualification.
- Your current APS, or the subjects and marks needed to calculate it.