University of Cape Town
University of Cape Town
The University of Cape Town (UCT) is South Africa's oldest university, and is one of Africa's leading teaching and research institutions.
UCT was founded in 1829 as the South African College, a high school for boys. The College had a small tertiary-education facility that grew substantially after 1880, when the discovery of gold and diamonds in the north – and the resulting demand for skills in mining – gave it the financial boost it needed to grow.
UCT was formally established as a university in 1918, on the basis of the Alfred Beit bequest and additional substantial gifts from mining magnates Julius Wernher and Otto Beit. The new university also attracted substantial support from well-wishers in the Cape Town area and, for the first time, a significant state grant.
In 1928, the university was able to move the bulk of its facilities to the magnificent site at Groote Schuur on the slopes of Devil's Peak. It was here, on land bequeathed to the nation by Cecil John Rhodes as the site for a national university, that UCT celebrated its centenary the following year.
The university has 6 faculties - Commerce, Engineering & the Built Environment, Law, Health Sciences, Humanities and Science – which are all supported by the Centre for Higher Education Development, which addresses students' teaching and learning needs.
UCT is committed to engaging with the key issues of our natural and social worlds through outstanding teaching, research and scholarship. We seek to advance the status and distinctiveness of scholarship in Africa through building strategic partnerships across the continent, the global south and the rest of the world.
UCT provides a vibrant and supportive intellectual environment that attracts and connects people from all over the world.
We aim to produce graduates and future leaders who are influential locally and globally. Our qualifications are locally applicable and internationally acclaimed, underpinned by values of engaged citizenship and social justice. Our scholarship and research have a positive impact on our society and our environment.
Programs
Student lifestyle
Sports
UCT has about 40 sport clubs, with a total membership of around 9 000 students and staff. So, this is a great opportunity to carry on with the sport you loved at school or to try your hand at something completely new.
Whether you’re interested in athletics, rugby, netball, soccer, archery or yachting, there will be something for you.
Sports and Recreation provides for all levels of competition from purely social programmes through to high-performance sport. Most clubs engage the services of top-level coaches, many of whom coach at provincial level.
Societies
There are more than 100student societies and organisations at UCT, reflecting a wide range of interests, including academic, religious, cultural, social and political activities.
Membership of the societies allows you to enjoy activities on the university’s campuses that are not normally part of the academic life. Become part of a campus community that is stimulating and opens up new challenges and opportunities.
Each society is run by students and any current UCT student may be a member. Individual societies hold a number of events every year, including an annual general meeting that elects new leadership for the following year.
Accommodation
UCT provides different types of accommodation for undergraduate and postgraduate students, on and off campus.
Usually, you will start out in a first-tier residence (full catering), move on to a second-tier residence (senior catering or self-catering) and later, stay in third-tier accommodation (semi-autonomous self-catering).
Each residence has its own history and traditions, but they all try to provide a great experience. Safety is of great importance to UCT, so all residences have strict access control and most are covered by closed-circuit television cameras.
Students with disabilities can be accommodated in different residences. Simply contact the Student Accommodation Office and the Disability Service, and they will address your particular needs.
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