University of Kwazulu-Natal: Admission, Courses, Tuition, Ranking, 

South Africa has one of Africa’s best Universities. Do you want to study at the University of Kwazulu-Natal? There is certain information you need to have handy. Information like Admission Requirements, Courses Offered Tuition Fee, Ranking.

Interestingly, studying in this African University offers you high and better opportunities to acquire knowledge and in a more conducive learning environment.

This post is a summary of all you need to know before you can Study at the University of KwaZulu-Natal.

About the University of KwaZulu-Natal

The University of KwaZulu-Natal is a non-profit public higher education institution located in the urban setting of the large city of Durban, KwaZulu-Natal.

The University of KwaZulu-Natal, also known as UKZN, has five campuses in the province of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa and was formed on 1 January 2004 after the merger between the University of Natal and the University of Durban-Westville.

The locations of the other campuses are Westville, Pinetown, Pietermaritzburg. The university is a coeducational higher education institution, which is officially accredited and/or recognized by the Department of Higher Education and Training, South Africa. UKZN has an enrollment range of 40,000-44,999 students, according to unit rank.

University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) offers courses and programs leading to officially recognized higher education degrees such as bachelor degrees, master degrees, and doctorate degrees in several areas of study. UKZN has a selective admission policy based on entrance examinations and students’ past academic record and grades.

The school welcomes International students to apply for enrollment. The university also offers scholarships to students from other developing countries.

UKZN aims to be a truly South African university that reflects the society in which it is situated, not only in terms of race, gender, and class but in terms of how it structures its values and priorities and how it responds to social needs.

As an institution of higher learning, it is committed to academic excellence, innovation in research and critical engagement with society.

With its vision to be the Premier University of African Scholarship, the University of KwaZulu-Natal draws inspiration from an African identity and takes seriously its responsibilities to the development of the African continent.

University of Kwazulu Natal Courses Offered

The university offers a wide variety of courses which are spread across its four colleges. These colleges are made up of several schools, and in most cases, a subdivision is spread across one or more of the university’s campuses. For example, the Chemistry is in both the Pietermaritzburg and Westville campuses.

Below is a list of courses offered in UKZN, grouped by their various colleges and the bachelor degree obtainable:

• College of Agriculture, Engineering and Science
• Health Sciences –
• Humanities
•  Law and Management Studies

Application form for the University of Kwazulu Natal

While applying for UKZN, students are expected to fill application forms. Below is the application pack for Higher Degrees applications.

• AP1-0 Application Checklist
• AP1-1 Application for Postgraduate Admission International & Local (1)
• AP1-2 PG Internal Application Form Amended 05-09-14
• AP1-3 Proof of Funding form
• AD1-2 MOU Student and Supervisor updated April 2016
• AP1-4 Research Project Proposal
• AP1-5 IP2 UKZN Intellectual Property Agreement
• AP1-6 GR-7a Technical
• AP1-7 GR-7b Non-Technical

University of Kwazulu Natal Prospectus

UKZN Prospectus gives complete information about the school, its programmes, campuses, admissions, statistical facts, and innovations. It states UKZN’s vision of being the Premier University of African Scholarship and opens up on its introduction of Moodle 2016 – 2018, UKZN’s online learning management system.

The implication of this is that from 2016, all first- and second-year undergraduate students at UKZN will require a laptop. There will be no charges for lecture notes for undergraduate level one and two modules.

The cost of investing in a laptop will offset the cost of lecture notes over a three-to-four-year Undergraduate degree period.

Other information not relating to admissions found on the prospectus include accommodation for students, caring for students’ needs, sports and recreation, student governance and activities, and facilities available. The UKZN Undergraduate Prospectus 2023 is downloadable from the university’s website

Postgraduate Courses

Postgraduate courses are offered either a Master’s by coursework, Masters by research, or doctoral programmes. There are also some best ISAT Prep courses that can be taken in either the University of Kwazulu or other universities. Below is a list of Postgraduate courses offered in its four colleges:

College of Agriculture, Engineering and Science

Engineering – Doctor of Philosophy by research can be undertaken in the various programmes in Engineering as follows: Agricultural, Chemical, Civil, Computer, Electrical, Electronic, Mechanical

Master of Science in Engineering by research can be undertaken in the various programmes in Engineering as follows: Agricultural, Chemical, Civil, Computer, Electrical, Electronic, Mechanical

Engineering by coursework can be undertaken in the various programmes in Engineering as follows: Construction Management, Quantity Surveying, and Land Surveying,

Master of Science can be undertaken in the following programmes: Applied Mathematics, Biochemistry, Biological Sciences, Biometry, Botany, Chemical, Technology, Chemistry, Computational Physics, Computer Science, Ecology, Entomology, Ethnobotany, Food Security, Genetics, Geography, Grassland Science, Hydrology, Mathematics, etc.

MSc Agriculture can be undertaken in the following programmes: Agribusiness, Agricultural Economics, Agricultural Production, Agricultural and Environmental Instrumentation, Agrometeorology, Animal Science, Community Resources, Food Processing, Food Science, Grassland Science, Horticultural Science, Plant Breeding, etc.

Master of Science (Biological Systems)

MSc in Dietetics

Master of Science in Human Nutrition 

MSc by dissertation can be undertaken in the following programmes: Applied Mathematics, Biology, Biochemistry, Chemistry, Computer Science, Environmental Science, Financial Management, Geography, Geology, Mathematics, Microbiology, Physics, and Statistics

Master of Science by coursework: Master of Marine and Coastal Management

Doctor of Philosophy by dissertation can be undertaken in the following programmes: Applied Mathematics, Biology, Biochemistry, Chemistry, Computer Science, Environmental Science, Financial Management, Geography, Geology, Mathematics, Microbiology, Physics, and Statistics

College of Health Sciences

Department of Audiology: Communication Pathology (Audiology) (Coursework and Research), and Doctor of Philosophy

Occupational Therapy: Master of Hand Rehabilitation (Coursework), Master of Occupational Therapy (Research), Master of Philosophy in Group Therapy (Coursework), Doctor of Philosophy

Speech-Language Pathology: Master of Communication Pathology (Speech-Language Pathology) (Coursework and Research), Doctor of Philosophy

Pharmaceutical Sciences: Master of Pharmacy, Master of Medical Science (Pharmaceutics) (Research), Master of Medical Science (Pharmaceutical Chemistry), Online Masters in Pharmacy (Pharmacy Practice/Pharmacoeconomics), Master of Medical Science (Pharmacology), Doctor of Philosophy

Physiotherapy: Master of Physiotherapy (Coursework and Research), Doctor of Philosophy

Sport Science, Biokinetics and Excercise Science: Master of Sport Science-Biokinetics (Coursework), Exercise Science (Coursework), (Research), Doctor of Philosophy

Department of Optometry: Master of Optometry (Research), Doctor of Philosophy

Under the School of Laboratory Medicine and Medical Sciences:

Clinical Anatomy: Master of Medical Science-Medical Biochemistry (Research), Doctor of Philosophy

Human Physiology: Master of Medical Science Physiology (Research), Master of Medical Science in Sports, Medicine (Coursework), Doctor of Philosophy

Department of Medical Biochemistry: Medical Biochemistry, Master of Medical Science Medical Biochemistry (Research), Doctor of Philosophy

Under School of Nursing and Public Health: Master of Nursing-Advanced Midwifery and Women’s and Child Health (Coursework and Research), Master of Nursing – Critical Care and Trauma (Coursework and Research), Master of Nursing – Community Health (Coursework and Research), etc.

Under Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine:

School of Clinical Medicine: Master of Medical Science (MMedSc) – Research (all disciplines), Master of Medical Science in Clinical HIV/AIDS Management, Master of Medical Science in Medical Informatics, Master of Medical Science Telemedicine, Master of Public Health, and Master of Medicine in Anaesthetics, Anatomical Pathology, Cardiothoracic Surgery, Cardiology, Chemical Pathology, Dermatology, Family Medicine, etc.

College of Humanities

School of Education: Adult Education; Curriculum Studies; Education Leadership, Management, and Policy; Educational Psychology; Education and Development; Gender Education; History Education; Higher Education; Language and Media Studies;

Mathematics Education; Science Education; Social Justice Education; Social Science Education; Teacher Education and Professional Development; Technology Education

School of Applied Human Science: Childcare and Protection; Criminology; Culture, Communication, and Media Studies; Health Promotion; Psychology, Clinical, Counselling, Educational; Research and Industrial; Social Work

School of Arts: Afrikaans en Nederlands, Art History, Drama and Performance Studies, Digital Media, Educational Linguistics, English Studies (incl. Southern African Literature), Visual Arts, French, German, isiZulu (mother-tongue and non-mother-tongue), Linguistics, Media and Cultural Studies, Music, Translation Studies

School of Built Environment and Development Studies: Architecture, Community Development, Development Studies, Housing, Population Studies, Town and Regional Planning, and Urban and Regional Planning: Development Planning, Environment and Planning

School of Religion, Philosophy and Classics: African Christianity; African Theology; Biblical Studies; Catholic Theology; Christian Spirituality; Classics, (Greek, Latin, Classical Civilisation); Cognitive Science, Howard College; Comparative and Applied Ethics; Gender and Religion; Ethics; History of Christianity; Historical and Modern Theologies; Industrial Mission; Ministerial Studies; etc.

School of Social Science: Anthropology, Howard College; Computer Science; Cultural and Heritage Tourism; Conflict, Transformation, and Peace Studies; Economic History and Development Studies; Ethics Studies; Gender Studies; Global Studies; Government, Business and Ethics; History, Howard College;

Industrial, Organisational and Labour Studies; Information Studies; Information Systems and Technology; Philosophy; Policy and Development Studies, Political Science; Politics, Philosophy, Economics; Public Policy; Sociology; Geography and Environmental Management; Geographical Sciences

College of Law and Management Studies

School of Law: Masters of law in Advanced Criminal Justice; Business Law; Child Care and Protection; Constitutional and Human Rights; Litigation; Environmental Law; Labour Studies; Maritime Law; Medical Law; Taxation

School of Accounting, Economics, and Finance: Master of Commerce (Coursework) in Economics; Research Degrees in Master of Commerce (Economics), Master of Commerce (Finance), and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.); Master of Accounting (Financial Accounting); Conflict Resolution and Peace Studies (Full Research); Economics (Coursework and Dissertation); Economics (Full Research); Finance (Full Research); M Com in Maritime Studies (Coursework and Dissertation); PhD Conflict Resolution and Peace Studies; Economics; Finance

School of Management, IT and Governance: Research degrees in Master of Commerce (Entrepreneurship), Master of Commerce (Human Resources), Master of Commerce (Information Technology), Master of Commerce (Marketing), Master of Commerce (Management), Master of Commerce (Supply Chain Management),

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in the fields of Human Resource Management, Information Technology, Marketing, Management, Supply Chain Management;

Master of Commerce/Administration (Coursework) in Master of Commerce in Human Resource Management, Master of Commerce in Industrial Relations/Employment Relations, Master of Commerce in Management, Master of Commerce in Marketing Management;

Master of Commerce (Full Research) in Master of Commerce in Management, Master of Commerce in Marketing Management, Master of Commerce in Human Resource Management, Master of Commerce in Human Resource Development, Master of Commerce in Industrial Relations/Employment Relations;

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in the fields of Management, Industrial Relations, Human Resource Management, Human Resource Development, Marketing Management, Qualifications in Governance, Master of Public Administration (MPA), Master of Administration, Doctor of Administration

Graduate School of Business and Leadership: Qualifications offered in PhD (Leadership Studies), Master of Business Administration (MBA), Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)

Address

The University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) is located in the picturesque province of KwaZulu-Natal at 238 Mazisi Kunene Rd, Glenwood, Durban, 4041, South Africa.

University‘s Ranking

UKZN is one of three African universities rated among the top 500 universities in the world according to the Academic Rankings of World Universities (ARWU). QS World University ranked UKZN 751^st of 800 universities. Other ratings by QS World University are as follows:

• Subject Ranking – 51^st of 100
• Graduate Employability Ranking 301^st of 500
• BRICS Rankings – 80^th

The 2018 Indicator Rankings which used thirteen indicators to calculate institutions’ overall Best Global Universities rank saw UKZN ranked the following in relative to other schools:

• Global score – 50.4
• Regional Rank – 3^rd
• Best Global Universities in Africa, Country Rank – 3^rd
• Regional research reputation – 5^th
• Global research reputation – 538^th
• Publications – 377^th
• Books – 476^th
• Conferences – 688^th
• Normalized citation impact – 458^th
• Total citations – 358^th
• Number of publications that are among the 10 per cent most cited – 454^th
• Percentage of total publications that are among the 10 per cent most cited – 798^th
• International collaboration – 343^rd
• Percentage of total publications with international collaboration – 189^th
• Number of highly cited papers that are among the top 1 per cent most cited – 359^th
• Percentage of highly cited papers that are among the top 1 per cent most cited – 466^th

Best Global Universities in South Africa by Subject Rankings:

• Chemistry – 350^th (tie)
• Clinical Medicine – 301^st (tie)
• Engineering – 422^nd (tie)
• Immunology – 121^st (tie)
• Physics – 343^rd (tie)
• Plant and Animal Science – 214^th (tie)
• Social Sciences and Public Health – 230^th (tie)

Medical School

Nelson Mandela medical school campus was founded in 1950 as a “black faculty” in a “white institution”, for most of its history, the School has been synonymous with the struggle for democracy and racial equality.

It was one of the few tertiary institutions legally allowed to provide education to black people under apartheid. It was on its 50^th anniversary in 2000, that the Medical School received the birthday present of an agreement of former president and Nobel Peace Prize winner, Nelson Mandela, to link his name to the school.

The medical school has been producing quality doctors for 54 years. It is the home of the health sciences and also home to the Doris Duke Medical Research Institute which was launched in July 2003, to train a new generation of clinical researchers, enhance the clinical research infrastructure in KwaZulu-Natal, and foster collaborations between research groups working on similar projects in South Africa and other countries.

University of Kwazulu Natal Pietermaritzburg Campus

Pietermaritzburg campus (located in the centre of the scenic Natal Midlands, close to numerous nature reserves and parks, only one hour’s drive from Durban and two hours’ drive from the Drakensberg) was the main location of the University of Natal and its predecessor, the Natal University College, until the opening of the Howard College campus in Durban.

The city in which the campus is located has a rich architectural heritage, with many fine examples of Victorian and Edwardian buildings. The campus contains the university’s oldest structure, Old Main Building, which was built in 1912.

The campus offers a wide range of innovative academic programmes, which have been successful in responding to local and provincial needs in the broad areas of Science and Agriculture, Education, Law, Human and Management Sciences. Pietermaritzburg campus is the only UKZN campus providing training in agriculture, theology and fine arts.

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