History
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.
Education
UCT has a proud tradition of academic excellence and is currently the top-rated university in Africa and one of the top-rated universities in the world. Our researchers continue to help with the creation of African-based solutions to global problems, including issues relating to climate change, urbanisation, safety and security, education and health, to name just a few. Many UCT researchers are recognised world leaders in their respective fields, which means that if you choose to study with us, you will continually be exposed to the latest scholarly work and research discoveries.
Research
Our vision is to be an inclusive, research-intensive African university that addresses the challenges of our time with cutting-edge teaching, research and facilities. As a university we are committed to promoting transformation, to working tirelessly to guarantee the sustainability of our institution, and to ensuring excellence in all we do.
Career
Higher education not only opens the door to exciting career opportunities, but it can also help to build South Africa’s young democracy. Good citizenship requires each of us to understand the issues our country is dealing with and our individual responsibilities. In this sense, education can help to transform society as a whole, and many UCT alumni are currently making outstanding contributions to society through the skills they learned here.
Distance Learning Courses
- Certificate Alignment
- Certificate Basic Clinical Auditing
- Certificate Building Trust
- Certificate CISCA and hedge fund regulations
- Certificate Case Management Workshop
- Certificate Casualty insurance practice
- Certificate Commercial crime and insurance claims
- Certificate Confronting With Courage
- Certificate Corporate due diligence
- Certificate Corporate governance
- Certificate Corporate governance - Practical insights
- Certificate Effective communication skills
- Certificate Entrepreneurship for legal professionals
- M.B.A. Executive MBA
- Certificate Feedback and Development
- Certificate Finance For Non-Financial Managers
- Certificate Financial Modelling For Utility Tariff Setting
- Certificate LEAD Campus Sustainable Leadership In Africa
- Certificate Leader As Coach
- M.Sc. Marketing
- Certificate Mergers and acquisitions - A primer
- Certificate Negotiating for better results
- Certificate Prescribed Minimum Benefits (PMBs)
- Certificate Securitisation
- Certificate Stakeholder engagement for competitive advantage
- Certificate Sustainable investing
- Certificate Syndicated loan financing transactions
- Certificate The legal aspects of corporate finance
- Certificate Workplace investigations
- Certificate 21st century lawyer
- Certificate Basic civil procedure for mediators
- Certificate CISCA and hedge fund regulations
- Certificate Can vaccinations be compulsory in the workplace
- Certificate Chinese law and investment in Africa
- Certificate Commercial and court-aligned mediation
- Certificate Commercial crime and insurance claims
- Certificate Cybercrime in the time of the Cybercrimes Act
- Certificate Doing business in Africa - Legal frameworks
- Certificate Estate planning and wills
- Certificate Force majeure clauses in contracts
- Certificate Government contracts and procurement law
- Certificate Legal design thinking
- Certificate Legal writing hacks for lawyers
- Certificate Legislative drafting
- Certificate Muslim marriage contracts
- Certificate Representations and warranties in contracts
- Certificate Securitisation
- Certificate Software law
- Certificate Standard contractual clauses
- Certificate The Dagga Bill
- Certificate Valuation appeals processes and procedures
- Certificate Workplace investigations
- Certificate Wrongfulness in delict
- Certificate Adolescent and Youth Health Policy
- Certificate Diagnoses Related Groups
- Certificate Essentials of Nursing Sick Children
- Certificate Essentials of Nursing Sick Newborns
- Certificate Executive Leadership In Global Surgery
- Certificate Focus Assessed Transthoracic Echocardiography
- Certificate Health Care for Adolescents
- Certificate Introduction to Palliative Care
- Certificate Management of Skin Disorders in Primary Care
- Certificate Medical negligence and health sector mediation
- Certificate Nursing Children with a Tracheostomy
- Certificate Prescribed Minimum Benefits (PMBs)
- Certificate Alignment
- Certificate Building Trust
- Certificate Coaching For Development
- Certificate Confronting With Courage
- Certificate Feedback and Development
- Certificate Leader As Coach
- Certificate Mentor - Amplifying Talent
- Certificate Mindfulness training
- Certificate Basic Training in ICD-10 Coding
- M.Sc. Computational Science
- Certificate Cybercrime in the time of the Cybercrimes Act
- Certificate Intermediate Training in ICD-10 Coding
- M.Eng. Radar
- Certificate Adolescent and Youth Health Policy
- Certificate Basic HIV Counselling Skills
- Certificate Chinese law and investment in Africa
- Certificate Introduction to Palliative Care
- Certificate LEAD Campus Sustainable Leadership In Africa
- Certificate Basic HIV Counselling Skills
- Certificate Estate planning and wills
- Certificate Property Development Programme
- Certificate Valuation of Forestry Property
- Certificate Environmental law primer
- Certificate LEAD Campus Sustainable Leadership In Africa
- Certificate Life Cycle Assessment
- Certificate Plain language writing skills for lawyers
- Certificate Wrongfulness in delict
- Certificate Valuation of Forestry Property
- M.Eng. Radar
Student services
Housing services
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).
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.
Library services
UCT Libraries offer state-of-the-art technology, vast collections of reading and research material, and the specialised services of friendly, efficient and helpful staff.
The Chancellor Oppenheimer Library lies at the heart of Upper Campus. Its 8 branch libraries can be found close to the relevant faculties.
ICT services
Information and Communication Technology Services (ICTS) is a support organisation that helps staff and students to use information and communication technologies to enhance their work.ICTS offers different services and support for staff and students.
Medical services
The Student Wellness Service offers a comprehensive outpatient medical service by both medical practitioners and nurses, who are dedicated to helping students to remain healthy, and to make the correct life choices while pursuing their academic goals. Students are encouraged to seek assistance and guidance as early as possible.
Campus life
UCT has 4 campuses:
- Groote Schuur Campus in Rondebosch
- Medical Campus in Observatory
- Hiddingh Campus in the city
- Breakwater Campus at Cape Town's Waterfront, where the Graduate School of Business is located.
Sports facilities
UCT offers more than 40 sporting codes, 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 and soccer or archery, paragliding, skydiving and yachting, there will be something for you.
Student clubs
UCT encourages students to build their leadership and service skills. We invite our students to participate in the many volunteer projects taking place in the local communities, to become active members of the 100+ societies and over 40 sports clubs on campus, or to give something back to the institution by serving in student governance.