History
Starting out with four faculties (Science, Education, Arts and Social Sciences, and AgriSciences), 503 students and 40 lecturing staff on 2 April 1918, SU today is home to 10 faculties, a vibrant and cosmopolitan community of more than 30 000 students and 3000 staff members, spread over five campuses.
Education
SU has ten faculties: AgriSciences, Economic and Management Sciences, Medicine and Health Sciences, Engineering, Military Sciences, Arts and Social Sciences, Science, Education, Law and Theology.
Research
The University is amongst South Africa's leading tertiary institutions based on research output, student pass rates and rated scientists, and is recognised internationally as an academic institution of excellence.
With 18 research chairs under the NRF South African Research Chairs Initiative (SARChi), the University is regarded as a leader in the fields of biomedical tuberculosis research and management, wine biotechnology, animal sciences and mathematical biosciences. Another SARChi chair, in the field of invasion biology, is shared between SU and the University of Venda. This constitutes but one of SU's many partnerships, both local and international.
Housing services
Stellenbosch University can accommodate about 6 500 students in approximately 31 university residences and other university accommodation on the Stellenbosch Campus. The five residences on the Tygerberg Campus, where the Faculty of Health Sciences is situated, house a further 1 000 students. Most Maties studying on these two campuses (there are more than 30 000 students in total) make use of private accommodation in Stellenbosch and its environs.
Library services
We serve the researchers, lecturers, staff and registered students of the different Faculties & Departments on the Stellenbosch campus.
ICT services
- Connection to wired network at speeds of up to 1000Mbps.
- Connection to Secure and Maties WiFi networks at speeds of up to 54 Mbps.
Medical services
We strive to cultivate a healthy campus for staff and students, offering an integrated and comprehensive service for a range of health concerns.You can find our clinics on both Stellenbosch and Tygerberg campuses. Office hours are Monday to Friday from 08:00 to 17:00, including University holidays.
Campus life
The main campus in the picturesque university town of Stellenbosch in the heart of the Western Cape winelands is quite an attraction for students. Stellenbosch is situated about 50 km from Cape Town and just 30 km from Cape Town International Airport.
Eight faculties are on the main campus, with the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences situated on Tygerberg campus adjacent to the Tygerberg academic hospital, and the Faculty of Military Sciences – the only one of its kind in South Africa and one of only two in Africa – based at the South African Defence Force Military Academy in Saldanha.Sports facilities
Stellenbosch University has a long and proud sporting tradition and Maties Sport plans to use this as a strong platform from which to launch an exciting future. This is also clear in its vision: “Drawing on tradition – imagining the future”.
Maties Sport has created five operational units to streamline its activities and to place the focus where it matters most. These units are:
- The High Performance Sports Unit
- The Centre for Human Performance Sciences
- The Recreation and Active Lifestyles Unit
- Maties Gymnasium
- The Events and Communication Unit
Student clubs
- Stellenbosch Thuthuka.
- Psychology Student Society.
- EWB-Maties.
- EcoMaties.
- SUPSF.
- QueerUS.
- Maties PAW.
- UNASA.
Stellenbosch University is accredited as a provider by the Department.