Watch Comment on University of Witwatersrand, South Africa: Review, Admission Requirement and Acceptance Rate by Unwana Akpan

The University Of The Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, is a multi-campus South African Public research university situated in the northern areas of central Johannesburg. It is more commonly known as Wits University or Wits.

The university has its roots in the mining industry, as do Johannesburg and the Witwatersrand in general. Founded in 1896 as the South African School of Mines in Kimberley, it is the third oldest South African university in continuous operation.

The university has an enrolment of 38,353 students as of 2017, of which approximately 20 percent live on campus in the university’s 22 residences. 65 percent of the university’s total enrolment is for undergraduate study, with the remaining 35 percent being postgraduate.

The 2017 Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) places Wits University, with its overall score, as the highest ranked university in Africa.Wits was ranked as the top university in South Africa in the Center for World University Rankings (CWUR) in 2016. According to the CWUR rankings, Wits occupies this ranking position since 2014.

Admission Requirements (Undergraduates):-

Admission Requirements

Acceptance is dependent on departmental selection procedures. Applicants are required to complete a written and graphic exercise and may be invited to an interview. The exercise, interview, and Wits Aps score are equally factored in the evaluation of applications.

No specific subject combinations are required, but the following minimum entry criteria apply:

A Wits APS of 34 or higher. In some cases, applicants with exceptional scores on the admission exercise and interview may be considered with an APS between 29 and 33.  Under no circumstances will an applicant with an APS score below 29 be considered for admission.

A minimum of 50% in Mathematics on the National Senior Certificate (NSC) exam. Mathematical Literacy is not accepted.

A minimum of 50% in English(home language or first additional language) on the NSC exam.

Applicants from international education systems who do not complete NSC exams must meet Faculty exemption requirements, after which an equivalent APS score and subject scores will be modelled to ensure equal comparison with South African applicants.

Application Requirements (Masters and PhD):- (Bachelor’s of Architectural Studies)

All applicants for the BAS (Honours) degree are required to have completed at least one year of practical experience after their undergraduate studies. Applicants will be required to submit evidence of this practical experience with their applications in the form of letters from employers, examples of work completed, a sketchbook and a comprehensive resume/CV.

This does not necessarily have to be for a registered architect, but may include working in an architect’s office, or working on a building site for a community organisation or government department. It is up to the learner to structure their year-out to add to their practical experience of and exposure to architecture, and may also include a period of travel, architectural tours, reading and sketching, computer design courses, etc.

Learners are encouraged to do so in a way that involves a variety of architectural activities and experiences, and to produce a record of these experiences.

Learners with a Bachelor of Architectural Studies (BAS) degree from the University of the Witwatersrand with a minimum of 70% average in the final year of study and 70% for design in the final year will be granted automatic admission into the BAS (Honours) after their year of practical experience but will be required to submit a portfolio of visual work.

All the third year courses must have been completed in the same academic year for this to apply.  Applicants with a BAS degree from the University of the Witwatersrand, where less than the above standard has been obtained, will be required to complete a minimum of one year of practical work in the field of architecture after the BAS Degree has been completed.

In addition, applicants will be required to submit a portfolio of visual work, a sketchbook from the practical year, and attend an interview with a selection panel from the School of Architecture & Planning in order for them to be considered for a place in the programme.

Applicants with a Bachelor of Architectural Studies (BAS) degree (or equivalent) from other tertiary institutions will be required to submit a statement of purpose, a portfolio of visual work, a sketchbook from the practical year, and attend an interview with a selection panel from the School of Architecture & Planning in order for them to be considered for a place in the programme.

Only learners with a minimum of 60% average and 60% for design in the final year of study are eligible to apply. International applicants will be required, in addition, to have their qualifications evaluated by the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) in order to to establish equivalence and eligibility for the degree.

Applicants with a Bachelor of Technology (Applied Design) degree (or equivalent with emphaisis on design) will be required to submit a statement of purpose, a portfolio of visual work, a sketchbook from the practical year, and attend an interview with a selection panel from the School of Architecture & Planning in order for them to be considered for a place in the programme.

Only learners with a minimum of 60% average and 60% for design in the final year of study are eligible to apply. International applicants will be required, in addition, to have their qualifications evaluated by SAQA in order to to establish equivalence and eligibility for the degree.

Learners in the third year of a BAS degree (or equivalent) who are registered for that academic year for the completion of their BAS will be not eligible to apply for admission to the BAS (Honours) programme until they have completed a further year of practical experience.

—-> www.wits.ac.za

Admission Rate – 24.3% (As at 2011)

Admission Deadline :- July 24 on session.