Please note: It is the responsibility of all students to familiarise themselves with the General Regulations of the University, as well as faculty-specific regulations, and the procedures, rules and instructions pertaining to study in any Faculty. Ignorance of the applicable regulations, rules and instructions, or the wrong interpretation thereof will not be accepted as an excuse for not complying with the stipulations of such regulations, rules and instructions.
Admission
Any person who wishes to register at the University for the first time, or after an interruption of studies, should apply or reapply for admission. Prospective students must ensure that their applications reach the University before the closing date specified for the programme.
Students for distance education may apply for admission at any time during the year. However, they must apply before 1 September to write examination in April of the following year, or before 1 March to write examination in October of the same year. No late registrations will be accepted.
Due to constraints on the University's facilities, there is a limit to student enrolments in all programmes. Meeting the minimum requirements of a programme, specified in the brochure, may therefore not be sufficient to ensure admission. Prospective students are therefore encouraged to apply in good time.
Number restrictions
If limited human resources and/or facilities are available, number restrictions will be applied. Senate may also limit the number of students allowed to register for a programme, in which case the Dean concerned may, at his discretion, select from the students who qualify for admission, those who may be admitted.
Statement of symbols
When registering at this University for the first time, a candidate has to submit a record of symbols obtained for each subject in the Grade 12 examination. In certain faculties, candidates who studied at other tertiary institutions and postgraduate students have to submit an official academic record.
Presenting of National Senior Certificate
All undergraduate candidates who enrol at the University of Pretoria for the first time, must show their original National Senior Certificate or certificate of complete exemption from the Matriculation Board, HESA at the Student Administration of their faculty before the end of the first semester (in the Faculty of Law before the end of October and in the Faculty of Veterinary Science before the end of August).
Academic information management
The University of Pretoria requires all undergraduate first-year students to complete the AIM module/s, Academic information management, unless other regulations apply to a specific programme. Please see the applicable degree programme for more information.
Details regarding the module/s can be found in the list of modules.
Application of old and new regulations
Students must complete their degree in accordance with the regulations which were applicable when they first registered for a specific field of study or specialisation. If students interrupt their studies or change to another field of study or specialisation, the regulations of the year in which studies are resumed, or in which the new field of study or specialisation is taken, apply.
Registration for a particular year of study
(Also consult General Regulation G.2)
At the beginning of an academic year, a student registers for all the modules he or she intends taking in that particular year (whether these are first-semester, second-semester or year modules) in accordance with the rules governing the programme the students wish to register for. Changes to the selection of modules may be made at the beginning of the second semester with the Dean's approval. A student may only register for modules that will fit in on the lecture, test and examination timetables.
Application for reregistration can be refused on the grounds of poor academic performance in the previous year.
If a module or programme does not attract enough registrations in order to be presented economically, the Dean may decide to withdraw it. The affected students will be informed in time to enable them to register for an alternative module or programme.
Please note:
Registration for and cancellation of modules
Final cut-off dates are set for the change of modules (removing or adding) for each academic year. The cut-off date for cancellation of modules in the first and second semesters will be communicated to students by means of notices on the notice boards and announcements in the classes as well as in the calendar of the University and the timetable book. Students will not be allowed to cancel any module at a later date and lecturers/administrative staff will not supply any letters in this regard after the deadline.
A student may not register for a module of a subsequent year if a timetable clash occurs with a module of a previous year which has not yet been passed and which is prescribed for his or her field of study, unless exemption is obtained from class attendance in the latter module.
Should a student register for second semester modules at the beginning of a year of study, and it becomes evident at the end of the first semester, that he or she does not comply with the prerequisites of the second-semester modules, the registration of such modules will be cancelled. It is also the student’s responsibility to ensure at the beginning of the second semester that the cancellation has been done.
Termination of studies
A student who decides to terminate his or her studies during the course of the academic year, must notify the University in writing and the notification (on the official form) of the termination of studies must be handed in at the accounts consultants at the Client Service Centre. All changes of modules must be done in writing at the relevant student administration.
The date on which the University receives the notification from the student will be considered to be the date on which studies are terminated. The burden of proof for the termination of studies or modules rests with the student.
If a student terminates his or her studies after the first Tuesday in June, or notice to this effect is received by the University after this date, the student shall be considered to have registered for the full academic year and to have failed. It is therefore in the interest of the student to notify the University without delay that he or she is terminating their studies.
Modules from other faculties
A student who follows a module which is presented in another faculty, must acquaint him/herself and comply with the admission requirements of the module in question, sub minima requirements for tests/examinations, supplementary examination periods, etc.
Credits for modules passed by unregistered students
There are students who attend lectures, write tests and examinations and in this manner earn “marks”, but have either not registered for modules/or even as students at all. These marks will not be communicated to any student before he/she has provided proof of registration. A student cannot obtain any credits in a specific academic year for a module “passed” in this manner during a previous academic year and for which he/she was not registered. This arrangement applies even where the student is prepared to pay the tuition fees.
Degree with distinction
Weighted averages (GPA), together with other faculty-specific criteria if applicable, are used at UP to calculate averages for the determination of distinctions.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is when you present someone else's ideas – published or unpublished – as if they were your own. Other people's ideas may be contained in written text (journal articles, textbooks, etc), visual text (graphics, photographs, etc), multimedia products (web sites, media productions, etc), music (compositions, lyrics, etc), and spoken text (speeches, lectures, etc). Plagiarism is a serious offence and a student could be charged with misconduct which could lead to suspension from the University. For further informa-tion on plagiarism visit the following web site: www.ais.up.ac.za/plagiarism/index.htm
Agreement for postgraduate study
An agreement between the student and the supervisor should be signed at the commencement of postgraduate study. The document serves as the basis for the interaction between the student and the supervisor. It indicates their individual roles, responsibilities and expectations and makes it clear that they are entering into a binding undertaking with each other.
Leave of absence
If it is impossible for a registered student at the University of Pretoria to continue with his/her studies/research in a specific year, but he/she intends to continue in the following year, the student must apply in writing to the dean of the relevant faculty for leave of absence. The application must include: full names, student number, address, reasons and period for leave of absence, for example the whole year, first semester (January to June) or second semester (July to December), name of supervisor (where applicable), and the student’s intentions for the period after his/her leave of absence. However, in accordance with the policy of the University of Pretoria, leave of absence is not granted for more than two years. Any outstanding fees should be paid in full upon the student’s return from his/her leave of absence.
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