Stellenbosch University: South Africa’s top choice for undergraduate success

Stellenbosch University: South Africa's top choice for undergraduate success
Source: Stellenbosch University

A victory at the coveted 2018 Absa L’Atelier awards, one of Africa’s most prestigious art competitions. A programme for high-achieving undergraduates to qualify for prestigious bursaries, international exchanges, and opportunities locally and abroad. The use of quantum dots to track pollen. Designing new cartons to improve the shelf life of pomegranates. An award-winning project to challenge how South Africans approach public transport, commuting and mobility beyond car ownership.

What do these things share in common?

They are the work of students at one of South Africa’s leading tertiary institutions, Stellenbosch University.

Student success is just one reason for the university’s stellar reputation. Stellenbosch also boasts the highest weighted research output per full-time academic staff member of all South African universities, and the second-highest number of scientists in South Africa to be rated by the National Research Foundation (NRF).


These three factors combine to make Stellenbosch a centre of academic excellence and innovation. With 10 faculties offering more than 50 courses, it’s hard to find a more ideal springboard for you to kick off your educational journey.

Here’s a sample of Stellenbosch’s exemplary faculties:

1. AgriSciences

Want to train to become a leader or manager in the agricultural and forestry industry? Here, you’ll learn under the guidance of the experts in this faculty, known for the quality of training, research and consultancy they provide to the forestry industry.

As one of Stellenbosch’s most long-standing faculties, it holds a century-old tradition for quality teaching, internationally-recognised research that impacts the ecological sustainability and competitiveness of local agriculture and related industries, as well as agricultural economic policy and other scholarly contributions that have benefited the country, economically and socially.

Students can choose from a broad range of courses, including BSc Agric in Grape and Wine Sciences, BScAgric in Animal Science, BSc in Conservation Ecology and BSc in Forestry.

2. Economics and Management Sciences

The largest faculty at Stellenbosch, this is a space where around 8,000 students live and learn. The faculty has an extensive offering of courses, but one that’s incredibly unique in the BCom (International Business).

Source: Stellenbosch University

Designed for those looking to join the global knowledge economy, the curriculum covers management and social sciences, including a foreign language, to develop your intercultural competence. Students develop competencies for a future career as a marketing manager, financial manager, entrepreneur or innovation manager in South African or international firms. This new four-year programme also includes a six-month international exchange with one of the faculty’s international partner institutions.

3. Arts and Social Sciences

With 100 years under its belt, it’s safe to say the faculty has fine-tuned programmes offered here to meet South Africa’s needs in the 21st century. Students can rest assured their education here is based on the latest international thinking on the economic and social applicability of training in literature, the arts and social sciences. In addition to meeting the demands of a competitive job market, students also learn general skills in thinking and communication, computer literacy and the ability to recognise and solve problems.

Some of the specialised programmes offered here include BA in International Studies, BA in Development and Environment, BA in Visual Arts, BA in Socio-Informatics and BA in Sport Science

4. Science

Whether it’s to prepare for your future role as a scientific professional or to gain sufficient knowledge for your Master’s or PhD, the faculty is committed to educating young people in the natural sciences.

Here, there is a strong focus on getting published in international journals of high standing and to make use of National Research Foundation (NRF) ratings as a guide to the recognition of staff in their respective fields. ​​

Source: Stellenbosch University

Programmes are offered in three broad fields: Biological Sciences, Physical Sciences and Mathematical Sciences. Among the courses offered are BSc in Biodiversity and Ecology, BSc Sport Science and BSc in Molecular and Biotechnology, BSc in Earth Sciences and BSc Mathematical Sciences.

5. Engineering

As one of Stellenbosch’s flagship faculties, this is where South Africa sources its top-quality engineers. The four-year Bachelor of Engineering programmes (BEng) start with a foundation of mathematics and the natural and engineering sciences. This is then followed by students learning how to apply their knowledge to solve technical problems and how to develop business opportunities in their third and fourth years.

All BEng programmes are accredited by the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) and recognised by countries such as Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States of America, to name a few. Undergraduate BEng programmes here include Civil, Chemical, Electrical and Electronic, Industrial, Mechanical and Mechatronic. 

Visit the University’s homepage for more information or click here to visit their international department, and follow them on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube

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