Undergraduate Qualifications
Applications for admission to undergraduate qualifications for the 2025 academic year are to be open from 21 August to 11 October 2024.
Everyone wanting to start a new qualification must apply for admission. This includes
- First-time Unisa applicants
- Unisa students changing to a new qualification and/or specialisation
- Applicants who previously applied for admission and were not offered a space or who were offered a space accepted the offer and did not register
- Students completing a higher certificate or any other programme and who wish to continue with further undergraduate studies.
All applications for admission must be submitted during the prescribed application period.
Honours Degrees & Postgraduate Diplomas
Applications for admission to honours degrees and postgraduate diplomas for the 2025 academic year are to be open from 21 August to 11 October 2024.
Everyone wanting to start a new qualification must apply for admission, including first-time Unisa applicants, Unisa students changing to a new qualification and/or changing the specialisation of their current qualification, and applicants in their final year of an undergraduate qualification who wish to continue with postgraduate studies.
- All applications for admission must be submitted online. No self-help stations will be available for applications at the regional offices
- Admission to a qualification is not automatic. It will depend on whether you comply with the admission requirements and if space is available
- Only complete applications (application fee paid, if applicable, and all supporting documents successfully uploaded) will be processed
- Students who obtained qualifications outside the borders of South Africa must have their qualifications evaluated by the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA). You may apply for admission without a SAQA certificate of evaluation. If your application for admission to the 2025 academic year is accepted, you may register, but you will be required to submit your SAQA certificate of evaluation by 15 December 2025.
What Does the Selection Process Entail?
Unisa will assess your application according to the academic admission requirements of your qualification(s) of choice and the final mark obtained for your major subjects at the third-year undergraduate level. If you do not meet these requirements, your application will be declined. You will be provided with the reason why your application was declined and/or a way forward.
Please note that meeting the minimum admission requirements is not a guarantee that you will be admitted to a higher-level qualification (postgraduate diploma or honours degree), as spaces are limited.
Who Must Apply for Admission?
Everyone wanting to start a new qualification must apply for admission. This includes
- First-time Unisa applicants
- Unisa students changing to a new qualification and/or changing the specialisation of a current qualification
- Applicants in their final year of an undergraduate qualification who wish to continue with postgraduate studies.
Please note: You must apply for admission if you previously applied for admission and were offered a space, but did not register for any reason. Should you experience any system error issue when submitting your application, please send an e-mail, together with a screenshot of the error message, to the relevant college e-mail address. Remember to always include your student number in the subject line of your e-mail.
Master's & Doctoral Qualifications
Applications for admission to master's and doctoral degrees for the 2025 academic year are to be open from 2 September to 22 November 2024 (some exceptions apply).
You are encouraged to apply for admission as soon as possible, as qualifications will be removed from the application list once all available spaces for the 2025 academic year have been filled.
Final-year honours, postgraduate diploma and master’s degree students are advised to make use of the opportunity to submit their applications before the closing date if they plan to further their studies in 2025.
Who Must Apply (Some Exceptions Apply)?
- Everyone wanting to start a new qualification must apply for admission, including first-time Unisa applicants, Unisa students wanting to apply for a new qualification, students in their final year of a qualification wanting to start a master's or doctoral qualification, and previously registered master's and doctoral students who did not register for the 2024 academic year and now wish to continue with their studies.
- You may only apply for one qualification at the master's and doctoral level. It is imperative, therefore, that you ensure that you meet the minimum admission requirements for your qualification of choice before applying for admission. Should you submit a second application, please note that it will replace your first application.
- If you are applying for admission to a Graduate School of Business Leadership (GSBL) qualification, please apply for a Unisa student number (unless you previously studied at Unisa towards a formal qualification) and complete the online application process.
- All master's and doctoral applications and enquiries must be submitted online.
