UWC International Office

UWC International Office, We are indeed very pleased that you have selected our University as your home for the duration of your (short term) study abroad or degree studies.  We are mindful of the fact that some of you might have had several options of institutions, countries or continents for your choice of study. In fact, for some of you this may be your second or third study abroad experience. We, therefore, hope that we will be able to satisfy your expectations, particularly as an institution of the African soil.

During a special orientation session I will be giving you an outline of our institution’s history through which we hope you will develop a sense of the special character of UWC.  We invite you to further contribute to the extension and growth of this character during your stay.  As International students, you have particular qualities.  How else would you have found the resolve to leave the support of your family and friends or the comfort or your homes?  We, therefore, expect that your presence in our classrooms, laboratories, public lectures, dormitories (where applicable), refreshment facilities, sports teams and indeed generally on campus, will inject innovation and creative thinking into our discussions, debates and conversations.

 You probably have expectations for your association with fellow students at UWC. But remember, you are certainly the best person to make things happen for you.  Having already taken this major step to come to South Africa, you have actually declared your willingness to embrace and interact with the ‘unknown’.

We have a list of student organizations, including sports codes, religious associations, cultural organizations, discipline specific clubs, country specific societies, etc., which you may wish to join and participate in to enjoy and extend the mutual engagement of our respective cultures even further.

Once again, WELCOME TO UWC, CAPE TOWN, THE WESTERN CAPE PROVINCE AND SOUTH AFRICA. Enjoy your time with us and may you have a very successful academic encounter!!

Exchange Procedure

​​Undergraduate and postgraduate applicants must complete the UWC Application Form.  Application forms, together with the guidelines on how to complete the form, are available from UWC’s Admission Office or on the UWC webpage at http://www.uwc.ac.za . Your application will be processed and referred to the faculty concerned. Undergraduates: If you want to study for a South African degree, then you must apply for a South African Matriculation Board Exemption.  The Board is a statutory body which evaluates foreign school leaving certificates for endorsement for admission to South African Universities. How to apply for a Matriculation Exemption:Complete an application form which can be obtained from the Matriculation Board on http://he-enrol.ac.za/webform/contact-us. Submit the Matriculation Exemption application fee as a bank draft payable to the Matriculation Board along with certified copies (a photocopy of the original document with an authorization as proof that the original document has been seen) of all original education certificates you have obtained to date. The Matriculation Board only accepts certified copies of original documents if they are certified by the Registrar of a South African university, a South African Embassy or Consulate, a Public Notary, or a Commission of Oaths at a South African Trade Mission.  Documents not in English need to be translated by a sworn translator. An applicant who has passed/completed the first year of a four-year degree in a country such as Lesotho, Botswana, Swaziland, Malawi, Zambia and Kenya must apply for a foreign conditional exemption. Candidates who have written only the ‘O’ levels or equivalent examination and who are not writing any other school-leaving examination are not eligible for admission to the University. Faculty requirements vary and are usually stated on this website but can also be obtained from the faculty officer.  Post Graduates: The holder of an approved three-year Bachelor’s degree who wishes to further his/her studies is normally required to complete an Honours degree prior to admission as a Masters degree candidate.  This involves at least one year of specialised study.Masters degrees are offered by dissertation or taught courses and a minor dissertation. Doctoral degrees are research degrees.  They may be entered after completing a Masters degree or by upgrading an initial Masters registration to a doctoral level. Postgraduate Diplomas normally follow a three-year Bachelor’s degree.​