University of the Witwatersrand

Overview

The University of the Witwatersrand, commonly known as Wits, situated in Johannesburg, the commercial and industrial heartland of Africa, is internationally renowned for its commitment to academic and research excellence.

With talented students and distinguished academics, Wits contributes to the global knowledge economy and local transformation through generating high level, scarce skills and innovative research.

An internationally respected research institution

Wits University is home to 15 South African Research Chairs, seven research institutes, 20 research units, 10 research groups, two Centres of Excellence, more than 200 rated scientists, of which 14 are A-rated. Wits features in the top one percent in the world in seven defined fields of research (2007 ISI international rankings).

Diversity and opportunity

Spread over more than 400 acres in Parktown and Braamfontein, Wits is structured into five Faculties comprising 34 Schools. The Faculties are: Commerce, Law and Management; Engineering and the Built Environment; Health Sciences; Humanities and Science, serviced by about 3,500 permanent staff members.

Wits University owns Sterkfontein (part of Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site), the Wits Rural Facility (large rural research and outreach facility), the Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre (specialist hospital); a Theatre complex and a Planetarium. It teaches at seven public teaching hospitals in South Africa.

An English medium institution, Wits offers over 3,000 courses to 28,000 students, approximately a third of whom are postgraduate.

A diverse institution, Wits is home to over 2,000 international students who hail from more than 80 different countries, speaking over 130 languages. Students can choose to join over 100 clubs and societies and can visit 14 museums and art galleries, including the Planetarium, the Origins Centre, the Wits Theatre Complex and the Life Sciences Museum.

World-class facilities

The University’s library system comprises two main libraries and 14 divisional libraries. Students have access to over 1,000,000 book volumes; 400,000 journal titles and 46,000 new electronic resources.

The University can accommodate about 17% of its students in 18 residences. A new world-class residence complex named Wits Junction is being developed in Parktown, which will be ready for occupation in mid 2011.

In order to create an environment conducive to teaching, learning and research at the highest level, Wits has undertaken an ambitious R1,5 billion infrastructure development programme, which will see its buildings and equipment modernised, renewed and upgraded to world-class standards.

At the forefront of a changing society, Wits is an engaged institution, dedicated to advancing the public good. It fosters intellectual communities and promotes sustainable social and economic development in a globally competitive environment.

Basic TOEFL/IELTS

An applicant, whether at undergraduate or postgraduate level, must have attained a certain level of proficiency in English, namely, one of the following:
- A pass in the IELTS test (International English Language Testing System) with a score of at least 7.0.
- A pass in an examination equivalent to English at the Higher Grade (First or Second Language) at the South African matriculation level (or, for certain immigrants only, English at the Standard Grade [First Language] plus an A-level pass in the immigrant's home language);
- A pass in English Language at the GCSE/GCE/IGSCE Ordinary level (or equivalent examination);
- A pass in the TOEFL test (the Test of English as a Foreign Language) with a score of at least 600. Please take note that the University would prefer the candidate to undertake the IELTS test.

English Language Support

Wits, as an English-medium university requires that its students are proficient in English before they register. The Wits Language School also offers English training to students who wish to improve their language skills. The WLS is now part of the Faculty of Humanities and is closely linked to the School of Literature and Language Studies, which offers academic programmes. WLS offers non-academic courses for adult learners. It offers public classes, corporate training and private tuition. WLS takes pride in its excellent services, high quality training programmes that have sound research and academic framework and the quality of its training personnel.
English as a Foreign Language (EFL) Courses are designed for foreign and second language speakers and consist of six levels from pre- beginners to advanced level. An assessment test determines at which level students would start the course.

Distance Learning

At present distance learning is not a focus, and for undergraduate qualifications a student would need to be present at the University on a full time basis. Some postgraduate courses are offered wholly or partially via distance learning. Please contact the particular School for more information

Accommodation

Wits University offers a wide variety of residence accommodation, ranging from single gender, catering residences, to mixed gender self-catering flatlets. Residences are administered by professional and para-professional staff who plan and co-ordinate services in each residence. Wits Junction is a new residence complex situated in Parktown ideally suited to international students, visiting academics, postgraduates and postdoc fellows.

Price Range of Accommodation

Residence fees range from approximately 19 000.00 ZAR (self catering) to 44 000.00 ZAR (full board). Annual fees cover the two teaching terms, the mid-year and end-of-year examination periods, and the September study breaks only.

Finance and Scholarships

Several scholarships exist for academic and sporting excellence and there is a range of external bursaries available. The Financial Aid and Scholarship Office (FASO) at Wits University assists students to find options to finance their education and provides information about other funding sources such as bank loans, scholarships and external bursaries.

Entry Requirements

Wits uses a number of selection procedures to select candidates for degrees. These procedures include a rating system, admission points score (APS), questionnaires, selection tests, interviews, auditions or written assignments.