BSc Biological Sciences at University of Pretoria

The Biological Sciences BSc gives you the flexibility to study the subject in its whole breadth or to specialize inĀ genetics or zoology. You’ll benefit from some of the country’s best facilities and technology, being taught by experts in the field renowned the world over for their cutting-edge research.

Admission requirements

The following persons will be considered for admission: a candidate who is in possession of a certificate that is deemed by the University to be equivalent to the required Grade 12 certificate with university endorsement; a candidate who is a graduate from another tertiary institution or has been granted the status of a graduate of such an institution; and a candidate who is a graduate of another faculty at the University of Pretoria.

Life Orientation is excluded in the calculation of the Admission Point Score (APS).

Grade 11 results are used for the provisional admission of prospective students.

Final admission is based on the Grade 12 results.

Minimum requirements

Achievement level
Afrikaans or English Mathematics Physical Sciences
APS
NSC/IEB HIGCSE AS-Level A-Level NSC/IEB HIGCSE AS-Level A-Level NSC/IEB HIGCSE AS-Level A-Level
5 3 C C 5 3 C C 5 3 C C 30

This is a generic first-year programme in Biological Sciences.

Students, who are not sure which specialisation degree programme to choose, may apply for this programme.

Students who intend on applying for admission to MBChB or BChD in the second semester when places become available in those programmes may register in the first semester for BSc (Biological Sciences) modules, replacing Mathematics (WTW134) with Science and World Views (FIL 155), People and their Environment (MGW112) and Medical Terminology (MTL180), with the provision that these students, should they not be selected and should they wish to continue with one of the Biological Sciences programmes, must complete Mathematics (WTW134) in the second semester of their first year.

Please note: The minimum admission requirement for MGW112 is an APS score of 34 and a minimum of 70% for Grade 12 Mathematics.

Students who wish to apply for admission to one of the BVSc places that become available in the second semester of the same year may register for the prescribed subjects of Biological Sciences and for MTL 181 in their first semester.

These students must register for WTW 134 in the first semester.

Duration of study 3 years

What can I do with a degree in biological sciences?

Academic and hospital research.

Biotechnology.

Dentistry.

Ecology.

Environmental science.

Food industries.

Forensic science.

Government agencies (FBI, FDA, DNR, NASA, USDA)