BSc Nutrition at University of Pretoria

The BSc (Nutrition) programme is a four-year full-time degree. Nutrition scientists deal with the human requirements for food and the effects of food on health and well-being.

Admission Requirements

The closing date is an administrative admission guideline for non-selection programmes.

Once a non-selection programme is full and has reached the institutional targets, then that programme will be closed for further admissions, irrespective of the closing date. However, if the institutional targets have not been met by the closing date, then that programme will remain open for admissions until the institutional targets are met.

The following persons will be considered for admission: Candidates who are in possession of a certificate that is deemed by the University to be equivalent to the required National Senior Certificate with university endorsement, candidates who are graduates from another tertiary institution or have been granted the status of a graduate of such an institution, and candidates who are graduates of another faculty at the University of Pretoria.

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

Grade 11 results are used for the conditional admission of prospective students. Final admission is based on Grade 12 results.

Please note that the Faculty does not accept GED and School of Tomorrow qualifications for entry into our programmes.

Transferring students

Candidates previously registered at UP or at another university

The faculty’s Admissions Committee considers applications of candidates who have already completed the final NSC or equivalent qualification examination and/or were previously registered at UP or another university, on grounds of their final NSC or equivalent qualification results as well as academic merit.

Candidates previously registered at a FET college or a university of technology

The faculty’s Admissions Committee considers the application of these candidates on the grounds of their final NSC or equivalent qualification results as well as academic merit.

Qualifications from countries other than South Africa

Citizens from countries other than South Africa and South African citizens with foreign qualifications must comply with all the other admission requirements and the prerequisites for subjects/modules.

In addition to meeting the admission requirements, admission is based on the performance in the TOEFL, IELTS or SAT, if required.

Candidates must have completed the National Senior Certificate with admission to degree studies or a certificate of conditional exemption on the basis of a candidate’s foreign qualifications, the so-called “Immigrant” or “Foreign Conditional Exemption”. The only condition for the “Foreign Conditional Exemption” that is accepted is: ‘completion of the degree course’. The exemption certificate is obtainable from Universities South Africa (USAF). Detailed information is available on the website at click here.

Minimum requirements
Achievement level
English Home Language or English First Additional LanguageMathematicsPhysical Sciences APS
NSC/IEBAS LevelNSC/IEBAS LevelNSC/IEBAS Level
5C5C5C32

Cambridge A level candidates who obtained at least a D in the required subjects will be considered for admission. 

Students in the Cambridge system must offer both Physics AND Chemistry with a performance at the level specified for NSC Physical Sciences in the table above.

International Baccalaureate (IB) HL candidates who obtained at least a 4 in the required subjects, will be considered for admission. Students in the IB system must offer both Physics AND Chemistry with a performance at the level specified for NSC Physical Sciences in the table above.

Candidates who do not comply with the minimum admission requirements for BSc (Nutrition), may be considered for admission to the BSc – Extended program – Biological and Agricultural Sciences.

This program takes a year longer than the normal programs to complete.

BSc – Extended Programme – Biological and Agricultural Sciences Minimum requirements
Achievement level
English Home Language or English First Additional LanguageMathematicsPhysical Sciences APS
NSC/IEBAS LevelNSC/IEBAS LevelNSC/IEBAS Level
4D4D4D26

Duration of study

4 years, full-time.

Career Opportunities

The need for graduates with training in nutrition is driven by the worldwide recognition that food does not only meet basic nutrition needs but also plays a key role in the promotion and maintenance of long-term good health.

Career opportunities exist in food or related industries (such as pharmaceutical companies), government departments, international organizations (such as the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) and the World Health Organisation (WHO)) and research organizations, and as account managers and advisors in the food, health, and consumer sectors.