The University of Cape Town is a vibrant academic community of some 17,500 undergraduate students and 4,500 members of staff. The main campus occupies a beautiful site on the slopes of Table Mountain. It is a comprehensive university offering a full range of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.
The university is also a major centre for research and it has exchange agreements and links with universities on the African continent and throughout the world.
UCT's well-equipped campuses and residences provide excellent living and learning environments in beautiful surroundings on the slopes of Devil's Peak and elsewhere on the Cape Peninsula. They provide ideal facilities for students wishing to benefit from full-time study at one of Africa's leading universities
Visa + Requirements|Travel advice + advisories
Partner university’s areas of study
- IsiZulu
- Afrikaans
Eligibility and Timing
Terms Offered
Who can go?
- UBCO students can only attend this partnership through the "Study Abroad" pathway (i.e. pay tuition fees directly to UCT).
Term Dates
UCT semester 1: February to June
UCT semester 2: July to December
Timing
What term to list on your Go Global Application:
Term 1: if planning to take UCT's semester 2
Term 2: if planning to take UCT's semester 1
Full year: if planning to take UCT's semester 2 and then take UCT's Semester 1
Split Year: if planning to take UCT's semester 1 and then take UCT's semester 2
Once a student's acceptance is received from UCT, the visa process should begin immediately to avoid any delays.
Credits
Credit transfer process
The transfer credit process takes approximately 16 weeks following each submission deadline. You should allow sufficient time to meet important deadlines that may affect you (e.g. application for graduation, registration in courses that require prerequisites that you took on exchange, entry to a major/honours program, etc.)
For more information about Go Global transfer credit
Passing grade
50=DCourse Information
* Students who have special requirements or require academic accommodation should contact a Go Global advisor regarding their needs at least six weeks prior to the application deadline.
Type of Go Global Experiences
Course information and restrictions
In accordance with UCT policy, we will continue to manage the enrolment in the Humanities and Science courses. We will continue to communicate directly with you if there are any changes to your capped enrolment limits for these faculties.
Courses are offered by the Faculties, and the course descriptions and codes can be accessed online by referring to the faculty handbooks
- As part of the application process, students will be assigned to a Faculty (on the basis of a conditional acceptance of their proposed course selection).
- Course pre-approvals will be communicated to you in the usual way and a Conditional Study Offer letter will confirm the Faculty a student has been assigned to.
- On arrival at UCT, students will be able to change their course choices if necessary (as in the past) but they will not be able to change their Faculty.
- So, a student who has been admitted to the Science Faculty must continue to take at least 2 courses in the Science Faculty on registration. No Faculty changes will be permitted on registration. This is to ensure that we do not exceed the limits set by the respective faculties.
This information is subject to change. When selecting courses, ensure that they are available in the semester for which you are applying. Ultimately, students are responsible for researching applicable course restrictions.
Transfer Credits And Equivalent Courses At This University
Check out the courses that previous students have transferred back to UBC in the last 5 years using our Course Search Tool. If you don't see a particular course you listed, it simply means you need to submit it as a new course request through the Transfer Credit Portal while on your Go Global experience. For more information, please visit the Go Global Transfer Credit webpage.
Exchange Tuition
15 credits or equivalent full-time program fee per term, paid to UBC. Some exceptions may apply.
This is an exchange opportunity where fees are paid to UBC; however, in cases of high demand there may be opportunities for students not selected to go on exchange to attend on a Study Abroad basis (fees paid directly to UCT).
Students going in 'Study Abroad' spots should note the following:
1. You will not be eligible for AMS healthcare coverage during your studies at UCT and will need to make your own health insurance arrangements.
2. If applying for student loans, UCT needs to confirm your loan rather than UBC.
Scholarships and awards
The Go Global Award $1000
All students accepted to Go Global for Exchange, Research Abroad, or Study Abroad travel programs are automatically considered for this award. If you meet the eligibility criteria, you'll be notified of your award after you're accepted to Go Global and after you get nominated to apply to the partner university.
Additional Awards
Students who are eligible for awards may receive one UBC or UBC-affiliated international learning award. If you're eligible, you are always offered the highest-value award. Unless stated otherwise, you need to meet eligibility criteria set out by the University Senate regarding awards.
Check out international learning awards and eligibility.
Information for US students:
If you are a student from the United States, please check the US Department of Education Lookup Tool to ensure that any partner institution you wish to attend on Exchange is Title IV ‘eligible’ for Federal Student Aid for the year in which you intend to study there. For institutions outside of the US, select “Foreign Country” from the “State” dropdown menu.
If you attend an eligible institution, then you may receive Title IV federal student loans while on Exchange.
If you attend an ineligible institution:
- You will not be eligible for US federal student loans,
- You may invalidate any US student aid you have previously received for your studies at UBC,
- You may be required to immediately begin repaying your US student loans, and
- You may not be eligible for any future US student aid for the remainder of your studies at UBC.
Types of accommodation available
Housing notes
As on-campus dormitory / residence space is so scarce at UCT, the IAPO has sourced suitable off-campus accommodation with reputable landlords. UCT recommends you make arrangements for housing before travelling to Cape Town. For those not staying in university residences, there is a range of private accommodation in the area surrounding campus.