Frequently Asked Questions | Studying Development

General Questions

What does it mean to study development?
The study of development or development studies draws on a wide range of academic disciplines, which address the issues facing the global south.

Why study development at UCT?
The University of Cape Town (UCT) is recognised globally as a leading institution in Development Studies. The QS 2023 World University Rankings placed UCT as 12th globally for Development Studies. The rankings are based on academic standing (programmes taught and research impact) and also incorporate employer perceptions and feedback.
You may have a look at the programmes and courses that UCT offers in the field of development.

How do I apply to study at UCT?

You can apply online or by filling in an application form and sending it to the Admissions Office. Please read more here.

Can I get funding for the programmes listed in this website?
Certainly, there are many funding opportunities that you can find at the UCT Post-Graduate Funding Office.

Can an international student study these programme?
Yes! The university has an international students' Office called IAPO and serves to make international students studying at UCT's lives easier.

Does the website list undergraduate programmes and courses?
Unfortunately not. This website only lists honours, masters and some PhD programmes and courses that relate to development.

Programme related questions

What programmes can I study in development?
Possible programmes you can choose are listed on the Programme's page.

How do I choose a programme to study?
It is highly recommended that you have a look at all programmes (regardless of their home faculty) and pick the ones you are interested in. Then see if you meet the minimum entry requirements for such programmes. If you do you can then apply for it.

Can I choose to read a programme from a faculty that I am not a graduate of?
Yes, as long as you meet the entry requirement or the programme and the programme convener allows you to enrol for it.
The best thing to do if you are interested in a programme from a faculty other than your home faculty is to contact the programme convener to see if you would be able to enrol for it or not.

What does the HEQSF level mean?
In this website we makes use of the South African National Qualifications Framework (NQF) crediting system which is a points system that explains the number of credits that a student requires to obtain a qualification and the Higher Education Qualification Sub-Framework (HEQSF) level designation. Below the HEQSF levels are explained.
Level 4: National Senior Certificate (Grade 12) and National (vocational) Certificate
Level 5: Higher Certificates and Advanced National (vocational) Certificate
Level 6: National Diploma and Advanced certificates.
Level 7: Bachelor's degree, Advanced Diplomas and B-Tech.
Level 8: Honours degree, Post Graduate diploma and Professional Qualifications.
Level 9: Master's degree.
Level 10: Doctor's degree.

Courses related questions

What does the course code mean?
Every course described in this website has a unique course name and a corresponding course code. The code structure is uniform, and it gives important information about the course.
Each code, e.g. AAANnnnS, has eight characters, where the first 3 letters of the code (AAA) denote the name of the department offering the course Nnnn is a number; where the first digit (N) enables one to distinguish between undergraduate and postgraduate courses: levels 1 to 3 are all undergraduate courses, level 4 may be either undergraduate or postgraduate courses, 5 and upwards are postgraduate courses; the second, third and fourth digits (nnn) represent a number between 000 and 999 that identifies the course uniquely; S is a single alpha character, specifying the time period during which the course is offered.

The following time periods are used in this website:

F: 1st semester course (January – June)
H: half course taught over whole year
S: 2nd semester course (July – December)
W: full course, year-long
X: not classified
Z: non-standard period or other

E.g. CIV2031S Structural Engineering is a course from the Civil Engineering Department (i.e.CIV) and it is an undergraduate course (i.e.‘2’031).

Can I study a course from a faculty that I am not from?
Yes, as long as you meet the entry requirements for the course and the course convener allows you to.
The best thing to do if you are interested in selecting a course from outside your programme's home faculty, is to contact the course convener to find out if you can enrol for it.