University in South Africa
Potchefstroom, North West, South Africa
University profile
North-West University (NWU) is a public university that describes itself as a unitary, integrated, multi-campus institution. It teaches on three campuses in two provinces, Mahikeng, Potchefstroom and Vanderbijlpark (the Vaal campus), and also offers a large distance learning programme. The university states that its core activities of teaching-learning and research are intertwined with community engagement and innovation, and its mission is to benefit society through knowledge, innovative teaching, research and engagement with the community.
Academic work is organised in eight faculties: Economic and Management Sciences (including the NWU Business School), Education, Engineering, Health Sciences, Humanities, Law, Natural and Agricultural Sciences and Theology. Most faculties serve both contact and distance students. Health Sciences covers schools such as Pharmacy, Nursing, Nutrition, Physiology, Human Movement Sciences and Occupational Hygiene, and Natural and Agricultural Sciences includes Agricultural Sciences, Computer Sciences and Information Systems and Geo- and Spatial Sciences.
The university lists research chairs, centres of excellence, research units and focus areas across its faculties, including centres in Carbon-Based Fuels, Nutrition, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hypertension in Africa and Space Research. NWU also runs a Library and Information Service, campus health care centres, a sport programme with institutes such as rugby and soccer, and short courses through its Unit for Continuing Education.
Student life centres on residences and day houses. Each campus has its own residences (Mahikeng 16, Vanderbijlpark 12, and a larger set at Potchefstroom including day houses). Residences are self-catering with furnished single and double rooms, Wi-Fi and 24-hour security, and are managed by house parents and house committees. NWU also publishes guidelines for accredited private student accommodation.
The university says it enrols students from over 50 countries. International students are supported by the International Student Compliance Office and the Global Engagement office, which handle invitation letters, permit documentation and registration steps. Foreign school-leaving qualifications require an exemption certificate from Universities South Africa (USAf). Qualifications are offered within the Higher Education Qualifications Sub-Framework overseen by the Department of Higher Education and Training, the Council on Higher Education and SAQA.
Leadership, Arts and Culture, Family Discount, Orphan, Foster Care and Disability bursaries are applied for through the Student Portal under My Bursaries. Enquiries go to the campus bursary offices ([email protected], [email protected], [email protected]). A summary is in the Instant Info 2026 document. Undergraduate bursaries
Students admitted for postgraduate study are automatically considered for NWU Honours, Master's and Doctoral bursaries; no separate application is needed except for the Full Cost Master's and PhD Bursary.
The Full Cost Master's and PhD Bursary requires household income below R600,000 a year, a result of at least 70% in the latest degree (or a faculty motivation), full-time registration and SADC or permanent South African residency, with preference for STEM (65% of allocations to STEM, 35% to non-STEM). Business School programmes are excluded. Conditions include six-monthly milestones, a publication or evidence of preparation, and 20 hours of student assistantship a month; living allowances are paid monthly. Interim applications go by email to [email protected] with the subject line FULL COST M&D BURSARY 2026, attaching transcripts and proof of income. Postgraduate bursaries
NWU's pages also list NSFAS, the Funza Lushaka teaching bursary (2027 new applications close 31 January 2027; re-applications 30 November 2026), bank study loans and external bursaries such as NESP Honours Physics scholarships, the Motsepe Foundation and BASF South Africa Trust, each with its own closing date. External bursaries | All NWU bursaries
NWU First-Year Academic Merit Bursary →
Browse the scholarships listed for North-West University and check each award’s eligibility.
View scholarships for North-West University →Applications opened on 1 June 2026. Selection courses closed on 30 June 2026 (Urban and Regional Planning and Engineering close on 31 August); general courses and residence applications close on 31 August 2026; Master's and doctoral applications close on 30 November 2026. NWU states that late applications are not accepted and directs late applicants to the Central Application Service. Apply online at the NWU application portal.
Each qualification has its own minimum admission requirements, published on the fields of study pages and in the yearbook. If you do not meet them, the qualification is not available to you, and meeting the minimum does not guarantee admission. Applicants use the NWU APS calculator for NSC, ISC and SACAI results. The calculator takes Language(s), Mathematics or Mathematical Literacy, and further subjects with marks in percentage bands. Applicants who completed the Senior Certificate before 2008 cannot calculate an APS and must contact the admissions office. NWU states that it does not require NBT tests.
Because of capacity constraints, NWU selects candidates for some fields on final Grade 11 or Grade 12 results. Law (LLB, Extended LLB, BCom Law, BA Law) is ranked on Grade 11 or final Grade 12 marks. Music requires up to two audition rounds (closing 30 June). Graphic Design has its own selection process. Theology uses Grade 11 or 12 marks, with psychometric assessment only for candidates training for ministry in the Reformed Churches in South Africa. Urban and Regional Planning uses marks, an online questionnaire and an interview with an urban planner. Engineering applicants receive a letter stating whether they meet the criteria and those who do not may be considered for the Xcel programme.
ID document or passport (birth certificates are not accepted), final Grade 11 or Grade 12 results, and for postgraduate applicants a research concept or proposal. A non-refundable administration fee of R150 applies for South African applicants and R600 for international applicants, payable online only. A fee estimate is available through the NWU fee quotation tool; Master's annual fee is stated as R22,284 and doctoral as R23,629 for 2026, with exceptions for some programmes.
Applicants need a certified passport copy, final school results or degree certificates with transcripts, a SAQA evaluation for non-South African qualifications, and proof of the administration fee. Applicants with non-South African school systems (IB, Cambridge, American High School Diploma and similar) must obtain an exemption certificate from USAf; NWU publishes a guideline for converting international grades to APS. American High School Diploma applicants who studied at a school in South Africa send final SAT results, a transcript with a GPA of at least 3.5, a certified ID or passport copy and proof of payment of the USAf fee (R1,070) to [email protected]. The FAQ states English proficiency proof is needed if schooling was not in English, and some faculties request IELTS or TOEFL. For registration, international students need a passport, a valid permit or visa, proof of MMR and meningitis vaccination, and proof of approved South African medical cover, and must pay the full amount of their proposed costs in advance before registration is finalised.
Selection is based on previous academic results and supervisor capacity. Applicants submit certified copies of ID or passport, all degree certificates and full transcripts, a CV, and for Master's and PhD a research concept or proposal; documents must be certified, and a SAQA evaluation certificate is compulsory for any non-South African qualification. Faculty-specific requirements are listed on the postgraduate field of study pages.
Applicants who studied elsewhere submit their academic record and matric certificate and admission is faculty-based. Distance learning applicants use the same documents; BEd applicants also provide proof of employment in education or a SACE certificate.
Library services cover borrowing, interlibrary loans, document delivery, special collections and disability support. Student wellness support is provided through Student Counselling and Development, and a Postgraduate Support Centre assists postgraduate students with research skills and academic writing.
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