Lifestyle

Discover South Africa’s world-class educational institution

Any educational institution that prides itself on putting the needs of its students and staff first should be classified as ‘world-class’. It is important for these institutions to understand that people’s goals and careers matter and are placed in the hands of said institution based on its reputation. Much like the University of Cape Town, which has been a vanguard for decades. As South Africa’s oldest university and one of Africa’s top institutions, the University of Cape Town boasts a range of benefits that make learning and career advancement possible, accessible, and inclusive. Let’s take a look at what makes the University of Cape Town one of the best decisions you can ever make in your career. 

UCT In A Nutshell 

The University of Cape Town (UCT), which was established in 1829, has solidified its position as Africa’s top university and on the world academic scene. The foundation of UCT’s reputation is its innovative research, which is overseen by eminent academic personnel, many of whom are global experts in their fields. UCT, which is committed to enacting transformation by addressing historical injustices, is led by its teachers, students, and forward-thinking, varied, and distinct scholarship. The faculties and course offerings at the University of Cape Town are among the things that set them apart from the rest. Here are some of the faculties and why they are so prominent. 

Commerce At Large

The University of Cape Town’s largest Faculty, the School of Commerce, is constantly growing the range of programmes it provides its students. Students who pursue degrees in commerce are prepared for the workforce requirements of the quickly expanding financial services sector as well as for participation in the global economy. International organisations give the Commerce Faculty substantial assistance, and it is still devoted to working with Africa. The Faculty offers two undergraduate degrees: a three-year Bachelor of Commerce and a four-year Bachelor of Business Science (BBusSc) (BCom). Both of these degree programmes are organised into a number of streams to meet the needs of the nation’s labour market and the interests of our students. The Faculty was started right after World War 1, with Professor of Economics Robert Leslie spearheading the drive to create a faculty that would provide students with the broad educational background and professional training most appropriate to an executive career in the business world. From its inception, the Faculty of Commerce displayed that spirit of enterprise and unorthodoxy and that strong sense of purpose, which were to become its most distinguishing characteristics. Thus the Faculty Board met for the first time on 25th November 1921, four days before it had been formally constituted by the University Council.

The Faculty of Commerce has grown to comprise the Department of Accounting, the School of Management Studies, the School of Economics and the Graduate School of Business, the Department of Information Systems and certain members of the Department of Statistical Sciences. In December 1997, then the Department of Business Science, the Department of Accounting, the School of Economics and the Faculty Office moved to new quarters in the Leslie Commerce Building. Many distinguished names have been associated with the Faculty of Commerce, but it is fitting that the name of the man who was the driving force behind the Faculty’s founding, and its first Dean, should be commemorated in this fine building, its congenial atmosphere and outstanding design making it a worthy successor to the Faculty’s original premises – the historic Hiddingh Campus in the shadow of the Lioness Gate. 

Learning Never Stops At The Centre for Higher Education Development

A distinctive feature of higher education in South Africa is the Centre for Higher Education Development (CHED). It is responsible for both teaching and research, conducting studies across a broad spectrum of fields and providing the university with about R23 million in fee and subsidy money. Additional services offered by CHED include academic staff development, curriculum design and implementation of online and blended learning, academic writing support, first-year and postgraduate support, career development, and graduate recruitment services, to name a few. These services help faculties meet UCT’s educational and strategic goals. CHED is headed by the Dean of Higher Education Development and has an organisational status similar to that of a faculty. CHED currently comprises the following five units: 

  • Academic Development Programme (ADP),
  • Centre for Innovation in Learning and Teaching (CILT),
  • Centre for Educational Assessment (CEA),
  • Careers Service (CS), and
  • Hasso Plattner School of Design Thinking (d-school) at UCT.

Top Of The Range Engineering 

When it comes to the Engineering and Built Environment faculty, the University of Cape Town is still one of the best institutions that offer the tools and skills needed by those who want to pursue a career in the field. With sought-after alumni that can be found changing the world all over, and the best of the best staff members, the University of Cape Town’s Engineering and Built Environment faculty prides itself in the commitment to marrying technical skills with creative problem-solving. 

Short Course That Lengthen Your Career

Since 2007, UCT has collaborated with 2U, Inc. brand GetSmarter, a leader in digital education, to provide the university’s acclaimed curriculum online. The decision to deliver education online is motivated by the desire to increase access to education and give people who might have otherwise been denied the chance due to geographical limitations more power. The global education institution’s portfolio includes a selection of online courses that cover a wide range of disciplines and topic areas, including marketing, project management, engineering the built environment, and business and leadership. 

You’ll Be Joining A Community Of Leaders 

The late Professor Christiaan Barnard, a renowned heart surgeon, and three Nobel laureates—Sir Aaron Klug, the late Professor Alan MacLeod Cormack, and JM Coetzee—are among its more than 100,000 graduates. Furthermore, more than a third of South Africa’s A-rated researchers—academics who are regarded as global experts in their fields—are located at UCT, which also has more than 80 specialised research units that offer supervision for postgraduate work. Invest in your career with the University of Cape Town today.