University of Limpopo (UL) Postgraduate Prospectus Summary
This prospectus covers postgraduate study only (Honours, Postgraduate Diplomas, Master's, and Doctoral degrees). UL entry is based entirely on your prior degree and percentage averages.
Application Fee
Current UL students (already registered): Free
South African applicants (new): R200
International applicants (new): R750
Pay via Standard Bank, Account No. 030131405, Branch 051001. Use your ID number or passport number as the reference — not your name.
The Universal Admission Rule
Across every faculty and every programme, 60% is the minimum average you will need in your relevant major subject from your previous degree. The only exception is the PGDip in Accountancy (SAICA CTA route), which uses 55%.
Meeting the minimum does not guarantee admission. All postgraduate applicants go through a departmental selection process. For Master's and Doctoral programmes, supervisor availability is a real constraint — if no supervisor is available for your proposed research topic, the department cannot accept you, regardless of your marks. Confirm supervisor availability before you apply.
Faculty Breakdown
Faculty of Health Sciences
Schools: Health Care Sciences | Medicine
Entry for Honours / PGDip: Relevant Bachelor's degree + 60% average in the major subject.
Entry for Master's (MNurs, MPharm, MOptom, MSc Dietetics, MSc Medical Sciences, MPH): A relevant 4-year Bachelor's degree or Honours equivalent + 60% average in the major subjects.
Entry for MMed (clinical registrar programmes — Anaesthesiology, Dermatology, Internal Medicine, Obstetrics & Gynaecology, General Surgery, Orthopaedics, Psychiatry, and others): You must hold an MBChB or equivalent degree, be registered with the HPCSA as a medical practitioner in Independent Practice, and be appointed to a Registrar's post recognised by the HPCSA. The university does not appoint you to that post — you must secure it through a health facility independently.
Non-surgical MMed minimum duration: 4 years (max 6 years)
Surgical MMed minimum duration: 5 years (max 7 years)
Entry for PhD / Doctoral degrees (PhD Nursing, DOptom, DPharm, PhD Medical Sciences): A relevant Master's degree in the discipline.
Note: For the Master of Nursing (MNurs), you will also need active registration with the South African Nursing Council (SANC) as a registered Nurse Practitioner. This is a professional body requirement on top of your academic qualifications — without it, your application will not be considered.
Faculty of Humanities
Schools: Education | Languages & Communication Studies | Social Sciences
Entry for BEdHons (Curriculum Studies, Educational Management, Educational Studies, Language Education, Mathematics Education, Science Education, Technology Education, Adult & Community Education): A 4-year professional teaching degree in the relevant phase and subject, OR an appropriate Bachelor's degree in the subject area plus a recognised professional teaching qualification, with 60% in the disciplinary area.
For BEdHons in Language Education specifically: you must have majored in English, Sepedi, Tshivenda, or Xitsonga.
Entry for PGCE (FET Teaching): An approved Bachelor's degree of at least 360 credits, covering two school-related subjects. Specialisation streams include Languages & Social Sciences, Economic Management Sciences, Mathematics/Science/Technology, and Languages & Life Orientation.
Entry for Advanced Diploma in Adult and Community Education and Training (ACET) Teaching: A 360-credit Level 6 Diploma or National N-Diploma, or a Level 7 / Level 8 Bachelor's degree. Your undergraduate qualification must include at least two fields relevant to the ACET curriculum — one studied to second-year level and one to third-year level.
Entry for BAHons (Communication Studies, English, African Languages, Media Studies, Translation Studies & Linguistics, Tshivenda, Xitsonga, Northern Sotho): Relevant Bachelor's degree + 60% in the final assessment of the appropriate subject.
Entry for PGDip in Information Studies: Relevant Bachelor's degree in Information Studies or related discipline at NQF exit level 7.
Entry for Master's (MEd, MA, MSW, MInf, MA African Languages, MA English Studies, MA Translation Studies & Linguistics, MA Clinical Psychology): Relevant Honours degree + 60% average.
Entry for PhD: Relevant Master's degree.
Note: The MA in Clinical Psychology requires a personal interview as a compulsory selection step — it is not a formality. A strong academic record gets you to the interview; it does not guarantee an offer. Cohort sizes for this programme are small and competition is high. Contact psych.clintraining@ul.ac.za early.
Faculty of Management & Law
Schools: Accountancy | Economics & Management | Law | Turfloop Graduate School of Leadership (TGSL)
Entry for BComHons (Economics, Business Management, Human Resource Management), BDevHons (Planning & Management), BAdminHons (Public Administration): Relevant Bachelor's degree majoring in the relevant subject + 60% average in the final year modules of that subject.
Entry for PGDip in Accountancy (SAICA CTA programme): A SAICA-accredited Bachelor's degree at NQF level 7 or 8, with at least 55% in Financial Accounting and an overall average of 55% across all four main courses. Note: this is the only programme across UL that uses 55% rather than 60%.
Entry for MCom (Accounting, Economics, Business Management, Human Resource Management), MDev (Planning & Management), MPAM: Relevant Honours degree + 60% average.
Entry for LLM in Labour Law and LLM in Development & Management Law (taught, with mini-dissertation): LLB or equivalent 4-year law degree + 60% aggregate in preceding degree.
Entry for LLM by Research: LLB or equivalent 4-year law degree + 60% aggregate.
Entry for MBA (TGSL): Honours degree or equivalent at NQF Level 8 + 60% average + Matriculation Mathematics or an equivalent qualification in Mathematics or Statistics + a letter from your employer confirming you will be permitted to attend classes.
Entry for DCom, DAdmin, LLD: Relevant Master's degree.
Note: The MBA, MDev (TGSL), and MPAM programmes all require an employer letter as a hard admission requirement — not optional supporting documentation. If you are self-employed, between jobs, or in a role where your employer is unlikely to provide this letter, contact TGSL (tgsl@ul.ac.za) before applying to discuss your situation. Applying without this document wastes your R200 application fee.
Faculty of Science & Agriculture
Schools: Agricultural & Environmental Sciences | Mathematical & Computer Sciences | Molecular & Life Sciences | Physical & Mineral Sciences
Entry for BScHons / BAgrManHons (Applied Mathematics, Computer Science, Mathematics, Statistics, Chemistry, Geology, Physics, Biochemistry, Botany, Microbiology, Zoology, Aquaculture, Geography, Agricultural Economics, Animal Production, Plant Production, Agricultural Extension): Relevant Bachelor's degree in the disciplinary area + 60% average in the major subject.
Entry for Master's — all MSc and MAgricMan programmes (Agricultural Economics, Animal Production, Agronomy, Horticulture, Soil Science, Plant Protection, Aquaculture, Geography, Applied Mathematics, Computer Science, Mathematics, Statistics, Biochemistry, Botany, Microbiology, Physiology & Environmental Health, Zoology, Chemistry, Geology, Physics): Relevant Honours degree or 4-year NQF Level 8 equivalent + 60% average.
Entry for MSc in eScience: BSc Honours or equivalent specialising in Mathematics, Statistics, or Computer Science + 60% average. Note: this programme is offered in collaboration with other universities — places are not solely in UL's control.
Entry for PhD: Relevant Master's degree in the discipline (60% average preferred).
Note: The MSc in eScience is a multi-institution collaborative programme. You may meet UL's admission requirements and still not receive an offer if the collaborative allocation is full. Confirm space availability directly with the School of Mathematical & Computer Sciences (DoSSMCS@ul.ac.za) before submitting your application.
The VarsityToolkit Insider Tip
The supervisor trap that catches most postgraduate applicants at UL:
For Honours and PGDip level, UL selects primarily on academic history — your marks open or close the door. But for Master's and Doctoral programmes, there is a second gate that the prospectus mentions quietly and most applicants discover too late: supervisor capacity.
If the department has no available supervisor whose expertise matches your proposed research topic, you will not be admitted — regardless of your average, regardless of how early you applied. This is not a bureaucratic formality. It is a real resource constraint, and it catches applicants every year.
What you should do: before submitting your application, email the relevant School's postgraduate office and ask two questions directly. First, is there a supervisor available for research in your area of interest? Second, if yes, can you have a brief conversation with that supervisor before you apply? A supervisor who has engaged with your proposal before your application arrives is significantly more likely to accept you. One who sees your name for the first time when the selection committee meets is not.
The same principle applies to Doctoral applicants at the Turfloop Graduate School of Leadership — the MBA and MPAM selection process explicitly evaluates academic achievement, work experience, attitude, and motivation. A generic application scores poorly on the last two. Request the selection criteria from TGSL before you write your motivation letter.