School of Biological and Conservation Sciences

We offer two access programmes for students whose Senior Certificate results do not satisfy the entrance requirements for a BSc or a BSc Agric degree:

Four-year Bachelor of Science (Augmented Programme) - Howard College campus only

Science Foundation Programme - Pietermaritzburg and Westville campuses only.

The access programmes are designed to address the problems created by the educational inequities of secondary schooling in the apartheid era. Consequently, these programmes are not available to students with poor Senior Certificate results who attended secondary schools that are considered by the National Department of Education to be adequately resourced (so-called "Model C schools").

The Science Foundation Programme (SFP) is a one-year access programme for students who do not have a sufficient background in Science and Mathematics to be admitted directly into the various science-related Faculties.  Applicants must have done Senior Certificate Mathematics and either Physical Science or Biology. Matriculation exemption is not required.

Students in the Augmented four-year programme will take an additional year, while students in the Science Foundation Programme do a preliminary year before embarking on degree studies.

Further information on Access Programmes at the University is available on the Access Programme webpage or by phone:

Tel: (033) 260 5695 (Pmb)

Tel: (031) 260 7894 (Westville)

The School of Biological and Conservation Sciences staff who are involved in teaching Biology in the Science Foundation Programme can be located in the menu on the right.