Unisa Applications 2023
UNISA applications for the 2023 academic year open on 01 September 2022 and will close on 14 October 2022.
New and returning prospective UNISA applicants will be able to apply online for a qualification for the 2023 academic year soon. It is also important to note that you must pay the application fee within the application period.
Once the application period closes, no applications or application fees will be accepted. If you apply but do not pay the fee before the closing date, your application will not be processed. The application dates are as follows:
- Undergraduate qualifications (Higher Certificates, Advanced Certificates, Diplomas, Advanced Diplomas, PGCEs, B.Tech, and Degrees): 01 September – 14 October 2022
- Honour’s Degrees and Postgraduate Diplomas: 01 September – 14 October 2022
- Master’s Degrees and Doctoral Degrees: 11 September – 14 November 2022
All UNISA application websites and information for the 2023 second semester will be available on the UNISA website from 19 August 2022.
If UNISA has places available after the closing date of applications, the closing date may be extended. However, it is best to apply as early as possible to ensure the best chance of getting into the course you want to study.
If you miss the deadline, some applicants will be able to apply at UNISA to begin at the start of the second semester at the university. The application window is open to both new students and returning students looking to start a new qualification.
Who Can Apply To Study At UNISA (Undergraduate Studies)?
Undergraduate qualifications (Higher Certificates, Advanced Certificates, Diplomas, Advanced Diplomas, PGCEs, B.Tech, and Degrees) application dates: 01 September – 14 October 2022
Prospective UNISA students can apply to study at the university towards an undergraduate qualification if they are one of the following:
- Applying at UNISA for the first time
- Current registered UNISA students looking to change to a new qualification
- Unsuccessful previous UNISA applicants
- Successful applicants who were unable to register for their qualification
- Students who completed/are completing a lower qualification (Higher Certificate/Alternative Pathway or Extended Programme) and looking to apply for an undergraduate qualification.
Furthermore, prospective students have to meet admission requirements as well as meet the Admission Points Score (APS) in order to qualify to study at UNISA. If you do not know what your APS is, you can find out how to calculate your APS.
Who Can Apply To Study At UNISA (Postgraduate Studies)?
Honour’s Degrees and Postgraduate Diplomas application dates: 01 September – 14 October 2022
Prospective students looking to apply towards studying a postgraduate or honours programme at UNISA include:
- Students applying at UNISA for the first time
- Currently, registered UNISA students looking to change to a new qualification/change specialisation of their current qualification
- Final-year undergraduate students who wish to continue their studies with a postgraduate qualification (except students applying for the Honours in Psychology qualification)
- Successful applicants who were unable to register for their qualification
Applicants will only be able to apply for their chosen qualification online. Furthermore, applicants will have their applications assessed according to both admission requirements of the qualification of choice and your final cumulative marks obtained at undergraduate level.
Postgraduate applicants are assessed through a formal selection and approval process, which can take up to three months to finalise.
Who Can Apply To Study At UNISA (Masters & Doctoral Studies)?
Master’s Degrees and Doctoral Degrees application dates: 11 September – 14 November 2022
Prospective applicants looking to study towards a Masters or Doctoral qualification at UNISA in 2023 includes the following:
- Students applying at UNISA for the first time
- Current UNISA students looking to apply towards a new qualification
- Final-year students who wish to continue with their studies with a Masters/Doctoral qualification
- Previously registered Masters or Doctoral students who failed to register for the 2022 academic year and want to resume their studies.
Furthermore, the university provides selection degrees which only allow a set amount of applications to be able to study the qualification. Selection degrees have their own application dates, which are set and administered by their respective academic departments.
These degrees change each year. To find out what Selection Degrees are currently available, you can check the UNISA Selection Degrees page.
However, these degrees are not available to begin in the second semester. If you are looking to study one of these qualifications, you will need to register for the 2023 academic year before the closing date.
How Many Qualifications Can I Apply To Study For At UNISA In 2023?
Most students preparing for life after Matric know more or less what they plan to study. Things do not always go as planned, with low Matric marks hindering your plans.
At UNISA, prospective students are able to apply for a maximum of two qualifications. This way, if the university decides to reject your application for one qualification, you still have another chance to qualify for your second choice.
If both qualification choices are accepted by UNISA from you, then you get to choose either of your choices, but be aware that you will only be able to choose one course. Applicants would have to accept or decline the university’s offer within 10 days of the offer being awarded, with UNISA reserving the right to withdraw any unaccepted offer.
The same rule applies to postgraduate studies, with successful applicants only able to register for the qualification that they have received an offer from.
Keep in mind that if your application was successful, accept the offer as soon as possible, as UNISA can only accept a certain number of students at a time.
How Do I Know If I Am Ready To Study At UNISA?
Before you can fully accept UNISA’s offer, first-time applicants will have to complete the First-Year Experience (FYE) Massive Open Online Course (MOOC).
The FYE MOOC is a short programme which helps applicants get to know the university a little better, as well as helping you choose the right qualification for you.
You can also check out UNISA’s Readiness Tool. You will need to have your Student Number to use this.
This tool helps you understand whether you are ready for the responsibility of studying through distance learning.
Only after completing the online course will applicants be able to accept the university’s offer.
How Can I Apply To Study At UNISA?
Currently, the easiest and best way to apply to study at UNISA is through their online application portal.
Undergraduate applicants will have to provide the following documentation in order for their application to be deemed successful:
- Copy of your school qualifications (National Senior Certificate or otherwise)
- Copy of your official tertiary academic records
- Copy of your ID
- Copy of your marriage certificate or divorce decree (if applicable)
- Sworn translations of documentation if not available in English or Afrikaans
Postgraduate applications follow the same process, with the difference being a copy of your official tertiary academic record stating the year of registration, modules passed and percentages obtained (no internet copies).
For a step-by-step guide to the application process, you can check out our UNISA Application Form information page.
Please note that all the above-mentioned documentation is subject to certification. Additional documentation may be requested by the university (depending on the qualification) in which UNISA reserves the right to request original documentation for verification purposes.
Documents have to be uploaded as individual files instead of one large file. This will make your application easier to process (plus, one long file with all the documents could be bigger than the 2 MB file maximum limit).
You can also apply with a hard copy and submit it through the postal service, however this is not recommended. It is more expensive than applying online, and you cannot submit cash at any UNISA office.
You can send the money with your application through the postal service. However, due to delays with the postal service, it is recommended that you apply online instead.
Students planning to enrol in classes at a TVET college under the UNISA-TVET agreement can either apply through the TVET college of their choice or online via Unisa. This agreement is an opportunity for students to study certain UNISA courses at selected TVET colleges.
How Much Does It Cost To Apply To Study At UNISA?
If you are a returning applicant, then this section does not apply to you. For first-time applicants, once applicants complete their application and receive their student number, all that is left is to pay the non-refundable application fee.
The key word is non-refundable, even if an applicant decides not to go through with registration or if their application is rejected.
That being said, the application fees for the 2023 academic year at UNISA (for all qualifications unless stated otherwise) is R120 for online applications, and R185 for hard copy applications.
You cannot make any cash payment at UNISA offices. You can submit a cash deposit at any FNB branch. To find more information on payment methods, you can check out the UNISA Payment page.
Visit UNISA’s Payment Info section for more information on FNB banking details and exactly how you can pay your application fees online.
If you do not pay your application fee before the application period closes (15 October for Undergraduate and Postgraduate, 12 November for Masters & Doctoral), you will not be able to register to study at UNISA in 2023.
Undergraduate and postgraduate applicants who failed to qualify to study at UNISA will be notified as soon as their applications are processed.
Spaces for certain qualifications are limited, so offers will only be made once all applications are processed. Applicants will be informed that the qualification of your choice is subject to enrolment management.
Study At UNISA With Together We Pass
At Together We Pass, we understand that studying through distance learning can be difficult, but it does not need to be. We offer course packages for the UNISA B.Com and LLB qualifications, which give you access to study notes, exam packs, and more study resources, as well as course tutors and online study groups.
This means you can study using UNISA past exam papers, so you can see how the questions are structured, and how you should structure your answers.
These resources, along with online study groups, makes learning easier and more fun, and allows you to get the most opportunities to pass with your best possible results.
What Have We Learned?
- Applications will open soon
- Application fee must be paid before the closing date for applications
- The qualifications you can apply for will be determined by your APS
- You can apply to a maximum of two qualifications
- You may study a maximum of one qualification
- You can apply to UNISA online or with a hard copy, but online is recommended
Author: Chloe Bydawell
Editor: Sive Ncanywa
Date: August 12, 2022
