Requirements For UCT Medical School and Courses 2024

The University of Cape Town Medical School was founded in 1912 and was the first medical school in Sub-Saharan Africa. Times Higher Education ranks them as one of the top 50 health sciences faculties in the world. Read through to get more information on the University of Cape Town medical school.

Requirements to Study Medicine At UCT 

Minimum subject requirements and performance levels for admission consideration: Mathematics, English (or home language) must be at 60 percent or above, and at least 50 percent score for the next 3 best subjects (not including life orientation). NBT (Next Best Three) results in the intermediate range. And also APS of 450.

Band A (Unweighted MedPS)

To get guaranteed admission

• 880 unweighted MedPS or above
• 60 percent for English (or first home language)
• 60 percent for mathematics
• 60 percent for physical sciences
• At least 50 percent for the next 3 best subjects (not including life orientation)

NBT (NEXT BEST THREE)  scores of proficiency for AL, QL, and Mathematics

Other scores for consideration:

• 810 FPS or above
• 450 APS or above

BAND B (for weighted MedPS)

Possible Admission

• Weighted MedPS of at least 870 or Above
• 60 per cent score for English (or first home language)
• 60 per cent score of physical sciences
• 50 per cent score or above for the next 3 best subjects (not including life orientation)
• NBT (NEXT BEST THREE) scores of intermediate for QL, AL, and Mathematics

Other scores for consideration

• At least 725 FPS or above
• At least APS or above

Only South African applicants in redress categories 1 and 2 Band C (unweighted MedPS)

Possible admission

• Unweighted MedPS of 715 for redress category 1
• Unweighted MedPS of 730 for redress category 2
• At least 60 percent for English (or first home language)
• At least 60 percent of mathematics
• At least 60 percent of Physical Sciences
• At least 50 percent or above for the next 3 best subjects (not including life orientation)
• Next best 3 scores of intermediate for QL, AL, and mathematics

International School-leaving Certificate

For non-NSC examinations, a table is used to convert non-South African results into a comparable score and assess the performance of the prospective student. A-LEVEL, AS, GCSE/OL, HIGCSE, IGCSE, and IB Diplomas are examples of recognized certifications.

See the prospectus on page 13 for more information. Please keep in mind that applicants must have 6 eligible subjects in order to apply.

A-Level (Advanced Level)

• Without PR: 48 points plus NBT (NEXT BEST THREE) score of at least 270/300
• With PR OF 70/100: 46-48 points plus NBT (NEXT BEST THREE) of at least 230/300
• At least a score level of C in two A-level subjects (mathematics plus chemistry or physics) and a B in the remaining subject (which should be chemistry or physics) and also a B in English. 

International Baccalaureate

• Without PR: 48 points plus NBT (NEXT BEST THREE)  score not less than 270/300
• With PR of 70/100: 46-48 points plus NBT (NEXT BEST THREE)  not less than 230/300
• At least grade 5 in three Higher Level subjects, including mathematics and chemistry/physics, and also English.
• At least grade 5 in the other two subjects (physics or chemistry or English language not taken at a higher level), which may be at the standard level.
• Mathematical Studies are not acceptable. IB applicants need to have received the IB Diploma, but not the certificate.

The University of Cape Town medical school Courses 2024

Postgraduate diplomas

• Addictions Care
• Clinical Developmental Paediatrics
• Clinical Hepatology
• Clinical Paediatric Cardiology
• Clinical Paediatric Critical Care
• Clinical Paediatric Diabetes
• Clinical Electrophysiology and Epilepsy
• Clinical Paediatric Emergency Care
• Clinical Paediatric Gastroenterology
• Clinical Paediatric Haematology and Oncology
• Clinical Paediatric Nephrology
• Clinical Paediatric Physiotherapy
• Clinical Paediatric Pulmonology
• Clinical Paediatric Rheumatology
• Community and General Paediatrics
• Community Eye Health
• Disability Studies
• Family Medicine
• Health Economics
• Health Management
• Health Professional Education
• Healthcare Technology and Management
• Interdisciplinary Pain Management
• Maternal and Child Health
• Neonatology
• Occupational Health
• Paediatric Radiology
• Palliative Medicine
• Pesticide Risk Management
• Psychotherapy
• TB-HIV Management

Bachelor of Science Medicine (Honours) (BSc (Med)(Hons))

• Applied Anatomy
• Bioinformatics
• Biokinetics
• Biological Anthropology
• Clinical Pharmacology
• Dietetics
• Exercise Science
• Forensic Genetics
• Human Genetics
• Infectious Diseases and Immunology
• Medical Biochemistry
• Medical Cell Biology
• Medical Physics
• Physiology
• Radiobiology
• Structural Biology

Master of Medicine (Speciality Training) (MMed)

• Anaesthesia
• Cardiothoracic Surgery
• Clinical Pharmacology
• Dermatology
• Diagnostic Radiology
• Emergency Medicine
• Family Medicine
• Medical Genetics
• Medicine
• Neurology
• Neurosurgery
• Nuclear Medicine
• Obstetrics and Gynaecology
• Occupational Medicine
• Ophthalmology
• Orthopaedic Surgery
• Otorhinolaryngology
• Paediatric Surgery
• Paediatrics
• Pathology (Anatomical)
• Pathology (Clinical)
• Pathology (Forensic)
• Pathology (Haematological)
• Pathology (Microbiological)
• Pathology (Virological)
• Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
• Psychiatry
• Public Health Medicine
• Radiation Oncology
• Surgery
• Urology

Master of Medical Science

Genetic Counselling

Master of Philosophy

by coursework & dissertation –

• Biokinetics
• Biomedical Forensic Science
• Clinical Paediatric Surgery
• Clinical Pharmacology
• Clinical Research Administration
• Emergency Medicine
• Health Innovation
• Intellectual Disability
• Liaison Mental Health
• Maternal and Child Health
• Occupational Health
• Paediatric Forensic Pathology
• Paediatric Pathology
• Palliative Medicine
• Sport and Exercise Medicine
• a number of sub-specialities
• Addictions Mental Health
• Advanced Hepatology and Transplantation
• Allergology
• Cardiology
• Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
• Clinical Haematology
• Critical Care
• Developmental Paediatrics
• Endocrinology
• Forensic Mental Health
• Geriatric Medicine
• Gynaecological Oncology
• Infectious Disease and HIV Medicine
• Maternal and Foetal Medicine
• Medical Gastroenterology
• Neonatology
• Nephrology
• Neuropsychiatry
• Paediatric Cardiology
• Paediatric Critical Care
• Paediatric Endocrinology
• Paediatric Gastroenterology
• Paediatric Infectious Diseases
• Paediatric Nephrology
• Paediatric Neurology
• Paediatric Oncology
• Paediatric Pulmonology
• Paediatric Rheumatology
• Pulmonology
• Reproductive Medicine
• Rheumatology
• Surgical Gastroenterology
• Trauma Surgery
• Vascular Surgery

Master of Public Health (MPH)

By coursework and dissertation, with streams in

• Community Eye Health
• Epidemiology
• Environmental Health
• General
• Health Economic
• Health Systems
• Social and Behavioural Sciences
• MSc in Audiology and MSc in Speech-Language Pathology
• MSc in Biomedical Engineering
• MSc Exercise and Sports Physiotherapy
• MSc in Nursing, By dissertation and by coursework dissertation
• MSc in Occupational Therapy, By dissertation and by coursework dissertation
• MSc in Physiotherapy
• Master of Nursing in Child Nursing
• Master of Paediatric Neurosurgery