Program Overview

University Program Information

The university offers a range of programs, including undergraduate and honors qualifications, master's and doctoral degrees, and short learning programs.

Undergraduate and Honors Qualifications

The university provides various undergraduate and honors qualifications, each with its own set of requirements and regulations.

• Bachelor of Science in Life Sciences
  • Qualification stream: Biomedical Sciences
  • Qualification code: 98053 - BMI
  • NQF level: 7
  • Total credits: 360
  • SAQA ID: Not specified
  • APS/AS: 20
  • Rules: Students who have passed BOT2605 will be exempted for NUT2601.
  • Purpose statement: The purpose of this qualification is to produce science graduates with a systematic and coherent body of knowledge, cognitive and generic skills, and the ability to apply knowledge through basic research methods and practice.

Registration Requirements

To register for a qualification, applicants must meet certain requirements.

• Applicants: New applicants and Unisa students who applied for admission to a new qualification may only register if they have received an offer of placement from Unisa and have accepted the offer online.
• Re-registering students: May register for the 2026 academic year once the registration period opens.

Module Selection

Each Unisa qualification is structured to require a certain number of NQF level credits within a certain amount of time to graduate.

• Co-requisite: Module A is a co-requisite for Module B. Students must register for both modules simultaneously.
• Pre-requisite: If Module A is a pre-requisite for Module B, students must pass Module A before registering for Module B.
• Maximum number of credits: Students may not register for more than 60 credits per semester or 120 credits per academic year.

Curriculum

The curriculum for the Bachelor of Science in Life Sciences includes various modules, each with its own pre-requisites, co-requisites, and recommendations.

• First level
  • BLG1501 - Basic Biology
  • BLG1502 - Animal and Plant Diversity
  • CHE1501 - General Chemistry IA
  • CHE1502 - General Chemistry IB
  • CHE1503 - General Chemistry I (Practical)
  • EUP1501 - Ethical Information and Communication Technologies for Development Solutions
  • FIS1601 - Human anatomy and Physiology
  • NUT1501 - Introduction to Nutrition and Energy Yielding Nutrients
  • NUT1602 - Nutrition and Nutrient Deficiency Diseases
  • STA1510 - Basic Statistics
• Second level
  • BMI2601 - Clinical Biochemistry II
  • BMI2602 - Medical Epidemiology
  • BMI2603 - Medical Microbiology
  • BMI2604 - Molecular Biology
  • BMI2605 - Pharmacology
  • BMI2606 - Clinical Pathology II
  • BMI2607 - Immunology
  • MIB2601 - Introductory Microbiology
  • MIB2602 - Microbial Ecology
  • NUT2601 - Nutritional Care
• Third level
  • BIT3702 - Molecular Cell Biology
  • BMI3702 - Biomedical Techniques
  • BMI3704 - Haematology
  • BMI3705 - Virology
  • BMI3706 - Zoonoses
  • BMI3707 - Clinical Pathology III
  • GGH3708 - Environmental Awareness and Responsibility
  • MIB3702 - Advanced Microbial Genetics, Recombinant DNA Technology and Industrial Microbiology
  • MIB3703 - Microbial Diversity
  • NUT3703 - Nutrition and the Immune System

Research Areas

The university is involved in various research areas, including problem-solving research with relevance and impact.

• Research initiatives: The university has various research initiatives, including research institutes and chairs, research in the colleges, and innovation support.
• Research support: The university provides research support, including awards for excellence in research and innovation, research grants, and research permissions.

Colleges

The university has several colleges, each with its own set of qualifications and research areas.

• Accounting Sciences: The college offers various qualifications, including undergraduate and honors degrees.
• Agriculture and Environmental Sciences: The college offers various qualifications, including undergraduate and honors degrees.
• Economic and Management Sciences: The college offers various qualifications, including undergraduate and honors degrees.
• Education: The college offers various qualifications, including undergraduate and honors degrees.
• Human Sciences: The college offers various qualifications, including undergraduate and honors degrees.
• Law: The college offers various qualifications, including undergraduate and honors degrees.
• Science, Engineering, and Technology: The college offers various qualifications, including undergraduate and honors degrees.
• College of Graduate Studies: The college offers various postgraduate qualifications, including master's and doctoral degrees.