If you do not have the required formal educational qualifications specified by field of studying in which you are interested, but you believe that your age, work and life experiences have provided you with equivalent levels of learning, you may apply for admission through the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) process. This does not mean that you will be accepted for study in the programme of your choice, but it does ensure that a broad range of your knowledge and skills will be taken into account when considering your application.

Applying using the RPL method means a considerable amount of work for the candidate in the preparation of materials, completion of various exercises and sometimes taking admissions tests - the specific requirements will be determined by the staff of the faculty to whom you will be referred.

If you are interested in utilising the RPL method for admission to UCT, we suggest the following:

• Establish what course, degree or programme you are interested in and find out exactly what the entry requirements are. To do this, contact the Departmental Secretary of the course in question, or the Faculty Office in which the Department is based.
• Complete a UCT application form by the closing date for applications of the year before you wish to enrol for study, and submit it together with a covering letter informing the admissions staff that you plan to seek an RPL route into the programme.
• Compile all the documentation of about existing education qualifications and identify on which grounds you do not currently qualify.
• Write a 2-3 page letter of motivation which outlines 1) a profile of yourself, 2) why you are interested in this particular course of study, 3) in what way your work or life experiences have prepared you for this course of study.
• Send this letter to the programme leader of the course of study you wish to follow, by October of the year before you wish to enrol for study.

A nominal fee may be involved in the assessment process. For more information on RPL generally at UCT, and for assistance in completing the RPL process, please contact staff in HAESDU in the Centre for Higher Education Development at the following:

Download the UCT RPL Policy.

For further information please contact Linda Cooper or Dr Salma Ismail, in HAESDU.

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