South Africa / Entry requirements
General entry requirements
We operate a devolved admissions system and all admissions decisions are made within academic Schools. Admissions staff for individual courses reserve the right to judge the relevance and acceptability of any qualification or subject.
Our admissions staff assess each application holistically and judge whether the content and demands of the qualifications presented have sufficiently prepared you to progress on to the course you are applying for. Entry requirements will vary from one course to another and compulsory subject requirements may apply. Please refer to the specific entry requirements for your chosen course.
General entry requirements for undergraduate courses
Students studying the South African National Senior Certificate with high grades will be considered for direct admission to undergraduate degrees. Please refer to the information below as guidance for grade comparisons to A-level entry requirements:
| A Level grades | A*A*A | A*AA | AAA | AAB | ABB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NSC grades | 77777 | 77776 | 77766 | 77666 | 76666 |
Where we require A Level grades in specific subjects we would look for the following equivalents in the South African National Senior Certificate:
| A level grade | NSC grade |
|---|---|
| A* | 7 |
| A | 7 |
| B | 6 |
General requirements for postgraduate/research courses
For admission onto our master’s programmes we typically require a Bachelor (Honours) degree with Second Class Division 1 Honours or 70%.
South African master’s degrees from recognised universities (classified as Merit or above, or equivalent) are generally considered for PhD entry at The University of Manchester.
English language requirements
All international students coming to study in the UK on a Tier 4 visa/Student Route visa are required to demonstrate their proficiency in English language. The minimum English language requirements for each programme are specified in the course description.
We accept a range of global English tests (for example: IELTS, TOEFL iBT). In addition, we can usually accept a high score in English in NSC or IEB exams (if taken within the last seven years). The minimum grade requirement is usually grade 5 or 6 in NSC depending on the specific requirement of the course.
For further guidance about evidencing English language proficiency, please contact the International Office or the relevant admissions team. Alternatively, consult our English language requirements.
Other entry requirements
Please note that this is generic information only. Faculties and academic Schools have different entry requirements and some qualifications may not be acceptable for certain courses, so it is important to check with the School directly before you apply.
Some courses have additional entry requirements such as previous work experience, submission of written work with the application or previous study of a particular subject.