University of South Africa
Encyclopedia
The University of South Africa (UNISA) is a distance education
university, with headquarters in Pretoria
, South Africa. With approximately 300 000 enrolled students, it qualifies as one of the world's mega universities.
, the University of South Africa (or UNISA as it is commonly known, spoken as you-nee-suh) spent most of its early history as an examining agency for Oxford
and Cambridge universities
and as an incubator from which most other universities in South Africa are descended. In 1946 it was given a new role as a distance education university and today it offers certificate
, diploma
and degree
courses up to doctoral
level.
Largely because it was a distance education university, it remained interracial during the years of apartheid in South Africa. In January 2004 UNISA merged with Technikon SA and incorporated the distance education component of Vista University
(VUDEC). The combined institution retained the name University of South Africa (UNISA), unlike other merged institutions, which underwent name changes. It is now organised by college and by school; see below.
ranked the university the 8th best in South Africa and 1290th in the world.
in 1877. It currently operates under the Statute of the University of South Africa issued in terms of the Higher Education Act (No. 101 of 1997), and is accredited by the South African Department of Education and the Council on Higher Education (CHE). Its qualifications (including those of the SBL) are registered with the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA).
Internationally, Unisa is listed in the Commonwealth Universities Handbook of 1999 and also in the International Handbook of Universities of 1998.
On 12 January 2002 UNISA was granted full institutional accreditation from the Accrediting Commission of the Distance Education and Training Council
(DETC). The accreditation lapsed in March, 2007, and UNISA did not pursue renewal.
Based at Unisa's main campus in Muckleneuck, Pretoria, the Foundation has Fundraising and Development Divisions in Gauteng, the Western Cape and Kwa-Zulu Natal. The Fundraising and Development Divisions support the smooth running of projects being undertaken in their regions while raising additional funding for local community projects.
Distance education
Distance education or distance learning is a field of education that focuses on teaching methods and technology with the aim of delivering teaching, often on an individual basis, to students who are not physically present in a traditional educational setting such as a classroom...
university, with headquarters in Pretoria
Pretoria
Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...
, South Africa. With approximately 300 000 enrolled students, it qualifies as one of the world's mega universities.
History
Founded in 1873 as the University of the Cape of Good HopeUniversity of the Cape of Good Hope
The University of the Cape of Good Hope, renamed the University of South Africa in 1916, was created by Act 16 of 1873 of the Cape of Good Hope Parliament. Modelled on the University of London, it offered examinations but not tuition, and had the power to confer degrees upon successful examination...
, the University of South Africa (or UNISA as it is commonly known, spoken as you-nee-suh) spent most of its early history as an examining agency for Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
and Cambridge universities
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
and as an incubator from which most other universities in South Africa are descended. In 1946 it was given a new role as a distance education university and today it offers certificate
Academic certificate
An academic certificate is a document that certifies that a person has received specific education or has passed a test or series of tests.In many countries, certificate is a qualification attained in secondary education. For instance, students in the Republic of Ireland sit the Junior Certificate...
, diploma
Diploma
A diploma is a certificate or deed issued by an educational institution, such as a university, that testifies that the recipient has successfully completed a particular course of study or confers an academic degree. In countries such as the United Kingdom and Australia, the word diploma refers to...
and degree
Academic degree
An academic degree is a position and title within a college or university that is usually awarded in recognition of the recipient having either satisfactorily completed a prescribed course of study or having conducted a scholarly endeavour deemed worthy of his or her admission to the degree...
courses up to doctoral
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
level.
Largely because it was a distance education university, it remained interracial during the years of apartheid in South Africa. In January 2004 UNISA merged with Technikon SA and incorporated the distance education component of Vista University
Vista University
Vista University, South Africa was established in 1981 by the apartheid government to ensure that urban black South Africans seeking tertiary education would be accommodated within the townships rather than on campuses reserved for other population groups ....
(VUDEC). The combined institution retained the name University of South Africa (UNISA), unlike other merged institutions, which underwent name changes. It is now organised by college and by school; see below.
The University
Location
- Main Campus: PretoriaPretoriaPretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...
(Gauteng) - Regions: Cape Coastal, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Midlands and North Eastern.
- Provincial Centres: FloridaFlorida, GautengFlorida, Gauteng is a location in South Africa. It is located about 10 miles west of Johannesburg. The area which is referred to as Florida was originally established as the farm Vogelstruisfontein...
(Gauteng), DurbanDurbanDurban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...
(KwaZulu-Natal), Cape TownCape TownCape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
(Western Cape), PolokwanePolokwanePolokwane, meaning "Place of Safety",is a city in the Polokwane Local Municipality and the capital of the Limpopo province, South Africa. It is also often referred to by its former name, Pietersburg. Polokwane is a major urban centre, the biggest and most important north of Gauteng. The population...
(Limpopo), NelspruitNelspruitNelspruit is a city of more than 500,000 people situated in northeastern South Africa. It is the capital of the Mpumalanga province . Located on the Crocodile River, Nelspruit lies about west of the Mozambique border and east of Johannesburg. The towns of Nelspruit are Kanyamazane and Pienaar...
(Mpumalanga), MafikengMafikengMahikeng – formerly legally, but still commonly known as Mafikeng – is the capital city of the North-West Province of South Africa. It is best known internationally for the Siege of Mafeking, the most famous engagement of the Second Boer War.Located on South Africa's border with Botswana, it is ...
(North West), Kimberley (Northern Cape), Port Elizabeth (Eastern Cape), BloemfonteinBloemfonteinBloemfontein is the capital city of the Free State Province of South Africa; and, as the judicial capital of the nation, one of South Africa's three national capitals – the other two being Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Pretoria, the administrative capital.Bloemfontein is popularly and...
(Free State).
Students and staff
The University currently has approximately 300 000 students in Southern Africa, other African countries and abroad. Unisa now has a staff component of just over 4 000 people who provide tuition and administrative support to students in South Africa and worldwide.Colleges
- College of Economic and Management Sciences
- College of Human Sciences
- College of Law
- College of Science, Engineering and Technology
- College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences
- Graduate School of Business Leadership (SBL)
Centres, institutes and bureaus
- Centre for African Renaissance Studies (CARS)
- Centre for Business Management (CBM)
- Adult Basic Education and Training (ABET)
- Criminological Sciences
- Corporate Citizenship
- Foreign and Comparative Law
- Open & Distance Learning
- Research Institute for Theology and Religion
- Science and Technology Education
Ranking
In 2010 WebometricsWebometrics
The science of webometrics tries to measure the World Wide Web to get knowledge about the number and types of hyperlinks, structure of the World Wide Web and usage patterns...
ranked the university the 8th best in South Africa and 1290th in the world.
Accreditation
Unisa received a Royal CharterRoyal Charter
A royal charter is a formal document issued by a monarch as letters patent, granting a right or power to an individual or a body corporate. They were, and are still, used to establish significant organizations such as cities or universities. Charters should be distinguished from warrants and...
in 1877. It currently operates under the Statute of the University of South Africa issued in terms of the Higher Education Act (No. 101 of 1997), and is accredited by the South African Department of Education and the Council on Higher Education (CHE). Its qualifications (including those of the SBL) are registered with the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA).
Internationally, Unisa is listed in the Commonwealth Universities Handbook of 1999 and also in the International Handbook of Universities of 1998.
On 12 January 2002 UNISA was granted full institutional accreditation from the Accrediting Commission of the Distance Education and Training Council
Distance Education and Training Council
The Distance Education and Training Council is a non-profit national educational accreditation agency in the United States specializing in the accreditation of distance education institutions.- History :...
(DETC). The accreditation lapsed in March, 2007, and UNISA did not pursue renewal.
Entrance requirements
Students need a school-leaving qualification that would entitle them to enter a university or college in their own country. However, Unisa also offers access courses to those who have completed their schooling but without university matriculation (i.e. to students who have a high school certificate/diploma without university entrance). If successful, students can study further for a degree.Advantages
Market research has shown that Unisa is rated as one of the top universities in South Africa (2001) - Unisa qualifications are sought after in the marketplace.- Courses are offered at one-quarter to one-third the price of residential universities;
- Courses are accessible as students who do not have a university entrance matric can register for UNISA's access programme;
- Courses are flexible, because students can plan their studies to fit into their lifestyles;
- The qualifications are credible, because of the international recognition afforded its qualifications.
Culture
The University of South Africa has been promoting and promulgating culture in all its manifestations since its inception in 1873. Apart from the academic courses offered by UNISA's College of Humanities, practical language, art and music skills have been actively pursued through the setting of curricula and the implementation of special courses and examinations.- African Centre for Arts, Culture and Heritage studies
- Museum of Anthropology and Archaeology
- Department of Music
- Unisa Space Art Gallery
- Unisa Music Foundation
Unisa Foundation
The Unisa Foundation was established in 1966 and now has approximately 280 active donors, many of them individual alumni with the desire to give back to the communities, South African and international, with a sense of social responsibility. Equally vital is the role played by the Board of Trustees, whose members not only oversee the affairs of the Unisa Foundation but who also lend the weight of their professional and personal reputations in a drive to reach potential donors, without financial reward to themselves.Based at Unisa's main campus in Muckleneuck, Pretoria, the Foundation has Fundraising and Development Divisions in Gauteng, the Western Cape and Kwa-Zulu Natal. The Fundraising and Development Divisions support the smooth running of projects being undertaken in their regions while raising additional funding for local community projects.
Vice-Chancellors and Principals
- Mandla S Makhanya
- Antony Melck
- Samuel Pauw
- Marinus Wiechers
- Barney PityanaBarney PityanaNyameko Barney Pityana FKC is a human rights lawyer and theologian in South Africa. He is an exponent of Black theology....
- AJH van der Walt
- Theo van Wijk
- Cas van Vuuren
Notable alumni (students and faculty)
The Alumni Relations Office deals with all matters that are related to alumni. All Unisa Graduates or Convocants are therefore the alumni of the University. Unisa has established the Alumni Association which is a platform for alumni to actively participate in the activities of the University in order to contribute to its long-term success and sustainability.
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The University
- The University of South Africa website
- Google Map of Unisa
- Open Street Map
- myUnisa - The official Unisa website for students
- WikiStudent.ws - the unofficial Unisa website for students and by students of the University of South Africa
- - The official Unisa Facebook Page
- - The official Unisa Twitter page