UFS BSc Biological Sciences Course
About
Biologists study and do research on the origin, relationships, development, derivation, anatomy, functions, heredity and other basic characteristics of plant and animal life. They study all aspects of living organisms, as well as the relationships between animals and plants and their environment.
They usually specialise in research or the development of specific plants, animals or aspects of biology. The nature of their work depends on the field chosen, namely:
- Botany: Botanists are scientists who study the origin, development, physiology, reproduction, distribution, interdependence, classification and other aspects of plants. They can specialise in plant morphology, plant ecology, plant genetics, to name but a few.
- Zoology: Zoologists study several aspects of animals, namely the origin, behaviour and processes of life. Fields of specialisation include: morphology, taxonomy, genetics, zoogeographics, embryology, behavioural studies and aquaculture.
- Entomology: Entomologists study all aspects connected with insects. Extensive study and research can be done in the fields of taxonomy, behaviour, insect pest control, etc.
- Biochemistry: Biochemists examine the structure and functions of chemical compounds in all living organisms such as plants, animals, insects, viruses and microbes. They study aspects such as the metabolism, inter- relationships between structures, etc. (GOSTUDY)
Our faculty is a vibrant place that attracts both national and international students as a result of its stimulating curriculum, and to which scholars are lured because of our exciting research agenda. We are an engaged faculty, whose interactions with its community is integrated with research and teaching. The faculty provides opportunities for further study, research, and scholarly community engagement in diverse disciplines spanning the natural, agricultural, and building sciences.
FOR FURTHER ENQUIRIES ABOUT ANY OF THESE PROGRAMMES PLEASE CONTACT:
Enquiries:
| Biochemistry | Dr Frans O’Neill | +27 51 401 7553 |
| Botany, Plant Breeding, Plant Pathology, Plant Health Ecology, Environmental Rehabilitation | Botma Visser | +27 51 401 3278 |
| Genetics, Behavioural Genetics, Human Molecular Biology | Zurika Murray | +27 51 401 2776 |
| Forensic Sciences | Dr Karen Ehlers | +27 51 401 3978 |
| Microbiology | Prof Koos Albertyn | +27 51 401 2223 |
| Zoology and Entomology | Dr Candice Jansen van Rensburg | +27 51 401 9357 |
Requirements
- NSC and an AP of 30
- Language of instruction on level 4 (50%)
- Mathematics on level 5 (60%)
- Life Sciences on level 5 (60%)
- Physical Sciences on level 4 (50%)
- NBT for Academic (AL) and Quantitative (QL) Literacy Test; and Mathematics Test (MT)
Learning programmes in the BIOLOGICAL FIELD OF INTEREST 1 offers SIXTEEN options with a combination of any two majors, e.g. Biochemistry and Microbiology, Biochemistry and Genetics, Biochemistry and Botany, Biochemistry and Entomology, Biochemistry and Zoology, Microbiology and Genetics, Microbiology and Botany, Microbiology and Entomology, Microbiology and Zoology, or Microbiology and Food Science.
Learning programmes in the BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES FIELD OF INTEREST 2 offers SEVEN options with Biochemistry and Food Science, Biochemistry and Statistics, Biochemistry and Physiology, Behavioural Genetics (Genetics and Psychology), Genetics and Physiology, Human Molecular Biology or Forensic Sciences.
Learning programmes in the BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES FIELD OF INTEREST 3 offers FOUR options: Plant Health Ecology, Botany and Plant Pathology, Botany and Plant Breeding, and Environmental Rehabilitation with Botany as a major in combination with other modules.
Learning programmes in the BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES FIELD OF INTEREST 4 offers THREE options: Biochemistry and Food Science, Biochemistry and Statistics, Biochemistry and Physiology.
Biological Sciences
| Programme Description | Minimum Admission Requirements | |||||||||
| Programme | Academic Plan Code | AP | Language of instruction | Mathematics | Life Sciences | Physical Sciences | Compulsory National Benchmark Test | Campus | ||
| BSc majoring in Biochemistry and Botany | BC431920 | 30 | 4 (50%) | 5 (60%) | 5 (60%) | 4 (50%) | AL, QL, MT | BC | ||
| BSc majoring in Biochemistry and Entomology | BC431927 | 30 | 4 (50%) | 5 (60%) | 5 (60%) | 4 (50%) | AL, QL, MT | BC | ||
| BSc majoring in Biochemistry and Food Science | BC431929 | 30 | 4 (50%) | 5 (60%) | 5 (60%) | 4 (50%) | AL, QL, MT | BC | ||
| BSc majoring in Biochemistry and Genetics | BC431931 | 30 | 4 (50%) | 5 (60%) | 5 (60%) | 4 (50%) | AL, QL, MT | BC | ||
| BSc majoring in Biochemistry and Microbiology | BC431939 | 30 | 4 (50%) | 5 (60%) | 5 (60%) | 4 (50%) | AL, QL, MT | BC | ||
| BSc majoring in Biochemistry and Statistics | BC431946 | 30 | 4 (50%) | 5 (60%) | 5 (60%) | 4 (50%) | AL, QL, MT | BC | ||
| BSc majoring in Biochemistry and Zoology | BC4319249 | 30 | 4 (50%) | 5 (60%) | 5 (60%) | 4 (50%) | AL, QL, MT | BC | ||
| BSc majoring in Biochemistry and Physiology | BC431980 | 30 | 4 (50%) | 5 (60%) | 5 (60%) | 4 (50%) | AL, QL, MT | BC | ||
| BSc majoring in Botany and Entomology | BC432027 | 30 | 4 (50%) | 5 (60%) | 5 (60%) | 4 (50%) | AL, QL, MT | BC | ||
| BSc majoring in Botany and Genetics | BC432031 | 30 | 4 (50%) | 5 (60%) | 5 (60%) | 4 (50%) | AL, QL, MT | BC | ||
| BSc majoring in Botany and Microbiology | BC432039 | 30 | 4 (50%) | 5 (60%) | 5 (60%) | 4 (50%) | AL, QL, MT | BC | ||
| BSc majoring in Botany and Plant Breeding | BC432041 | 30 | 4 (50%) | 5 (60%) | 5 (60%) | 4 (50%) | AL, QL, MT | BC | ||
| BSc majoring in Botany and Plant Breeding | BC432041 | 30 | 4 (50%) | 5 (60%) | 5 (60%) | 4 (50%) | AL, QL, MT | BC | ||
| BSc majoring in Botany and Plant Pathology | BC432042 | 30 | 4 (50%) | 5 (60%) | 5 (60%) | 4 (50%) | AL, QL, MT | BC | ||
| BSc majoring in Botany and Zoology | BC432049 | 30 | 4 (50%) | 5 (60%) | 5 (60%) | 4 (50%) | AL, QL, MT | BC | ||
| BSc majoring in Plant Health Ecology | BC432182 | 30 | 4 (50%) | 5 (60%) | 5 (60%) | 4 (50%) | AL, QL, MT | BC | ||
| BSc majoring in Entomology and Genetics | BC432731 | 30 | 4 (50%) | 5 (60%) | 5 (60%) | 4 (50%) | AL, QL, MT | BC | ||
| BSc majoring in Entomology and Microbiology | BC432739 | 30 | 4 (50%) | 5 (60%) | 5 (60%) | 4 (50%) | AL, QL, MT | BC | ||
| BSc majoring in Entomology and Zoology | BC432749 | 30 | 4 (50%) | 5 (60%) | 5 (60%) | 4 (50%) | AL, QL, MT | BC | ||
| BSc majoring in Behavioural Genetics* | BC433118 | 30 | 4 (50%) | 5 (60%) | 5 (60%) | 4 (50%) | AL, QL, MT | BC | ||
| BSc majoring in Genetics and Microbiology | BC433139 | 30 | 4 (50%) | 5 (60%) | 5 (60%) | 4 (50%) | AL, QL, MT | BC | ||
| BSc majoring in Genetics and Physiology | BC433180 | 30 | 4 (50%) | 5 (60%) | 5 (60%) | 4 (50%) | AL, QL, MT | BC | ||
| BSc majoring in Genetics and Zoology | BC433149 | 30 | 4 (50%) | 5 (60%) | 5 (60%) | 4 (50%) | AL, QL, MT | BC | ||
| BSc majoring in Microbiology and Food Science | BC433929 | 30 | 4 (50%) | 5 (60%) | 5 (60%) | 4 (50%) | AL, QL, MT | BC | ||
| BSc majoring in Microbiology and Statistics | BC433946 | 30 | 4 (50%) | 5 (60%) | 5 (60%) | 4 (50%) | AL, QL, MT | BC | ||
| BSc majoring in Microbiology and Zoology | BC433949 | 30 | 4 (50%) | 5 (60%) | 5 (60%) | 4 (50%) | AL, QL, MT | BC | ||
| BSc majoring in Environmental Rehabilitation | BC432061 | 30 | 4 (50%) | 5 (60%) | 5 (60%) | 4 (50%) | AL, QL, MT | BC | ||
Note: Students intending to register for Chemistry as a major, must take note that only 80 students in the second year and only 60 students in the third year will be admitted, based on academic excellence.
* The following behavioural genetics learning programme differs from the above biology programmes: Behavioural Genetics is a combination of Psychology and Genetics. The main purpose of this subject area is to study the interaction between the environment and hereditary behavioural patterns. After completion of this study, the student will have a thorough basic knowledge of Behavioural Genetics. The student will be capable of specialising on postgraduate level (up to PhD) in Behavioural Genetics, Genetics or Psychology. Postgraduate training is essential in order to work as a behavioural geneticist.
ADMISSION
Pay attention to the following important information:
- Higher Education South Africa (HESA) set specific admission requirements that you must meet if you want to study at any South African university. If you finished school in or after 2008, and have a National Senior Certificate (NSC), you need the following to apply for admission to a Bachelor’s Degree at any South African university:
- Four (4) of the seven (7) subjects included in your NSC subject package, must be from the designated subject list.
- Achieve a performance level of at least 4 (50%) in each of these four (4) subjects
- All admission requirements apply to first year students in 2018.
- Admission to study at the UFS is dependent on the following:
- Your application meets all the minimum requirements for the programme
- The programme must have available space and capacity to admit students
- You have to submit valid school results with your application
- The UFS reserves to right to change the minimum requirements of each programme without notifying you.
- Applications for all non-selection programmes close on 29 September 2017.
An admission point (AP) consisting of seven levels is used. Points will be awarded for six academic modules.
No points will be awarded for achievement levels lower than 30%:
| Percentage | 7 (90-100%) | 7 (80-89%) | 6 (70-79%) | 5 (60-69%) | 4 (50-59%) | 3 (40-49%) | 2 (30-39%) |
| AP | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 |
One point is awarded for Life Orientation (LO) from achievement level 5 (60%) or higher.
How to apply
APPLICATION TO STUDY AT THE UFS IS FREE FOR SA, SADC AND NON-SADC STUDENTS
ONLINE application: Go to www.ufs.ac.za. Follow the link ‘how to apply’ – online application. For assistance, contact +27 51 401 9538.
Remember to upload copies of:
- Your ID or passport
- Your parent’s ID or passport if you are younger than 18 years
- Your Grade 11 final results and Grade 12 June results, both with the school’s stamp
- Your academic records if you are a current student at another institution of higher learning
WRITTEN application: Go to www.ufs.ac.za. Follow the link ‘how to apply’ and download the application. Complete and sign it, and post it with all the relevant documentation to The Application Office, PO Box 339, Bloemfontein, 9300.
Remember to include copies of:
- Your ID or passport
- Your parent’s ID or passport if you are younger than 18 years
- Your Grade 11 final results and Grade 12 June results, both with the school’s stamp
- Your academic records if you are a current student at another institution of higher learning
FOR FURTHER ENQUIRIES ABOUT ANY OF THESE PROGRAMMES PLEASE CONTACT:
Enquiries:
| Biochemistry | Dr Frans O’Neill | +27 51 401 7553 |
| Botany, Plant Breeding, Plant Pathology, Plant Health Ecology, Environmental Rehabilitation | Botma Visser | +27 51 401 3278 |
| Genetics, Behavioural Genetics, Human Molecular Biology | Zurika Murray | +27 51 401 2776 |
| Forensic Sciences | Dr Karen Ehlers | +27 51 401 3978 |
| Microbiology | Prof Koos Albertyn | +27 51 401 2223 |
| Zoology and Entomology | Dr Candice Jansen van Rensburg | +27 51 401 9357 |
