Ph.D. LANGUAGE AND LITERACY at UWC

The doctoral program in Language & Literacy will prepare you to become a specialized literacy professional within the school district, state, or federal literacy programs, and to engage in scholarly teaching, research, and publication in a university setting.

Admission Requirements

The minimum admission requirement is a National Senior Certificate (NSC) as certified by Umalusi with an achievement rating of 4 (Adequate achievement, 50-59%) or better in four subjects chosen from the following recognized 20-credit NSC subjects (known as the ‘designated subject list’): Accounting, Agricultural Sciences, Business Studies, Dramatic Arts, Economics, Engineering Graphics and Design, Geography, History, Consumer Studies, Information Technology, Languages (one language of learning and teaching at a higher education institution and two other recognized language subjects), Life Sciences, Mathematics, Mathematical Literacy, Music, Physical Sciences, Religion Studies, Visual Arts.

The Point System
For admission to degree and diploma programmes, UWC will use a weighted system for calculating points, stated as follows:

NSC LevelPercentagePoints for English (*)Points for Maths or Maths LitPoints for Life OrientationPoints for each Other Subject
890-100%151538
780-89%131337
670-79%111126
560-69%9925
450-59%7724
340-49%5513
230-39%3312
120-29%1111
 less than 20%0000

(*) – ‘English’ here refers to either English home language or English first additional language, not a second additional language, which would rather fall under ‘other subjects’

Document Required

Document upload

Post-Matric Learners                                                                                                 

If you have written the NSC examination already, you need to submit the following:

Certified copy of your NSC certificate or Senior Certificate

Certified copy of your identification document

Proof of any studies with academic records, if applicable, you may have completed

If applicable, proof that you are currently improving your NSC results

In an affidavit a brief description of activities post-matric/NSC

For applicants who are re-writing Grade 12 subjects, applications will be processed on the current grade 12 results. If Grade 12 has been written more than once then your combined results must be submitted with your application.

Transfer Students

If you are applying from another institution of higher learning you need to submit certified copies of the following:

NSC Certificate or Senior Certificate

Identification document

Certificate of good conduct from your institution

Official Academic Transcript

Module content / Yearbook descriptor from your institution for all modules completed

Degree certificate (if applicable)

Students applying for readmission to UWC

If you have studied at UWC previously and have taken a break in study, you need to provide a letter of motivation to be considered for readmission to your respective faculty

International Students 

You need to submit your final school results to Universities South Africa (USAF) for an evaluation

Application for Exemption is to be done with Universities South Africa (USAF) formerly Higher Education South Africa (HESA) using the following link: https://mbit-application.usaf.ac.za/assessment/

We, unfortunately, will not be able to respond to your application until you submit a confirmation letter issued by USAF stating that you qualify to study at a South African University

Certified copy of your passport.

Apply Online