Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University (SMU) in Ga-Rankuwa offers postgraduate diplomas, honours degrees, master's degrees, such as the MSc in Clinical Psychology, and doctorates in the health sciences. You apply online and also send an enrolment form for each postgraduate choice. Here is how it works, based on SMU's official pages.
Closing date for 2027
Applications for the 2027 academic year opened on 1 April 2026. Postgraduate programmes closed on Monday, 31 August 2026, and undergraduate programmes on 31 July 2026. SMU does not allow applications after the closing date.
How to apply
- Read SMU's admission selection rules for your programme.
- Apply online. You may choose up to two study choices, and your first choice is treated as your first preference.
- Complete the postgraduate enrolment form for recommendation for each choice, and send it to postgrad.studies@smu.ac.za.
- For third and further postgraduate choices, send only the enrolment form for each choice.
- Pay the non-refundable R300 application fee, using your ID number as the reference.
If you apply for both an undergraduate and a postgraduate programme, you apply for each separately, but you pay only one application fee.
Documents
Upload certified, individually scanned copies of your ID or passport, your school certificate, your degree certificates and academic records, and proof of payment. Applicants for the MSc in Clinical Psychology should read SMU's application guide for that programme.
The SMU postgraduate tuition fee bursary
Students with an average of 65% in their prior-year results may apply for SMU's postgraduate bursary. It is not automatic: you apply through the Postgraduate and Research Office, and awards depend on the budget. Key conditions for 2026 include:
- Students who receive external bursaries, such as from the NRF, CSIR or SAMRC, do not qualify
- If another bursary does not cover the full cost, SMU's bursary covers only the difference
- Employed students are excluded
- Students who do not finish within the stipulated period do not qualify
- The bursary is awarded once per study programme
Bursary holders still pay the R4,500 registration fee, residence fees and other expenses, and no refunds are allowed on the bursary.
Residence
Complete the residence section of the application only if you want to stay in a university residence. Make sure that the names on your application match your ID or passport, and complete every section accurately, because SMU verifies the information you provide. Information on funding is available from SMU's Financial Aid Office at the One Stop Centre.
Related pages
See SMU fees, SMU bursaries and how to apply to SMU.
Frequently Asked Questions
When do SMU postgraduate applications close?
For 2027, on 31 August 2026.
How much is SMU's application fee?
R300, and it is not refundable.
Who qualifies for the SMU postgraduate bursary?
Students with an average of 65% in their prior-year results who apply through the Postgraduate and Research Office.