The University of the Free State (UFS) offers postgraduate diplomas, honours degrees, master's degrees by coursework or dissertation, and doctoral degrees across seven faculties. You apply online, and UFS publishes a postgraduate closing dates document that sets different dates by faculty and qualification. Here is how it works, based on UFS's official pages.
Closing dates for 2027 study
Applications open on 1 April. The closing dates document lists, for example:
- Economic and Management Sciences: 30 September for local applicants and 31 August for international applicants, for postgraduate diplomas, BCom and BAdmin honours, MCom degrees and PhDs
- Education: 30 September for the PGCE, BEd Honours, MEd and PhD, for local and international applicants
- UFS Business School programmes on the Bloemfontein Campus: 30 September for local applicants and 31 August for international applicants
- Health Sciences: 30 September for postgraduate diplomas and the BMedScHons, 31 August for the Master of Public Health, and open all year for most master's and doctoral degrees by dissertation
- Natural and Agricultural Sciences: 31 October for honours and coursework master's degrees, and 15 September 2026 for master's degrees by dissertation and the PhD
- Law: 31 October for coursework master's degrees, and 31 March for master's by full dissertation and the LLD and PhD
How to apply
- Find your programme's closing date in the postgraduate closing dates document or the 2027 Postgraduate Prospectus.
- Check the department's own requirements, which may come before the university application.
- Apply online through UFS's application portal.
- International applicants must upload a SAQA certificate.
Department requirements: an example
The Department of Geography shows how this works. For honours, you need an average of 60% for third-year Geography modules, and selection also considers the Test of Academic Literacy for Postgraduate Students (TALPS). You write a letter of application to the head of department by 30 September of the year before you study. For a master's or PhD, you first submit an extensive research proposal. The department only nominates a supervisor if it has the expertise, and only then can you apply to the university.
Funding
UFS's financial aid pages list academic merit awards for postgraduate students, sundry bursaries from sponsors, a Fundi loan for postgraduate students, and NRF bursaries. For NRF master's and PhD funding, see the NRF website at www.nrf.ac.za, or contact the NRF Support Desk on 012 481 4202.
Studying in person
UFS is a contact institution. Some departments, such as Geography, expect you to live in or travel to Bloemfontein or Qwaqwa for classes and progress presentations.
Related pages
See UFS fees, UFS bursaries and how to apply to UFS.
Frequently Asked Questions
When do UFS postgraduate applications close?
It depends on the faculty and qualification, from 31 August to 31 October for most programmes.
Do UFS research degrees have a closing date?
Some do. In Health Sciences, most dissertation-based master's and doctoral degrees are open all year.
Do international UFS applicants need SAQA?
Yes. They must upload a SAQA certificate.