University of Johannesburg

The University of Johannesburg, colloquially known as UJ, is a public university located in Johannesburg, South Africa. The University of Johannesburg was established on 1 January 2005 as the result of a merger between the Rand Afrikaans University (RAU), the Technikon Witwatersrand (TWR) and the Soweto and East Rand campuses of Vista University. Prior to the merger, the Daveyton and Soweto campuses of the former Vista University had been incorporated into RAU. As a result of the merger of Rand Afrikaans University (RAU), it is common for alumni to refer to the university as RAU.
The institution is one of the largest comprehensive contact universities in South Africa from the 26 public universities that make up the higher education system. UJ has a student population of more than 50,000, of which more than 3,000 are international students from 80 countries.
British colonialism, 1900s During the Johannesburg gold rush, several training institutions were established to meet the skilled labour needs of the gold mines. One such institution was the Witwatersrand Technical Institute, founded in 1903, with origins tracing back to the Kimberly School of Mines. It later evolved into Technikon Witwatersrand in 1979, following the British educational model with English as the medium of instruction. Admission policies were initially restricted to white students proficient in English. In 2006, the University of Johannesburg, which had already absorbed the operations of Technikon Witwatersrand, sold the institute's property.
Independence, 1960sIt would take more than thirty years before complete independence of South Africa from Britain was achieved. Following its election in 1948 the National Party sought to provide education in the Afrikaans language, the third most spoken mother-tongue language in South Africa. This led to the foundation of Rand Afrikaans University (RAU) in 1966. At the time of its founding, RAU was the second university to be established in Johannesburg and it was established through an act of parliament as the academic hub for Afrikaners. After the fall of Apartheid in 1994, African students started to become more involved in previously white institutions of higher education. RAU was no exception as for the first time in 1995, it had the largest number of African students in its ranks, followed by the University of the Witwatersrand, Rhodes University and the University of Cape Town.
In 1982, Vista University admitted the first black students in designated urban black settlements across South Africa. It was established in Port Elizabeth. It had seven satellite campuses throughout South African townships, making tertiary education accessible to most African people, and it had its first academic year in 1983.
It was envisioned that a modern university would spring from unification, and not separation, as it was enforced in the past. The University of Johannesburg, established on 1 January 2005, is the result of the incorporation of the East Rand and Soweto campuses of Vista University into the Rand Afrikaans University (RAU). The merger of the modified RAU and the Technikon Witwatersrand took place on 1 January 2005 thus creating the University of Johannesburg.
The integration of these institutions – with seemingly more differences than similarities, offers the University of Johannesburg a unique identity and character, which serves to bridge the chasms that previously divided South Africa. Indeed, no other university in South Africa truly represents the rainbow nation like the University of Johannesburg.
The incorporation and merger was part of a series of major programmes that restructured higher education in South Africa; a result of the National Plan for Higher Education (2001). Consequently, this meant there was a reduction from 36 universities and technikons to 22 higher education institutions. South Africa now has 11 traditional universities, five universities of technology and six comprehensive institutions.
Logo and brand identityThe University of Johannesburg distinguishes itself from its previous institutions as a new, adaptable and progressive institution. Early on it was decided that UJ did not want a coat of arms and motto, as is custom with other tertiary educational institutions in South Africa. The administration decided rather to opt for a logo and brand identity. An internal competition was held where current students could put forward their proposals. In the interim, the previous motto of the Rand Afrikaans University "Diens Deur Kennis" (Afrikaans for Service Through Knowledge) was maintained.
Key elements of the logo include:
The official logo, designed by Joey Hifi, features two African hoopoes (Upupa africana), which is also the official mascot of the UJ Sports Bureau.
UJ has four campuses: the Auckland Park Kingsway, Auckland Park Bunting Road, Doornfontein and Soweto campuses – all located in the metropolitan area of the City of Johannesburg.
The university comprises a built-up area over 45,000m and the facilities available at the respective campuses include:
UJ owns an island in the Vaal River, formerly known as RAU Island.
APK, is the largest and most populated campus of the University of Johannesburg. It is also the seat of the administration and governance body of the university. The campus was formerly the only educational campus of the Rand Afrikaans University. The campus gets its name from a major Johannesburg road, Kingsway Avenue, that runs along the north-east side of the campus. The roads that form the boundary of the campus are (clock-wise) University Road, Ditton Avenue, Ripley Road, Hampton Avenue, Studente Avenue, Akademie Road and Perth Road. Although the official name of the campus implies that it is in Auckland Park, it actually falls just out of that suburb by one street. It is technically in the suburb of Rossmore with the first-year parking lot bordering the suburb of Melville, Gauteng.
The ABP was originally a campus of the Technikon Witwatersrand. Uniquely, the campus is an enclosed section of a suburb. The main thoroughfare of the suburb is Bunting Road. The name Bunting Road, according to the City of Johannesburg archives is derived from a subspecies of bird and not the decorative banner it is currently associated with. It houses the Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture.
The East Rand Campus (ERC) was temporarily closed halfway through 2007 pending proposed redevelopment of the campus, provisionally planned for reopening in 2009.
The university's administration is structured into various departments and units, each with specific roles and responsibilities.
The Academic Administration Staff is a key part of the university's organisation. This team includes the Head of Faculty Administration, Senior Faculty Officers, Faculty Officers, Administrative Assistants, and Departmental Secretaries. They manage and facilitate academic matters, including undergraduate and postgraduate programs.
In addition to academic administration, UJ has an Operations Structure that includes Protection Services, Occupational Safety, and Central Technical Services.
The Strategic Initiatives and Administration unit at UJ plays a key role in shaping the university's research and innovation direction. This unit is responsible for reviewing and revising policies, drafting proposals and statutory reports for the Research & Innovation Division, and managing and facilitating opportunities on strategic research projects and partnerships with external institutions.
The University of Johannesburg has the following executive management structure:
The Vice-Chancellor and Principal is the executive head of the university. All the offices listed below are subordinate to the Vice-Chancellor and Principal.
Whose executive duties involve overseeing academic development and support, the dean of each faculty and effectively head of each school is subordinate to the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic.
Is the officer responsible for financial governance and revenue as well as expenditure and also effectively oversees the UJ pension fund.
Responsible for Internationalization, and overseeing Research and Innovation as well as the Library and Information Center.
Responsible for central Academic administration (including alumni), corporate governance ad well as student health and wellness.
General legal affairs pertaining the university, disputes and litigation as well as contracts.
Responsible for the management of university facilities, safety and security as well as human capital management.
University relations, sports, and general student affairs.
The University calls this the Executive Leadership Group (ELG).
The university is home to nine faculties.
As it is a common practice with all South African universities, South African applicants to the University of Johannesburg are required to apply in advance for admission into their preferred course by no later than the end of September. Therefore, prospective South African matriculants must apply for their preferred course of study before the completion of their matric year. As of 2013, the University of Johannesburg has adopted a "no walk-in" policy and therefore, prospective and current students are required to apply for admission and complete their registration online.
International students have to comply with a specialised admission process and must apply for admission into their preferred course by no later than the end of September.
Registration for undergraduates and postgraduates takes place before the commencement of the academic year. New registrations for qualifying matriculants takes place in January shortly after the matric results are released.
Undergraduate teaching takes place over the duration of four terms or two semesters during the course of the year. Some subjects are taught throughout the duration of the year known as year-long subjects and other subjects are taught over the course of two terms or one semester. Some subjects have prerequisites such as a requirement for a student to complete a specific course or subject/s before they are permitted to continue with a related subject.
The teaching terms usually coincide with Gauteng public school terms though can change as the university administration sees fit.
Undergraduate programmeOnce a high school student has passed their Matric examinations obtaining an NQF level 5 qualification and meeting the minimum requirements of their chosen undergraduate programme the student may pursue a bachelor's degree, Advanced Diploma, Post Graduate Certificate or B-tech which are set to be completed within three years for most faculties however, there are sometimes options to extend ones undergraduate programme usually by an extra year. Once a graduate has passed all of the requisite modules for their degree, the graduate will obtain a degree certificate (NQF level 7) with all the rights and privileges conferred on them by the university in accordance with the National Qualifications Framework (NQF).
The University of Johannesburg also offers undergraduate Higher Certificates and Advanced National (vocational) Certificates (NQF level 5) as well as National Diplomas and Advanced certificates (NQF level 6) which usually require fewer than three years to complete.
Graduate programmeOnce an undergraduate has obtained their undergraduate bachelor's degree, Advanced Diploma, Post Graduate Certificate or B-tech, the undergraduate may wish to pursue further education and research by obtaining a post-graduate degree. The South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) is a statutory body, regulated in terms of the National Qualifications Framework Act that governs the National Qualification Framework (NQF) where an undergraduate may progress to further levels of education. The highest level the university may confer on a student is an NQF level of 10, also known as a PhD. The progression from one NQF level to the next after obtaining a bachelor's degree, advanced diploma, post-graduate certificate or B-tech is the following:
There are many opportunities for students studying at the University of Johannesburg to receive financial support. One of the primary methods in which a student may receive financial support is as a result of a students academic performance at the end of their matriculation year. This type of financial support is known as an academic merit bursary that is only awarded to students who observe the stringent "M-score" academic requirements of such support. The academic merit bursary offers up to 100% payment of tuition fees and an additional stipend amount to qualifying applicants.
An alumni bursary is offered to qualifying postgraduate students that may be applied for in the applicants respective faculty offices. Postgraduate students may apply for funding through the National Research Foundation (NRF) that offers up to 100% payment of tuition fees and an additional stipend amount to qualifying applicants.
Alternative funding includes applying for funding through the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) as well as through applying for funding through external sponsorship bursaries.
The University of Johannesburg has a large research compendium, with researchers in various fields and research focus areas. The university has 314 NRF rated researchers, seven of whom are "A-rated" researchers, internationally recognised in their fields.
Research centres
Below is a list of all the research centres at the University of Johannesburg with information regarding their efforts, breakthroughs and other information where applicable.
Research focus areas
Below is a list of the spread of the NRF rated researchers per faculty as at April 2013.
The University of Johannesburg is composed of eight faculties. Each faculty offers a variety of programs and courses that cater to the diverse interests and career goals of students.
The Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture (FADA) offers programmes in eight creative disciplines.
FADA is home to the following departments:
The University of Johannesburg's College of Business and Economics (CBE) was launched on the 1st of July 2017. The college emerged from the former Faculty of Management and the former Faculty of Economic and Financial Sciences.
The faculty includes different schools namely:
The faculty of Education's research focus areas include ecologists of learning to ecologists of practice, learning to be a teacher – towards learner outcomes in schools, discourse and performative practice of teachers in language literacy and communication, keystone species in the science and mathematics classrooms of two schools, teachers building practice as community counselors, teachers and tools: crafting technology education in practice, teacher identity and the culture of schools, Information and communication technology in schools, Values and human rights in education, and aggression in secondary schools in South Africa.
The faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment's research focus areas include civil engineering materials research, chromium steels, control and image processing, industrial electronics technology, manufacturing, mineral processing and technology, optical communications, process optimization of thermodynamic systems, small-scale mining and minerals, speech and signal processing, telecommunications, unmanned aerial vehicles, water research.
The faculty of Health Sciences' research focus areas include Laser Research, optometrics science, Water and Health Research. There is also a big department for sport studies which includes sport psychology, sport management, sport communication, sport development and sport science. It houses the following departments (some of which serve as the best in the country):
The faculty of Humanities' research focus areas include social development in Africa, sociological research, culture and languages in Africa, African-European studies, and the study of democracy.
The faculty of Law's research focus areas include the study of economic crime, private international law in Africa, banking law, international law in Africa, international and comparative labour and social security law, and sport law.
The faculty of Science's research focus areas include nanotechnology, energy and sustainable development, aquatic eco-toxicology, and economic geo-metallurgy.
The faculty currently has 11 departments: Academy of Computer Science and Software Engineering; Biochemistry; Biotechnology and Food Technology; Botany and Plant Biotechnology; Chemical Sciences; Geography, Environmental Management & Energy Studies; Geology; Physics; Pure and Applied Mathematics; Statistics; and Zoology.
The University of Johannesburg has a students' representative council (SRC) referred to as the UJSRC, as well as an SRC for each of the four campuses. The UJSRC consists of eight members, two members per campus, and they are elected by the student bodies of each campus. The UJSRC represents all UJ students, addressing issues and concerns which are of relevance to the whole student body. Each individual campus has its own Campus SRC which is elected from members of that particular campus' student body. The powers and functions of Campus SRCs are delegated to them by the UJSRC and Campus SRCs consist of ten members.
The University of Johannesburg has a radio station that airs on its campuses called UJFM which aims to reflect the demographics of the university by airing content that is relevant to the target market. In April 2010, UJFM moved to the Bunting Road Campus where it has access to more professional, state of the art equipment. UJFM operates on a frequency of 95.4FM.
The university also has its own student newspaper, the UJ Observer. The purpose of the paper is to act as a communication medium for the student community with the goal of providing information to the student community, investigating issues of importance to the student community, and reflecting debates about current affairs on the various campuses of the university. The UJ Observer also offers journalism students a practical platform to learn and develop journalistic and managerial skill sets. However, students do not necessarily have to be journalism students to be a members of the UJ Observer's editorial team. The paper operates on all of the campuses of the University of Johannesburg.
Students interested in taking part in charity events can do so via UJ's RAG (Remember and Give) committees, which are voluntary student organizations that raise funds and take part in community relief efforts. It is a tradition at UJ to host a RAG Week during the opening week of the academic year, in which events like musical performances, beauty competitions, fun days and float processions take place to generate funds. However, RAG committees operate throughout the academic year in various activities.
Registered students have the option to take part in societies at UJ which are divided into four broad kinds of society: academic societies, political societies, religious societies and social societies.
The University of Johannesburg (UJ) has a dedicated division for Athletics, Sports, Arts, and Culture. The UJ Sport division is responsible for all sports activities at the university. It provides a range of sports clubs detailed in the section below as well as a club for Students with Disabilities. UJ Sport also operates fitness centers with state-of-the-art equipment.
UJ Arts & Culture, a division of the Faculty of Art, Design & Architecture (FADA), produces and presents student and professional arts programs. This division offers a range of arts platforms on all four UJ campuses for students, staff, alumni, and the general public to experience and engage with. It also hosts various events and exhibitions.
These divisions play a crucial role in providing a holistic educational experience at UJ, promoting physical health, creativity, and cultural engagement.
Athletics and sport
The university offers many different kinds of sport:
As with the former RAU, rugby is a large focus of many students. UJ's competitive sport is regulated by the UJ Sports Bureau. Sport education is regulated by the Faculty of Health Science and Department of Sport and Movement Studies.
UJ has made a name for itself in athletics, hockey, basketball and rowing particularly. 2008 Olympic representative Juan Van Deventer was at the time a student. Several players who competed for the South Africa national basketball team at the 2011 African Basketball Championship in Madagascar were UJ Alumni.
UJ has numerous sporting venues:
Arts and culture
The University of Johannesburg has an arts centre, comprising a 436-seat theatre, an art gallery and rehearsal studios where the UJ Arts Academy rehearses. This academy consists of the University of Johannesburg Choir (conducted by Sizwe Mondlane), the UJ Drama Company, the UJ Dance Company and the UJ Song and Dance Company.
UJ enrolled 41,628 undergraduates (~82%) and 9,080 postgraduate (~18%) students in 2018.
Residence life
The Student Accommodation & Residence Life division is mainly responsible for the accommodation of approximately 19,000 students in both university-owned and managed residences as well as off-campus accredited privately owned accommodation.
This is a vast division with 35 residences, including the seven day houses, spread over four campuses at the University of Johannesburg.
Off-campus accommodation accredited properties are mostly within 2 km of each campus, and in the case they are beyond the prescribed radius, the set condition is that service providers are obliged to provide transport. Additionally, inter-campus transportation is provided for all students residing in off-campus residences and houses. The university offers to all students a list of accredited off-campus accommodation.
As of 2024, the university employs a total headcount of 1,276 permanent instructional/research professional staff. This figure encompasses all employees, including full-time, part-time, and temporary staff, regardless of their working hours.
The FTE for the university stands at 1,170 permanent instructional/research professional staff. This metric converts the total hours worked by all employees into the equivalent number of full-time employees, providing a more standardised measure of workforce capacity.
The University of Johannesburg has numerous alumni and faculty members distinguished in their respective fields.
Notable events
Controversy
In 2011 the university decided to suspend ties with Israeli Ben-Gurion University, citing the university's support for the Israeli military. The decision was seen to affect projects in biotechnology and water purification.
However, two days later, Ihron Rensburg, vice-chancellor and principal of the university issued a statement saying that "UJ is not part of an academic boycott of Israel...It has never been UJ's intention to sever all ties with BGU, although it may have been the intention of some UJ staff members."