Choosing a course at the University of Mpumalanga (UMP) starts with matching your matric subjects and APS score to one of the university’s three faculties — see the full UMP qualifications list for every programme on offer. Here’s a practical way to narrow it down for 2027 applications.
If you’re strong in Maths and Science
Look at the Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Sciences — particularly the BSc-track degrees in Agriculture, Environmental Science, and the ICT programmes in the School of Computing and Mathematical Sciences. These programmes generally set the highest APS and subject requirements at UMP, so a solid Mathematics (not Maths Literacy) pass matters here. Check our admission requirements guide for the specifics.
If you want to teach
The Faculty of Education’s Bachelor of Education in Foundation Phase Teaching is UMP’s flagship education qualification, with strong demand given South Africa’s ongoing need for qualified teachers, especially in African languages and early childhood education.
If you’re interested in business, tourism, or the arts
The Faculty of Economics, Development and Business Sciences covers this ground broadly — Commerce, Administration, Development Studies, Hospitality and Tourism Management, and the wide range of Social Sciences and Arts programmes (Media, Psychology, Sociology, languages). This faculty also has UMP’s lower-entry options like Higher Certificates and Diplomas, useful if your APS doesn’t yet meet a Bachelor’s degree threshold.
Diploma and Higher Certificate routes
If your APS falls short of a Bachelor’s programme, UMP’s Diplomas and Higher Certificates (in ICT, Agriculture, Hospitality, Event Management, and Nature Conservation) are a genuine entry point — many of these have articulation pathways that let you progress into a related Bachelor’s degree after strong results.
Checking whether your course is open for 2027
Not every programme opens applications every year, and some close early once full. Before you commit to a specific course in your application, check its individual programme page on ump.ac.za to confirm it’s open for the 2027 intake and see its current APS requirement.
Course availability changes year to year — this guide is a starting point for narrowing your options, not a guarantee that a specific programme is open for 2027. Confirm on the official UMP site.