Students register for a three-year national diploma, after which – pending approval by the Head of Department – they qualify to enrol for a fourth year of study to obtain the Baccalaureus Technologiae and/or Bachelor’s degree in those programmes in which such degrees are offered. An exit opportunity at the certificate level is available in certain programmes. Education students register for a four-year degree, after which – pending approval by the Head of Department – they qualify for the BEd Hons degree.
Students register for a three-year national diploma, after which – pending approval by the Head of Department – they qualify to enrol for a fourth year of study to obtain the Baccalaureus Technologiae and/or Bachelor’s degree in those programmes in which such degrees are offered. An exit opportunity at the certificate level is available in certain programmes. Education students register for a four-year degree, after which – pending approval by the Head of Department – they qualify for the BEd Hons degree.
A Graduate School has also been established with the primary aim of overseeing the development of research at the postgraduate level.
In light of the new National Senior Certificate (NSC) that was introduced in 2008, two sets of criteria are used for admission to CUT. Candidates who obtained the Senior Certificate in 2007 or before will still be evaluated and selected for admission based on the old scoring scale, while candidates who obtained the NSC in 2008 and thereafter will be evaluated based on the new scoring scale. Both these scales are discussed in more detail in the paragraphs that follow.
| Pass level | Matric pass level and options explained |
| Certificate | A bachelor’s pass means you can apply for a degree course at a university or university of technology and can study for a higher certificate, diploma or bachelor’s degree. To achieve a bachelor’s pass, you must: Pass 6 of the 7 subjects offered; Of which four Subjects must have at least a 50% (level 4) achievement; Including Home Language 40% Compulsory Pass /excluding Life Orientation;30% Pass in the Language of Learning and Teaching (LOLT); The Department of Basic Education has revoked the list of designated subjects with effect from September 2018; The minimum admission requirements for a Bachelor’s degree programme remain the same, namely, a NSC with a minimum of 30% in the language of learning and teaching of the Higher Education Institution (HEI), coupled with an achievements rating of 4 (50-59%) or better in any four (4) NSC subject except Life Orientation. Programmes at CUT |
| Diploma | A diploma pass requires 40% in four higher credit subjects and 30% in three lower credit subjects, and you may fail one subject. With this pass, you can enrol for a bridging course at a Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) college or a diploma course at a university of technology. To receive a diploma pass, a student must: Pass 6 of the 7 subjects offered; Of which 4 Subjects must have at least a 40% (level 3) achievement; Subjects include Home Language at 40% Compulsory Pass /excluding Life Orientation;30% Pass in Language of Learning and Teaching (LOLT). If the student opts for TVET college and would like to transfer to CUT at a later stage, the requirements for N-level qualifications can be viewed here. Programmes at CUT |
| Bachelor’s Degree | A bachelor’s pass means you can apply for a degree course at a university or university of technology and can study for a higher certificate, diploma or bachelor’s degree.To achieve a bachelor’s pass, you must: Pass 6 of the 7 subjects offered;Of which four Subjects must have at least a 50% (level 4) achievement; Including Home Language 40% Compulsory Pass /excluding Life Orientation;30% Pass in the Language of Learning and Teaching (LOLT); The Department of Basic Education has revoked the list of designated subjects with effect from September 2018;The minimum admission requirements for a Bachelor’s degree programme remain the same, namely, a NSC with a minimum of 30% in the language of learning and teaching of the Higher Education Institution (HEI), coupled with an achievements rating of 4 (50-59%) or better in any four (4) NSC subject except Life Orientation. Programmes at CUT |