Careers › Health

How to become a Nurse

Front-line patient care in hospitals, clinics and communities.

Apply early

Selection programmes like this often close months before the standard application deadline, and marks alone don’t guarantee a place. See the Dates page for the exact closing dates.

What does a Nurse actually do?

More about this career

Front-line patient care – from basic care to complex procedures, depending on your qualification level (there are several routes: diploma, degree, and different levels of registration with SANC). Nurses work in hospitals, clinics and community health, and can specialise into areas like ICU, midwifery or theatre nursing.

Where this degree can take you

  • Midwife
  • ICU/Critical Care Nurse
  • Community Health Nurse
  • Nurse Educator

This is our general description of the role and related jobs, not from an official source – it’s here to give you a fuller picture, not as a careers-counselling guarantee.

Not from an official source

Subjects that usually help

  • Mathematics or Mathematical Literacy
  • Life Sciences

This is our general guidance about which school subjects suit this career. It is not an admission requirement and not from an official source – the real requirements are on the degrees below.

Not from an official source

Where to check this yourself

What the degrees we’ve captured actually ask for

  • Mathematics – asked for by 14 of 15 degrees
  • Life Sciences – asked for by 14 of 15 degrees
  • Physical Sciences – asked for by 9 of 15 degrees
  • Mathematical Literacy – asked for by 6 of 15 degrees

Counted from the requirements below (an “or” alternative counts for each subject named). Each degree links to the page it came from.

Degrees that lead here

15 degrees at 15 universities. More are added as we verify them.

Cape Peninsula University of Technology

Partly verified

Bachelor of Nursing (BPNURS)

Health & Wellness Sciences, Bellville Campus · 4 years

CPUT APS 30

  • English: level 4 (50% or more)
  • Mathematics: 50% OR Mathematical Literacy: 60%
  • Life Sciences: level 4 (50% or more)
  • Physical Sciences: level 4 (50% or more)

Calculated on CPUT’s "Method 1" (best six subjects including the required ones, excluding Life Orientation, percentages summed and divided by 10 - see CPUT_APS). Only 30 applicants are accepted a year; shortlisted applicants complete an online interview, and Hepatitis B and Covid-19 vaccination are required for registration. Closes 30 June 2026 - notably earlier than CPUT’s other programmes in this batch.

Source: View the official page (prospectus.cput.ac.za) (opens the official page) · 2027 intake

Durban University of Technology

Partly verified

Bachelor of Nursing

Health Sciences · 4 years

DUT APS 28 points

  • English: level 3 (40% or more)
  • Life Sciences: level 4 (50% or more)
  • Mathematics, Mathematical Literacy or Physical Science – Mathematics at level 4, or Mathematical Literacy at level 6, or Physical Science at level 4.
  • Two more subjects – Two further 20-credit NSC subjects.

A 5-year Extended Curriculum Programme route is also available. Several other DUT Health Sciences programmes (Chiropractic, Clinical Technology, Emergency Medical Care, Radiography, Dental Assisting) close much earlier - 15 June or 31 August 2026 - not the standard 30 September date. Closes 30 September 2026 for Nursing. From DUT’s 2027 Study Opportunities prospectus. Applications go through the CAO (cao.ac.za), not directly to DUT; general closing date 30 September 2026 (fee R250 SA / R300 international).

Source: View the official page (dut.ac.za) (opens the official page) · 2027 intake

Nelson Mandela University

Partly verifiedNot fully verified

Bachelor of Nursing

Health Sciences

NMU Applicant Score (AS) 370 out of 600 (+7 bonus in some cases)

  • Mathematics: 50% OR Mathematical Literacy: 65%
  • Life Sciences: 60%
  • Physical Sciences: 50%

AS 370 on the Mathematics route, 385 on the Mathematical Literacy route. Duration was not stated on the page we read. From NMU’s own faculty "UG Guide" PDFs, most of which are dated/closing in 2024 - apparently covering the 2025 intake, not independently confirmed as current for 2027 (NMU appears to roll these forward with the same structure each year, but treat the figures as "last confirmed" rather than "2027-verified"). No 2027 closing date is stated.

Source: View the official page (nursing.mandela.ac.za) (opens the official page)

Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University

Partly verified

Bachelor of Nursing and Midwifery

School of Health Care Sciences

SMU APS 25

  • Life Sciences: level 4 (50% or more)
  • Mathematics: level 4 (50% or more)
  • Physical Sciences: level 4 (50% or more)
  • English: level 4 (50% or more)
  • Life Orientation: level 3 (40% or more)
  • Two more subjects – Two further subjects at level 3 or better.
  • SANC registration – Registration with the SA Nursing Council is compulsory within the first 30 days of admission.

SMU also lists an older "Bachelor Nursing Sciences and Arts" qualification explicitly marked as being phased out - not included here. Closes 31 July 2026 for undergraduate programmes (applications open 1 April 2026) - notably earlier than most universities in this batch.

Source: View the official page (smu.ac.za) (opens the official page) · 2027 intake

Stellenbosch University

Selection programme

B Nursing

Medicine & Health Sciences · 4 years

Stellenbosch aggregate 60 %

  • Mathematics: 40% OR Mathematical Literacy: 70%
  • Life Sciences: 50%

Every Stellenbosch programme is a selection programme. The figures shown are the published minimum requirements - the actual selection threshold is usually higher. About 50 students are selected.

Source: View the official page (files.su.ac.za) (opens the official page) · 2027 intake

Tshwane University of Technology

Partly verified

Bachelor of Nursing

Science · 4 years

TUT APS 27 points

  • English: level 4 (50% or more)
  • Mathematics: level 4 (50% or more)
  • Life Sciences: level 4 (50% or more)

Closes earlier than most TUT programmes - 15 June 2026. From TUT’s 2027 First-Year Course Information and General Information PDFs. Applications opened 1 April 2026 (fee R240).

Source: View the official page (tut.ac.za) (opens the official page) · 2027 intake

University of Fort Hare

Partly verified

Bachelor of Nursing

Health Sciences · 4 years

No points cut-off published for this one – see the note below.

  • English: level 4 (50% or more)
  • Mathematics: level 4 (50% or more) OR Mathematical Literacy: level 5 (60% or more)
  • Physical Sciences: level 4 (50% or more)
  • Life Sciences: level 4 (50% or more)
  • Two more subjects – Any other two subjects at level 4 or better.
  • Life Orientation: level 4 (50% or more)

UFH does not state a numeric APS minimum on this programme’s own page, only subject-level requirements. 2027 undergraduate applications: opened 1 May 2026, close 31 October 2026 (from ufh.ac.za/admission).

Source: View the official page (ufh.ac.za) (opens the official page) · 2027 intake

University of Johannesburg

Partly verified

Bachelor of Nursing

Health Sciences · 4 years

UJ APS 30 points

  • English: level 5 if it is your Home Language, level 5 if it is your First Additional Language
  • Mathematics: level 4 (50% or more)
  • Physical Sciences: level 4 (50% or more)
  • Life Sciences: level 4 (50% or more)
  • Interview – An interview is required.

This figure was read from the search-engine index of the official UJ programme page rather than from the full page, and UJ’s 2027 prospectus PDF could not be fetched. Confirm it on the UJ page before you rely on it.

Source: View the official page (uj.ac.za) (opens the official page)

University of KwaZulu-Natal

From an older document

Bachelor of Nursing

Health Sciences · 4 years

UKZN APS 30 points out of 48

  • English: level 4 (50% or more)
  • Life Orientation: level 4 (50% or more)
  • Life Sciences: level 4 (50% or more)
  • Mathematics: level 3 (40% or more) OR Mathematical Literacy: level 3 (40% or more)

The published APS range is 48-30. This comes from the Study@UKZN 2026 brochure, the most recent official source we could find. UKZN had not published a 2027 table when we checked, so treat these as 2026 figures pending a 2027 update. Applications go through the CAO.

Source: View the official page (studyatukzn.ukzn.ac.za) (opens the official page)

University of Limpopo

Partly verified

Bachelor of Nursing

Health Sciences · 4 years

UL APS 26 points

  • English: level 4 (50% or more)
  • Mathematics: level 4 (50% or more)
  • Physical Sciences: level 5 (60% or more)
  • Life Sciences: level 5 (60% or more)
  • Two more subjects – Two further subjects at level 4 or better.

From UL’s 2027 Undergraduate Prospectus. UL states that meeting the minimum APS does not guarantee admission. No official 2027 closing date was found in the sections we read.

Source: View the official page (ul.ac.za) (opens the official page) · 2027 intake

University of Pretoria

Selection programme

BNurs (Nursing Science)

Health Sciences

UP APS 28 points

  • English: level 4 if it is your Home Language, level 4 if it is your First Additional Language
  • Mathematics: level 4 (50% or more)
  • Life Sciences: level 4 (50% or more)

A selection programme. Most UP closing dates are 30 June; Veterinary Science closes 31 May. Grade 12 applicants apply with their final Grade 11 results.

Source: View the official page (drupalwebprod-files.up.ac.za) (opens the official page) · 2027 intake

University of the Witwatersrand

No cut-off publishedFrom an older document

Bachelor of Nursing

Health Sciences · 4 years

No points cut-off published for this one – see the note below.

  • English: level 4 if it is your Home Language, level 4 if it is your First Additional Language
  • Mathematics: level 4 (50% or more)
  • Physical Sciences: level 4 (50% or more)

Wits Health Sciences uses a Composite Index (75% school average across 5 subjects, 25% NBT), not APS, and does not publish the cut-off scores. This figure comes from the Wits schools-liaison Grade 12 guide, which is headed for 2026 entry. We have not yet found a 2027 course-finder page confirming it, so treat it as the most recent official figure rather than a confirmed 2027 one.

Source: View the official page (wits.ac.za) (opens the official page) · 2027 intake

University of Venda

Partly verified

Bachelor of Nursing

Health Sciences · 4 years

Univen APS 38

  • English: 60%
  • Mathematics: 50%
  • Physical Sciences: 60%
  • Life Sciences: 60%

From Univen’s 2027 Undergraduate Prospectus. We could not confirm the application closing date from the pages we read (applications opened 1 May 2026) - check the current date on univen.ac.za.

Source: View the official page (univen.ac.za) (opens the official page) · 2027 intake

University of Zululand

Partly verifiedFrom an older document

Bachelor of Nursing (General Nursing and Midwifery)

Science, Agriculture & Engineering (Department of Nursing Science) · 4 years

UniZulu APS 30 points out of 48

  • English: 50%
  • Life Sciences: 50%
  • Mathematics: 50% OR Mathematical Literacy: 50%

A separate "pipeline" version of this degree exists for existing students only (no new intake) and is not shown here. From UniZulu’s own 2026-labelled faculty handbooks, which contain no 2027-specific intake or closing-date information at all - do not assume a date, and treat this as the most recent official figures available rather than confirmed-current for 2027.

Source: View the official page (unizulu.ac.za) (opens the official page)

Walter Sisulu University

Partly verified

Bachelor of Nursing

Medicine & Health Sciences · 4 years

WSU APS 24 points out of 48

  • English: level 4 (50% or more)
  • African language – Another African language at level 4.
  • Mathematics: level 4 (50% or more)
  • Physical Sciences: level 4 (50% or more)
  • Life Sciences: level 4 (50% or more)
  • Additional selection criteria – Further faculty-specific selection criteria apply beyond these subject minimums.

From WSU’s 2027 Undergraduate Information Brochure & Admission Requirements. We could not confirm the application closing date from the pages we read - check the current date on wsu.ac.za.

Source: View the official page (wsu.ac.za) (opens the official page) · 2027 intake

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Put your subjects in once and we’ll check them against every degree above – scored each university’s own way.

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