Two weeks left to apply at Maties

Are you considering applying to study at Maties in 2027? If so, there are two things a prospectus cannot tell you: A straight answer about whether a specific faculty is right for you, and an honest sense of what arriving on campus actually feels like. During the registration period in February and in the run-up to the Open Day in April, MFM 92.6, the University’s campus and community radio station, set out to shed some light in a series of interviews and conversations on air.

Applications for undergraduate studies at Stellenbosch University (SU) for 2027 close on 31 July 2026. For anyone weighing up that decision right now – choosing between faculties, checking admission requirements, and deciding which three programmes to apply for – MFM’s podcast archive covers some answers and insights from the people on the ground: Conversations with staff and students who work in each faculty, and who are involved in every possible aspect of campus and organised student life.

Choosing a faculty and learning more about the options

Before you can apply, you have to decide what to apply for. That is the question MFM’s SU Open Day Series 2026 was built to answer, in ten dedicated episodes, one for almost every faculty at the University.

• Arts and Social Sciences – Prof Vasti Roodt, Dean, on how the most interdisciplinary faculty at Maties spans everything from psychology and journalism to the creative arts and why studying the human side of life has never been more relevant – listen here.
• Economic and Management Sciences – Ilse Frans, Student Academic Advisor, on how EMS balances theoretical knowledge with market-ready skills, and the wide range of careers beyond accounting, from marketing to the public sector – listen here.
• Education – Sisipho Zintle Maliwa, Chairperson of the Education Student Committee, spoke about a faculty built around early, hands-on teaching experience, and the paths it opens beyond the classroom, from school leadership to educational psychology – listen here.
• Law – Dr Bradley Greenhalgh, Legal Education and Student Coordinator, and Mrs Karin Wiss, Faculty Manager, on what they call a “Goldilocks” faculty: small enough for personal engagement with leading legal experts, offering everything from the traditional LLB to the country’s only BAccLLB – listen here.
• Engineering – Prof Wikus van Niekerk, Dean, and Emily Roberts, Secretary of the Engineering Student Council, on one of the top three engineering faculties in South Africa, and why you do not need prior coding or design experience to thrive there – listen here.
• Medicine and Health Sciences – Meggan Ceylon, Events and Conferencing Specialist for Undergraduate Recruitment, and Thandolwethu Noinyane, Chairperson of the Tygerberg Student Representative Council, on what it really takes to succeed at the Tygerberg Campus as the faculty marks 70 years of clinical excellence – listen here.
• Science – Dr Cassiem Joseph, lecturer in Chemistry and Polymer Science, on a faculty that combines world-class laboratories with career paths stretching from conservation science to pharmacology and financial analysis – listen here.
• AgriSciences – Monika Basson, Undergraduate Recruitment and Marketing Manager, on Africa's top-ranked faculty for agricultural studies, and why it has far less to do with manual labour than most people assume – listen here.

• Theology – Prof Reggie Nel, Dean, on the “mother faculty” of the University, founded in 1859 and ranked first in Africa, and why a theology degree is about cultivating a habit of mind useful well beyond church ministry – listen here.

Every episode follows the same structure: What the faculty teaches, what school results and subjects you need, and the career paths and other opportunities after your studies.

Campus life and support services

Choosing a faculty is one decision. Arriving on campus is another. During the registration period in February, MFM spent the better part of two weeks at the Coetzenburg Centre talking to staff and students as registration happened around them.

Registration is usually treated as logistics: a queue, a form, and a student card. However, MFM treated it as a story worth telling properly, as a real-life experience, and the people interviewed were the ones who actually run the experience. 

Tune into our podcast for some answers to practical questions every new student has:

• Prof Richard Stevens, former Acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Learning and Teaching, spoke to why learning at Stellenbosch goes far beyond the classroom – listen here.
• Dr Leslie van Rooi, Dean of Students, covered the support structures in place for first-generation students and students from marginalised communities, including the SOAR programme – listen here.
• Health and wellbeing: Dr Kathryn Grammer, Senior Director of Campus Health Service, on managing the physical and emotional demands of the first few weeks, from “fresher’s flu” to mental health support. She had a clear message: Do not wait until you are sick to get to know the people who have your back – listen here.
• Language at SU: Sanet de Jager of the SU Language Centre on how a multilingual campus actually works in practice, support to students, and where to find the Writing Lab and Reading Lab – listen here.
• Student communities: A dedicated Lunch Club episode, with student leaders from the Rubix and VicMeyr clusters, discussed the cluster system, the new Cluster Fiesta events, and the student communities at the heart of student life at Maties. From the philosophy behind clusters; the feeling of belonging and its impact on student wellbeing; to cluster songs, slogans, and mascots that define student life; we cover it all. Whether you are curious about the support structures available to students or want the inside scoop on how clusters prepare for participating in various sport codes, this episode is for you. Listen here.
• Giving back from day one: Michelle Pietersen from the Centre for the Advancement of Social Impact and Transformation (CASIT) and student leaders from different residences spoke about the Social Impact Day for newcomers, when more than 5 000 first-year students headed out to engage in active citizenship across local communities – a reminder that, as one presenter put it, being a Matie is about more than just the books. Listen here.

How to apply at SU for 2027

Applications for 2027 undergraduate studies close on 31 July 2026. Before you apply, read the University’s How to Apply guide on the University website – it sets out the admission and selection criteria, the National Benchmark Test, the documents you will need, and the application fee. 

When you are ready, create your profile at student.sun.ac.za to get started. You may apply for up to three undergraduate programmes in a single application.

Please visit the SU website for more information: https://www.su.ac.za/en/apply/undergrad