The nature of the various student exchange opportunities differ, according to each exchange agreement that UCT Law holds with its exchange partners. The application processes and deadlines also differ depending on whether you are an outgoing student (from UCT heading to a foreign University) or an incoming student (from a foreign University coming to UCT).

Outgoing Student Exchange 

Full information on outgoing exchange opportunities is available from UCT Law's School for Advanced Legal Studies. Outgoing exchange opportunities are only available at the postgraduate (LLM) level and are designed to enable students to undertake their first postgraduate law degree or part thereof at a foreign partnering institution.

Both current final year students and past LLB students can apply to go on exchange.

Only applicants who intend actually taking up an outgoing exchange opportunity should apply as purely speculative applications undermine the selection process and prejudice fellow applicants. Depending on the particular exchange agreement, exchange opportunities include undertaking either a full postgraduate law degree or studying for a semester abroad.

While the majority of the student exchange agreements provide for reciprocal fee-waiver, all other costs associated with the exchange (such as visas, travel expenses, insurance, accommodation and subsistence) must generally be borne by the outgoing student exchange nominee.

UCT Law Faculty provides each successful outgoing student exchange nominee with a small scholarship of R12 000 as a contribution towards these costs but nominees are encouraged to seek additional funding from other sources immediately following their nomination.

The Application Process

  • If you are an outgoing student, you will need to be nominated by UCT Law Faculty as its exchange nominee under a particular agreement.
  • Outgoing student exchange opportunities are advertised in March/April of the year preceding the student going on exchange (ie advertised in May 2023 for taking up exchange opportunities in January/June 2024).
  • Applicants are required to research properly which partner universities they wish to apply to and to ensure that the nature, timing and credit weighting of its courses and programmes is suitable for their purposes.
  • Applicants are required to fill out the application form which must be accompanied by a brief CV, contemporary and relevant letters of reference from two people familiar with your academic work, and your academic record (transcripts).
  • The UCT Law Faculty will notify all successful outgoing exchange applicants of their nomination for a particular university as soon as possible after the closing date, and will then notify the relevant foreign partnering institution.
  • The outgoing student exchange nominee is then required to apply formally for admission to the relevant exchange partner and comply with any additional formalities associated with his/her admission (such as language, visa, travel, insurance and accommodation requirements) to the foreign partnering institution.
  • Once the latest call for applications is made, the application form and any related documents will be uploaded here and on the School for Advanced Legal Studies' site. 

Funding Opportunities

  • As mentioned above, UCT Law Faculty provides each successful outgoing student exchange nominee with a small scholarship of R12 000 (in addition to the benefit of reciprocal fee waiver arrangements, where applicable). You will however need to source additional funding to cover your travelling, accommodation and living expenses whilst abroad on exchange .
  • For details about possible funding opportunities provided by UCT, please visit the UCT Postgraduate Funding Office web pages.

Incoming Student Exchange

Nature of Exchange Opportunities

  • To study law as an exchange student, your home institution must have an exchange agreement with the Law Faculty at UCT.
  • Depending on the particular exchange agreement - exchange opportunities include undertaking either a full postgraduate law degree or studying for a semester abroad at UCT.
  • While the majority of the student exchange agreements provide for reciprocal fee-waiver, all other costs associated with the exchange (such as visas, travel expenses, insurance, accommodation and subsistence) must generally be borne by the incoming student exchange nominee.

The Application Process

  • You will need to be nominated by your home institution as its exchange nominee under the relevant exchange agreement.
  • The administrator of the Law Faculty of your home institution needs to e-mail a nomination letter from your home university (stating that you are the appointed exchange student) to Patricia Phillips, the UCT Law Postgraduate Manager.
  • The UCT Law Faculty Postgraduate Manager will then forward you the relevant UCT application forms which will need to be completed and returned to her by the relevant application deadline, as outlined below:
    • First Semester Study (February-June) | 30 September of the preceding year
    • Second Semester Study (July-December) | 31 March of the preceding year

Available Programmes and Course Offerings

  • For full details regarding the programmes and courses on offer at UCT Faculty of Law, please consult the Faculty Handbook.
  • Full details on the Rules applicable to incoming exchange students are available here.
  • In summary:
    • All courses are offered in either the first semester or the second semester.
    • Undergraduate exchange students may register for four LLB (undergraduate) courses per semester OR three LLB courses and one LLM course.
    • Postgraduate exchange students may register for two LLM (postgraduate) courses per semester
    • The above are deemed to constitute a full semester course load.

Accommodation