Credit and exemptions for the UCT LLB Degree (Graduate and Undergraduate streams)

External transferring students

Applicants for the postgraduate and undergraduate LLB degree stream who are currently registered at another university’s Faculty of Law and who wish to be considered for admission to UCT's Faculty of Law should note the following:

  1. The minimum period for completion of the LLB degree at UCT is two (2) years, assuming that some courses completed elsewhere can be credited towards the degree.
  2. The Law Faculty will grant credit for courses completed at another university, assuming these are considered equivalent to those offered at the University of Cape Town. The decision is entirely at the discretion of Senate whether courses completed elsewhere are granted credit and exemption.
  3. Applications for courses to be considered for credits must be submitted to creditandexemptions@vula.uct.ac.za on the official ACA36 form with supporting documentation.
  4. You can only apply for a credit once the course has a mark. If you have already completed your degree and have not communicated with the UCT Law Faculty's Undergraduate Manager, please email law-studies@uct.ac.za to finalise your application. It is important to submit the documentation timeously as delays will affect your registration.
  5. Final academic records: applicants who have completed their undergraduate degrees must forward a certified copy of your academic record to admissions-ug@uct.ac.za
  6. Fees for exemption from a course and/or credit for a course completed at another university are charged per course or half course (see Fees Handbook rule 3.4).
  7. If you are applying for a credit for a course in another Faculty, ie.Humanities or Commerce, then you need to contact them directly to enquire what their administrative process is by emailing Humanities Undergrad or Commerce Undergrad, as applicable.

Please submit your full academic transcripts as well as course outlines providing details of the syllabus for each subject passed at another university. These will be used to determine whether they are equivalent to the courses offered at UCT.  Sworn translations are required for transcripts and syllabi details when these are not in English or Afrikaans.

For granting of credits in the Law Faculty

  1. The applicant must provide the following information:
  • The UCT LLB course equivalent
  • The course code and name of the course they completed
  • The University at which the course was completed
  • The NQF level of the course
  • The year the course was completed
  • Final mark attained for the course
  • The duration of the course (whether it was a semester or whole year course)
  • Number of contact hours per week in the course
  • Number of essays and tutorials in the course.

In addition:

  1. The applicant must produce such documentary or other evidence as may be required by the Credits Committee (including but not limited to the certified copy of the transcript; reading lists, course outline and other course materials, copies of tests and examination papers) for the purposes of determining the substantial equivalence referred to in paragraph 1. 
  2. The maximum number of law courses in respect of which credit will be granted is 4 (four) whole UCT courses or the equivalent.A UCT LLB course with a F / S / H code carries 1 (one) credit while a W code carries 2 (two) credits.
  3. Where a choice between subjects must be made, the choice will lie with the Committee rather than with the applicant. In making such a choice, the Committee will grant credit for preliminary level courses before intermediate level course, and for intermediate level courses before final level courses. NOTE: Final level core course (ie. prescribed courses) are, in principle NOT granted credit and exemption.
  4. In respect of non-law courses required for the 4 year Undergraduate LLB, credit and exemption may be granted for such courses completed elsewhere, provided that substantial compliance with the requirements as set out in the Faculty Handbook exists, and that substantial equivalence exists.
  5. No partial credits will be granted.

Internal transferring students

A UCT student who has not been excluded from another Faculty within UCT may be considered for admission to the Faculty of Law for the purpose of taking or completing the LLB degree, provided the applicant satisfies the requirements for admission to the degree programme into which the student seeks transfer. Successful applicants may be granted credits or exemptions or both for courses already completed, up to a maximum of four full courses (or the equivalent).