Apply to study Pharmacy

How to apply for Pharmacy at NWU

Admission requirements for the Bachelor of Pharmacy (BPharm)

The following minimum requirements must ALL be met to be considered for enrolment in the BPharm degree programme at the NWU:
National Senior Certificate (NSC) with university endorsement
Mathematics

  • Level 5 (60% minimum requirement) or higher
  • 75%+ required for consideration into the fast-track stream

Physical Sciences

  • Level 5 (60% minimum requirement) or higher
  • 75%+ required for fast-track stream consideration

APS Score

  • Minimum APS of 32 (minimum requirement)
  • 40+ required for the fast-track stream

Language Proficiency

  • At least Level 4 (50–59%) in Home Language or First Additional Language
  • Must be in one of the languages of instruction (English and/or Afrikaans)

Take note!

Highly Competitive: Meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee selection. The programme is highly sought after and space is limited.

Requirements Subject to Change: Admission criteria may be revised in the near future. Please check this page regularly for updates

How to Apply for the BPharm Degree

Thinking of joining the NWU School of Pharmacy? Here’s how the application process works:

Submit Your Online Application

Complete the online application form for admission to North-West University.

  • Include your Grade 11 final results, or final matric results if already available.
  • Applications must be submitted before the end of June for studies commencing the following year.

Receive and Accept Your Offer

  • If your application is successful, you will receive a conditional offer via email.
  • You must accept the offer through SAS (Student Academic System) or by following the instructions in the email before the deadline provided.
  • Applicants who meet the criteria for the "fast-track" selection will be notified shortly after applying.
  • All other applicants will receive their outcome after the application deadline, typically by early July.

Need help?

For any queries regarding the BPharm application process, contact:

Take note!

Accept Your Offer On Time: If you do not accept the conditional offer by the specified deadline, it will be assumed that you are no longer interested in studying Pharmacy at NWU.

No Late Applications: Late applications (after 30 June) will only be considered on merit, even if your final matric marks improve.

Better to Apply Than Regret: Submitting an application does not commit you to enrol. It’s always better to apply and later decide not to proceed, than to miss the deadline and lose your chance.

Selection process: BPharm degree

At the NWU, we follow a structured and fair selection process to identify top-performing applicants for the Bachelor of Pharmacy (BPharm) programme. Here's how it works:

Preliminary Selection

Once applications close (typically in the first week of July), the preliminary selection process begins.
Our target intake is 160 first-time entrants, selected directly from matric applicants.

Calculation of Selection Mark

Each applicant receives a quantitative selection score based on their Grade 11 final results (from the November/December exams), calculated as follows:

  • 40% weighting for Mathematics mark
  • 40% weighting for Physical Sciences mark
  • 20% weighting for APS score

This calculation places strong emphasis on performance in Mathematics and Physical Sciences, which are essential for success in pharmacy studies.

Ranking and Provisional Selection

Applicants are ranked from highest to lowest based on their calculated selection scores.
The top candidates—enough to fill the 160 available placements—are placed on the provisional selection list.

Take note!

To help meet our enrolment targets, additional candidates may be provisionally selected at this early stage. This is based on historical trends, as some applicants typically choose to pursue other programmes or institutions later in the process.

Located in the Northwest Province and as a university supporting multilingualism, we reserve for selection a number of enrolment opportunities to specifically serve our niche market and uphold our commitment to linguistic and cultural inclusivity.

Notification of Selection

Provisional selection offers are sent via email to successful applicants.

Final Selection

Final selection is confirmed once final matric results are released (usually in early January). Applicants who meet the final requirements will have their provisional offer confirmed.

Take note!

If you've received a provisional offer, it will only become final once your final matric results meet the required selection criteria.
Keep an eye on your inbox (and spam folder) for updates during the process, to accept by the indicated deadline date.