University of Fort Hare

The University of Fort Hare was established in 1916 as the South African Native College at Alice, Eastern Cape, and is one of Africa's most historically significant institutions of higher learning. From 1916 to 1959 it was the primary site of higher education for black South Africans and students from across the continent, producing a remarkable roster of anti-colonial and anti-apartheid leaders including Nelson Mandela, Oliver Tambo, Govan Mbeki, Desmond Tutu and Robert Sobukwe (South Africa), as well as Robert Mugabe (Zimbabwe), Kenneth Kaunda (Zambia), Julius Nyerere (Tanzania) and Seretse Khama (Botswana) — leading Tambo to describe it as representing "Oxford and Cambridge, Harvard and Yale, all rolled into one." Today it is a public university with campuses in Alice (main), Bhisho and East London, enrolling roughly 13,000–15,000 students across six faculties. In 2024 it became the first African higher-education institution inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as part of the "Human Rights, Liberation and Reconciliation: Nelson Mandela Legacy Sites" listing, and it holds the Order of the Baobab in Gold for its contribution to Black academic training. It is particularly known for its liberation-history archives, agriculture and law programmes, and specialised offerings such as GIS/Remote Sensing.

Faculties & Programmes

Faculty of Science and Agriculture: Agronomy (agricultural engineering, crop production, plant breeding, horticulture, plant protection, soil science), Agricultural Economics/Extension & Agribusiness, Biotechnology & Biological Sciences (Biochemistry, Microbiology, Botany, Zoology, Entomology), Computational Sciences (Physics, Mathematics, Statistics, Computer Science), Chemical and Earth Sciences (Chemistry, Remote Sensing, GIS, Geography, Geology), Animal & Pasture Sciences (including Dairy Science & Technology, Marine Sciences)
Faculty of Education: Foundations and Pedagogical Studies, Early Childhood Care Education, Languages and Literacy Education, Science/Mathematics Education and Environmental Studies (Bachelor of Education Foundation/Intermediate/Senior Phase & FET, PGCE, M.Ed, PhD)
Faculty of Health Sciences: Nursing & Public Health, Human Movement Science (anatomy, sports science, exercise physiology), Natural and Rehabilitative Science (Speech-Language Pathology, rural health)
Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities: Liberation Studies, Languages and Communication (isiXhosa, Afrikaans, media, journalism), Visual and Performing Arts (fine arts, music, theatre, dance), Politics and Philosophy (incl. international relations), Psychology/Social Work & Criminology, Sociology/Anthropology/Human Settlements & Development Studies; also Library and Information Science and Theology
Faculty of Law: Private Law (Family Law, Delict, Criminal Law, Evidence), Mercantile Law (African Customary Law, Business Entities, Insolvency Law), Public and Constitutional Law (Constitutional Law, Civil Procedure, Public International Law, Human Rights Law) — LLB, BCom Law, LLM, MPhil Human Rights, LLM Competition Regulation, LLD
Faculty of Management and Commerce: Accounting, Economics and Finance; Applied Management, Administration and Ethical Leadership (marketing, HR, finance, operations); Business Innovations and Entrepreneurship — programmes in Accounting, Economics, Industrial Psychology, Information Systems, Management, Public Management

Bursaries That May Apply Here

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