Nursing combines compassion, knowledge, and sophisticated health technology to restore, maintain, and promote the health of individuals, groups, or communities. Nursing is both an art and a science: caring, compassionate relationships blended with the development and application of nursing knowledge, techniques and ethics.
As a Wits nursing student, you will study in a rigorous and vibrant multidisciplinary environment that will stimulate your intellectual inquiry and professional responsiveness. You will learn in small groups and engage in cooperative learning as you work through real-life health scenarios, deciding how to access information that produces the best results in managing health issues.
Nurses practice in a range of settings, including hospitals, community clinics, industry, the military, private practices, homes, and in specialised areas such as hospice and rehabilitation and aged care facilities.
Wits also offer opportunities for further study in nursing.
Career Opportunities
- General nursing
- Child nursing
- Intensive care nursing
- Nursing education
- Nephrology nursing
- Oncology and palliative nursing
- Psychiatric nursing
- Research
- Trauma and emergency nursing
- Midwife
First-year
- Introduction to Medical Sciences
- Human Behavioural Sciences I
- Integrated General Nursing Sciences I
- Anatomy for Nursing Sciences I
Second-year
- Physiology and Medical Biochemistry
- Microbiology
- Integrated General Nursing Sciences II
Third-year
- Pharmacology
- Midwifery I
- Integrated General Nursing Sciences III
Fourth-year
- Midwifery II
- Integrated General Nursing Sciences IV
Entry Requirements
English Home Language OR First Additional Language
Level 4
Mathematics
Level 4
Life Sciences AND/OR Physical Science
Level 4
The Faculty of Health Sciences uses a composite index score to guide applicant selection. This includes:
- Your matric academic results for five subjects: English, Mathematics, Physical Science/Life Sciences, and the best two other subjects. We consider the percentage achieved, not the symbol.
- National Benchmark Test (NBT) scores
All applicants – excluding those who are applying to the Graduate Entry Medical Programme (GEMP) only – must write the NBT.
Click here to see the current average tuition fees for the first year of study. The Fees Office website also provides information about the payment of fees and closing dates for fee payments. Once you have applied you will be able to access the fees estimator on the student self-service portal.
The Financial aid office provides information about student funding and scholarships. University-funded Scholarships include Vice-Chancellor’s Scholarships, University Entrance Scholarships, Equality Scholarships, Sports Scholarships and National Olympiad winner awards.
For information about NSFAS funding, please visit the NSFAS website. External bursaries portal: The Bursaries South Africa website provides a comprehensive list of bursaries in South Africa.