University of Mpumalanga

About UMP

University of Mpumalanga is one of South Africa's newest public universities, established to bring higher education access to a province that previously had none of its own, despite being one of the country's larger provinces by population.

Starting with a handful of programmes, it has grown steadily from its Mbombela and Siyabuswa campuses, with a particular focus on agriculture, education and ICT — fields chosen deliberately to match Mpumalanga's economy and development needs.

As a young institution, UMP has had the advantage of building its campuses and curriculum from scratch with modern facilities, and it continues to expand its programme offering year by year as it establishes itself alongside South Africa's older universities.

Why students choose UMP

• One of South Africa's newest public universities
• Built specifically to serve Mpumalanga, previously without its own university
• Modern campuses designed and built from scratch

Fields of study

• Agriculture & Natural Sciences
• Economics, Development & Business Sciences
• Education
• ICT & Hospitality

What you'll need to apply

Every South African public university sets its own admission point score and subject requirements per programme, so the details below are general guidance rather than UMP-specific rules — always confirm exact requirements on the official site before applying.

• A National Senior Certificate (NSC) that meets the minimum admission point score for your chosen programme.
• Specific subject and mark requirements, which vary by faculty — competitive programmes like medicine or engineering typically set higher thresholds.
• An online application through the university's own portal, usually opening the year before you intend to start.
• Supporting documents such as certified copies of your ID and academic records, and proof of application fee payment where applicable.