University of St Andrews

At a glance

Stellenbosch University (SU), established in 1918, is firmly committed to the pursuit of knowledge, research, and innovation, all in service of society. SU is ranked among South Africa’s top three research-intensive universities, both per capita and in terms of total research output.

Stellenbosch is situated about 50 km from Cape Town and just 30 km from Cape Town International Airport.

Established : 1918
Student Population : 30000
History : The history of Stellenbosch University (SU) dates as far back as the 17th century, when regular school education was initiated in the town of Stellenbosch in 1685. In 1879, the decision was made to build a proper college building to create more teaching space. The new building was inaugurated on 6 November 1886 and renamed Victoria College in 1887. The adoption of the University Act in 1916 by the then Union of South Africa Parliament paved the way for the establishment of a university. On 2 April 1918, Victoria College became Stellenbosch University thanks to a £100 000 donation by a local benefactor, Mr Jan Marais of Coetzenburg.

Overview of Facilities and campus : Overview of Facilities and campus: Stellenbosch is situated about 50 km from Cape Town and just 30 km from Cape Town International Airport. The main campus in the picturesque university town of Stellenbosch in the heart of the Western Cape winelands is quite an attraction for students. Eight faculties are on the main campus, with the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences situated on Tygerberg campus adjacent to the Tygerberg academic hospital with the Stellenbosch Business School located close by at the Bellville Park campus. The Faculty of Military Sciences (the only one of its kind in South Africa and one of two in Africa) is based at the South African Defence Force Military Academy in Saldanha. The Ukwanda Rural Clinical School is located in Worcester, further inland from Stellenbosch.

Website and links

Website : SU Homepage

Study abroad page : SU Study Abroad Webpage

Who can go

Students on degree programmes in the following subject areas may apply to study abroad during their Junior Honours year at Universiteit Stellenbosch :
School of History: this exchange is only open to students studying History and Modern History. Those studying History can go for one semester only and those studying Modern History can go for either a semester or the full year.

• History
• International Relations
• Philosophy

Semesters Available

• First Semester
• Second Semester
• Full Year

Note: Joint Honours students may only apply for a full year abroad if BOTH subjects are listed above. Joint Honours students applying for one semester must seek permission from both Schools.

Study abroad coordinator

Each School has a designated Study Abroad Adviser.

Semester dates

Semester dates are as follows

2026/7
Semester 1 Jul 2026 to Dec 2026
Semester 2 Feb 2027 to Jun 2027

Your studies abroad

See our Credits and Modules Abroad webpage for information on the number of credits we expect students to take at our partner institutions. St Andrews expects students to attend all classes as part of their programme abroad. Assessment methods may vary across partners and could include class participation, continuous assessment in the form of homework and final exams. All courses must be agreed with your Study Abroad Coordinator. See our academic information webpage for further details, as well as information about credit and grade conversion.

Application and selection

This institution is part of the St Andrews Abroad programme .

Places available

Places available : The number of places will be confirmed during the selection process each yaer.

Places available may vary from year to year depending on the exchange balance. Numbers for the following academic year will be confirmed at the information meeting.

Getting there and getting around

The nearest airport is Cape Town International Airport (CPT). For transport to and from Cape Town International Airport, you can make a reservation at the airport shuttle services. The University also offers an Airport Pickup Service.

A campus shuttle service is available in on central campus. This service provides transport between the general parking areas on the edge of campus and central campus during the day, transport to and from service divisions and departments on the edge of campus (e.g. Food Science and Welgevallen), to and from central campus, and transport of congress attendees to and from the general parking areas on the edge of campus. More information can be found on the Shuttle Webpages.

Several taxi companies, including Uber, operate in and around Stellenbosch. You can also rent a bicycle through the SU Accommodation Webpages.

Please note that St Andrews is unable to guarantee housing at any of our partner institutions. Guidance on finding accommodation abroad is available on the Global Office webpage.

Student services and orientation

There are a variety of Student Support Services on offer at Stellenbosch through the office of the Manager of Student Affairs. Stellenbosch university also provides a Welcome and Orientation Programme for Semester Students and a Matie Buddy Programme for incoming exchange students.

Please be aware that student support services will be different across all of our partner universities.