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Get Ready for 2025: Your Essential Guide to Registration at the UFS

17 January 2025 | Story Tshepo Tsotetsi | Photo Kaleidoscope Studios

2025 UFS Registration — Kickstart your 2025 journey – register now and make this year unforgettable.

It is that time of year again – registration is officially open for the 2025 academic year at the University of the Free State (UFS). Whether you are a bright-eyed first-year ready to start your university journey, a returning student taking the next step on your academic path, or a postgraduate aiming to dive deeper into your research, now is the time to secure your spot for 2025.

Do not leave it to the last minute – completing your registration early ensures that you are set for the year ahead, without any unnecessary stress. Some programmes may have specific deadlines, so the earlier you act, the better.

Online Registration: Quick, Easy, and Efficient

The UFS strongly encourages all students to take advantage of the online registration platform. It is simple, convenient, and fast. Whether you are registering for the first time or returning for another year, the online process will help you get everything sorted without leaving your home. Just visit the official registration website and follow the step-by-step guide to complete your registration.

However, if you feel that you need more help or prefer to register in person, on-campus registration is still available at selected venues. Check out your faculty below for on-campus registration venues and dates.

• Faculty of Theology and Religion

• Faculty of The Humanities

• Faculty of Health Sciences

• Faculty of Education

• Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences

• Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences

• Faculty of Law

Key Dates You Don’t Want to Miss

Online registration: 7 January - 7 February 2025
First-year students: Curriculum advice and registration: 27 January - 7 February 2025 (face-to-face)
Senior students: Curriculum advice and registration: 20 January - 7 February 2025
Postgraduate students:
- New research master’s and doctoral students: Register any time during the year.
- Returning master’s and doctoral students: First semester registration before 31 March 2025.
- Honours and PGDip students: Confirm registration dates with your faculty.
Classes start: 10 February 2025
Module adjustments: Last day to add or change modules: 14 February 2025
Module cancellations for full credit: 31 March 2025 (Semester 1)

First Payments and Fees

To make sure your registration goes through without a hitch, remember to make your first payment on time. The first payment is essential to complete your registration; you can find payment options on the Student Finance page.

If you have any questions or run into issues, the Student Finance team is here to help! Reach them at tuitionfees@ufs.ac.za or call + 27 51 401 9111.

First-Year Residence Move-In

For first-year students living in residence, you will be officially moving in on 25 January 2025. This is your opportunity to settle into campus life, meet new friends, and get comfortable before classes kick off. If you have any questions about accommodation, visit the Housing and Residence Affairs page at www.ufs.ac.za/residences.

Need Assistance? We’ve Got You Covered

The UFS Call Centre is always here to help you throughout the registration process. If you have any questions or need guidance, you can reach them on +27 51 401 9111 or WhatsApp on +27 87 240 6370. You can also email studentadmin@ufs.ac.za for support.

As you begin your academic journey at the UFS, remember that this is not just about attending classes – it is about being part of a community committed to excellence, care, and quality. The UFS experience is designed to nurture your growth, help you thrive, and challenge you to achieve your highest potential. Here, we believe in supporting you every step of the way, ensuring that your time at the UFS transforms your future and empowers you to make a meaningful impact on the world.

News Archive

Africa the birthplace of mathematics, says Prof Atangana

2017-11-17

Prof Abdon Atangana from the UFS Institute for Groundwater Studies.
Photo: Supplied

Prof Abdon Atangana from the Institute for Groundwater Studies at the University of the Free State recently received the African Award of Applied Mathematics during the International conference "African’s Days of Applied Mathematics" that was held in Errachidia, Morocco. Prof Atangana delivered the opening speech with the title "Africa was a temple of knowledge before: What happened?” The focus of the conference was to offer a forum for the promotion of mathematics and its applications in African countries.

When Europeans first came to Africa, they considered the architecture to be disorganised and thus primitive. It never occurred to them that Africans might have been using a form of mathematics that they hadn’t even discovered yet.

Africa is home to the world’s earliest known use of measuring and calculation. Thousands of years ago Africans were using numerals, algebra and geometry in daily life. “Our continent is the birthplace of both basic and advanced mathematics,” said Prof Atangana.

Africa attracted a series of immigrants who spread knowledge from this continent to the rest of the world.

Measuring and counting
In one of his examples of African mathematics knowledge Prof Atangana referred to the oldest mathematical instrument as the Lebombo bone, a baboon fibula used as a measuring instrument, which was named after the Lebombo Mountains of Swaziland. The world’s oldest evidence of advanced mathematics was also a baboon fibula that was discovered in present-day Democratic Republic of Congo.

Another example he used is the manuscripts in the libraries of the Sankoré University, one of the world’s oldest tertiary institutions. This university in Timbuktu, Mali, is full of manuscripts mainly written in Ajami in the 1200s AD. “When Europeans and Western Asians began visiting and colonising Mali between the 1300s and 1800s, Malians hid the manuscripts in basements, attics and underground, fearing destruction or theft by foreigners. This was certainly a good idea, given the Europeans' history of destroying texts in Kemet and other areas of the continent. Many of the scripts were mathematical and astronomical in nature. In recent years, as many as 700 000 scripts have been rediscovered and attest to the continuous knowledge of advanced mathematics and science in Africa well before European colonisation.

Fractal geometry
“One of Africa’s major achievements was the advanced knowledge of fractal geometry. This knowledge is found in a wide aspect of Africa life: from art, social design structures, architecture, to games, trade and divination systems.

“The binary numeral system was also widely known through Africa before it was known throughout much of the world. There is a theory that it could have influenced Western geometry, which led to the development of digital computers,” he said.

“Can Africa rise again?” Prof Atangana believes it can.

He concluded with a plea to fellow African researchers to do research that will build towards a new Africa.

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