University of Pretoria
The University of Pretoria (Afrikaans: Universiteit van Pretoria, Northern Sotho: Yunibesithi ya Pretoria) is a multi-campus public research university in Pretoria, the administrative and de facto capital of South Africa. The university was established in 1908 as the Pretoria campus of the Johannesburg-based Transvaal University College and is the fourth South African institution in continuous operation to be awarded university status. The university has grown from the original 32 students in a single late Victorian house to approximately 53,000 in 2019. The university was built on seven suburban campuses on 1,190 hectares (2,900 acres).
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| Latin: Universitas Pretoriensis | |
Other name | Tuks or Tukkies |
|---|---|
Former names | Transvaal University College (1908–1930) |
| Motto | Ad Destinatum Persequor (Latin) |
Motto in English | "With zeal and perseverance, strive towards the goal" |
| Type | Public research university |
| Established | 4 March 1908 |
| Affiliation | AAU ACU FOTIM HESA IEASA |
| Endowment | ZAR 2,470 million (As of 31 December 2010) |
| Chancellor | Sisi Khampepe |
| Vice-Chancellor | Themba Mosia (Interim) |
| Chairperson of Council | Kuseni Dlamini |
Administrative staff | 13,814 (full-time appointments) |
| Students | 53,131 Contact 3,278 Distance 56,409 Total |
| Undergraduates | 35,942 |
| Postgraduates | 12,541 |
| Location | , , South Africa |
| Campus | 7 suburban campuses and facilities 1,120 hectares (2,800 acres) |
| Colours | Blue Gold Red |
| Mascot | MVP |
| Website | www |
The university is organised into nine faculties and a business school. Established in 1920, the University of Pretoria Faculty of Veterinary Science is the second oldest veterinary school in Africa and the only veterinary school in South Africa. In 1949, the university launched the first MBA programme outside North America, and the university's Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) has consistently been ranked the top business school in Africa for executive education, as well as being placed in the top 50 in the world. In 2012, the Financial Times ranked the GIBS Executive MBA 1st in Africa and 60th in the world.
Since 1997, the university has produced more research outputs every year than any other institution of higher learning in South Africa, as measured by the Department of Education's accreditation benchmark. In 2008, the university awarded 15.8% of all masters and doctorate degrees in South Africa, the highest percentage in the country. The DHET report, released in March 2019, shows that UP achieved the highest percentage (10,93%) of the total research output units of all South African universities for 2017. Fifty-three UP researchers are in the top 1% according to the Web of Science Index of 2019.
The university is commonly referred to as UP, Tuks, or Tukkies and in post-nominals the university is typically abbreviated as Pret or UP, although Pretoria is also used in official publications.