MSc in Medical Microbiology and Immunology
Programme Overview
The following overarching objectives are set for the programme:
• To equip you with advanced knowledge and a deeper insight into your chosen subject within the field of study.
• To promote mastery of the chosen topic, with the aid of higher levels of analysis of new information, and to develop the ability to handle complexities and to find solutions to such problems.
• To enable you to do advanced and independent research through rigorous training in research methods and to familiarise you with the skills needed for academic communication.
• To prepare you, if aspiring to higher levels of academic research, for doctoral study and to foster an approach marked by academic integrity and ethics.
• To contribute to the pool of academics and professionals through the development of capabilities and critical intellectual skills aimed at ensuring the healthy continuance of the relevant discipline or profession.
• To prepare you to utilise your skills to help solve the problems and challenges of the country that fall within the scope of your particular field.
Learning Outcomes
General Admission Requirements For admission to the MSc programme, you must have an honours degree in Science from this University or another honours degree approved by Senate, or have attained a standard of competence deemed adequate by Senate. If you hold a BTech qualification: • You will be considered for admission if you passed the BTech degree with a minimum of 60%; and • You will be admitted if you pass the BScHons examination in the relevant field as a preliminary examination with a minimum mark of 60%. The initial research proposal is approved by a departmental research committee and the Health Research Ethics Committee of the Faculty. Where research involves animals, the proposal is also approved by the Committee for Experimental Animal Research.
About Stellenbosch University
Stellenbosch University is a research-intensive public institution in South Africa, officially established as a university in 1918, with roots dating back to 1866. Located in the Western Cape Province, it offers 10 faculties — including AgriSciences, Arts and Social Sciences, Economic and Management Sciences, Education, Engineering, Law, Medicine and Health Sciences, Science, Theology, and Military Science — to over 35,000 students across multiple campuses, with more than 150 undergraduate and 800 postgraduate programmes. Stellenbosch holds the highest weighted research output per full-time staff member of any South African university. Its Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS), celebrating its 70th anniversary in 2026, is the focal point for the EXCEL-PHARM partnership. Physically located in the northern suburbs of Cape Town, the FMHS hosts over 5,000 students across more than 90 postgraduate programmes at Honours, Masters, and Doctoral level. The Faculty is anchored by the Stellenbosch University Biomedical Research Institute (SUBRI) — a landmark R1.2 billion facility that brings together over 500 researchers working on Africa's most pressing health challenges, from tuberculosis and HIV to cardio-metabolic and neurological diseases.