University of the Free State UFS Open Distance Learning

University of the Free State UFS Prospectus – Check below:

BLOEMFONTEIN

The University of the Free State is situated in Bloemfontein – the centre of South Africa. Bloemfontein is part of the Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality and serves as the capital of the Free State province, as well as the Judicial Capital of South Africa.

This beautiful city is also known as the ‘City of Roses’, due to the many roses that bloom all around the city during summer. However, Bloemfontein’s true beauty lies in its people. Residents are known to be exceptionally generous and friendly. Considering the city’s affordability, you can hardly imagine a more ideal study destination! You will be welcomed in a lovely setting, without spending a fortune on living and recreation.

Bloemfontein is big enough to provide you with all the services you need, but also small enough to maintain a peaceful study atmosphere, with much of the natural, architectural, and historical legacy of central South Africa interwoven into this modern, developing city. The UFS is very fortunate to call Bloemfontein our home.

This lively city, with the heart, caring character, and tranquillity of a big town, is the economic, educational, and medical-care hub for a vast inland area of South Africa. We trust that our city,

29.1084° S, 26.1804° Ewith its fascinating mix of diversity and tradition, will charm you as a student of the University of the Free State. We look forward to welcoming you!

BLOEMFONTEIN CAMPUS

The Bloemfontein Campus dates back to 1904, making our university one of the oldest higher-education institutions in the country. The Main Building, and other buildings of historic and architectural importance, portray the calm though vibrant atmosphere appropriate to an academic institution of more than 114 years old.

It is a vast campus where staff and students are encouraged to walk while enjoying the beautiful buildings, parks, lawns, artwork, and other facilities. Every effort has been made to make the campus user- and experience-friendly, including braille-guided areas for blind students, and additional ramps and elevators for students with disabilities. University of the Free State UFS Prospectus

When on the campus, stop and rest under one of the shady trees. You will find that	many of the benches	represent	artwork by Azwifarwi
Ragimana, a famous South African artist. Walk through the Thakaneng Bridge and the Student Centre where		you will find a range of takeaway
shops, KovsieFM – the campus radio station, stationery and bookshops. The swanky	KovsieGear shop offers visitors		and students exciting
Kovsie merchandise.

Our Bloemfontein, South, and Qwaqwa Campuses are immaculately maintained and provide a safe and secure environment for the more than 40 000 students who study here. Through an active programme of sports, cultural, and social events, our students are also given the opportunity to develop into competent and compassionate future leaders.

Student accommodation is very popular, and our residences are within walking distance of all facilities. Our Bloemfontein Campus is regarded as one of the most integrated campuses in South Africa, with a very diverse group of students.

The campus is situated in one of the main roads passing through Bloemfontein, Nelson Mandela Drive, and is within walking distance of shopping centres, schools, and other places of interest.

QWAQWA CAMPUS

Situated in the scenic sandstone mountains of Phuthaditjhaba in the Eastern Free State, our Qwaqwa Campus attracts students from across the continent, with the majority from the Eastern Free State and western KwaZulu-Natal.

This campus offers programmes in the Faculties of the Humanities, Education, Economic and Management Sciences, as well as Natural and Agricultural Sciences, with postgraduate teaching in various centres of excellence. Our main consideration is that the learning programmes, research, academic interventions, and community service-learning opportunities are socially and educationally responsive to the region. The on-campus research hubs produce valuable knowledge, much of which has a local focus.

With the influx of postgraduate students from around the globe, the Qwaqwa Campus is probably the fastest-growing rural campus in South Africa. To address the recent growth spurt, existing buildings were renovated, the infrastructure updated, and new buildings added. The huge investment in infrastructure makes it one of the best-equipped rural campuses, with a spacious layout, modern lecture theatres, and comfortable residences.

Various male, female, and day residences accommodate students’ living, learning, and social needs, with floodlit stadia, athletic tracks, and netball and basketball courts catering for sports talent and aspirations.

SOUTH CAMPUS

Nestled in the hills overlooking the vibrant city of Bloemfontein, lies the South Campus of the University of the Free State (UFS). The facilities can accommodate up to 4 000 students and include lecture rooms, an auditorium, a library, and an administration building.

Originally established in the 1980s as a satellite campus for Vista University, it was incorporated into the UFS in 2004. Ever since its incorporation, the UFS tailored the South Campus to play a significant role in the economy of the region, the enhancement of its people, as well as being the hub for distance-learning programmes offered by the institution.

One of the main roles of the campus is to draw new students from lower levels of education who would previously not have been able to

obtain higher education. The South Campus offers programmes	for students to gain	access to Further Education and Training (FET) and
Higher Education (HE) levels. These programmes enable learners to	ultimately enter the	mainstream curriculum after completing preparation

courses. By offering this opportunity, the UFS ensures that students – who might otherwise have fallen by the wayside – get to develop to their full potential and realise their dreams.

In addition, the South Campus also serves as the pivotal centre to more than 6 000 long-distance learners. These students are not able to study on campus due to a variety of factors, such as their geographical location, financial constraints, or having to complete their degrees on a part-time basis because of job commitments. The influx of long-distance learners account for the South Campus being the fastest growing of the UFS campuses.

On-campus students receive intensive small-group instruction, which has been proven to be a highly successful method of tuition. Distance education is accomplished through online technology and broadcasting mediums.