ELIGIBILITY:

As a minimum requirement for admission, you must have one of the following qualifications by the time of enrolment: 

an honours degree in Applied Mathematics, Computer Science, Mathematics, or Mathematical Statistics; 

a four-year Bachelor’s degree in Engineering; 

an NQF level 8 qualification deemed equivalent to the above in a field closely linked to ML and AI. 

You should also have existing and demonstrable proficiency in Python or an equivalent programming language, and be comfortable with numerical linear algebra, vector calculus, basic probability theory and statistics. Though not strictly required, it is highly recommended that you should have already completed an introductory course on machine learning. 

Due to capacity limitations, a selection committee will give final approval for admission. Preference may be given to students with higher marks and with preceding studies better aligned with the programme’s specialisation. 

Applications for the 2027 intake close on 31 October 2026. A first round of selections and notifications will happen in August/September, so apply early if you can! Please keep in mind that space is limited. 

To apply for admission into the MSc programme, follow the steps below. 

Go to the applicant portal on SUNStudent, create a profile if you haven’t already, and log in. 

Click on “Programme selection”. 

Faculty: “Faculty of Science – Stellenbosch” 

Programme type: “Postgraduate” 

Programme: “MSc (Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence)”, full-time or part-time 

Complete the required information from the menus on the left panel. 

If you complete an application for the programme before 15 August, you will be considered for the scholarships that they manage.

If you apply before 15 August, you will be notified in September. If you apply between 15 August and 31 October, you will be notified in November.