Location

City of Pretoria

Located in the northern part of South Africa, approximately 30 miles north of Johannesburg, Pretoria is one of the country’s three capital cities, serving as the executive (administrative) and de facto national capital. Home to many senior politicians and diplomats, Pretoria is a pleasant city, with historic buildings and a city center that is easily explored on foot. It lies some 4500 feet above sea level in a warm, sheltered, fertile valley, surrounded by the hills of the Magaliesberg range. Over the years, Pretoria has had very diverse cultural influences, which is reflected in its diverse architectural styles ranging from British Colonial Architecture to Art Deco with a variety of uniquely South African forms mixed in.

University of Pretoria

With six campuses as well as a number of other sites of operation, such as the Pretoria Academic Hospital, the University of Pretoria offers academic programs in nine faculties as well as a business school. The faculties comprise a total of 140 departments and 85 centres, institutes and bureaus. Teaching methods at the University involve a combination of lectures and seminars. There are considerable differences between the U.S. educational system and South Africa’s. Students are expected not only to be well motivated, self-sufficient and deeply interested in subject matters, but also to take greater responsibility and initiative and to be prepared for a great deal of individual study.