Durban University of Technology (DUT)

Written by Mohapi · Last updated 15 August 2026 · How these figures are checked

DUT throws out more of your subjects than most universities do, and it does not score the ones it keeps on the scale you are used to. Both facts change your number.

DUT does not use the standard NSC levels

This is the part most likely to throw your calculation out, and it is worth being careful about.

Most universities convert your percentage to an NSC achievement level from 1 to 7 and add those up, giving a maximum of 42 across six subjects. DUT publishes its own points table, and the bands are not the same. In DUT's table, 80–89% scores 7 points, 70–79% scores 6, 60–69% scores 5, 50–59% scores 4, 40–49% scores 3, and 30–39% scores 2, which lines up with the NSC levels, but the top band, 90–100%, can award more than 7.

The practical consequence: a very strong candidate's DUT total can sit above the 42 that the standard scale caps at, so DUT's published minimums are not directly comparable to a score you worked out elsewhere.

Minimums vary a lot by programme

DUT is a university of technology with a wide spread of qualifications, and the entry points differ substantially between them. From DUT's own material:

• Some programmes require a minimum of 25 points excluding Life Orientation, plus specified minimum ratings in named subjects.
• Information Technology has been published at 28 points with Mathematics, or 30 with Mathematical Literacy.

That Maths versus Maths Literacy split is worth noticing. Maths Literacy is not a blanket exclusion at DUT, but it costs you points against the same programme.

These figures are quoted because they appear in DUT's published documents. They are examples of the structure, not a complete list, and programme requirements are revised each cycle. Check the current entry requirements for the specific qualification you want.

Applying through the CAO

DUT is a Central Applications Office institution. You apply through the CAO, not directly to DUT, and the same application can carry choices at UKZN, MUT and UNIZULU.

DUT also publishes a list of CAO programmes with spaces still available, which is genuinely useful late in the cycle if your first choices did not come through. See how to apply.

What DUT is for

DUT is a university of technology: vocational and applied rather than research-led. Programmes are built around occupations, many include work-integrated learning, and the qualification mix runs from higher certificates through diplomas to degrees.

If you want a practical qualification and a route into work, this is the right kind of institution. If you want a research degree, UKZN is the KZN option.

Where DUT is

DUT has campuses in Durban and in Pietermaritzburg. Programmes are attached to particular campuses, and the two cities are about 80km apart, so confirm which one teaches your qualification before making accommodation plans.

Who DUT genuinely suits

• Learners who want an applied, career-focused qualification rather than an academic degree.
• Anyone in KwaZulu-Natal applying across several institutions on one CAO form.
• Students who may start on a higher certificate or diploma and build upward.
• Applicants who did not get a first-choice place elsewhere, given the published list of programmes with spaces available.

What people get wrong when applying to DUT