Through its teaching, research, creative work, community engagement and public debate, SoAP has a large and positive influence on our society. During the past ninety-seven years, it has responded to the changing cities, communities and built environments in South Africa, and in the rapidly globalizing and urbanised world. Students wishing to pursue a career in architecture or planning, and those seeking to build on their existing degrees and careers, will find opportunities for specialisation as well as research enquiry within our degree offering.
For architects and planners, the interdisciplinary specialisations that we offer provide an essential component in our twenty-first century epoch, as it is our aim to develop living and working environments:
- in which all are included,
- of which all people can be proud,
- in which they can move around with ease, and
- from which they can access the opportunities cities and rural areas have to offer.
The architecture degrees (BAS, BAS (Hons.) and MArch (Prof)) are together validated by the South African Council for the Architectural Profession (SACAP), and through SACAP they are validated by the Commonwealth Association of Architects (CAA). The planning degree suites (BSc+BSc Hons(URP) and PGDipPlanning + MSc (DP)) are each accredited by the South African Council for Planners (SACPLAN). Through the School of Architecture and Planning (as well as the Global Change Institute - GCI), the University of the Witwatersrand is networked with the Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA).
