What to study in SA

If you want a quality qualification in South Africa‚ best you take up Development Studies.

This is the finding of the seventh Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Ranking by Subject‚ which was released on Wednesday.

The subject-specific performance analysis lists the world’s best universities in 46 different subjects.

Harvard ranks tops in 15 subjects‚ ahead of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with 12 number one spots.

In South Africa‚ however‚ it was the Development Studies course that came out tops.

The University of Cape Town retained its top 10 place in the Development Studies category of the latest QS ranking‚ while the University of Witwatersrand clinched the 18th spot.

Stellenbosch University ranked 42nd for the same subject‚ making Development Studies South Africa’s strongest subject at tertiary level.

The University of KwaZulu-Natal has also broken into the top 100 and the University of Johannesburg retained its place in the top 100 for the same category.

Although the largest number of top 100 placements for South African universities occur for Development Studies‚ they are also making strong inroads in other ranks.

These include:

- Stellenbosch has risen to 22nd position for Engineering — Mineral and Mining;

- UCT ranks 47th for Geography;

- Stellenbosch‚ UCT and the University of Pretoria have been placed in the top 100 in QS’s first-ever Theology‚ Divinity and Religious Studies ranking. All three place in the 51-100 category; and

- UCT is ranked in the top 100 in QS’s first-ever Anatomy and Physiology ranking.

In total‚ South African institutions are ranked in the top 100 for 13 different subjects‚ one more than last year.