A total number of 6760 students will graduate at the Durban University of Technology this autumn. The University will host 23 ceremonies during the graduation season.

The 2018 graduation season will kick-off on Wednesday, 25 April 2018 in Pietermaritzburg. The DUT graduation ceremonies are held between the Midlands and Durban campuses. In the Midlands campus, the ceremonies consist of four sessions, which will be held at the FJ Sithole Hall, Indumiso Campus, Imbali. The Midlands Campus sessions will be run over a period of two days, with the first session commencing at 10h00 and the last session at 13h00.

Once again this year, more females than males will graduate from DUT. A total number of 3762  females and 2998 males will receive their DUT graduation certificates. Of the 3023 women,  are African, 63  are Coloured, 538 are Indian and 68 are White. Of the 2998 men who will be graduating, 2316 are African, 42 are Coloured, 509 are Indian, 77 are White whilst 2 are classified as other race.

Faculty Statistics

The Faculty of Management Sciences is leading with 2317 under-graduate students graduating this season. They are followed by the Faculty of Accounting and Informatics with 1434 under-graduate and 3 post-graduate students to graduate. In third place, the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment will see 1092 under-graduate and 11 post-graduate students set to graduate this season. Taking fourth place is the Faculty of Health Sciences with 690 under-graduate and 44 post-graduate graduands. Fifth place is taken by the Faculty of Arts and Design with 593 under-graduate and 1 post-graduate graduands and the sixth faculty is the Faculty of Applied Sciences, with 533 under-graduates and 14 post graduands set to graduate this season.

Honorary Graduands

On Thursday, 26 April 2018, during the Midlands Campus graduation ceremony, DUT will confer an honorary Doctor of Education degree to struggle stalwart and ANC veteran, Dr Andrew Mlangeni. Dr Mlangeni is known for his fight in the anti-apartheid campaign. He was imprisoned following the Rivonia Trial and he was also the first liberation fighter to be sent outside the country for his military training.

On Friday, 11 May 2018, during the Durban Campus graduation ceremony on the Steve Biko Campus, DUT will confer an honorary Doctor of Visual and Performing Arts degree to one of South Africa’s most treasured Ndebele traditional artist, Dr Esther Mahlangu. Dr Mahlangu is known for her creativity using the Ndebele bold colours in her contemporary paintings highlighting her heritage.

On each of the days that the honorary graduands will be conferred with their degrees, the University will host a gala dinner to celebrate these two icons. Dr Mlangeni’s dinner will be held at the Golden Horse Casino in Pietermaritzburg, while Dr Mahlangu’s gala dinner will be held at the Royal Hotel, Durban.

Pictured: Dr Esther Mahlangu and Dr Andrew Mlangeni, both will be conferred honorary doctorates this Autumn.

Noxolo Memela