Engineering

Engineering offers excellent careers for men and women. Professional engineers are primarily concerned with the progress of technology by innovation, creativity, and change. Their work requires original thought, discretion, and sound judgement, and usually centres on people and technology.

The four-year Bachelor of Engineering programmes (BEng) equip students with a broad knowledge base. In the first year all students take the same compulsory subjects; thereafter they start specialising in the specific programme in which they are interested. Since the first year of study is largely common to all BEng programmes, students that have passed all the first-year subjects in their first year of study may change to any other BEng programme at the start of their second year of study. In the first two years, a foundation of mathematics and the natural and engineering sciences is laid, and in the third and fourth years, students learn how to apply their knowledge to solve technical problems and how to develop business opportunities. With this broad knowledge base, BEng graduates can take up a variety of occupations both within and outside the engineering industry. They often establish and manage their own companies as entrepreneurs.

   Professional accreditation and international recognition

All our BEng programmes are accredited by the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA), giving our graduates access to registration as Professional Engineers after acquiring the relevant experience in practice. In line with the Washington Accord, our BEng degrees are recognised world-wide in such countries as Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America, to name a few.

   Language of instruction

The University adopted a new language policy in 2021 for implementation from 2022 onwards. The language policy aims to give effect to section 29(2) of the South African Constitution and to the Language Policy Framework for Public Higher Education Institutions (2020) in relation to language usage in the University’s academic, administrative, professional and social contexts. The Policy aims to increase equitable access to SU for all students and staff, promote multilingualism and the appreciation thereof, and facilitate pedagogically sound learning and teaching. Without losing sight of the fact that SU also serves continental and global communities, we commit ourselves to multilingualism by using the three official languages of the Western Cape, namely Afrikaans, English and isiXhosa.

Details of the undergraduate language offering in the BEng programmes can be obtained via the Faculty's website.

All postgraduate programmes are offered in English.

   Admission and selection

The minimum admission requirements and selection process for all BEng programmes, including the extended curriculum programmes, are set out here.

   BEng extended curriculum programmes

Extended curriculum programmes were introduced to help students with an inadequate school background to master the BEng programmes. These extended curriculum programmes offer alternative access to the programmes of the Faculty of Engineering.

Extended curricula require one extra year of study, which precedes the curriculum of the four-year programmes. Students who have completed this extra year successfully, and who meet certain additional requirements, may continue with the curriculum of the four-year degree programmes of the Faculty of Engineering.

One cannot apply directly for an extended curriculum programme, but should apply for a four-year BEng programme. Applicants will automatically be considered for an extended curriculum programme, provided they meet the admission requirements for the extended curriculum programmes.

   Admission requirements for the extended curriculum programmes

• A National Senior Certificate (NSC) certified for admission to bachelor's studies, or an exemption certificate from the Matriculation Board
• An average of at least 60% in the NSC
• Mathematics 60%
• Physical Sciences 50%

A language mark that meet one of the following requirements:

• English Home Language 50%, with no Afrikaans requirement OR
• English First Additional Language 60%, with no Afrikaans requirement OR
• English First Additional Language 50% AND Afrikaans Home Language 50% OR
• English First Additional Language 50% AND Afrikaans Second Additional Language 60%
• Over and above the aforementioned requirements, candidates are subject to selection according to selection criteria, similarly to the four-year BEng programmes.