Bachelor of Engineering in Chemical Engineering

To prepare students for a career as professional engineer in the private or public sectors or as academics.

To provide students with a thorough grounding in mathematics and the engineering sciences which will enable them to apply engineering modelling and design to fields of energing knowledge and proceed with post graduate studies.

To address South Africa's urgent need for professionals who can provide the technical leadership to develop the country's infrastructure and its industry to become and remain globally competitive.

Senior Certificate with Matriculation Exemption or equivalent university admission qualification

Additional requirements

Mathematics (HG) C, Physical Science (HG) D and C aggregate in the matriculation examination.

GENERIC / CRITICAL CROSS FIELD OUTCOMES

The BEng graduate is

1. Competent to identify, assess, formulate and solve convergent and divergent engineering problems creatively and innovatively from first principles of mathematics and the engineering sciences.
2. Competent to work effectively as an individual, in teams and in multidisciplinary environments showing leadership and performing critical functions.
3. Competent to prioritise tasks and manage own time effectively.
4. Competent to acquire and evaluate the requisite knowledge, information and resources, apply correct principles, evaluate and use design tools.
5. Competent to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, with engineering audiences and the community at large, using appropriate structure, style and graphical support.
6. Aware of and understands the requirements to maintain continued competence and to keep abreast of up-to-date tools and techniques through life long learning.
7. Competent t exercise judgement commensurate with knowledge and experience required to operate as a professional engineer.
8. Competent to apply scientific and technological knowledge critically and responsibly.
9. Competent to view the world holistically and understand it as a set of related systems.

GENERAL OUTCOMES

The BEng graduate is

1. Familiar with the theories, understands and is competent to apply knowledge of mathematics, basic science and engineering sciences from first principles to solve engineering problems, involving the following performances:

A. Bring mathematical and numerical analysis and statistical knowledge and methods to bear on engineering problems by using an appropriate mix of:

• Formal analysis and modelling of engineering components, systems or processes.
• Communicating concepts, ideas and theories with the aid of mathematics.
• Reasoning about and conceptualising engineering components, systems or processes using mathematical concepts.
• Dealing with uncertainty and risk through the use or probability and statistics.

B. Use physical laws and knowledge of the physical world as a foundation for the engineering sciences and the solution of engineering problems by an appropriate mix of:

• Formal analysis and modelling of engineering components, systems or processes using principles and knowledge of the basic sciences.
• Reasoning about and conceptualising engineering problems, components, systems or processes using principles of the basic sciences.

C. Use the techniques, principles and laws of engineering science at a fundamental level and in at least one specialist are to:

• Identify an solve open ended engineering problems
• Identify and pursue engineering applications
• Work across engineering disciplinary boundaries through cross disciplinary literacy and shared knowledge

1. Competent to perform creative, procedural and non-procedural design and synthesis of components, systems, works, products or processes, involving the performances:

• Identify and formulate the design problem to satisfy user needs, applicable standards, codes of practice and legislation
• Plan and manage the design process: focus on important issues, recognise and deal with constraints
• Perform design tasks including analysis, quantitative modelling and optimisation
• Evaluate alternative and preferred solution exercise judgement, test implementability and perform techno-economic analyses
• Assess impacts and benefits of the design: social, legal, health, safety, and environmental
• Communicate the design logic and information

3. Competent to do investigations, experiments and data analysis, involving the following performances

• Apply research method
• Plan and conduct investigations and experiments using appropriate equipment.
• Analyse, interpret and derive information from data

4. Competent to use engineering methods, skills and information technology, involving the following performances

a) Use appropriate engineering methods, skills and tools an assess the results they yield

b) Use computer packages for computation, modelling, simulation and information handling, involving

• Assessment of the applicability and limitations of the package.
• Proper application and operation of the package
• Critical testing and assessment of the end results produced by the package

c) Use computers and networks and information infrastructures for accessing, processing, managing, and storing information to enhance personal productivity and teamwork

d) Create computer applications as required by the discipline

e) Bring basic techniques and knowledge to bear on engineering practice from economics, business environmental protection

5. Competent to communicate effectively with professional and general audiences, involving the following performances

• Communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, with engineering audiences an the community at large, using appropriate structure, style and graphical support
• Apply methods of providing information for use by others involved in engineering activity

1. Critically aware of the impact of engineering activity on society and the environment, involving the following performances:

a) Demonstrate mastery of the philosophical concepts involved

b) Demonstrated awareness of the need to bring into engineering analysis and design considerations

• The impact of technology on society
• The personal, social, cultural values and requirements of those affected by engineering activity

1. Critically aware of the need to act professionally and ethically and to take responsibility within own limits of competence

1. The student's ability to integrate knowledge is demonstrated by various design and research projects requiring inter alia synthesis of ideas and evaluation of alternatives
2. To demonstrate competence in outcome B, students must demonstrate the ability to work in teams to perform experiments and/or design projects
3. The assessment used for the BEng ensures that the purpose of the qualification is achieved.
4. A range of formative and summative assessment methods, such as simulations, demonstration of implemented designs, laboratory assignments, written and oral examinations is used.
5. The required range of modalities is used integratively to assess whether the specified outcomes have been achieved.
6. From the assessment of samples generalising to a domain takes place in a judicious and planned way in order to ensure reliability.
7. The assessment used meets the standard and level of achievement for NQF level 7.
8. The criterion used to assess most outcomes is largely whether the information and conceptual content of work the student submits for marking is accurate and valid and demonstrate the indicated performances adequately
9. To demonstrate competence in outcome F the student must be able to write logical and coherent reports in which appropriate use is made of graphical presentations using computer software.
10. The student must demonstrate adequate integration of knowledge and the ability to pass engineering judgement in the capstone project in the final year.

INTEGRATED ASSESSMENT

The programme is capped by an engineering project, which requires an integration of acquired knowledge.

The outcomes are assessed on the basis of practical demonstrations of results achieved, a written report and an oral presentation, which must clearly show that a thorough scientific process was followed to arrive at results.