Bachelor of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering
Manufacturing, Engineering and Technology - Engineering and Related Design
Purpose and Rationale
Purpose:
The Bachelor of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering qualification prepares learners for careers in Mechanical Engineering. The purpose of the qualification is to build the necessary knowledge, understanding, abilities, and skills required for further learning towards becoming a competent practicing engineer.
The recognized purpose of the qualification is to provide learners with:
- A thorough grounding in Mathematics, Basic Sciences, Engineering Sciences, Engineering Modelling, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, and Engineering Design together with the abilities to enable applications in fields of emerging knowledge.
- Preparation for careers in engineering and related areas, for achieving technical leadership and to contribute to the economy and national development.
This is in line with the general purpose of a bachelor's degree according to the HEQSF; that is to strengthen and deepen the learner's knowledge in a particular discipline or profession.
Rationale:
Engineering is a discipline and profession that serves the needs of society and the economy. The qualification is designed to contribute to developing engineering competence. The qualification, with its broad fundamental base, is the starting point of a career path in one of many areas of engineering specialization through structured development and lifelong learning.
The broad base allows maximum flexibility and mobility for the holder to adjust to changing needs. Skills, knowledge, values, and attitudes reflected in the qualification are building blocks for the development of Candidate Engineers towards becoming competent Engineers to ultimately lead complex engineering activities and solve complex engineering problems.
The qualification will be in demand and will resonate with industry as the main economic activity in the region. Apart from that, the provision of many more qualified engineers in South Africa is a high priority for Government, and strong support for the qualification has been expressed by local manufacturing industries.
The industrial area around the Region has seen very substantial growth over the past decades and it has been devoid of a local university with an engineering faculty. Similarly, all of the learners who live in the area have had to travel long distances from home to study at other South African Universities.
The establishment of an Engineering Faculty will have a very positive impact on the local industry in supplying learners in engineering to the area. It will have a huge impact on the local schools and the learners in those schools who can look forward to studying engineering at an institution much closer to their homes.
It will also be the first full engineering faculty in a historically disadvantaged university in South Africa offering Bachelor of Engineering Degrees. The qualification fulfills the educational requirement towards registration as a professional engineer with the Engineering Council of South Africa as well as allowing learners to make careers in engineering and related fields.
Also, learners with an appropriate level of achievement in the qualification will be able to proceed to postgraduate studies in both course-based and research Master's qualifications.
Outcomes
- Identify, formulate, analyse and solve complex engineering problems creatively and innovatively.
- Apply knowledge of mathematics, natural sciences, engineering fundamentals and an engineering speciality to solve complex engineering problems.
- Perform creative, procedural and non-procedural design and synthesis of components, systems, engineering works, products or processes.
- Analyse, select and effectively apply scientific methods of investigations, experiments, and data analysis and address complex or abstract problems within the field of Mechanical Engineering.
- Use appropriate engineering methods, skills and tools, including those based on information technology.
- Demonstrate competence to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, with engineering audiences and the community at large.
- Demonstrate a critical awareness of the impact of engineering activity on the social, industrial and physical environment.
- Work effectively as an individual, in teams and multidisciplinary environments.
- Engage in independent learning through well-developed learning skills.
- Demonstrate a critical awareness of the need to act professionally and ethically and to exercise judgment and take responsibility within own limits of competence.
- Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of engineering management principles and economic decision making.
Assessment Criteria
Assessment Associated Criteria for Exit Level Outcomes
Exit Level Outcome 1:
- Analyse and define the problem and identify the criteria for an acceptable solution.
- Identify necessary information and applicable engineering and other knowledge and skills.
- Generate and formulate possible approaches to the solution of a problem.
- Model and analyse possible solution(s).
- Evaluate possible solutions and select the best solution.
- Formulate and present the solution in an appropriate form.
Exit Level Outcome 2:
- Show competence in the application of mathematics and scientific/engineering knowledge and skills to solve engineering problems relevant to the Dynamics II syllabus.
- Work individually to complete and submit a statistics assignment, testing their knowledge and understanding of statistical variation applied to a design problem.
- Submit an Excel spreadsheet with their analysis/results and a mini report detailing their findings and explaining their results.
Exit Level Outcome 3:
- Conduct the design of a technical device or a subsystem of such a device, applying established engineering design techniques.
- Plan and conduct investigations and experiments.
- Conduct a literature search and critically evaluate material.
- Perform the necessary analyses.
- Select and use appropriate equipment or software.
- Analyse, interpret and derive information from data.
- Draw conclusions based on evidence.
- Communicate the purpose, process and outcomes in a technical report.
Exit Level Outcome 4:
- Analyse data collected from strain-gauges positioned on steel samples with various loading configurations.
- Submit a well-written practical report.
- Determine what an appropriate choice of equipment would be to respond to the question on the scenario assess the test.
Exit Level Outcome 5:
- Use electro-mechanical modelling, control loop design, and computer simulation.
- Demonstrate competence in project management.
Exit Level Outcome 6:
- Produce an assembly drawing and/or parts drawings of the device that they are designing.
- Communicate the technical details of the device to allow its fabrication.
Exit Level Outcome 7:
- Assess the impact of technology on society through a report submission.
- Assess through the submission of a risk assessment form the critical awareness of the impact of engineering activity on occupational and public health and safety.
- Investigate the aspects and impacts of an operation such as a gold mine, an oil refinery, a paper mill or a coal-fired power station.
Exit Level Outcome 8:
- Demonstrate on the WBS and Gantt diagram the captured entire team's planning.
- Provide project planning to the chief designer on time.
- Demonstrate the integrated entire team's submitted design contributions.
- Provide evidence design file that a significant contribution to the completion of the team's design was made.
- Acknowledge the many disciplines that contribute to the debate around problems and solutions.
Exit Level Outcome 9:
- Reflect own learning and determines learning requirements and strategies.
- Source and evaluate information.
- Access, comprehend and apply the knowledge acquired outside formal instruction.
- Critically challenge assumptions and embraces new thinking.
Exit Level Outcome 10:
- Explore the viability of streamlining part of an automobile production line, in calculating the potential cost savings.
- Demonstrate knowledge of issues of quality, operations and maintenance as well as occupational health and safety.
Exit Level Outcome 11:
- Demonstrate competence in project management using tools such as Microsoft Project.
- Show competence in understanding financial statements, cash flow, income and expenditure and balance sheets.
Integrated Assessment:
- Modules in this qualification are assessed using a range of methods and include formative and summative assessments.
- Teaching strategies require an integrated assessment approach using case studies and problem-solving.
- Assignments, tests, presentations, and other assessment methods will be used to assess learners.
Learners will be informed specifically on how each learning objective will be assessed, what constitutes satisfactory performance, and the consequences of not meeting the learning objective.
Qualification Details
- Type
- National First Degree(Min 480)
- NQF Level
- 08
- Min. Credits
- 480
- SAQA Source
- More Information
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This page includes information from the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) . Builtneat Pty Ltd trading as Study Start, has modified all or some of this information. SAQA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.