The Department of Civil Engineering strive towards improving its leadership role in the higher education sector, with specific reference to planning, design, construction and maintenance of the civil engineering industry. It promotes excellence in appropriate Water, Environmental and Transportation Engineering research and application of technology.  It offers career-orientated diploma and degree qualifications, consonant with the requirements of the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA), South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA), Council for Higher Education (CHE) and the Higher Education Quality Committee (HEQC). Our alumni are technicians and technologists employed around the Eastern Cape Province as well as Nationally. Our qualifications are responsive to the socio-economic needs of the Eastern Cape region.

Students admitted into the Diploma in Engineering in Civil Engineering are required to complete the 360 credits, which incorporates 30 credits (900 notional hours) of work-integrated learning (WIL). Also, each student is required to be competent in 12 graduate attributes as prescribed the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) before he or she can be qualified to obtain this qualification.

Likewise, our Advanced Diploma in Civil Engineering comprises of two specialisations: Water Engineering and Transportation Engineering. Students admitted into the Advanced Diploma in Civil Engineering qualification are required to complete the 140 credits in any of the specialization of their choice. The qualification incorporates project-based learning in each of the core discipline-specific modules. Each student is required to be competent in 11 graduate attributes as prescribed the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) before he or she can be qualified to obtain this qualification.

Every student admitted into our qualifications must be competent in ECSA outlined graduate attributes (GAs). These GAs are built and mapped into all the modules in all our academic qualifications. However, at the exit level of the qualification, these GAs will be assessed via the relevant modules as either an assignment, a laboratory practical, a project based assignment or through a work integrated learning technical report, as the case may be.

The department partners with the Civil Engineering industry through the departmental advisory board. This board comprises of academic, support and the industry stakeholders. This board meets twice a year and aims to facilitate two-way communication on academic matters between the University, external stakeholders and the community that the University serves. The advisory board provides input and guidance concerning aspects related to the curriculum (including admission and assessment requirements), external needs, vocational profiles, relevance and research; advises on continued professional development and extracurricular offerings.

Most importantly, all our qualifications are evaluated and accredited by the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA), a professional body that regulates engineering qualifications in South Africa.

• Administrative Staff

Head of Department

Dr AM Ikudayisi, Telephone +27 (0) 43 702 9258, Email aikudayisi@wsu.ac.za

Secretary

Ms L Mphahlele, Telephone +27 (0) 43 702 9264, Email lmphahlele@wsu.ac.za

• Selection Criteria for New Students

The initial selection of new students is based on an applicant’s NSC or Matric results.

Where an applicant has symbols one level above the minimum admission requirement for Maths and Science, such an applicant will be offered direct enrolment.

Students offered direct enrolment will be required to participate in Standardised Assessment Tests (SATAPs) but in such cases, the results will only be used for diagnostic evaluation.

Students who do not gain direct enrolment but who meet the minimum admission requirements are provisionally accepted.

Such students are required to complete a set of three tests, which comprise of Mathematics, Physical Science and English Proficiency. Each test takes two hours to complete.

• Admission Rules & Applications for Recognition of Credits

For Admission Rules, see the section for minimum admissions requirements under each of the programmes and qualifications in the department

• Credit Transfer

Students are allowed to apply for formal credits recognition for modules / courses attained from other institutions, according to the university’s policy on credit transfers.  Refer to requirements as per 2023 WSU General Prospectus  – Section 4, paragraphs 1.6 and 1.7

• Career Opportunities

In general, graduates from our programmes can work in the following branches of civil engineering:
Planning and design, Construction, Project Management and Maintenance of facilities and infrastructure.

Specialisation fields in civil engineering include positions in:

• Hydraulics/water resources engineering
• Irrigation/drainage engineering
• Municipal engineering
• Geotechnical/soil/geological engineering
• Water systems/pipeline engineering
• Waste and wastewater treatment engineering
• Structural engineering
• Transportation Engineering 
• Project Management
• Consulting firms in private practice, construction companies, government (national departments, provincial departments and local authorities), private and parastatal organisations research organisations and tertiary education institutions.

• DIPLOMA IN CIVIL ENGINEERING

1. Purpose of the Qualification

The purpose of this qualification is to build the necessary knowledge, understanding, abilities and skills required for further learning towards becoming a competent practicing Civil Engineering Technologist.

It is also to train technologists who will meet the criteria for registration as a Professional Engineering Technologist by the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA), and who will display competence as part of the engineering team in the execution of technical tasks under remote supervision by using and applying their knowledge in independent judgment in the identification and solution of broadly-defined Civil Engineering problems. This qualification is intended for technologist level employment in industry within the range of planning, design, construction and maintenance of Civil Engineering operations.

Diplomats achieving this qualification should, after initial supervision, be able to apply engineering principles, techniques and instruments to systematically diagnose and solve broadly-defined Civil Engineering problems, perform procedural design of broadly-defined elements/components to meet desired needs within applicable standards, codes of practice and legislation, follow developments in Civil Engineering and critique the status of current knowledge, apply the knowledge gained to new, broadly-defined, situations, both concrete and abstract, in the workplace/community.

Also, they must be able to gather evidence from primary sources and journals using appropriate retrieval skills, and organise, synthesise and present the information professionally in a mode appropriate to the audience, use basic methods of enquiry in a Civil Engineering environment to contribute to a project, demonstrate the capacity to explore and exploit educational, entrepreneurial, and career opportunities, and to develop him / herself professionally, make independent decisions taking into account the relevant technical, economic, social, safety and environmental factors, work independently, as a member of a team and as a supervisor and relate Civil Engineering activities to environmental, safety, cultural and economic sustainability.

Thorough grounding in mathematics, natural sciences, engineering sciences, engineering modelling, engineering design and the ability to enable applications in fields of emerging knowledge together with an appreciation for the world and society in which engineering is practiced.

The Advanced Diploma in Engineering in Civil Engineering Qualification contributes to the 11 graduate attributes. In the first year modules, students develop the graduate attributes, while these graduate attributes are assessed at selected second year modules all at NQF Level 7.

2. Minimum Admission Requirements

The minimum admission requirements into the Advanced Diploma in Civil Engineering are listed under each pathway into the qualification as shown below:

NQF Level 6 qualification with 360 credits in a cognate discipline with achievement not less than 60% (average) in the level III courses.

• DIPLOMA IN CIVIL ENGINEERING

(i) A 360 credit Diploma in Civil Engineering at NQF Level 6.

• NATIONAL DIPLOMA IN CIVIL ENGINEERING

(i) A 360 credit National Diploma in Civil Engineering at NQF Level 6

OR

(ii) A 240 credit National Diploma in Civil Engineering at NQF Level 6, with the 120 Work Integrated Learning credits.

• HIGHER NATIONAL DIPLOMA

A National Higher Diploma: Civil Engineering (T4) with the appropriate courses at this level for the field of specialisation the candidate wishes to pursue.

NOTE: Candidates should have accumulated at least one year of appropriate post diploma experience

Additional requirements are:

• National Diploma in Civil Engineering graduates who wish to proceed directly to the Advanced Diploma programme without the appropriate post diploma experience requirements may be admitted if they obtained an average of at least 60% in the following Level 3 (P2 & S4) modules:

• Structural Analysis III
• Geotechnical Engineering III
• Reinforced Concrete & Masonry Design III 
• Transportation Engineering III 
• Documentation III
• Civil Engineering Practice II
• Water Engineering III

• Diploma in Civil Engineering graduates who wish to proceed directly to the Advanced Diploma programme without the appropriate post diploma experience requirements may be admitted if they obtained an average of at least 60% in the following Level 3 modules:

• Structural Analysis III
• Geotechnical Engineering III
• Reinforced Concrete & Masonry Design III 
• Transportation Engineering III 
• Documentation III
• Civil Engineering Practice III
• Civil Engineering Project III

3. Exit Level Outcomes / Graduate Attributes

The exit level outcomes and graduate attributes of the Advanced Diploma in Civil Engineering qualification are as listed below:

Graduate Attribute 1:

Problem solving: Identify, formulate, analyse and solve broadly-defined engineering problems

Graduate Attribute 2:

Application of scientific and engineering knowledge: Apply knowledge of mathematics, natural science and engineering sciences to applied engineering procedures, processes, systems and methodologies to solve broadly-defined engineering problems.

Graduate Attribute 3:

Engineering Design: Perform procedural design and synthesis of components, systems, engineering works, products or processes.

Graduate Attribute 4:

Investigations, experiments and data analysis: Demonstrate competence to design and conduct investigations and experiments.

Graduate Attribute 5:

Engineering methods, skills and tools, including Information Technology Demonstrate competence to use appropriate engineering methods, skills and tools, including those based on information technology.

Graduate Attribute 6:

Professional and technical communication: Demonstrate competence to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, with engineering audiences and the community at large

Graduate Attribute 7:

Sustainability and Impact of Engineering Activity: Demonstrate critical awareness of the sustainability and impact of engineering activity on the social, industrial and physical environment.

Graduate Attribute 8:

Individual, Team and Multidisciplinary Working: Demonstrate competence to work effectively as an individual, in teams and in multidisciplinary environments

Graduate Attribute 9:

Independent Learning Ability Demonstrate competence to engage in independent learning through well- developed learning skills.

Graduate Attribute 10:

Engineering Professionalism: Demonstrate critical awareness of the need to act professionally and ethically and to exercise judgment and take responsibility within own limits of competence

Graduate Attribute 11:

Engineering Management: Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of engineering management principles and economic decision-making.