BEng Mechanical Engineering at University of Pretoria

As a mechanical engineer, you will use fundamental physics, complex mathematics, and state-of-the-art engineering software – as well as your creative and inventive skills – to design and improve products and processes.

All fields of study of the BEng degree have been accredited by the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA), and comply with the academic requirements for registration as a professional engineer.

The programmes are designed in accordance with the outcomes-based model as required by the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA).

Admission requirements

The closing date is an administrative admission guideline for non-selection programmes.

Once a non-selection programme is full and has reached the institutional targets, then that programme will be closed for further admissions, irrespective of the closing date.

However, if the institutional targets have not been met by the closing date, then that programme will remain open for admissions until the institutional targets are met.

The following persons will be considered for admission: Candidates who are in possession of a certificate that is deemed by the University to be equivalent to the required National Senior Certificate (NSC) with university endorsement; candidates who are graduates from another tertiary institution or have been granted the status of a graduate of such an institution, and candidates who are graduates of another faculty at the University of Pretoria.

Life Orientation is excluded when calculating the APS.

Grade 11 results are used for the conditional admission of prospective students.

A valid qualification with admission to degree studies is required.

Minimum subject and achievement requirements, as set out below, are required.

Conditional admission to the four-year programmes in the School of Engineering is guaranteed only if a prospective student complies with ALL the requirements as indicated in the table.

Admission to ENGAGE in the School of Engineering will be determined by the NSC results, achievement levels of 5 for Mathematics and 5 for Physical Sciences, and an achievement level of 5 for English, together with an APS of 30.

Students may apply directly to be considered for the ENGAGE programme.

All lectures at the University of Pretoria are presented in English only.

Note: The Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) accredits our programmes and our degrees meet the requirements for Professional Engineers in SA.

Transferring students

Candidates previously registered for the BSc – Extended programme

The Admissions Committee of the faculty considers applications of candidates who were previously registered for the BSc – Extended programme, on grounds of their NSC results as well as academic merit.

Such students will only be considered for the four-year programme if they have passed all the prescribed modules and obtained a minimum of 65% in the Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry modules, respectively.

Candidates previously registered at UP or at another university

The faculty’s Admissions Committee considers applications of candidates who have already completed the final NSC examination and/or were previously registered at UP or at another university, on grounds of their NSC results as well as academic merit.

Candidates who were dismissed from other faculties or universities will not be considered.

Candidates previously registered at a teacher’s college or university of technology

The faculty’s Admissions Committee considers the application of these candidates on the grounds of their NSC results as well as academic merit.
Qualifications from countries other than South Africa.

Citizens from countries other than South Africa and South African citizens with foreign qualifications must comply with all the other admission requirements and the prerequisites for subjects/modules.

In addition to meeting the admission requirements, it may be expected from candidates to write the TOEFL, IELTS or SAT, if required.

Candidates must have completed the National Senior Certificate with admission to degree studies or a certificate of conditional exemption on the basis of a candidate’s foreign qualifications, the so-called “Immigrant” or “Foreign Conditional Exemption”.

The only condition for the “Foreign Conditional Exemption” that is accepted is: ‘completion of the degree course’.

The exemption certificate is obtainable from Universities South Africa (USAF).

Duration: [4 years]

Bachelor of Engineering (BEng / BE), Mechanical Engineering (ME) Jobs by Salary

Job TitleRangeAverage
Junior Mechanical EngineerRange:R141k – R349kAverage:R261,416
Senior Mechanical EngineerRange:R315k – R1mAverage:R687,677
Operations ManagerRange:R88k – R754kAverage:R320,162