Undergraduate & honours qualifications

Diploma in Electrical Engineering

Qualification code: 90138
NQF level: 6
Total credits: 360
SAQA ID: 111285
APS/AS: 18
Rules:
Please note that all practicals will be conducted at Unisa Science campus, in Johannesburg, Gauteng Province. Further note that this is compulsory to all students and for all the engineering modules that require practical work in the laboratories. Compilation of curriculum: A student may register for a maximum of 60 NQF credits per semester (consequently 120 NQF credits for an academic year); Students should take cognizance of prerequisite modules when selecting modules for registration. From 2024, Engineering modules will be offered as year modules only. Please click on the modules to see further information.
Purpose statement:
The purpose of this qualification is to build the necessary knowledge, understanding, abilities and skills required for further learning towards becoming a competent practicing professional engineering technician. This qualification provides: Preparation for careers in engineering and areas that potentially benefit from engineering skills, for achieving technical proficiency and competency to make a contribution to the economy and national development. The educational base required for registration as a candidate and/or a professional engineering technician with Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) (Refer to qualification rules). The qualification reflects the new standard for engineering technicians as required by the Engineering Council of South Africa (referred to as the ECSA hereafter) based on the new Higher Education Qualifications Framework (HEQF) (ECSA document E-02-PN; February 2015: Qualification Standard for Diploma in Engineering: NQF Level 6). This qualification was endorsed by constituents from industry via advisory committee meetings for mechanical engineering. The qualification is part of a group of new qualifications in Engineering focused on de-colonialisation and curriculum transformation. The new qualifications will increase of the institutional reputation; will attract more international students, especially from Africa, leading to an improved international scholarly output. Professional Engineering Technicians apply established and newly developed engineering technology to solve well-defined problems and develop components, systems, services and processes. The qualification will be the only one that is offered by an open and distance learning institute. As such, it will be accessible to students countrywide, and is more likely to be taken up by employed students who would not be able to attend full-time courses offered by residential institutions. This qualification plans to address the current engineering skill shortage allowing workers in the field to upgrade their qualifications via self-study, facility not available through contact universities. This qualification is designed to meet the educational requirement towards registration as a Candidate or Professional Engineering Technician with the Engineering Council of South Africa
This qualification will be presented using both online and distance learning modes.

Who can register?

  • Applicants (new applicants & Unisa students who applied for admission to a new qualification) may only register if they have received an offer of placement from Unisa and have accepted the offer online. Unisa reserves the right to not process and / or to cancel your registration if it is found that you were incorrectly admitted to a qualification. 
  • Re-registering students may register for the 2024 academic year once the registration period opens.

Please note: Should you wish to start a new qualification, please apply online for the alternative qualification during the prescribed application period.


How to choose your modules

Each Unisa qualification is structured in such a way that you need to pass a certain number of NQF level credits within a certain amount of time in order to graduate.

  • Co-requisite: Module A is a co-requisite for Module B. You want to register for Module B, but have not yet passed Module A. You must then register for both Modules A and B simultaneously. You may NOT cancel your registration for Module A unless Module B is also cancelled.

  • Pre-requisite: If Module A is a pre-requisite for Module B, you must pass Module A before you may register for Module B.

You may not register for more than the allowed maximum number of credits / modules per academic year and / or semester: 60 credits per semester or 120 credits per academic year.

The maximum number of credits do not include supplementary and / or aegrotat examinations from a previous semester. Modules taken for non-degree / non-diploma purposes also count towards the maximum number of credits allowed.

You must take your available time into consideration when choosing your modules, as this will impact your academic performance. You need approximately

  • 6 to 8 hours per week for semester modules.
  • 4 to 6 hours per week for year modules.

Click here for more information on managing your studies.

Curriculum for this qualification

While you are deciding on the modules for which you will be registering, write down the module names and codes so that you have something to refer to when completing your registration.

Please click on the modules below to see further information (eg semester/year module, NQF level)

First level

Module (Please click on the module to see further information) Pre-requisite/Co-requisite/Recommendation
Group A. Compulsory
DSY1501 - Digital systems I
ECD1501 - Electrical Computer Aided Design (CAD) 2D
EEA1501 - Electrical Engineering I
ELA1501 - Electronics I
ENG1503 - Academic Language and Literacy in English
EUP1501 - Ethical Information and Communication Technologies for Development Solutions
FIC1502 - Physics IB (Theory)
INP1501 - Introduction to Programming IA
MAT1581 - Mathematics I (Engineering)
SCN1501 - Engineering Science

Second level

Module (Please click on the module to see further information) Pre-requisite/Co-requisite/Recommendation
Group A. Compulsory
DSY2602 - Digital systems II Pre-requisite:DSY1501
ECD2601 - Engineering Graphics for Electrical Design Projects Pre-requisite:ECD1501
EEA2601 - Electrical Engineering II Pre-requisite:EEA1501
EEM2601 - Electrical Machines II Pre-requisite:EEA1501, ELA1501
ELA2601 - Electronics II Pre-requisite:ELA1501
ELB1502 - Electrical Engineering Robotics Pre-requisite:ELA1501
EME1501 - Engineering Mechanics I
ENM2601 - Engineering Management I
MAT2691 - Mathematics II (Engineering) Pre-requisite:MAT1581
MCD2601 - Micro Controller Design Systems Pre-requisite:EEA1501, ELA1501

Third level

Module (Please click on the module to see further information) Pre-requisite/Co-requisite/Recommendation
Group A. Compulsory
DPJ2601 - Design Project III Pre-requisite:EEM2601, ECD2601, MCD2601, ELB1502
EAL3601 - Alternative Energy Design Project III Pre-requisite:SCN1501, ECD2601
ELA2602 - Electronics III Pre-requisite:ELA2601
INI3601 - Industrial Instruments III Pre-requisite:MCD2601
MAT3700 - Mathematics III (Engineering) Pre-requisite:MAT2691
Recommendation:Students should enrol for this module as soon as possible after completing MAT2691.
WDL3601 - Work-directed Learning: Electrical Engineering (Project based) Pre-requisite:ELB1502, EAL3601, INI3601, DPJ2601