Postgraduate Programmes - Nelson Mandela Universityebeit.mandela.ac.za/ebeit/media/Store/documents/Postgraduate... · accredited postgraduate programmes in the fields of: ... MTech

Postgraduate Programmes

Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment and Information TechnologyT e c h n o l o g y f o r t o m o r r o w

Contents

Overview of NMMU ................................................................................................................ 3

Faculty overview .................................................................................................................... 4

Schools, departments and research entities .............................................................................. 4

The School of Engineering ....................................................................................................... 6

Mechatronics: Chair and Technology Centre ..............................................................................7

VWSA-DAAD International Chair in Automotive Engineering .......................................................7

Institute for Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering Research (IAMER) .................................. 8

Keeping industry globally competitive ...................................................................................... 8

The School of the Built Environment ........................................................................................ 9

Unit for the Study of Construction Processes ...........................................................................10

Unit for Building Research and Support .................................................................................10

The School of Information and Communication Technology .................................................... 12

Sub-Saharan Africa - Cisco Academy Training Centre (SSA - CATC) ............................................... 13

Making IT accessible ............................................................................................................... 14

A world of information ..........................................................................................................16

1

“Our graduates are able to access career opportunities all over the globe”

2

Overview of NMMU

Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) is a new

generation university, distinguished by the wide range

of study options and access routes open to students,

and a firm commitment to harnessing the university’s

knowledge resources to contribute to local and regional

development.

Founded on more than a century of quality higher education,

NMMU nurtures innovation, fosters creativity, embraces

technology and develops people to meet the challenges of

tomorrow. Affordable, quality higher education is offered to

more than 24 000 students across six campuses, making

NMMU the largest university in the Eastern and Southern

Cape, South Africa.

We are proud to be a valued partner in the socio-economic

development of our region – enabling entrepreneurs,

nurturing innovators, empowering communities and

developing leaders.

We have the vision to see beyond the present, and the

leadership to pioneer the future.

OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE IN THE FACULTY4Postgraduate study bursaries

4Postdoctoral research fellowships

4Staff and student exchange programmes

4Visiting professorships

4Collaborative research initiatives

Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment & Information TechnologyTechnology for tomorrow

3

Schools, departments and research entities

SCHOOL OF ENgINEERINgDepartment of Civil Engineering

Department of Electrical Engineering

Department of Industrial Engineering

Department of Mechanical Engineering

Department of Mechatronics

“I am in the fortunate position to guide a dynamic faculty that plays a leading role in the development

of future engineers, IT specialists and building practitioners. Be

ahead and obtain a postgraduate qualification by using cutting edge

technology. You can be assured that in this faculty you are not a number

but a future leader! Join our winning team in our endeavours to

establish world-class research in the

various focus areas.”

– Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment and

Information Technology Prof Henk de Jager

The Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment & Information Technology combines state-of-the-art facilities and technology with stimulating training to produce highly sought-after experts in the fields of civil, electrical, industrial or mechanical engineering, mechatronics, information technology, quality and operations management, quantity surveying and construction

management. As a result, our graduates are able to access career opportunities all over the globe.

World-class research within the faculty includes:

Friction stir processing

Manufacturing technology

Automotive manufacturing

Information security

Construction health and safety.

All programmes, where applicable, are accredited by the relevant professional bodies. This means we are internationally

accepted. Further testimony to this is the number of international partners who already collaborate with us.

Apart from the academic departments within each school, there are various entities - institutes, centres and units - that promote

research, technology transfer, non-formal teaching, and community service and outreach initiatives. A great deal of research,

especially applied research is conducted across the faculty, with and within industry.

Faculty overview

4

Stay connected:

Faculty officersTel: 041 504 3447 (Engineering)

Tel: 041 504 3480 (Built Environment)

Tel: 041 504 3660 (Information &

Communication Technology)

Faculty websitewww.nmmu.ac.za/engineering

General informationTel: 041 504 3084

E-mail: [email protected]

EntitiesInstitute for Advanced Manufacturing & Engineering

Research (IAMER)

Prof Annelize Els-Botes • Tel: 041 504 3091


Automotive Component Technology Station (ACTS)

Prof Danie Hattingh • Tel: 041 504 3608


Manufacturing Technology Research Station (MTRC)

Prof Annelize Els-Botes • Tel: 041 504 3091


Advanced Mechatronic Technology Centre (AMTC)

Karl du Preez • Tel: 041 504 3644


SCHOOL OF THE BUILT ENVIRONmENTDepartment of Building & Quantity Surveying

Department of Construction Management

EntitiesUnit for Building Research & Support

Kobus Bekker • Tel: 041 504 3075


Unit for the Study of Construction Processes

Prof John Smallwood • Tel: 041 504 3075


SCHOOL OF INFORmATION & COmmUNICATION TECHNOLOgY

Department of Applied Informatics

Department of Information Technology

EntitiesInstitute for Information & Communication Technology

Advancement (IICTA)

Prof Rossouw von Solms • Tel: 041 504 3604


Cisco Academy Training Centre (CATC)

Renaldo Rheeder • Tel: 041 504 3568


Centre for Information Security Studies (CISS)

Prof Rossouw von Solms • Tel: 041 504 3604


Spatial Technologies Unit

Margaret Brittain • Tel: 041 504 3938


The School of Engineering

This school consists of an integrated combination of five

discipline-specific engineering departments and offers

an extensive range of Engineering Council of South Africa

accredited postgraduate programmes in the fields of:

Civil engineering

Electrical engineering

Industrial engineering

Mechanical engineering

Mechatronics

Operations management

Quality

Interactive and collaborative postgraduate research at master’s

and doctoral level is mainly focused through the Institute for

Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering Research (IAMER)

and the International Chair of Automotive Engineering which

is co-funded by VWSA and the German Academic Exchange

Service (DAAD). The establishment of IAMER and the Chair in

the School of Engineering is enabling the school to expand and

develop postgraduate studies as well as exchange programmes

with other international academic institutes. Furthermore, the

school works closely with local industry through project work,

contract research and technology transfer.

SPECIFIC RESEARCH AREAS:Friction Stir Welding (FSW) for the manufacturing industry

Laser Materials Processing (LMP) for the motor

manufacturing industry

Intelligent maintenance systems for manufacturing

Metallurgy

Surface protection technologies

Robotics

Autotronics

Project management

“I have a passion for testing the frontiers of technology

with industry, exploring new ways to ensure we become

more effective in the way we use natural materials and

energy. It is second nature for me to share information and

there is no better way than lecturing to young people and

sharing the same passion for pushing technology. My

research is my hobby and my hobby is my research.”

– ACTS Director Prof Danie Hattingh, whose responsibility it is to develop and transfer technology

for the benefit of small and medium enterprises

6

PROgRAmmES

QualificationProgramme structure Study option

Research Coursework Full-time Part-time

MTech (Civil Engineering) • • •MTech (Electrical Engineering) • • •MTech (Industrial Engineering) • • •MTech (Mechanical Engineering) • • •MTech (Operations Management) • • •MTech (Quality) • • •MEng (Mechatronics) • • •DTech (Civil Engineering) • • •DTech (Electrical Engineering) • • •DTech (Mechanical Engineering) • • •DTech (Operations Management) • • •

AdmISSION

Programme type Requirements

Master’s degrees A relevant bachelor degree (BSc, BEng, BTech) or equivalent approved by SenateA detailed CV must accompany the application in the case of equivalent qualifications

Doctoral degrees A relevant master’s degree or equivalent approved by SenateA detailed CV must accompany the application in the case of equivalent qualifications

Please consult the faculty officer or visit www.nmmu.ac.za/engineering for additional requirements as stipulated by the department

Mechatronics: Chair and Technology CentreNMMU has a multi-million rand mechatronics centre that

replicates actual state-of-the-art manufacturing conditions

and enables our students to proceed comfortably into a work

environment anywhere in the world. General Motors South

Africa (GMSA) invested R1m in the new centre allowing

students to keep abreast of the latest trends and technology.

GMSA invested a further R3m in the Chair in Mechatronics.

Connect to: Karl du Preez

Tel: 041 504 3644 • E-mail: [email protected]

VWSA-DAAD International Chair in Automotive Engineering

In an effort to increase local engineering expertise, NMMU

entered into a R7m partnership with Volkswagen South Africa

(VWSA) and the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD)

to establish an International Chair in Automotive Engineering.

This initiative significantly contributes to improved and

relevant higher education in the field of engineering.

Postgraduate students are already involved in establishing

new research and developmental trends within materials

and manufacturing technology, and are actively involved in

international collaborative research. Funding for postdoctoral

positions and visiting professors is also available.

Connect to: Prof Hinrich Holdack-Janssen

Tel: 041 504 9951


Institute for Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering Research (IAMER)South Africa must develop a competitive, sustainable,

fast-growing economy that creates national prosperity.

The extent to which this challenge will be met depends

on a dynamic, multi-disciplinary approach of integrating

technology, management and labour. IAMER knows this and

as such, has a multi-disciplinary composition to meet the

demands of the local manufacturing industry.

IAMER comprises of three centres – the Manufacturing

Technology Research Centre (MTRC), the Automotive

Components Technology Station (ACTS) and the Advanced

Mechatronic Technology Centre – and focuses on the

modernisation of the local manufacturing industry with a

strong emphasis on the automotive industry. Its integrated

approach to manufacturing has been lauded internationally,

and praised locally by those who have benefited directly

from their assistance.

IAMER and a growing number of postgraduate researchers

have also been given the backing of the National Research

Foundation, especially where small- and medium-sized

manufacturers are concerned.

Connect to: Prof Annelize Els-Botes

Tel: 041 504 3091


“I will always remember the innovative dynamic

environment at NMMU and my very skilled, dedicated

and supportive promoters. Today I know NMMU can

compete on an even level with other international

institutions.”

– Dr Grant Kruger, Research Fellow at the Manufacturing

Research Centre at the University of Michigan, who graduated

in 2005.Keeping industry globally competitiveProf Annelize Els-Botes, the first woman to receive a

DTech in Engineering from NMMU, shares her expertise in

metallurgical engineering around the world.

“We are doing research at the cutting-edge of technology,

mainly to improve the production processes for industry thus

keeping them globally competitive,” says the manager of the

Manufacturing Technology Research Centre (MTRC) at NMMU.

This focus on applied research means Prof Els-Botes has

assisted with research in some 160 different industrial

projects since 2002, specifically in connection with

metallurgical analysis, scanning electron microscopy,

thermal analysis, material identification, fracture analysis

and corrosion investigations.

She regularly presents her latest findings at national and

international conferences.

Stay connected:

The School of EngineeringDirector: Sarel Schoombie

Tel: 041 504 3208


www.nmmu.ac.za/engineering

8

SPECIFIC RESEARCH AREAS:Construction management principles, processes and

techniques

The functional behaviour and performance of buildings

Tertiary education in the construction industry

Safety, Health and Environment (SHE) (broad spectrum)

Ergonomic design in relation to health and safety

Property economics and valuation

Facilities management

Housing management

Maintenance management

Built Environment general (construction logistics

management, etc.)

Building contracts

Financial management for contractors

Problems related to low cost housing projects

The School of the Built Environment

This school, with its two departments – Building and

Quantity Surveying, and Construction Management -

offers various postgraduate study opportunities in fields

related to the building and property environment, such as

project management, facilities management, construction

management, construction health and safety, property

economics and valuation. There are also programmes

that develop organisational and analytical skills, business

management and research competencies relevant to the

quantity surveying profession.

Its programmes are highly acclaimed and have national

and internal accreditation. Quantity Surveying degrees from

NMMU are accredited by both the South African Council for

the Quantity Surveying Profession and the Royal Institution

of Chartered Surveyors in Britain. Our Construction

Management qualifications are not only accredited locally

by the professional association for construction managers in

South Africa, the Chartered Institute of Building (Southern

Africa), but also internationally by the Chartered Institute of

Building (United Kingdom).

“I can happily brag that our graduates are sought after by industry because of the quality of tuition they receive here.”

– Director: School of the Built Environment Derick Vosloo who regularly receives correspondence from former students working in construction and quantity surveying around the world

“The experience that I have gained here (Dublin/Ireland) during the ‘Celtic Tiger’ years is invaluable and it would not have been possible if I did not get a top notch education from NMMU. I am forever in their debt.”

– Dr Gerrit Crafford, who obtained his doctorate in quantity surveying in 2007

9

Stay connected:

Director: Derick Vosloo

Tel: 041 504 3201



Department of Building and Quantity SurveyingHead of Department: Prof Fanie Buys

Tel: 041 504 2023


www.nmmu.ac.za/qs

Department of Construction Management Head of Department: Prof John Smallwood

Tel: 041 504 2790


Unit for the Study of Construction Processes This unit undertakes research related to a wide spectrum

of construction-related processes and issues for the benefit

of the construction and other broader communities, both

nationally and internationally. It produces a large number

of peer-reviewed journal and conference papers annually. It

also regularly organises international conferences.

Connect to: Prof John Smallwood

Tel: 041 504 2790


“The new graduate was tasked with work that was, to a certain extent, way above his experience at the time. He performed these tasks with vigour and a sense of responsibility that one expects from NMMU graduates. As a firm we have made a decision only to employ NMMU graduates.”

– Hiki du Plessis, director of a quantity surveying firm in Bhisho

Unit for Building Research and Support This unit provides small contractor training and support,

as well as research opportunities in the field of low-income

housing, and assists community-driven building projects with

knowledge and effective management skills. The success of

the unit is evident from the large number of awards it has

received, such as the South African Housing Foundation

Award for Housing Project of the Year 2006, for the effective

hands-on role it continues to play in the community housing

arena.

Connect to: Kobus Bekker

Tel: 041 504 3075 • E-mail: [email protected]

10

PROgRAmmES



BScHons (Construction Management) • •BScHons (Quantity Surveying) • •PGDip Built Environment • • •PGDip (Construction Management) • •MTech (Quantity Surveying) • • •MTech (Construction Management) • • •MSc (Built Environment):- Facilities Management- Property Economics & Valuation- Project Management- Construction Management- Construction Health & Safety Management

• •

MSc (Construction Economics) • • •MSc (Construction Management) • • •DTech (Quantity Surveying) • • •DTech (Construction Management) • • •PhD (Construction Economics) • • •PhD (Construction Management) • • •

AdmISSION


Honours degrees BSc in related field or equivalent approved by Senate

Postgraduate diplomas BSc in related field or equivalent approved by Senate

MSc degrees A relevant BSc Honours degree or equivalent approved by SenateA minimum of five years or relevant working experience

MTech degrees BTech in related field or equivalent approved by Senate

Doctoral degrees A relevant master’s degree or equivalent approved by Senate


11

“It is commonly accepted that information is a critical asset

and its protection is of utmost importance. This is no exception

in the health sector where the improper use or disclosure of

health information could have disastrous consequences. This

embodies the core focus of my research, namely the broad

areas of health informatics and information security.”

– Director: School of Information and Communication Technology

Prof Dalenca Pottas

The School of Information and Communication Technology

Computers have changed our world and continue to do

so. At the heart of these changes is this school offering

postgraduates the opportunity of dynamic research under

the tutelage of established experts in their field.

Within the school is the research niche area of business

information risk and security approved by the Institutional

Research Development Programme of the National

Research Foundation (NRF) in 2006. The NRF focus area

project – Governance of IT Risk and Information Security – is

also registered with the institute.

SPECIFIC RESEARCH AREAS:Information security

Workflow technology

Usability studies

Supply chain management

Knowledge integration

Mobile technologies

Health Informatics “Apart from being very knowledgeable, my supervisor, Darelle van Greunen is very understanding and helpful.”

– IT master’s student Alexandros Yeratziotis of Cyprus

12

Stay connected:

Director: Prof Dalenca Pottas

Tel: 041 504 9100



PROgRAmmES



MTech (Information Technology) • • •DTech (Information Technology) • • •PhD (Information Technology) • • •

AdmISSION


Master’s degrees A relevant Bachelor of Technology (BTech) degree or a suitable equivalent M+4 qualification in Information Technology as approved by Senate

Doctoral degrees A relevant Master of Technology (MTech) degree or a suitable equivalent M+5 qualification in Information Technology as approved by Senate


Sub-Saharan Africa - Cisco Academy Training Centre (SSA - CATC)

Connecting AfricaThe Sub-Saharan Africa - Cisco Academy Training Centre

(SSA-CATC) aims to equip students and instructors with

sought-after skills of designing, building, supporting

and maintaining communication networks in sub-

Saharan Africa. And NMMU is playing a critical role in this

internationally-recognised training programme as the only

CCNP certification centre in Africa and the Middle East.

It is already supporting 45 regional academies on the

continent, but directly or indirectly, it is involved in computer

training at 327 academies in 43 countries as well as a further

seven countries in the Middle East. Its outreach programmes

and projects have been recognised with awards, but more

especially among its participants who are able to further

grow Africa’s under-resourced communication network.

The NMMU unit offers ICT students vast benefits in terms of

experiential opportunities.

Connect to: Renaldo Rheeder

Tel: 041 504 3568


13

Making IT accessible

Making Information Technology accessible for all is the moti-

vating force behind Darelle van Greunen’s groundbreaking

doctoral research in user interface design.

The 2006 Emerging Faculty Researcher of the Year and 2007

NRF Top Achiever is developing among others, a blended

learning model for students from diverse backgrounds

throughout Africa. “Education should not be optional but

a basic human right that allows us to prepare for our future.

My goal is to make that education accessible to all,” says the

linguist (she is proficient in five languages) who supervises

many foreign IT students.

With a background in teaching in rural South Africa, and of

later living and working in Europe, Darelle has been able

to marry the possibilities of First World IT standards with the

practical realities of developing nations within her research.

Her drive to make a difference means she not only engages

with educational initiatives but also with the IT industry both

nationally and internationally to ensure appropriate and

successful human computer interaction.

“Prof Von Solms provided me with a great opportunity to learn from his extensive knowledge in the subject area of IT governance and information security. Completing a postgraduate qualification may seem a daunting task but with hard work and Prof Von Solms to motivate you, the results will speak for themselves.”

– DTech student Shaun Posthumus

DID YOU KNOW?

• NMMU and AutoUni, a corpo-

rate university of Volkswagen in

Wolfsburg, Germany, have an

international partnership agree-

ment in which they exchange

expertise and joint research op-

portunities.

• Engineering students practice

on “Penelope”, a new robot in

their robotics laboratory.

• The faculty has various partner-

ships with industry to carry joint

research projects. Eskom, the

CSIR Foundation, VWSA, GMSA,

SAP Research are among them.

• The faculty has close relation-

ships with international universi-

ties and research institutes such

as the universities of Michigan,

Plymouth, Florida, Reutlingen,

Sheffield and the universities of

applied sciences of Braunsch-

weig-Wolfenbüttel, Ingolstadt and

the Institute Laueaue-Langevin.

14

“Education and training brings you on par in your field – research takes you ahead.” – Top international IT researcher Prof Rossouw von Solms

15

Protecting and securing information in this dynamic Age of Information is the

main research focus of top international IT researcher Prof Rossouw von Solms.

The Director of the Institute for ICT Advancement’s field of study focuses on

the effective protection of valuable information including technical aspects,

like firewalls and virus protection, administrative aspects, like security policies

and procedures, and operational aspects, such as human aspects related to

information security.

“This is a very wide field of study and involves many disciplines like law,

management, business, education and obviously technology. It’s new and

exciting,” says the man who continues to receive accolades for research that

benefits society, particularly the business environment when it comes to securing

information.

With 25 years’ experience in the School of Information and Communication

Technology (ICT) at NMMU, Prof Rossouw is a sought-after supervisor, author

and conference speaker. To date he has supervised 29 postgraduate students,

published 41 papers in accredited journals and contributed to 35 international

and 35 national conferences. “Education and training brings you on par in your

field – research takes you ahead,” says the NRF B-rated researcher.

The institute that Prof Von Solms heads hosts the Centre for Information Security

Studies (CISS) and is extremely active – 21 students obtained postgraduate

degrees while 10 journal articles and 21 conference papers stemmed from its

researchers in 2006 alone.

Its success, says Prof Von Solms, lies in the applied nature of the research involved.

“Our aim is to find new techniques, new models and new methodologies to

enhance information security in the business environment. That’s why we work

with and within businesses and organisations.”

A world of information

16

The Institute for ICT Advancement

(IICTA)

The Institute for ICT Advancement (IICTA) that forms part of

the School hosts the Centre for Information Security Studies

(CISS). Information Security has been a focal point at the

NMMU for more than a decade. CISS nowadays hosts a

number of information security related activities including

research, conferences and courses, as well as consulting

services. Many students have acquired postgraduate

degrees from the NMMU under the auspices of CISS and

have acquired very sought-after positions in industry in

the discipline of information security. Various journal and

conference papers have stemmed from researchers in CISS

and the applied research conducted in CISS has offered

many advantages to industry over the years.

RESEARCH FOCUS AREAS IN THE SCHOOL OF INFORmATION ANd COmmUNICATION TECHNOLOgY:

Business Information Risk and Security

The niche area “Business Information Risk and Security”

under the leadership of Prof Rossouw von Solms was

approved by the Institutional Research Development

Programme (IRDP) of the South African National Research

Foundation (NRF).

The specific research focus areas in CISS include:

1. Information Security Management and Governance

Information is one of the most important assets in any organization today. For this reason, it is

important that information and its related information technologies are properly protected and

secured. The protection of these assets is a multi-dimensional discipline involving, amongst others

technical, managerial, legal, best practices, auditing, certification, and compliance.

2. Health Informatics

Health Informatics is a vibrant and topical area, which addresses the resources and methods that are

used to optimize the acquisition, processing and application of health-related information and the

systems that help one achieve this. There are many areas of interest that can be researched, such as

public health informatics, health informatics law, security and privacy in health informatics, health

informatics standards and consumer health informatics.

3. Usability and User Experience

The goal of the usability and user experience is to ensure that the products are easy and logical to

use and that they provide a positive emotional experience to the user. Usability refers to the product’s

ability to fulfill target user’s goals and needs with effectiveness and efficiency in a specified context of

use. Usability is a characteristic of the entire system.

4. Mobile and Workflow

Mobile technologies are becoming more ubiquitous. Nowadays they contain lots of sensitive

personal and business information. The School therefore investigate and address security and privacy

implications in this field and in addition explore opportunities to redesign business processes to

incorporate mobile and other new technologies in day-to-day workflows.

• PO Box 77000 • Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University• Port Elizabeth • 6031 • South Africa

• Port Elizabeth Campuses – Tel: 041 504 1111• George Campus – Tel: 044 801 5111 • Email: [email protected]

Documents

Postgraduate Programmes - Nelson Mandela Universityebeit.mandela.ac.za/ebeit/media/Store/documents/Postgraduate... · accredited postgraduate programmes in the fields of: ... MTech