FORWARD
University
Intelligent Engineering
First accreditation wave

Mechatronics and Intelligent Manufacturing

Design, automate and maintain productive machinery, the capability gap standing between the continent and industrial capacity.

BEng (Hons)Campus4 years (incl. co-op)Intake August 2027
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Employment thesis

What this programme is designed to produce

Forward publishes the destination of every programme before you enrol. If the thesis stops holding, the programme is reviewed and, where necessary, retired. Next review: 2031.

Roles

  • Automation engineer
  • Manufacturing/process engineer
  • Maintenance and reliability engineer
  • Robotics integration engineer

Employer types

  • Manufacturers and processors
  • Mining and energy operators
  • Industrial automation integrators
  • Agro-processing plants

Target outcomes we hold ourselves to

  • 85% in an engineering role within 6 months
  • Every graduate commissions one working automated system
  • 100% completing 12 months paid co-op

Compulsory · The Forward Core

How the Core works →

Every Forward programme, including this one, carries the same five cross-cutting requirements. They are graded, not optional.

  • AI Fluency
  • Quantitative Reasoning
  • Ethics and African Context
  • Human-Advantage Skills
  • Enterprise

Includes 12 months paid work-integrated learning

Placement on a live production or plant-engineering floor. Read the co-op commitment

Am I eligible?

Check yourself against the published requirements

7 questions written specifically for Mechatronics and Intelligent Manufacturing. Every answer is checked against a requirement Forward has published, and the result tells you which page that requirement comes from. Indicative only, the admissions office decides on your full file.

Question 1 of 70%

What is the highest qualification you hold or are completing?

Requirement tested: A completed upper-secondary qualification (UACE, A-level, IB, high-school diploma or recognised equivalent), or a post-secondary award.

Structure

How the 4 years run

  1. 01

    Year 1

    Foundations and Forward Core

    • Engineering mathematics
    • Mechanics and electronics
    • Forward Core
  2. 02

    Year 2

    Control and systems

    • Control theory
    • Embedded systems
    • Manufacturing processes
  3. 03

    Year 3

    Co-op

    • 12 months paid work-integrated learning
    • Plant-floor assessment
    • Reliability practice
  4. 04

    Year 4

    Capstone and enterprise

    • Commissioned automation capstone
    • Industrial safety and standards
    • Forward Core: enterprise