DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL AND AERONAUTICAL ENGINEERING
Mechanical Engineering in Pretoria

UP is a leading research university in South Africa and one of the largest in the country. The University has seven campuses as well as a number of other sites of operation, such as the Pretoria Academic Hospital. Central administration is located at the Hatfield Campus. The University of Pretoria offers more than 1 800 academic programmes in two of the official languages, namely Afrikaans and English. (Some programmes and modules are offered only in English.) In 1996, the University of Pretoria became the university with the highest research output in South Africa and we have maintained this status. The academic programmes of the University are offered in nine faculties, as well as a business school. UP is at the forefront of tertiary education in the country and collaborates with world-class partners to ensure continued excellence in learning and teaching. A number of support departments at the University help ensure that all staff and student activities are executed with the necessary quality, relevance, diversity and sustainability. The University prides itself on producing well-rounded, creative graduates, responsible, productive citizens and future leaders. Great emphasis is placed on student life and support as well as the advancement of sport, art, culture and music. A number of support departments at the University help ensure that all staff and student activities, spread over 1 193 hectares and 621 buildings on six campuses, are executed with the necessary quality, relevance, diversity and sustainability. Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life. Career Services is a division in Student Services of the University of Pretoria and is located in the Old Chemistry building on the Hatfield campus. Students are welcomed in a friendly environment where they can receive advice and assistance to plan and prepare for their careers. The primary aim of this unit is to provide students with the necessary soft skills to enter the world of work. The Career Service unit achieves this through various support functions such as on-line courses (in conjunction with Enterprises UP), assistance with building and writing CVs, cover/motivational letters, career related advice on career planning, psychometric assessment preparation, job searches, job applications, preparation for interviews and work readiness workshops. Career Services expose students to work experience through student hire which enables them to acquire basic soft skills required in the work place. The world of work has been evolving and there is an increasing demand for tertiary institutions to produce graduates who are employable in the sense that they reflect the attributes, capabilities and dispositions to work successfully. Against this background there is a renewed focus on work-readiness of UP graduates and a Ready for Work initiative has been launched to prepare graduates for the world of work by providing training for additional skills (including entrepreneurship) over and above academic competence and work experience. Self-actualising skills that students can acquire during their undergraduate studies are highly valued. This would assist UP graduates to be comfortable and confident anywhere they may find themselves.