Welcome to the Department of Applied Sciences which offers a range of academic programmes at Diploma and Advanced Diploma levels.

Academic programmes offered include Consumer Sciences and Analytical Chemistry.

The food industry is the largest industry in the world and needs highly trained professionals in food science and technology to ensure the supply, quality and safety of food.

This field offers diverse and challenging careers and has been designed to provide professional training to those that are interested to pursue their career within the food industry, those who are already employed in the food industry and those in other science fields such as agriculture, nutrition, environmental health, consumer science and other related disciplines.

It is ideal for those wishing to increase their professional status and to diversify their career opportunities by providing an increased knowledge base in the food science and technology field.

As per the Mining Qualifications Authority report of February 2014, Analytical Chemistry is listed as one of the fields of expertise identified as scarce skills and hence the need to produce more technicians, technologists, analysts, etc. to meet the demands of the economy of the country.

Analytical Chemists use their knowledge of chemistry, instrumentation, information technology and mathematical attributes to provide solutions in almost all areas of chemistry and other industries including pharmaceuticals, mining, water, forensics, petrochemicals, health sector, consumer products, polymer world, for example.

Students wishing to pursue their careers in Analytical Chemistry can register for the Diploma in Analytical Chemistry and proceed to an Advanced Diploma programme which will further enhance their knowledge in advanced wet chemistry and instrumentation techniques.

The Department operates from two delivery site - Potsdam and College Street.

In Potsdam, the Department offers a Diploma in Analytical Chemistry and Advanced Diploma in Analytical Chemistry programmes.

In College Street, the Department offers a Diploma in Consumer Science in Food and Nutrition.

Mission of the Department

The mission of the department is to become a centre of excellence both in teaching and research and serve as a provincially recognised leader in undergraduate and graduate programmes that prepare students for leadership roles in academia.

Our direct aim is to give young people in the Eastern Cape and beyond the hope and opportunity to realise their scientific aspirations and at the same time, foster economic growth that will create job opportunities.

The Department focuses on creating a future cadre of professionals trained within the broad continuum of chemistry and consumer sciences by coupling deep expertise within specific focus areas.

Vision of the Department

The vision of the Department is to direct its efforts to become a nationally-ranked department that advances and integrates chemistry and consumer sciences through excellence in learning.

Goals of the Department

The Department will serve as a major research centre, with well-equipped laboratories and highly qualified and competent staff. It applies marketing and advertising principles to describe consumer behaviour in food selection in order to build and achieve excellence in teaching and engage actively in community partnership programmes.

Programmes of the Department

Diploma: Analytical Chemistry (Extended Programme)

• Graduates of this course are able to apply the advanced scientific principles and techniques of quantitative and qualitative analysis, quality control of raw materials and finished products, and research and development.
• Learners benefit from the practical hands-on laboratory skills component with up-to-date equipment as well as direct exposure to the work situation.
• Industries such as petrochemical, pharmaceutical, mining, metallurgy and educational institutions employ graduates from this course.
• Opportunities exist for graduates to pursue further educational qualifications.
• Graduates may apply for full membership of SACI (South African Chemical Institute).

Diploma: Analytical Chemistry

• Graduates of this course are able to apply the advanced scientific principles and techniques of quantitative and qualitative analysis, quality control of raw materials and finished products, and research and development.
• Learners benefit from the practical hands-on laboratory skills component with up-to-date equipment as well as direct exposure to the work situation.
• Industries such as petrochemical, pharmaceutical, mining, metallurgy and educational institutions employ graduates from this course.
• Opportunities exist for graduates to pursue further educational qualifications.
• Graduates may apply for full membership of SACI (South African Chemical Institute).

Careers in Analytical Chemistry

• Chemical, agricultural, pharmaceutical, mining, water, forensics, textile industries & sales, for example.

Entrepreneurship and Professional Development

The Diploma is not only aimed at producing graduates who may be employed as chemists and technicians in industries such as the petrochemical, pharmaceutical, mining, metallurgy and educational institutions but also producing job-creators or employers in their fields of study as entrepreneurs.

Subjects such as Entrepreneurial Skills offered by the qualification encourage this kind of development of students.

Professional membership of staff and graduates with bodies, such as the South African Chemical Institute (SACI), the South African Council for Natural Scientific Professions (SACNASP), is encouraged.

Advanced Diploma: Analytical Chemistry

• The purpose of this qualification is to train graduates who are able to devise and apply specialised analytical instrumentation, synthesis strategies and relevant management principles in quality control (QC) and research and development (R & D).
• They may work as chemists, supervising technicians and technologists in product and process development and quality control.
• Employment may be in a laboratory, production, or sales environments. Industries such as petrochemical, pharmaceutical, mining, metallurgy and educational institutions employ graduates from this course.

Diploma: Consumer Science in Food and Nutrition (Extended Programme)

• The course provides learners with the knowledge, specific skills and applied competence in the field of the nutrition and food science industry that provide opportunities for continued personal intellectual growth, gainful economic activity and rewarding contributions to society.
• To provide South Africa with a significant number of food scientists, assistant nutritionists and food quality control personnel and towards further training to become food scientists, nutritionists and to promote food products.
• If students take a further qualification in education, they can teach Consumer Studies in the GET and FET bands to ensure a widening of the local innovative and knowledge-based entrepreneurial base.
• The course is designed to train students for the food manufacturing and retail industries and small entrepreneurial food operations (SMMEs).
• Students specialise in various aspects of fresh convenience food development, production, management and marketing for the industry.
• It provides the educational base required for eligibility for registration as a candidate practising as a food scientist/technologists.
• Careers/Professions: Consumer Science: Food and Nutrition
  The Diploma in Consumer Science in Food and Nutrition may lead to various career paths with the following employment opportunities in a variety of roles:

Entrepreneurship and Professional Development

• The Diploma strives to contribute to the development of entrepreneurial skills of the students by continuous exposure to entrepreneurial lectures, as well as theoretical principles to entrench the enterprise principles.
• The programme culminates in four months of internship/integrative education in the industry.

Careers/Professions

The Diploma in Consumer Science in Food and Nutrition may lead to various career paths with the following employment opportunities in a variety of roles:

• In food companies as a customer development consultant in sales
• In the marketing department including brand management and market research
• In channel management; product development; recipe development
• Fresh produce development technologist or a consumer affairs consultant
• In food companies as Quality Controllers/Quality Assurers to ensure that the products are of good quality (HACCP).