The School of Engineering, SENG, of the Catholic University of Cameroon, CATUC, Bamenda started in 2010 with a mission to provide students with a spectrum of scientific and technical skills and an aptitude for action grounded on a solid Christian professional ethic. The current curriculum is the outcome of continuous improvement over the past six years.

The role of an undergraduate engineering programme like ours is to establish guidelines for the transmission of knowledge and serve as a catalyst in the interaction between teaching and the learning process. Therefore, it is not only the knowledge contained in the programme but also its organization that influences the effectiveness of the programme. These principles have been the basic guidelines in the preparation of this curriculum for the degree of Bachelors of Engineering (B. Eng). For each of the two levels, the programme is grouped as follows: for the preparatory years (i.e. levels one and two) the training is grouped into Engineering Sciences (59%), Mathematics and Basic Sciences (25%) and human development (16%), while for the specialization years (levels three and four) the distribution is Engineering Sciences (57%), Professional development (31%) and Management Sciences (12%).

This curriculum provides a foundation to address the engineering problems of human systems with the Cameroon situation in mind. Because these problems will be of even greater concern in the future, the courses unify learned concepts into a practical ability to solve a broad range of engineering problems encountered in daily life. To this end, the curriculum lays emphasis on hands-on practical training and professionalism through partnering with industry to provide the students with targeted training that serves both the student and industry by the incorporation of internships and industrial training.

We hope that through their knowledge, skills, and attitudes, our graduates will improve the human condition by successfully building careers in a wide variety of fields, be effective leaders, collaborators, and innovators who address environmental, social, technical, and business challenges; and engage in life-long learning and professional development through self-study, continuing education, or graduate school.

            This curriculum is the work of a dedicated team of professionals that includes fulltime as well as part time lecturers of the School of Engineering, professionals in industry and casual visitors to whom we express our gratitude.

The Mission

The Mission of the School of Engineering is to provide students with a spectrum of scientific and technical skills and an aptitude for action grounded on a solid Christian professional ethic and to train professionals in civil, electrical, mechanical, chemical, and petrochemical domains who are equipped for local contexts.

Educational Objectives

Through their knowledge, skills, and attitudes, our graduates will:

• Improve the human condition by successfully building careers in a wide variety of fields.
• Be effective leaders, collaborators, and innovators who address environmental, social, technical, and business challenges.
• Engage in life-long learning and professional development through self-study, continuing education, or graduate school.

Departments       

• Civil and Environmental
• Chemical Engineering
• Electrical Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering
• Petroleum Engineering

General Regulations

• Admission Requirements

Pre-selection for Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Civil and Environment Departments require at least 2 A-level Papers which must include Mathematics and Physics in ONE sitting with more than 2 points.

Pre-selection for Chemical and Petroleum Department require at least 2 A-level Papers with either Mathematics or Physics and at least a D-Grade in Chemistry all in ONE sitting with more than 2 points.

Pre-selection for BAC requires at least an average of 12 points in BAC C.

Other high School qualifications will be evaluated by a special team.

Pre-selected candidates will write a competitive entrance examination into Level One of SENG.

We also accept students into higher levels based on their performances in comparable programmes.

• Duration of studies

Bachelor’s Degree: 8 semesters (four years).

• University Requirements

PHI 1011: The Human Person

ENG 1012: Use of English I

ENG 2022: Use of English II

FRE 1013: Functional French I

FRE 2023: Functional French II

SPT 2024: Sports

PHI 2021 Social Teachings of the Catholic Church

• Medium of Instruction

English is the language of instruction. Students from non-English speaking countries will be required to spend their initial two semesters on the Intensive English course.  Within these two semesters, students must become sufficiently proficient to join the mainstream classes.

• Communication Skills (see Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences)

The Catholic University of Cameroon has deemed it necessary to introduce courses in communication in order to develop listening, speaking, reading and writing skills in students.

The Communication Skills course aims to:

• equip students with skills that will improve their listening ability; ability to speak more fluently, enable students to write effectively
• equip students with strategies that will make them read more effectively different types of materials that are representative of the subjects in their faculties;
• Graduation Requirements

A. In Year One (Foundation year), students are expected to take 30 credit hours of compulsory courses per semester (see detailed programmes)

Minimum credits required per programme are as follows:

1. Students must take and pass a minimum of 240 credits to qualify for the major,
2. Compulsory Courses: 222 credits
3. Electives/Minors:   12 credits
4. University Requirements:   16 credits
5. Total Credits: 240

B. Students must take and pass all University required Courses.

The programme is designed to produce graduates who have the ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, chemistry and engineering; the ability to design, conduct and interpret experiments in chemical process industries. It also assures that graduates have the ability to communicate effectively, understand the impact of chemical engineering solutions in a global and societal context, and an understanding of professional and ethical responsibility.

Programme Objectives

The objectives of the Chemical Engineering Programme at SENG are to produce graduates who:

• will excel in careers as chemical engineers in the businesses and industries related to chemical engineering; and
• will successfully pursue research and advanced studies in chemical engineering, or in related fields

Career Opportunities

The profession of chemical engineering embraces a wide variety of activities including research, process development and design, manufacturing, technical sales, consulting, and teaching.

Chemical engineering is a profession, which provides a link between scientific knowledge and manufactured products. Almost everything of a material nature used by society today has at some point felt the influence of the chemical engineer. From raw materials such as minerals, coal, petroleum, and agricultural products, the chemical engineer can create versatile intermediate and commodity chemicals, quality fuels, new materials for construction, pharmaceuticals, processed foodstuffs, synthetic textiles, plastics, solid state electronic components, and dozens of other engineered materials.

The chemical engineer’s influence has been important in the development of catalysts, fuel cells, automatic controls, biochemical processes, artificial kidneys, tissue engineering, nuclear energy, medical instruments and devices, as well as in the development of air and water pollution control systems.

Entry Requirements:

Candidates for admission into the two programmes in the department must obtain a pass grade at the GCE A/L in Chemistry and Mathematics/Physics or BAC D/BAC Technique in Industrial Chemistry for Baccalaureate holders. Other equivalent qualifications shall be studied by the department.

Vision

To provide excellent Civil Engineering Education that will make a significant contribution to the economic development of the Region and the Nation as a whole. To evolve, into and sustain as a Centre of Excellence in Technological Education and Research with a holistic approach.

Mission

• To produce high quality engineering graduates with the required theoretical and practical knowledge, and social awareness to be able to contribute effectively to the progress of the society through their chosen field of endeavour.
• To undertake Research & Development, and extension activities in the fields of Science and Engineering in areas of relevance for immediate application as well as for strengthening or establishing fundamental knowledge.
• To prepare students to pursue higher studies, to seek a professional career or entrepreneurship.
• To inculcate in the students the importance of social service and environmental awareness, through educational and professional activities, so that they become useful to the society.

Administered by the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Civil engineering is the application of the laws, forces, and materials of nature to the planning, design, construction, maintenance, and operation of public and private facilities, subject to economic, social, and environmental constraints. Commonly included are transportation systems; bridges and buildings; water supply, pollution control, waste management, irrigation, and drainage systems; river and harbour improvements; dams and reservoirs.

Civil engineering also includes the planning, design, and responsible execution of surveying operations, and the location, delimitation, and delineation of physical and cultural features on the surface of the earth. Research, testing, sales, management, and related functions are also a part of civil engineering. Work on the campus is supplemented by inspection trips, which furnish an opportunity for firsthand study of engineering systems in operation, as well as projects under construction.

Environmental engineering, as a specialty area in civil engineering, is concerned with protecting the public and natural health; providing safe, portable and ample water supply; management of solid and hazardous waste; proper treatment and disposal of domestic and industrial wastewaters and waste; resource recovery; providing adequate drainage of urban and rural areas for sanitation; and the control of water quality, soil contamination, and air pollution. At the undergraduate level, the study of various environmental and water resource engineering topics is part of the study leading to the bachelor’s degree in civil engineering.

Programme Goal

Consultation with an industrial advisory board of employers of civil engineers, with a broad base of civil engineering educators, and with students has yielded a continuous process of programme planning, programme assessment, curriculum development, and instructional development to produce an integrated, learning-based curriculum. The curriculum listed in this catalogue has the academic programme goal of developing an effective programme that fulfills student educational needs and that equips and empowers qualified students for a successful career in civil or environmental engineering.

Programme Objectives

Between three to five years after graduation, graduates of the civil engineering programme will have:

• Established themselves in successful careers in civil engineering or a related field.
• Collaborated effectively on multi-disciplinary teams to address the needs of society and the environment.
• Pursued lifelong learning, professional development, and registration as appropriate for their employers.

The faculty encourages the development of the student’s professional skills through participation in internships, or progressive summer engineering employment.

Employment Opportunities

Civil engineers work in almost every industry that employs engineers. The work of Civil engineers varies from general engineering to numerous, narrow specialties. In general, civil engineers work in one of the following areas: design, construction, materials specification and evaluation, analysis of structural systems, fluid and solid mechanics, construction engineering, research and development, and technical sales. They can also pursue higher degrees that make them eligible for careers in academics and research.

Many students enhance their education by participating in internship programmes, which offer opportunities for employment in engineering positions while working toward a degree. Many students also participate in research projects through individual directed study courses with a professor. The programme culminates with a senior design course sequence highlighted by real-life projects. Students benefit from the challenge and gratification that come through direct interaction with practicing engineers.

The programme objectives for electrical engineering describe accomplishments that graduates are expected to attain after graduation. Graduates will have applied their expertise to contemporary problem solving, be engaged professionally, continued to learn and adapt, and have contributed to their organizations through leadership and teamwork. More specifically, the objectives for expertise, engagement, learning, leadership and teamwork are defined below for each programme.

The objectives of the electrical engineering programme at SENG are:

1. Graduates should demonstrate peer-recognized expertise together with the ability to articulate that expertise and use it for contemporary problem solving in the analysis, design, and evaluation of electrical and electronic devices and systems.
2. Graduates should demonstrate engagement in the engineering profession, locally and globally, by contributing to the ethical, competent, and creative practice of engineering or other professional careers.
3. Graduates should demonstrate sustained learning and adapting to a constantly changing field through graduate work, professional development, and self-study.
4. Graduates should demonstrate leadership and initiative to ethically advance professional and organizational goals, facilitate the achievements of others, and obtain substantive results.
5. Graduates should demonstrate a commitment to teamwork while working with others of diverse cultural and interdisciplinary backgrounds.

As a complement to the instructional activity, the Electrical Engineering department provides opportunities for each student to have experience with broadening activities. Through the internship programme, students have the opportunity to gain practical industry experience.

Students have the opportunity to participate in advanced research activities, and through international exchange programmes, students learn about engineering practices in other parts of the world. Students are required to prepare and to maintain a portfolio of their technical and non-technical skills. This portfolio is evaluated during the student’s curriculum planning process. Results of the evaluations are used to advise students of core strengths and weaknesses.

Career Opportunities

Graduates may find work in teaching and research or in industry. From the Global Positioning System to electric power generation, electrical engineers have contributed to the development of a wide range of technologies. They design, develop, test and supervise the deployment of electrical systems and electronic devices. For example, they may work on the design of telecommunication and computer systems, the operation of electric power stations, the lighting and wiring of buildings, the design of household appliances or the electrical control of industrial machinery.

Among the most diverse of the engineering fields, mechanical engineering affects almost all aspects of our lives and embraces many areas of specialization: automotive systems; bioengineering; combustion and propulsion; design methodology and tribology; dynamic systems and controls; energy systems and thermodynamics; fluid mechanics; heat transfer; manufacturing and production; materials behaviour and processing; and micro scale and Nano scale phenomena and systems.

What is Mechanical Engineering?

Mechanical Engineering is one of the oldest engineering disciplines, having culminated from the industrial revolution of the 19th century. Traditionally concerned with harnessing and converting energy forms, mechanical engineers are inherently multi-disciplinary. For example, the design of a car engine combines the fields of chemistry, thermodynamics, heat transfer, fluid dynamics, electronic controls, dynamics and vibrations, materials science, and mechanical design. Although the mechanical engineer may specialize in one of these fields, a cursory knowledge of each of these fields is necessary to interact with other engineers.

MISSION

The mission of the Department of Mechanical Engineering is to prepare our graduates:

• To become science-based engineers and professionals, having a thorough knowledge of mathematics and physical science, a broad grasp of mechanical engineering principles and methods, and an ability to apply those fundamentals in practical situations;
• To develop as persons and professionals, continually expanding their knowledge and abilities, communicating effectively with others, exercising leadership, contributing as team members, and functioning capably within the global workforce; and
• To sustain and advance human society by contributing to technological innovation, creating new knowledge and new engineering techniques, as well as through service to professional societies and community services.

Programme Objectives

The educational objectives for the Mechanical Engineering programme reflect the mission of the Department of Mechanical Engineering and the importance placed on successful professional practice, the ability to pursue advanced degrees, the assumption of professional and societal leadership roles, and a commitment to life-long learning.  The Catholic University of Cameroon, Bamenda Mechanical Engineering graduates will:

• Successfully enter a profession that involves Mechanical Engineering skills or pursue graduate/professional education.
• Advance in their chosen fields to management and/or technical leadership positions.
• Engage in continued learning through professional development.
• Participate in and contribute to professional societies and community services.

Why study Mechanical Engineering at SENG?

The mechanical engineering curriculum at The Catholic University of Cameroon educates students in logical thinking – a prerequisite for professional competence. The curriculum consists of basic theory courses complemented by laboratory experiences in dynamic systems and controls, design, experimentation, fluid mechanics, heat transfer, manufacturing, and materials.

Elective courses are offered in several areas including air conditioning, automotive engineering, computer aided design, controls, energy conversion, internal combustion engines, manufacturing, materials, polymer processing, nondestructive evaluation, metallurgy, power generation, stress analysis, fluid mechanics, turbo machinery, and others. The selection of elective courses is dictated by the interests and goals of the student with the aid of the department advisors.

Many students enhance their education by participating in internship programmes, which offer opportunities for employment in engineering positions while working toward a degree. Many students also participate in research projects through individual directed studies courses with a professor. The programme culminates with a senior design course sequence highlighted by real-life projects. Students benefit from the challenge and gratification that come through direct interaction with practicing engineers.

Career Opportunities

Mechanical engineers design machines, devices, various products and control systems, and work with the generation, conversion, transmission, and utilization of mechanical and thermal power. Assignments often include analysis and synthesis of mechanical, thermal, and fluid systems.

Mechanical engineers are also responsible for characterization, specification, and analysis of materials used in design and manufacturing. Manufacturing systems, robotics, electromechanical devices, and control systems are also the purview of the mechanical engineer. Graduates in mechanical engineering are among the most versatile engineers and enjoy professional employment in industry, government, consulting, and research organizations.

Mechanical engineers work in almost every industry that employs engineers. The work of mechanical engineers varies from general engineering to numerous, narrow specialties. In general, mechanical engineers work in one of the following areas: design, construction, controls, materials specification and evaluation, analysis of thermal systems, fluid and solid mechanics, manufacturing, plant engineering, research and development, and technical sales.

Petroleum Engineering students may enhance their academic preparation for the growing opportunities in the related industries by pursuing a selection of courses with a petroleum emphasis.

Energy is a key component to people’s everyday lives; and a secure energy future requires a balance between environmental impact and affordable supply. Petroleum and geosystems engineers are able to address and solve important issues that will lead to energy security and thus are in high demand.

Economic and environmentally safe production of petroleum resources requires creative application of a wide spectrum of knowledge, including, but not limited to:

• Mathematics
• Physics
• Geology
• Chemistry

Petroleum engineering overlaps with many of the engineering disciplines, such as: mechanical, chemical, and civil.

Mission Statement 

1. To create, preserve, integrate, transfer and apply petroleum engineering knowledge.
2. To produce capable future engineers and to enhance the capabilities of current practitioners.

Vision
To produce an engineer who is the most respected and has a prestigious self-definition within the petroleum engineering profession.

Programme Goals

The primary goals of the programme are to produce highly-qualified students each year, placing these students in entry-level industry positions or graduate programmes, and to maintain an accredited programme in petroleum engineering.

If we are to reach these goals, we believe we must give our students the best possible preparation to enter this industry. Our curriculum gives every student a solid foundation in petroleum engineering fundamentals, but we also insist on experience in the industry. As a result, our graduates will enter the industry ready to be productive contributors, but they also will understand the need to continue to learn and improve their skills throughout their careers.

Programme Outcomes

In order to meet our Mission and Vision, PEN graduates must have:

• An ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering
• An ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as to analyze and interpret data
• An ability to design a system, component, or process to meet desired needs within realistic constraints such as economic, environmental, social, political, ethical, health and safety, manufacturability, and sustainability
• An ability to function on multidisciplinary teams
• An ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems
• An understanding of professional and ethical responsibility
• An ability to communicate effectively
• The broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global, economic, environmental, and societal context
• A recognition of the need for, and an ability to engage in life-long learning
• A knowledge of contemporary issues
• An ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice
• An ability to deal with the high level of uncertainty in definition and solution of petroleum reservoir problems

Curriculum

The curriculum in petroleum engineering is intended to prepare students for the petroleum industry and other fields which involve fluid flow through subsurface formations and particularly for those professions which have to do with drilling, production, reservoir engineering and transportation of oil, gas, and other subsurface resources.

The four-year curriculum in petroleum engineering includes sufficient training in basic engineering sciences to prepare the graduate for the application of engineering principles to the petroleum industry. Courses in geology give an understanding of the geological structures and conditions favorable for petroleum deposits. To the basic subjects are added courses in petroleum engineering which illustrate the application of the engineering principles to the type of problems and solution methods used in the petroleum industry.

Internship Requirement

A minimum of one semester (16 weeks) of approved experience in oilfield operation is required for registration in senior petroleum engineering courses.

Career Opportunities

Graduates of this programme will:

• Evaluate potential oil and gas reservoirs
• Oversee drilling activities
• Select and implement recovery schemes
• Design surface collection and treatment facilities

Petroleum engineers increasingly use advanced computers, not only in analysis of exploration data and simulation of reservoir behaviour, but also in automation of oilfield production and drilling operations. Petroleum companies own many of the world’s supercomputers.

Petroleum engineers have a future full of challenges and opportunities. They must develop and apply new technology to recover hydrocarbons from oil shale, tar sands, and offshore oil and gas fields. They must also devise new techniques to recover oil left in the ground after application of conventional producing techniques.

Since many petroleum companies conduct worldwide operations, the petroleum engineer may have the opportunity for assignments all over the world. Petroleum engineers must solve the variety of technological, political, and economic problems encountered in these assignments. These exciting technological challenges combine to offer the petroleum engineer a most rewarding career.

with the following specializations

• B. Eng. Structural Engineering
• B. Eng. Transportation Engineering
• B. Eng. Urban Engineering
  

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

B.Eng. Electrical Engineering with the following specializations:

• B. Eng. Electronic Engineering
• B. Eng. Control Systems Engineering
• B. Eng. Electric Power Systems
• B. Eng. Telecommunications
  

Department of Mechanical Engineering

B. Eng. Mechanical Engineering with the following specializations :

• B. Eng. Automobile Engineering
• B. Eng. Mechanical Engineering
• B. Eng. Industrial Processes
  

Department of Chemical and Petroleum

1. B. Eng. Chemical Engineering
2. B. Eng. Petroleum and Gas Engineering

Click on any of the links above to know more about the program and the associated specializations.