Science Access

The Computer Literacy module serves as an introduction to basic computing skills. Over the span of a single semester, this course aims to familiarise students with the essential aspects of computer technology through explanation, illustration, and practical application of concepts. The curriculum includes basics of internet browsers, applications, programs, and concludes with a focused study on Microsoft Outlook and Microsoft Word.

This module aims to equip learners with more progressive skills in Microsoft Office that will enable them to harness the power of digital platforms for the benefit of business or your personal life. It teaches students the fundamentals of a personal computer, such as its internal hardware, operating system, and software applications. Students acquire additional experience with word processing, spreadsheets, and databases. As a standard suite of software programs that are used all over the world, appropriate skills in the use of Microsoft Office will ensure the simplifying of tasks. Students will obtain more advanced abilities to harness the power of digital platforms for the benefit of company or personal life.

Welcome to Academic Literacy (4ACL110) 
This module aims to develop your communicative skills within the realm of academic endeavours. As a scientist, your research only becomes useful to the community once it can be effectively communicated to others. As such, developing your language competency to the level necessary for functioning within the academic community, is of the utmost importance for obtaining your desired qualifications, as well as your future career.

This module covers some basic Electricity and Magnetism which is important foundation material for many aspects of science, as well as some “Modern Physics”, which deals with some of the important discoveries made in the 20^th century about the structure and properties of atoms and of the atomic nuclei. Because of its importance, it is prescribed as an essential module for the study of almost all curricula in the natural sciences. It consists of two sections: Electricity and Magnetism, which is about the electric fields, Coulomb’s Law, electric flux, electric potential, capacitance & dielectrics, current & resistance, direct current circuits and Kirchhoff’s rules. Modern physics deals with some basic properties of atomic and nuclear physics: Quantum theory of radiation, Wien & Stefan’s laws, Planck’s radiation formula, radioactivity, natural decay series, detectors of radiation, nuclear reactions, conservation laws, reaction processes, proton-induced, neutron-induced and other reactions. Also aspects like Q-values, alpha-beta & gamma-decay, nuclear binding energy, fission & fusion, reactors, nuclear fuel breeders, cosmic radiation and fundamental particles. In this course use is made of some calculus, such as basic differentiation and integration techniques, and therefore it should be taken only together with first year Mathematics or after the first year Mathematics modules have been done.

Foundation Mathematics

The foundation physics course is a one year long course designed to help students who did not perform very well during their matric but show the potential to succeed at the university. The course focuses more on the relationship between problem solving and conceptual understanding of physics concepts. The mathematical techniques used in the course include algebra, geometry, and trigonometry, but not calculus.

Welcome to the Department of Science Access English Literacy Course: 4FLT111. This course aims at equipping you with essential skills to communicate effectively and to write proficiently using scientific discourse and textual material. We hope that you find the course both enriching and challenging and that it will assist in all areas of your study. It is imperative that you work on all exercises and assignments, as it will not only allow you to test your proficiency in the various spheres of literacy, but also assist you in identifying areas in which you need to improve.