HX-IR-07
BSc Irrigation & Water Systems Engineering
Design, instrument and manage irrigation systems for a valley that is running drier every year. Engineering with a water account attached.
Overview
Every litre in this valley is already spoken for. Somebody has to count.
Irrigation is where agritech meets civil engineering, hydraulics and hydrology. You will learn to design a system from the pump curve outward, size a reservoir, schedule water against crop demand, and account for losses that nobody wants to talk about.
The programme is built on live infrastructure: a pressurised test bench in the laboratory, three instrumented irrigation blocks on partner farms and the district water-accounting model used by the Witzenberg irrigation board. Final-year students deliver a real system design for a working farm and defend it in front of the board.
- Hydraulics, pump selection and system design
- Soil-water relations and evapotranspiration modelling
- Drip, micro and overhead system layout and maintenance
- Remote monitoring, telemetry and leak detection
- Water law, licensing and district-level water accounting
Curriculum
What the three years look like
Year 1
Water and soil
Engineering mathematics · Fluid mechanics · Soil and water physics · Surveying and terrain · Field practice I
Year 2
Systems
Irrigation design and hydraulics · Pumps and energy use · Sensors, telemetry and control · Crop water requirements · Field practice II
Year 3
Management at scale
Water accounting and scheduling · Water law and governance · Dam and reservoir design · Industry placement (12 weeks) · Design project
Entry requirements
Bachelor of Science · NQF 7
- National Senior Certificate with an APS of 28 or above
- Mathematics and Physical Sciences at level 4 (50%)
- Comfort with practical work outdoors, in all weather
- A driver’s licence is an advantage for field placements
Where it leads
BSc Irrigation & Water Systems Engineering
- Irrigation designer or systems engineer for a consultancy
- Water manager on an estate, producer group or irrigation board
- Technical specialist at an irrigation equipment supplier
- Postgraduate study in water resource management
Next step
Applications for 2027 are open
Applications close 30 September 2026 for the February 2027 intake. Late applications are considered while places remain.