Engineering College of Science and TechnologyECST

The Engineering College of Science and Technology, known as ECST, is a private higher education institution in Midrand, Gauteng that teaches engineering and nothing else. It was founded in October 2022 and trades as Engineering College of Science and Technology (Pty) Ltd. The college is provisionally registered with the Department of Higher Education and Training until 31 December 2028 under the Higher Education Act of 1997, on registration certificate number 2025/HE07/007. It is managed locally but is affiliated with the Engineering Institute of Technology, an Australian engineering institution established in 2008, and it also names a partnership with the Engineering College of Technology in the United Kingdom.

Two qualifications are on offer at present, both three-year full-time degrees: a Bachelor of Engineering Technology in Electrical Engineering, registered on the National Qualifications Framework at level 7 under SAQA identifier 123645, and a Bachelor of Engineering Technology in Mechanical Engineering, at level 7 under SAQA identifier 126163. Each carries 425 credits. The college describes both programmes as endorsed by the Engineering Council of South Africa, and states that graduates may apply to that council for registration as a Professional Engineering Technologist once they have completed the required post-qualification experience.

Teaching follows a blended pattern that shifts year by year. First-year students attend lectures on the Midrand campus, second year mixes campus attendance with online study, and the third year is delivered online with contact workshops. Remote and virtual laboratories, simulation software and recorded live sessions support the online portion, and students are expected to have a computer and a reliable internet connection.

Entry rests on a National Senior Certificate or an equivalent qualification at NQF level 4, with at least 50 percent for English, 60 percent for Mathematics or Technical Mathematics and 50 percent for Physical Science or Technical Science. Applicants aged 23 and over may enter on a Matriculation Board exemption, and there is a recognition of prior learning route for people with relevant work experience.

Applications carry a non-refundable fee of R500. Published 2027 tuition comes to R250 000 across the three years, with a 30 percent deposit at enrolment, a discount for paying a year in full and the balance spread over eleven debit orders. The college states that NSFAS funding does not apply to it because it is a private institution, and points students to scholarships, a relocation grant and a student loan provider instead.