Overview
The programme is premised on the “Active Learning” philosophy which aims to facilitate learning by helping students to gain the necessary skills to take control of and become active participants in their own learning. The teaching approach in all courses reflects this philosophy and many techniques are used to engage students in their learning. The techniques include hands-on activities, direct student participation, problem-based learning, material retrieval techniques, field experiences, seminars and class presentations. This transformational nature of learning revolves around the discipline of Anthropology’s themes of holism, relativism, and the power of culture in shaping and guiding behaviour. These themes provide new perspectives for the students to construct their knowledge of the discipline in reference to their own prior experience and their educational goals. The programme
Needs Assessment
The revised curriculum has taken on board new and innovative courses that respond to the problems of contemporary society while still maintaining the traditional anthropological study of human diversity. The new approaches emphasize the development of a human rights-based understanding and the need for forging common fronts in dealing with the problems of the world.
Justification of the need for the Programme
The study of Anthropology and related Social Science disciplines has taken centre stage in recent years. This is a result of the many social ills that bedevil humanity ranging from the problems of institutionalized injustice, negative ethnicity, terrorism, extremism as well as all other forms of intolerance across cultures. The curriculum as reviewed takes a holistic approach to the study of human differences and helps the students in enhancing unity in diversity.
Stakeholder Involvement
Local and international stakeholder consultative meetings were held to review the programme and inputs from the two meetings have been incorporated into the revised programme.
The goal of this programme is to train graduates of anthropology and any other discipline interested in the applications of anthropology in their work to further their academic and professional expertise in the field of anthropology.
At the end of the programme, the learner should be able to:
Discuss anthropological theories and explanations of reality.
Apply anthropological knowledge and skills to address the challenges facing humanity.
Design original research in the field of anthropology.
Appraise multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural approaches to social phenomena.
Admission Requirements
The common regulations for admissions to the Master’s degree programmes of the University of Nairobi shall apply. The following applicants shall be eligible for admission:
A holder of a Bachelor’s degree of the University of Nairobi with at least an Upper Second Class Honours, or equivalent qualification from other Institutions recognized by the University of Nairobi Senate.
A holder of a Bachelor’s degree with a Lower Second Class Honours and a post-graduate Diploma from the University of Nairobi or other Institutions recognized by the University of Nairobi Senate.
A holder of a Bachelor’s degree with a pass from the University of Nairobi or other Institutions recognized by the University of Nairobi Senate and three years’ work experience.
Apply through the online application poertal: application.uonbi.ac.ke
Credit Transfer and Exemptions
A candidate may be exempted from some course units and credits transferred from institutions recognized by the senate subject to the following conditions:
Must have passed in similar course units at masters or equivalent level.
The applicant can only transfer up to a maximum of one-third of the course units.
The applicant must request for exemption in writing through the Chair, Department of Anthropology, Gender and African Studies to the Dean of Faculty.
The application must be accompanied by officially endorsed supporting documents including the institution’s syllabus for the relevant courses.
The applicant must pay the appropriate exemption fees to the university.
Where a candidate wishes to be exempted from any course unit, he/she shall follow the criteria set out below:
The candidate shall send a formal application for exemption to the Academic Registrar, justifying his/her request and attaching evidence of the credentials, which would support such a request. This would include a list of University of Nairobi courses for which the student is interested in getting credit; an official transcript indicating courses that may be equivalent; and descriptions and syllabi/outlines of the courses in which the applicant is seeking transfer of credit.
The candidate shall undertake to submit himself/herself to an exemption examination set and administered by the Department and approved by the Senate. In any such examination, the pass mark shall be 50%.
A candidate who has to take an exemption examination shall be required to pay the University an exemption fee as may be decided by the Department.
An exemption examination shall be assessed within three (3) weeks of its taking place, and the Departmental Academic Committee shall make its recommendations to the Senate, which shall make the final decision. The Academic Registrar shall communicate to the candidate the Senate’s decision.
The Departmental Academic Committee may, for reasons of exceptional academic merit, recommend to the Senate the exemption of an applicant from a core course or an elective course without being subjected to an exemption examination.
Course units recommended for exemption should not exceed 1/3 of the total courses in the degree programme.
Contact of Support Persons
Chair, Department of Anthropology, Gender and African Studies
E-mail: director-iagas@uonbi.ac.ke
Tel: +254-020-491-3214
Fees and Funding
| TOTALS - (12units)-N50 | ||
| TUITION @ | 27,000.00 | |
| EXAMINATION (PER UNIT @1000) | 1,000.00 | |
| CAUTION - (ONCE) | 5,000.00 | |
| ICT SERVICES - (PER YEAR) | 7,000.00 | |
| MEDICAL FEE (PER YEAR) | 6,500.00 | |
| ACTIVITY-( PER YEAR) | 2,000.00 | |
| ID CARD ( PER YEAR) | 1,000.00 | |
| REGISTRATION (PER SEMESTER@2250) | 2,250.00 | |
| LIBRARY (PER YEAR) | 5,000.00 | |
| STUDENT ORGANISATION(PER YEAR) | 1,000.00 | |
| THESIS EXAMINATION | 30,000.00 | |
| Year 1 | units | |
| sem1 | 4.00 | 141,750.00 |
| sem2 | 4.00 | 114,250.00 |
| TOTALS | 8.00 | 256,000.00 |
| Year 2 | ||
| sem1 | Thesis | 278,750.00 |
| Grand totals | 534,750.00 |
Structure
Schedule of Intakes: Every year in September
The programme shall comprise either/or: Coursework, examination and thesis. Coursework, examination and research project.
All candidates shall be required to choose a thematic area of specialization and this will be reflected in the certificate, e.g., MA Anthropology (Medical Anthropology).
The thesis shall be equivalent to eight (8) course units while the project shall be equivalent to four (4) course units.
A candidate for the MA in Anthropology by coursework, examination and thesis shall be required to successfully take eight (8) taught course units comprising four (4) core course units and four (4) elective units in the thematic area of specialization. The candidate shall also be required to conduct research and write a thesis in the area of specialization.
A candidate for the MA in Anthropology by coursework, examination and project shall be required to successfully take twelve (12) taught course units, comprising four (4) core course units and eight (8) elective units in the thematic area of specialization. In addition, candidates shall be required to take a project in the area of specialization.
The course duration shall be a minimum of four (4) semesters and a maximum of twelve (12) semesters from the date of registration, and the maximum period may be extended only with the prior approval of the Senate.
Candidates shall be required to take a minimum of two (2) course units and a maximum of six (6) course units per semester.
Each course shall be taught for a total of forty-five (45) contact hours.
Careers
Attachment and Career Opportunities
1. KEMRI - CENTRE FOR PUBLIC HEALTH RESEARCH
2. KEMRI WELLCOME TRUST
3. KEMRI - CENTRE FOR GLOBAL HEALTH RESEARCH
4. NATIONAL GENDER & EQUALITY COMMISSION
5. WORLD VISION- KENYA
6 CHILDFUND KENYA
7. AMREF
8. NATIONAL COHESION AND INTEGRATION COMMISSION.
9. NATIONAL MUSEUMS OF KENYA
10. STATE DEPARTMENT OF GENDER
11. STATE DEPARTMENT OF CULTURE AND HERITAGE
12. NATIONAL AIDS AND STI CONTROL PROGRAM (NASCOP)
13. KENYA WOMEN PARLIAMENTARY ASSOCIATION (KEWOPA)
14.. THE COLLABORATIVE CENTRE FOR GENDER AND DEVELOPMENT
15. UN AGENCIES - UNDP, UN WOMEN ,UNICEF, UNESCO, UNEP & UNFPA
16. PLAN INTERNATIONAL -KENYA
17. CARE INTERNATIONAL - KENYA
20. ACTION AID -KENYA
21. KENYA NATIONAL COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS
22. JPHIEGO - KENYA
23. IDRC -KENYA
24. ILRI-KENYA
25, POPULATION COUNCIL - KENYA
26. BRITISH INSTITUTE IN EASTERN AFRICA (BIEA)
27. KENYA INSTITUTE OF PRIMATE RESEARCH
28. TURKANA BASIN INSTITUTE
29. FEMNET - THE AFRICAN WOMEN’S DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNICATION NETWORK
30. CETRAD - CENTRE FOR TRAINING AND INTEGRATED RESEARCH IN ASAL DEVELOPMENT
31. APHRC - AFRICAN POPULATION AND HEALTH RESEARCH CENTRE
Notable Alumni
1. Hon Peninah Malonza (EGH): Cabinet Secretary for EAC, ASALs & Regional Development.
2. Gov. George Natembeya: Governor, Trans Nzoia County
3. Hon Basil Ngui: MP , Yatta Constituency
4. Dr Kiprop Lagat: Director Culture , MInistry of Gender, Culture, The Arts & Heritage
5. Hon Dennis Ombachi: MCA, Marani Ward, KIsii County
6. Ms Lucy Nkirote: Kenya Country Director, LIverpool School of Tropical Medicine
7. Dr Mary Nyamongo: Executive Director, African INstitute of Health & Development (AIHD).
9. Mr Dalmas Okendo: Head, Regulatory Affairs & Investor Relations, Kenya Airways.
10.Ms Beryl Oyier: Managing Director for E.Africa, BoP inc.
11. Dr Hilda Essendi: Research & Analytics Director, Triggerise, S.Africa
12. Ms Catherine Kiriba, Customer Experience Excellence, Kenya Airways
13. Dr Edna Bosire: Assistant Professor in Medical Anthropology & Implementation Science at the Brain & Mind Institute (BMI), Aga Khan University.
14.. Prof Onyango-Ouma: Chair, DAGS & Research Director, IAGAS
15. Prof Fred Jonyo: Chair, Dept of Political Science &Public Administration, UoN
16.. Prof Salome Bukach:Associate Research Professor, IAGAS
17. Dr Habiba Chirchir, Biological Anthropologist, Marshall University, US
18. Prof Erick Nyambedha: Director, Quality Assurance & Performance Management, Maseno University
19. Prof Nasser Malit: Associate Professor, Biological Anthropology, State Univeristy of New York, Potsdam.
20. Ms Winnie Lichuma, Former Chairperson, National Gender and Equality Commission.
Exam Regulations
Assessment of each candidate’s performance shall be through Continuous Assessment Tests (CATs), Term Papers and end of Semester examination.
Candidates will be given at least two (2) CATs. The candidate’s end-of-semester CAT score shall be an average of the number of CATs given during the semester.
The final examinations for each course unit shall be held at the end of each semester. Candidates must sit and pass all examination papers.
A student, who, for good cause supported with authenticated documentary evidence, fails to sit or complete an end-of-semester examination may be allowed to sit for the special examination paper(s) concerned when the examination is next offered.
Each course shall be examined by a three-hour paper.
The pass mark shall be fifty per cent (50%).
Continuous assessment shall constitute forty per cent (40%) of the final overall mark while the written examination shall account for sixty per cent (60%).
A candidate who fails any end-of-semester examination paper on the first attempt shall be allowed two more attempts to sit and pass the paper in a supplementary examination.
A candidate who fails a paper may, in consultation with the Department, and upon approval, substitute that course unit with another unit of the same level from the Department provided that it is not a core Unit.
A pass obtained in a supplementary paper shall account for only fifty per cent (50%).
Subject to Regulation 7.1.8 a candidate who has up to, but not more than five failed grades at any one time, shall not be allowed to proceed to the next level until they have sat and passed supplementary examinations. Coursework marks shall not be taken into account.
A candidate shall not be allowed to carry forward more than five (5) failed grades at any one time.
A candidate who has more than five (5) failed grades after three unsuccessful attempts at each of the units concerned shall be discontinued.
A candidate shall be discontinued if she/he fails the second supplementary paper or fails to complete the programme in the prescribed duration of twelve (12) semesters.
Thesis Assessment
Students shall present their research proposals to the Departmental Academic Committee before certification/approval.
The thesis shall be equivalent to eight (8) taught course units.
The length of the thesis shall be at least 20,000 words
A candidate who fails the thesis shall be allowed to re-submit a revised thesis for examination up to two times within the prescribed time.
A candidate shall be discontinued if she/he fails in the second re-submitted thesis or fails to complete the thesis within the prescribed study period.
The common regulations of the University of Nairobi regarding the examination of theses shall apply.
Research Project Assessment
Students shall present their research project proposals to the Departmental Academic Committee before certification/approval.
The project shall be equivalent to four (4) taught course units.
The pass mark for the research/project paper shall be fifty per cent (50%).
The length of the project paper shall be at least 15,000 words
A candidate who fails the research project paper shall be allowed to re-submit a revised project paper for examination up to two (2) times within the prescribed time.
A candidate shall be discontinued if she/he fails in the second re-submitted project paper or fails to complete the project within the prescribed study period.
A pass obtained in a re-sit examination or a re-submitted project paper shall account for only fifty per cent (50%).
The common regulation of the University of Nairobi regarding the examination of dissertations and research projects shall apply.