MASTER OF ARTS IN ANTHROPOLOGY

Overview
  1. Programme Philosophy

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

  1.  

Rationale of 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.

    1.  

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.

    1.  

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.

  1. Goal of the 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.

  1. Expected Learning Outcomes

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.

  1. Minimum 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:

    1.  

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:

    1.  

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.

 

    1.  

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

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
  1. Course Structure and Duration

Schedule of Intakes: Every year in September 

The programme shall comprise either/or: Coursework, examination and thesis. Coursework, examination and research project.

    1.  

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.

List of Courses

SN

Code 

Course Title

Contact Hours

   

YEAR ONE: CORE UNITS  

 
 

CAN 6101

Historical and Philosophical Foundations of Anthropology

45

 

CAN 6102

Anthropological Theory

45

 

CAN 6103

Social Science Research Methods

45

 

CAN 6104  

Statistics for Social Sciences

45

   

THEMATIC AREAS OF SPECIALIZATION

 
   

Medical Anthropology Option

 
 

CAN 6105        

Contemporary Theory and Method in Medical Anthropology   

45

 

CAN 6106  

Implementation Research for Disease Control

45

 

CAN 6107  

Culture, Health and Disease   

45

 

CAN 6108

Anthropology of Infectious Diseases

45

 

CAN 6109  

Ecology, Health and Disease  

45

 

CAN 6110

Food, Culture and Disease

45

 

CAN 6111

Anthropology of Tropical Diseases

45

 

CAN 6112

Applied Anthropology for Public and Global Health                 

45

 

CAN 6113  

Anthropology of the Body   

45

 

CAN 6114  

Anthropology and Biomedicine

45

 

CAN 6115  

Ethno-medicine

45

 

CAN 6116

Anthropology and Behavior Change for Health  

45

 

CAN 6117  

Culture, Health and Sexuality

45

 

CAN 6118

Science, Technology and Evidence

45

 

CAN 6119

Environment and Health

45

   

Development Anthropology Option

 
 

CAN 6120  

Culture and Development   

45

 

CAN 6121

Gender and Development

45

 

CAN 6122  

Theories and Concepts of Development   

45

 

CAN 6123  

Leadership and Development in Africa  

45

 

CAN 6124  

Applied Anthropology and Development  

45

 

CAN 6125  

Sustainable Development                        

45

 

CAN 6126  

Issues in Rural Development                   

45

 

CAN 6127  

Urbanization and Development               

45

 

CAN 6128  

Poverty Reduction and Development       

45

 

CAN 6129  

Globalization and Development              

45

 

CAN 6130  

Anthropology and Politics of Development 

45

 

CAN 6131  

Tourism and Development                      

45

 

CAN 6132 

Participatory Development Approaches

45

 

CAN 6133     

Aftermaths of Development

45

   

Linguistic Anthropology Option

 
 

CAN 6134  

Ethnography of Speaking  

45

 

CAN 6135

Types and Extent of Linguistic Diversity

45

 

CAN 6136  

Code-Switching

45

 

CAN 6137

The Languages of Africa

45

 

CAN 6138  

Special Forms of Language

45

 

CAN 6139  

The Role of Language in Development

45

 

CAN 6140  

Intercultural Communication

45

 

CAN 6141

The Language Situation in Kenya

45

 

CAN 6142  

Ethno-semantics

45

 

CAN 6143  

Historical and Comparative Linguistics

45

 

CAN 6144

Folklore

45

   

Biological Anthropology Option

 
 

CAN 6145

Palaeo-anthropology  

45

 

CAN 6146

Primate Socio-ecology

45

 

CAN 6147  

Advanced Human Evolution

45

 

CAN 6148  

Genetics and Society  

45

 

CAN 6149  

Population Genetics

45

 

CAN 6150

Genetics Counselling

45

 

CAN 6151  

Human Skeletal and Dental Biology  

45

 

CAN 6152    

Nutrition and Population Health Assessment

45

 

CAN 6153

Human Growth and Constitution   

45

 

CAN 6154  

Human Genetics and Biochemical Anthropology

45

 

CAN 6118

Science, Technology and Evidence

45

 

CAN 6119

Environment and Health

45

   

Archaeology and Prehistory Option

 
 

CAN 6155  

Research Methods in Archaeology                      

45

 

CAN 6156  

Explanation in Archaeology                                

45

 

CAN 6157  

Developments in Archaeological Thought            

45

 

CAN 6158  

Formation Processes of the Archaeological Record 

45

 

CAN 6159  

Archaeology as Human Ecology                          

45

 

CAN 6160  

Archaeology and Gender                                     

45

 

CAN 6161

The Individual in Prehistory                                

45

 

CAN 6162  

Archaeological Curatorship                                 

45

 

CAN 6163  

Dating Methods in Archaeology                          

45

 

CAN 6164  

Society in Prehistory                                           

45

 

CAN 6165  

Terminal Pleistocene and Holocene Archaeology of the World                            

45

 

CAN 6166  

Archaeology of the Recent Past

45

   

Anthropology of Children and Childhood Option

 
 

CAN 6167  

Anthropology of Childhood

45

 

CAN 6168  

Child Development                                

45

 

CAN 6169  

Culture and Childcare                             

45

 

CAN 6170  

Children's Cultures                                 

45

 

CAN 6171  

Children and Schooling                          

45

 

CAN 6172  

Children in Health and Sickness              

45

 

CAN 6173  

Children and Social Change                    

45

 

CAN 6174  

Children in Especially Difficult Situations  

45

 

CAN 6175  

Child Abuse                                           

45

 

CAN 6176  

Children and the Media

45

   

Environmental Anthropology Option

 
 

CAN 6178  

Society, Nature and the Environment  

45

 

CAN 6179  

Environmental Ethics and Justice

45

 

CAN 6180  

Ecological Anthropology

45

 

CAN 6181  

Science, Technology, and Environment

45

 

CAN 6182  

Livelihoods and Environmental Sustainability

45

 

CAN 6183      

Management of Conservation Programmes

45

 

CAN 6184

Environment, Development and Social Movements

45

 

CAN 6185  

Language and Biodiversity

45

 

CAN 6186      

Global and Local Approaches to Urban Ecosystem

45

 

CAN 6119      

Environment and Health

45

   

YEAR TWO

 
 

CAN 6201  

Thesis

360

 

CAN 6202   

Research Project

180

   

Total Course Load

720

 

 

 

 

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.

 

  1.  

Coursework Examination

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.

 

  1.  

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.