Academic Courses

The academic program is run through special arrangement with Makerere University situated in beautiful Kampala, Uganda. The Program Coordinator is Dr. Elly Sabiiti.

The Field School will travel across Kenya to the Makerere University campus in Kampala where students will be given a special welcome and campus orientation. Students will then register and pay for their university tuition (see the 2011 fee summary at the bottom of this page) and other fees in order to receive a student card and number. Courses are completed during the Field School and marks are submitted by the faculty to the Registrar at Makerere University.

Before participating in the Study in Africa Program, students should obtain a Letter of Permission from their home university to take the courses for credit. Each course is worth 3 credits.

Official Transcripts are released by Makerere University at the end of the Field School.
Makerere transcripts for regular Makerere academic terms are normally released in June. In order to receive their transcripts before that date, Study In Africa students will have to pay a special fee.

Special Information on Trancripts

University transcripts are sent in sealed envelopes . Once you unseal them, they are not usually accepted by other institutions as official transcripts. You should order an extra copy of the transcripts for your own records. If you will be applying later for graduate studies or other  programs at a university, you will need additional copies in sealed envelopes to send to those institutions. If you have not made early arrangements at Makerere University for these additional copies, it can be a slow process (sometimes months) especially since you would presumably be back in Canada.

Students should keep this in mind when deciding how many copies they want at the end of the Field School. To obtain additional Official Transcripts, there is normally a charge of $50US for each. However, by special arrangement with the Registrars Office, Study In Africa students may pay for one official copy and then obtain additional certified copies at about $2US each.

Academic Courses Offered

Every year we offer a different selection of courses in both arts and sciences. The Study in Africa Program hopes to encourage and facilitate collaboration between faculty at Canadian institutions and faculty at institutions in East Africa. To that end, a course may include a primary instructor who teaches the course in the field in collaboration with a course coordinator who may be able to join the group for shorter periods of time.

Course numbers noted below are those of Makerere University. The first three letters denote the department in which the course receives credit, the first number indicates third year level and the second number indicates the second semester.

We encourage students to try something new and hope that arts students will take a science course, and science students will enroll in an arts course. Please note that course instructors may differ from those listed in any particular year based on instructor availability.

To view a course outline, please click on the title of the course.

COURSES FOR BOTH ARTS AND SCIENCE STUDENTS

HIS 3251 : Peoples and Cultures of East Africa
Instructor: Dr. James Mulira, Makerere University
Coordinator: Dr. Parin Dossa, Simon Fraser University
Tuition Fee: $130US

This course will present an examination of the major cultural groups of East Africa, with emphasis on the regions visited by the field school. This will include an introductory overview of the peopling of East Africa, emergence of ethnic groups and the evolution of the human use of natural resources.
No prerequisites.

HIS 3252: Natural History of East Africa
Instructor: TBA, Makerere University
Coordinator: Dr. Brian Hartwick, Associate Professor (Retired), Simon Fraser University

This course will emphasize the biological and geographical opportunities presented by the game drives, bird walks, guest lectures, specimen collecting, work sheets and projects.
No prerequisites.

SCIENCE COURSES

ZOO 3251: Animal Behaviour
Instructor: Dr. Christine Dranzoa, Makerere University
Coordinator: Dr. Stephen Turnbull, University of New Brunswick (Saint John)
Tuition Fee: $254US

This course will examine animal behaviour: its diversity, evolution and adaptive value, its ecology, and its mechanisms. In Africa we will have the opportunity to observe first-hand the enormous diversity of animals and their behaviours in a natural setting, and to consider the relationship between an animal’s environment, its life history patterns, and its behaviour.
Prerequisite: One term of Ecology, or permission of the instructor.

ZOO 3500: Marine Biology
Instructor: Shabaan Mwachireya, KMFRI
Coordinator: Dr. Nigel Waltho, Carleton University
Tuition Fee: $254US

This course explores the marine environment [geological history, physical/chemical oceanography], reviews basic ecological principles in a marine setting,and provides background and hands-on experience in order to understand the nature of marine communities/ecosystems and the processes affecting them. Special attention will be given to local East African coastal ecosystems including open water, rocky shores, coral reefs, seagrass and mangroves.
Prerequisite: First year Biology, or permission of the instructor.

CRS 3250: Sustainable Tropical Farming: Science and Practice
Instructor: Dr. Charles Ssekabembe, Makerere University
Coordinator: TBA

A study of the physiology and ecology of tropical crop species and their integration into a sustainable farming system. Emphasis will be placed on small-holder "low-input" agriculture aimed at increasing food security and enhancing environmental resilience. The experiential learning component of the course will involve field trips to research stations, agricultural estates, and small-holder farms. Recommended for students interested in international development.
Prerequisite: First year Biology, or permission of instructor.

BOT 3250: Medicinal and Poisonous Plants of East Africa
Instructors: Dr. Hannington Oryem-Origa & Dr. Maud Kamatenesi-Migisha, Makerere University
Coordinator: Dr. Marilyn Walker, Mount Allison University
Tuition Fee: $254US

An introductory study of the practice of using traditional plant remedies in East Africa. The focus of this course will be on Ugandan systems and will include site visits to institutions in and around Kampala.
Prerequisites: First year Biology, or permission of the instructor.

ARTS COURSES

DES 3251: Sustainable International Development
Instructor: Art Wright
Tuition Fee: $130US

An integrated and interdisciplinary overview of the factors affecting long-term viability of development and the prospect of achieving sustainable development in Africa at the start of the 21st century - with reference to events in Canada, Kenya, Tanzania and other parts of Africa. Recommended for students interested in international development.
Prerequisite: One year of Anthroplogy or Political Science or Cultural Geography, or permission of the instructor.

GEO 3251: Environmental Geography
Instructor: Dr. Hannington Sengendo & Dr. Bob Nakileza, Makerere University
Coordinator: TBA

This course offered to third year students aims at creating an understanding of the changing environmental conditions in the region of eastern Africa, with a special focus on Uganda. It draws on aspects of physical geography including environmental issues, resources and management. Special themes to be covered include environmental change, environmental hazards, hydrological processes and pollution, population and development.
Prerequisites: Introductory physical geography or ecology and introductory cultural geography or anthropology, or permission of instructor.

CRS 3304: Guided Independent Studies
Tuition Fee: $185US

Senior students often organize, with a faculty member from their home institution, a study/project relevant to their personal academic program. A professor from the field school often volunteers to oversee and guide this student while in the field. The onus is on the student to take an active role in organizing the project, but interested students should contact Dr. Brian Hartwick for advice, hartwick@sfu.ca, ph: 604-947-2380.

Tuition and University Fee Summary: