Introduction

Disasters resulting from natural and manmade hazards such as earthquakes, droughts, floods, landslides, etc result in tremendous loss of life and property. Although natural hazards are major physical processes taking place on our planet, the investigations suggest that the major cause of the damages in developing countries has been the lack of disaster preparedness and management. In order to effectively prepare for, and respond to these disasters, a multi-disciplinary approach is needed. There is a dire need for the strengthening of human resources, institutional capacity, and other mechanisms. Such an approach is only possible if people are empowered with appropriate skills and knowledge in disaster preparedness and management. With these skills, the occurrence and impacts of disasters can be reduced by implementing effective initiatives focused on disaster risk management and reduction as well as disaster preparedness, response, and relief. 

 

This course will offer students the opportunity to acquire skills and knowledge in an intra and multi-disciplinary 4 years course to understand and manage disaster and its consequences. The possibilities open to graduates in the program are broad, and this will challenge the department to locate areas that are common to various aspects of the discipline as a formulation of the core introductory courses, and then to offer at the advanced level a set of electives, each of which should inspire and prepare students to pursue a future endeavor. 

 

Consistent with Maseno University’s vision to be a center of excellence in training, research, and development, the Department strives to engender into its students the awareness (through its curriculum) of environmentally sustainable management, as the philosophy of management of emergency and disaster in the built environment, and services to comply with the principles of economic, social, and ecological sustainability. With the School of Planning already running the Department of Urban and Regional Planning, the proposed program intends to take advantage of this by training future Disaster Managers to interact with other related professionals within local regional and global scenarios of the built environment while combining rudimental and high tech technologies.

 

PROGRAMME COURSES

COURSE DISTRIBUTION

 

FIRST YEAR SEM 1

 

FIRST YEAR SEM 2

 

SECOND YEAR SEM 1

 

SECOND YEAR SEM 2

 

THIRD YEAR SEM 1

 

THIRD YEAR SEM 2

THIRD YEAR SEM 3

 

FOURTH YEAR SEM 1

 

FOURTH YEAR SEM 2

 

Programme Requirement

Admission Requirements

   Minimum university entrance requirements

KCSE Mean grade C+ and mean grade for a total score in the four cluster subjects of at least B- and C+ in Mathematics/Physics, and Geography

OR

Candidates with A LEVEL OR EQUIVALENT should have a minimum of two (2) principal passes and at least a subsidiary level pass in Geography.

OR

Diploma Certificate in Disaster Management, Surveying, Cartography, GIS

 

 Credit Transfer 

• Where a candidate wishes to transfer credit for course or courses of study, such candidate shall make a written formal application to the Academic Registrar justifying the request and attaching evidence of the credentials which support such request. Such a candidate may be required to sit and pass an exemption examination set and administered by the School’s Board and approved under the authority of the Senate.
• Based on the assessment of the credit transfer request the Board of the School of Planning & Architecture shall make its recommendation to the Senate.  On approval of such recommendation by Senate, the School shall communicate the decision of Senate to the candidate.

 

  Degree structure

The program offers courses within the degree structure spelled out by the school.

Duration of the Programme 

• The curriculum for the degree programme shall normally be four academic years 
• Each academic year shall normally be divided into two semesters of fifteen (15) weeks each. The fifteen weeks shall be divided into one (1) week for preparation, twelve (12) weeks of teaching, and two (2) weeks of examination

 

Course Requirements 

-A candidate for the degree shall satisfactorily complete such studio work, coursework, continuous assessment tests, and practical assignment as may be prescribed for the scheme of study. Satisfactory completion of such requirements shall be a condition for admission to the examinations at the end of the respective semester of study.

-A candidate for the degree shall be required to attend not less than two-thirds of the total lecture hours of all prescribed courses and this will be pegged on punctuality and attainment of the academic quarter. The fulfillment of the requirement shall be a condition for admission to the examinations at the end of each respective semester of study.

 

Mode of Delivery of the Programme 

The program shall be delivered through face-to-face lectures, studios, workshops, site visits, and a blend of online lectures. The online platform is interactive and allows students to have meaningful engagement with their facilitators. Using Moodle the students can log on to pre-designed assignments organized weekly across ten weeks. The students can participate in group discussions and chat sessions on this platform. They are given take-away assignments and online quizzes that are graded automatically.