Faculty of Agriculture

MASTER OF SCIENCE IN AGRICULTURAL INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION MANAGEMENT

The common regulations for the Masters degrees in all faculties of the University of Nairobi shall apply. The following shall be eligible for admission into the Master of Science in AICM programme:

1. Holders of at least upper second class honours degree or equivalent in any discipline from a university recognized by senate.
2. Holders of at least lower second class honours degree or equivalent in any discipline from a university recognized by senate with at least two years relevant experience.
3. Holders of pass degree and Postgraduate diploma or equivalent in any discipline from a university recognized by senate.
4. Holders of pass degree with five years relevant experience.

The final award shall be Master of Science in Agricultural Information and Communication Management. In order to qualify for the award of degree of Masters of Science in Agricultural Information and Communication Management, a candidate must have registered for, attended lectures, sat the examinations and passed in all course units taken throughout the period of study. The grades for the courses shall appear in the transcript. The grading of the courses shall be as follows:

Class Marks %

AIC 601: Fundamentals of AICM

Theoretical foundations of agricultural information and communications management; overview of current development goals and trends in agriculture in Africa; drivers of investment in agriculture; innovation systems, agricultural data, information and knowledge; systems and systems approach to solving problems, current agricultural information and knowledge systems, products, services and processes; people, processes and technologies that constitute agricultural information and knowledge systems; management of agricultural information and knowledge; communication theory, role of agricultural communication, agricultural communication processes, and products; diffusion theory, communication strategies and networks; strategic frameworks for communication of agricultural information; management of agricultural communications; emerging ICT, tools, and techniques for the management of agricultural information and communications; target groups for agricultural information at international, national and organizational levels; trends in information and communication technology; impact of agricultural information on development; national, regional and international information resources, networks and policies; managing agricultural information systems; ethical and social considerations in agricultural information systems and projects.

AIC 603: Management of Agricultural Information and Communication

Basic principles, concepts, theories, and techniques of management as they apply in the information and communication management; agricultural information and communication resources and services; the concepts and processes of information resource management (IRM); Information resources planning; Information users and analysts of their requirements: Implementation of agricultural information and communication products, services, and systems; communication concepts and theory; managing agricultural communication processes; development and management of communication products and services; management issues in digital content management: Acquiring and managing new information technologies; Managing AICM projects; National and international issues relating to information access, such as standards relating to electronic storage and retrieval of electronic documents (digital archiving); Ethical, social, and economic issues in the management of information and communication resources and services

The MSc in AICM shall be offered under two modules; full-time, part-time and Open and Distance Learning (ODL) for students who cannot attend regular university programme. The MSc Programme consists of two options with a total of 20 course units. For the thesis option, there are 10 core, 2 electives and 8 course units equivalent of thesis. For the research dissertation, there are 10 core, 2 electives, 4 specialization and 4 course units equivalent of dissertation. Each course unit is equivalent to 45 hours and the semester is 15 weeks.

The MSc full-time and part-time programme

The programme will take a minimum duration of four semesters and a maximum duration of 12 semesters. A student is required to do a minimum of 2 course units and a maximum of 5 course units per semester. The programme includes two sets of remedial coursework because of the wide background of candidates: one for non-ICT and the other for non-agriculture candidates.

1. There are five options of specialization for the non-thesis (research dissertation) option students, namely, Agricultural Knowledge Management, Agricultural Communication Management, Records and Archives Management, Web Resources Management, and Scholarly Publishing.
2. Thesis or non-thesis (research dissertation) options will be offered. Students who lack agricultural or ICT background shall be required to take remedial courses. The minimum number of remedial courses to be taken by each student is 2 and the maximum is 4 courses.
3. Students are expected to enroll for remedial courses before the main units in the MSc in AICM programme. They can also enroll for the remedial courses concurrently with the MSc course units depending on regulations and practices of the university.
4. The first year is devoted to course work. The second year is devoted to both coursework and thesis or research dissertation.

The MSc through ODL

The course structure and requirement for MSc through ODL remain the same as under full-time/part-time. However, the mode of delivery is as follows:

1. Use of various media and largely home based
2. Other modes of delivery:-

   a) Written self instructional study modules issued at the registration time

   • Study books
   • Relevant literature
   • Interactive devices and self tests
   • Booklet and/ or pamphlets

b) Face to face introductory Tutorial

c) Mediated technical learning materials

• Audio cassettes
• E-learning materials
• Video clips

d) Limited face to face sessions to provide overview of the course at commencement of semester, mid semester and revision period before examinations.

e) Support study centres at the University of Nairobi

• Access to information through computers at School of Computing and Informatics, Agricultural Economics, Computer Laboratory, Biometry Laboratory at CAVS and other centres such as the Library
• Access to information through school of Journalism
• Use of libraries at the University of Nairobi and agricultural research institutions.

f) Orientation (immediately after registration):

• Orientation in ODL delivery
• Study, reading and computer skills
• Time management and techniques in handling assignments
• Mentorship, Wo-mentoring, guidance and counseling
• Emphasis is on satellite centres that serve as a link between the university and the student in the following manner:
  • Registration
  • Collecting reading materials
  • Collecting results and programmes
  • Examination information
  • Posting timetable
  • Holding meetings

1. Request for exemption shall be made in writing, on admission to the Academic Registrar, University of Nairobi and must be accompanied by officially endorsed supporting documents, including the syllabus for the relevant courses.
2. The University of Nairobi reserves the right to administer an appropriate test in order to determine whether the exemption should be granted.
3. Application for exemptions shall be considered only after the exemption fee has been paid as may be prescribed.
4. Applicants may be allowed to transfer up to a maximum of one third of the taught courses provided that these are from institutions recognized by the senate.

The common examination regulations of the University of Nairobi and of the faculty of Agriculture will apply.

Written Examinations

1. Examination for any given course shall be taken in the semester in which the course has been offered.
2. A candidate shall not be allowed to sit any examination unless he or she has attended at least two-thirds of the total lecture hours.
3. Each unit shall be examined by a three-hour written examination at the end of the semester during which the course is offered.
4. The end of semester examination shall constitute 60% of the total marks in each course unit while the continuous assessment including term paper shall constitute 40%.
5. The pass mark for each course unit shall be 50%.
6. A candidate who fails in any unit may be allowed to sit supplementary examinations for the failed units up to 2 times.
7. A candidate who fails in second supplementary examination or has failed to complete the prescribed courses within the prescribed time, shall be discontinued.
8. The maximum score for a re-sit examination shall be 50%.

Thesis and Research Dissertation

1. Students will proceed to the second year of study (research thesis) only after passing all course units offered during the first year of study.
2. Thesis option students will submit the thesis, which will be examined through an oral defence before an examination board consisting of internal and external examiners in the field.
3. Students will submit their thesis for assessment at the end of the second year of study.
4. The research dissertation will be submitted and examined at the end of the second year of study upon the approval of the supervisor and completion of all other degree requirements.
5. The research dissertation shall be examined in accordance with the common regulations of the university postgraduate studies. Each candidate shall present, two weeks before the end of the final semester, a report of an approved research dissertation , in any one of the areas of specialization in Agricultural Information and Communication Management for examination.
6. The dissertation shall be expected to demonstrate acquisition of the relevant research skills and their effective application to an investigation of substance and significance in Agricultural Information and Communication Management. The dissertation shall constitute 70% of the marks. The candidate shall in addition to the above, present the dissertation orally in form of a seminar before a panel of examiners. The oral presentation shall constitute 30% of the marks. The pass mark shall be 50%. A candidate who fails to satisfy the examiners in the dissertation shall be allowed up to two resubmissions of the dissertation .
7. A candidate who fails in the second resubmission of the thesis/dissertation within the prescribed duration and, on the recommendation of the Faculty Board of Examiners and approval by senate, shall be discontinued.
8. A candidate who has successfully completed 10 core courses and does 2 units of equivalent research project within the prescribed period shall be awarded Postgraduate Diploma.

Agricultural Information and Communication Management Programme at postgraduate level was strongly supported by the findings of a training needs assessment undertaken by Regional Agricultural Information Network (RAIN) in 2005. The National stakeholders workshop on the AICM postgraduate programmes (MSc and PGD) adopted the following findings by RAIN/ASARECA and the Regional Taskforce:

1. It was established that agricultural professionals of all cadres in the Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa (ASARECA) region with Agricultural Information and Communication Management (AICM) skills are few or lacking. More specifically, agricultural researchers, educators and technologists in National Agricultural Research Systems, universities and extension services lack skills that can make them self-sufficient in meeting basic information needs to generate and disseminate technology.
2. Agricultural research results are not effectively transmitted to the international research community. As a result, African concerns do not drive the international research agenda. The rate of scientific journals published in Africa, therefore, is quite low and insignificant in the world research arena. There is also a scarcity of trained professional scientific editors capable of assisting scientists in the region to get their research findings published in international peer refereed journals.
3. Existing university programmes do not have adequate Information and Communication Technology/ Information and Communication Management (ICT/ICM) content, explaining the low ICT/ICM competency among graduates.
4. There is a growing recognition that ICM is an emerging profession in development.

The programme targets graduates from a variety of backgrounds and specialization including agricultural and related sciences, the biological sciences, information and communication science, information technology and social sciences. AICM also provides for admission of mid career candidates with relevant experience in their relevant areas of specialization.

The aim of AICM program is to enhance the competency of professionals in the agricultural field and other development workers in managing and communicating agricultural information for accelerated development and poverty reduction, and to strengthen the capacity of universities to provide high

Students with no Agriculture and ICT knowledge MUST take the 4 course units