Overview
Master of Science in Chemistry has materials covering the traditional branches of chemistry namely organic, inorganic and physical chemistry. It also has courses from other branches of chemistry such as analytical chemistry and industrial chemistry. It seeks to explain factors that course reactions to occur, how they occur and their adverse and non adverse effects on our well being.
Graduate students will in addition to the traditional areas of chemistry take courses in descriptive inorganic and physical inorganic chemistry. They will also be introduced to bioinorganic chemistry, inorganic polymers, research methods, reaction kinetics and synthetic chemistry.
Philosophy of the Degree Programme
The philosophy of Master of Science in Chemistry degree programme is that learners are facilitated by various instructional means and conducive environment to acquire advanced level chemistry knowledge and skills to enable them succeed in their careers and to make local and global contributions in chemistry and related fields.
Rationale of the Degree Programme
The expected role of the education sector is to equip learners with desired values, attitudes, knowledge, skills and competencies essential for productive employment. Vision 2030 has set wealth creation as one of its goals and targets the exploitation of available natural resources to spur development in agriculture, energy, water and health among other economic sectors. To contribute to the achievement of these aspirations, there is need for the university to offer relevant knowledge and hands-on training in form of practicals, projects and industrial linkages to enhance development of entrepreneurial skills. The Master of Science in Chemistry degree programme responds to the goals of Vision 2030 by offering chemistry knowledge and skills that exploits natural resources to drive the industrialization process.
Objectives
The Objectives of the programme shall be to train and equip the students with;
- Knowledge in analytical, environmental, industrial, material science, drug development among others.
- Competence in developing creative research and also synthesize novel inorganic and organic compounds.
- Skill to synthesize and characterize organic compounds
- Knowledge in extraction, separation, purification and characterization of compounds from plants
- In-depth knowledge of molecular structure, thermodynamics and chemical kinetics of transformation of the various chemical processes, materials and surfaces.
- Skills to apply current research and technology to detect chemical and biological analytes in a variety of contexts including environmental testing, biological probing and medical diagnostics
- Skills to derive useful information and expression for practical application of equilibria of processes and kinetics of various chemical interaction
Mode of Delivery of the Programme
The mode of delivery shall be either face-to-face and/or online and blended.
Face-to-Face
The face-to-face mode of delivery is given to students admitted in the full time program and shall consist of comprehensive coverage of the syllabus through lectures, tutorials, practicals, seminars, workshops and industrial visits for a semester (15 weeks).
Online learning
The online mode of delivery is given to students admitted in the full time program and shall consist of comprehensive coverage of the syllabus through lectures, assignments, quizzes, tutorials, practicals, seminars, workshops using learning management systems (LMS) approved by Senate.
Blended
This mode combines the face to face leaning and online learning delivery methods.
Currently due to Covid 19 containment measures, all programmes are offered online through various Learning Management Platforms approved by the University of Nairobi Senate.
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For enquiries, kindly contact us via:
Email: dept-chem@uonbi.ac.ke
Tel: +254-772 459 087
Structure
Duration
The course shall be covered in a minimum of four (4) semesters equivalent to two (2) academic years to maximum of eight (8) semesters of 15 weeks each.
Course Structure
(i) The course shall be evaluated in terms of units; a course unit being defined as series of 45 one- hour lecture equivalents. For this purpose one 1-hour lecture is equivalent to one 2-hour tutorial or one 3-hour practical or any combination of these that may be recommended by the School Board and approved by Senate.
(ii) The course consists of coursework, continuous assessment, written examination and a research project. The continuous assessment shall comprise tests, assignments, practical in certain units and term papers.
(iii) In the first year of styudy, a candidate shall be required to take 10 course units; 9 of which shall be core and 1 elective.
(iv) In second year of study a candidate shall undertake a mandatory research and thesis equivalent to eight course units.
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Admission Requirements
Application to join the programme
Submission of application to join the programme normally opens in April of every year. Students wishing to join the programme should submit their applications through University of Nairobi Online Portal.
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Schedule of Intakes
Intakes are in September every calendar year. Registration and admission for qualified applicants commences in August. For more Information on Registration & Admission please click here
Admission Requirements
(a) The common regulations for the Masters degrees in the School of Physical Sciences shall apply.
(b) In addition to meeting (a) above, candidates wishing to register for Master of Science in Inorganic Chemistry must have any of the following:
(i) A degree of the University of Nairobi of at least an Upper Second Class Honours in Chemistry or equivalent from any other institution recognized by the Senate.
(ii) A lower Second Class honours degree of the University of Nairobi in Chemistry or equivalent from any other institution recognized by the Senate plus at least two years relevant research/work experience
(iii) A pass degree of the University of Nairobi in Chemistry or equivalent from any other institution recognized by the Senate plus at least five years relevant research/work experience
Credit Transfer and Exemptions
(i) A candidate may be exempted up to a maximum of one third of the taught courses , provided that these are from institutions recognized by Senate of the University of Nairobi.
(ii) Applicants seeking course exemptions shall send a formal application to the Director, Board of Postgraduate Studies through the Dean, school of Physical Sciences which should include justification of request, and attach evidence of relevant credentials in support of the request. The application shall be processed only after payment of the prescribed fees.
(iii) Applicants will only be exempted from a unit offered at a level which is equivalent to what is offered by the University of Nairobi.
Careers
Career Prospects
Career opportunities for graduates of this programme include employment in various government agencies, the chemical and allied industries, research scientists in a wide variety or research institutes, as managers in various chemical & Allied Industries and also employment in various non-governmental organizations. Those who desire to teach can also find employment in the education sector
Attachment Opportunities
Student attachment opportunities exist in establishments for students who undertake research to address problems that exist in those establishments.
Fees and Funding
| MASTER OF SCIENCE IN CHEMISTRY - I571 | |||||
| MSC CHEMISTRY - 10UNITS | YEAR 1 | YEAR 2 | TOTALS | ||
| Semester 1 | Semester 2 | Semester 1 | Semester 2 | ||
| TUITION | 156,000 | 156,000 | 156,000 | 156,000 | 624,000 |
| EXAMINATION (PER UNIT @1000) | 5,000 | 5,000 | 10,000 | ||
| ICT SERVICES - (PER YEAR) | 7,000 | 7,000 | 14,000 | ||
| ID CARD ( PER YEAR) | 1,000 | 1,000 | 2,000 | ||
| ACTIVITY-( PER YEAR) | 2,000 | 2,000 | 4,000 | ||
| REGISTRATION (PER SEMESTER@2250) | 2,250 | 2,250 | 2,250 | 2,250 | 9,000 |
| LIBRARY (PER YEAR) | 5,000 | 5,000 | 10,000 | ||
| MEDICAL FEE (PER YEAR) | 6,500 | 6,500 | 13,000 | ||
| CAUTION - (ONCE) | 5,000 | 5,000 | |||
| STUDENT ORGANISATION(PER YEAR) | 1,000 | 1,000 | 2,000 | ||
| THESIS EXAMINATION | 0 | 30,000 | 30,000 | ||
| TOTALS | 190,750 | 164,750 | 179,250 | 188,250 | 723,000 |
