Midlands State University

Midlands State University
Former names
 Gweru Teachers' College
Motto Our Hands,Our Minds,Our Destiny
Type Public
Established 2000
Chancellor Robert Mugabe ex officio as President of Zimbabwe[1]
Vice-Chancellor Ngwabi Bhebe
Undergraduates 25,000
Postgraduates 3,000
Location Senga, Gweru, Zimbabwe
19°30′58″S 29°49′59″E / 19.516°S 29.833°E / -19.516; 29.833Coordinates: 19°30′58″S 29°49′59″E / 19.516°S 29.833°E / -19.516; 29.833
Campus Urban
Website www.msu.ac.zw

Midlands State University is a government owned university in Zimbabwe offering courses mainly in the commercial and arts sector. The university was previously called Gweru Teachers' College, which was primarily a teacher training college under the University of Zimbabwe. For the first three years, the curriculum was decided by the University of Zimbabwe but now is operating independently.

The commercial degrees are modelled on the University of South Africa curriculum. It offers degrees in commerce with specialisation in fields such as accounting (Chartered Accountant route), Finance, Quantitative Analysis, Marketing, and Business Management.

The main campus is located in Senga area, south east of Gweru central about 15 km (9.3 mi).It is close to Fletcher Boys High School.

History

The idea of a university in the Midlands dates back to the foundation of the National University of Science and Technology when Gweru, which was identified as a possible site for a second university campus in the country, lost its bid to Bulawayo. Two other opportunities to host institutions of higher learning (the Open University and the Catholic University) were also missed by the Midlands Province, when the two universities went to Harare. It was in the midst of such disappointments that two initiatives converged to give birth to what has since become the Midlands State University. The President R G Mugabe, on the nudging of the provincial political leadership of the Midlands, accepted the idea of a national university being built in the Midlands. This coincided with the then Ministry of Higher Education and Technology's policy of devolution, which was aimed at expanding access to higher education by converting teachers and technical colleges into degree granting institutions. It was through the process of devolution that beginning in 1998 Gweru Teachers College started to enrol students studying for the Bachelor of Commerce with Education and the Bachelor of Science with Education degrees offered by the University of Zimbabwe.

In the meantime, although the devolution policy inaugurated an irrevocable process of bringing university education to the Midlands, there was a strong feeling, especially in the Province, that what was being done did not quite amount to the President's promise of a fully fledged state university in the province. Responding to these feelings, but without losing sight of constraints imposed on Government by declining national funds, the Minister of Higher Education and Technology transformed the devolution project at Gweru into Zimbabwe's third state university by means of the State University in the Midlands Act of April 1999.

The new university, whose name was later changed to the Midlands State University, was to be housed at the Gweru Teachers College premises.

Academic programmes

The University offers degree programmes in the faculties of Arts, Commerce, Education, Law, Natural Resources Management and Agriculture, Science and Technology and Social Sciences.

The degree programmes on offer have been strengthened through flexible packaging of modules. Flexible packaging allows students studying for a particular degree to make themselves more marketable by including in this package of studies modules from other programmes.

Fully semestered university

Midlands State University is a fully semestered and modularised University. Enrolment takes place twice a year, in March and in August. Modules offered at any level in a semester are available at the same level during the next semester. This arrangement gives an opportunity to those students who, at the end of a semester are required to 'carry' or 'repeat' failed modules to do so in the next semester.

Students enrolled at MSU study for four-year or five-year degree programmes spending their Third Level on Work Related Learning in industry and other work places. Work Related Learning is an approach to teaching and learning which requires a student to spend some time during the course of study on 'hands on' practical experience.

Programmes

BSc Honours in Information Systems

The Bachelor of Science Honours Degree in Information Systems concentrates on the applications of information technology within business organisations. These applications include the use of computing for financial management applicable in all organisations, and systems of controlling stock and processing orders in manufacturing organisations, and extend to the use of more advanced techniques for strategic decision-making.

The programme covers two themes: study of the methods of information technology and the study of how business organisations operate and can effectively exploit IT.

Admission requirements

Normal Entry The student must have obtained a PASS at 'A' level in at least two of the following subjects or their recognised equivalents:

Special entry requirements

Information Systems

National Diploma (HEXICO) Computer Studies or Accounting with at least four (4) Distinctions

Career prospects for BCS Information Systems Hons

Modes of Study at MSU

Full-time undergraduate applicants are enrolled at the university either as conventional or parallel students. These applicants are normally admitted on the basis of their Advanced level passes. The period of study for this category of students is four to five years.

Visiting School

The Visiting School enrolls students on the minimum academic qualification of O-level subjects plus a relevant certificate or diploma qualification. The applicants for this programme should normally be in full-time employment.

Visiting School students attend classes for a week per month. They complete their studies in three years. The university introduced this programme to enable applicants who are in employment to improve themselves professionally and to obtain degrees while they are on their jobs. They attend the work-related learning third year simultaneously with their second level of the degree programme.

Bachelor of education

The MSU Bachelor of Education programme enrols students into either the Full Time or Block Release mode of study. Full-time students complete their studies in two years and Block Release student complete their studies in three years.

Bachelor of Education applicants are normally holders of either the Certificate or Diploma in Education. 'A' level qualifications are an added advantage. BEd Block Release students attend classes during school holidays.

Graduates

In May 2004, 370 students were capped and 907 others were capped at the Conferment ceremony held later in the year on 25 November 2004 and in August 2005, 609 students graduated.

In 2014, the President Of Zimbabwe Robert Mugabe (the Chancellor) capped 4719 graduates. [2]

Masters Degree Programme

The university has the following Masters programmes:

References

  1. ↑ "University of Zimbabwe Act (Chapter 25:16)" (PDF). Parliament of Zimbabwe. Retrieved 3 January 2009.
  2. ↑ http://www.herald.co.zw/president-caps-4-719-at-msu/

External links


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