MSU Schools
Maseno University Schools
SCHOOL OF PLANNING AND ARCHITECTURE
The School of Planning and Architecture has grown from a Program, to a Department in the School of Environment and Earth Science and finally to an independent school that it now is located in Kisumu Campus.
The School of Planning and Architecture was established to respond to the contemporary challenges facing Kenyan cities and human settlements at large. It takes pride in extending new frontiers of knowledge through new model of integrated knowledge that focuses on equipping its graduates with not only strong theoretical exposure and skills to address the contemporary urban and regional development challenges but also the ability to support their decisions using state of the art technology such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and ArchiCAD.
The School endeavours to address the human resource demand in both central and the proposed County Governments as well as local and international state and non-state actors concerned with the development of human settlements.
Human habitat and environment being the core concern of the School, the spectrum of academic programmes is being continuously extended by providing programmes in new fields and emerging areas. Programmes in various specialisations at Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctoral levels have been introduced and are being developed in an effort to enable the School effectively serve its mission in the built environment.
The School offers three undergraduate programs:
Bachelor Arts Urban and Regional Planning
This is a multidisciplinary programme that exposes students to various disciplines that are appropriate to the profession of Spatial Planning. The profession is concerned with analysis of the forces that influence the growth and development of cities, regions, and rural areas.
Bachelor of Arts Disaster Management
This course offers students the opportunity to acquire skills and knowledge in an intra and multi disciplinary program to understand and manage disasters and its consequences in the built environment.
Bachelor of Science Geospatial Information Science
While GIS is rapidly becoming a technology of choice for professionals in the built environment and others with diverse backgrounds, there is an evident shortage of Geospatial Information analysts to bridge the gap between data availability and data requirement in a format that can facilitate decision making. This program bridges that gap.
The School has been a pacesetter country wide in the spatial planning profession and has produced a large pool of planning professionals who are moulding the profession in all Counties in Kenya and various international organizations. The development of programs in the built environment will see a holistic training of students with skills to address emerging issues in the town and country.
Post Covid 19 we are establishing our new normal in the University: Online teaching and learning. The online teaching and learning environment will provide us with a novel avenue to continue impacting on the built environment professions.
SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS AND BUSINESS
The School of Business and Economics was established in the year 2011. Formerly a department within the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, continued growth in activities and student enrolment into various programmes heralded a new dawn that saw the birth of the school.
It has four departments:
- Department of Accounting and Finance
- Department of Economics
- Department of Management Science
- Department of Business Administration
The school also extends its programmes and activities to various campuses and collaboration centres.
The school employs professionally competent faculty and other staff in all disciplines and all campuses. Approximately 250 students are graduated every year from the schools programme.
Maseno University Business Incubator
Maseno University Business Incubator (MUBI), located at Varsity Plaza building, Kisumu City Campus College within the Kisumu Central Business District. The business incubator which was officially launched in August, 2011 supports Business Startups, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) on an ICT platform and in line with vision 2030.
MUBI is not only open to Maseno University fraternity, but other regional and local entrepreneurs who are encouraged to apply and benefit from a knowledge based business mentoring and coaching services being offered.
Clients of the incubator have access to information, capacity building, access to financing networks, technical assistance and a business enabling environment.
This means that incubatee businesses undergo comprehensive business training programmes, access to financial support networks, marketing strategies, legal and tax advisory services, networking with top notch entrepreneurs and CEOs, help with business basics among an array of other vital services needed to harness innovation and entrepreneurial potentials.
In pursuit to stimulate entrepreneurial acumen, there are facilities that come as a package for the incubatees. They include a state-of-the-art personal computer (PC), fast-speed internet, professional work environment, ambiance, a telephone set, Board room services, secretarial services and company listing at the entrance of the incubator centre. A team of professionals and experts from Maseno University, representatives of professional bodies and distinguished mentors from outside the university are responsible for vetting and selection for admission in the incubator.
MUBI focus is to upscale the incubator program in partnership with the like-minded local, regional and international development partners and to achieve success in the initiative.
SCHOOL OF AGRICULTURE AND FOOD SECURITY
The School of Agriculture and Food Security is tasked with developing manpower in Agriculture for national Agricultural development and food security. It has a team of highly qualified staff. It has over 50 acres of research land and field laboratories
The school comprises of four academic departments with various undergraduate and postgraduate programmes namely:
- Department of Applied Plant Sciences
- Department of Soil Science
- Department of Animal Science
- Department of Agricultural Economics & Rural Development
These departments offer Undergraduate, Masters and PhD programmes in:
- Horticulture
- Agronomy
- Animal Science
- Soil Science and Plant Nutrition
- Agribusiness Management
Maize Hybrids
The School has developed 3 maize hybrids that are high yielding, resistant to drought, acid soils and Striga weed. These newly developed maize hybrids have passed national performance trials conducted between 2009 and 2011.
Specifically, the hybrids tested under code names EH10 and EH11 have been recommended for release and commercialization in Kenya. These varieties have grain yields ranging from 9 to 12 tons per hectare and are adapted to mid altitudes of western Kenya. Another variety tested under code name EH14 has the genetic mechanism of Striga weed resistance and is likely to be released in 2012.
The maize variety Maseno EH14 is a hybrid with medium maturity. It matures between 120 to 135 days. It is best adapted to Lake Victoria region and most parts of western Kenya of altitudes 1100 to 1500 m above sea level. The grain yield ranges from 5-10 tons/ha. Under severe Striga weed infestation, the yield averages 5 ton/ha, whereas, susceptible genotypes are almost totally decimated with yields less than 1 ton/ha.
The maize variety Maseno EH10 is a hybrid with medium to late maturity. It matures between 120 to 140 days. It is best adapted to Lake Victoria region and most parts of western Kenya of altitudes 1200 to 1700 m above sea level. The grain yield ranges from 8-11 tons/ha. It is resistant to Maize streak virus and most common foliar diseases. It is acid soil and drought tolerant variety with stay-green characters.
Cobs of maize variety Maseno EH10. The cobs have predominantly semi flint or flint grains that fill to the cob top.
SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SOCIAL SCIENCES
(Department of Sociology and Anthropology)
The School of Arts and Social Sciences (SASS) is one of the pioneer schools which were established at the inception of Maseno University in the year 1990. The School has registered phenomenal growth and has nurtured various departments into two more schools, namely, School of Business and Economics and School of Development and Strategic Studies.
Currently, the School is has eleven departments, Linguistics, Literary Studies, Communication and Media Studies, Psychology, Religion and Philosophy, History and Archeology, Music and Theatre Studies, Kiswahili and other African Languages and French and other Foreign Langauages and Soiciology and Anthropology. The departments offer various programmes at Certficate, Diploma, undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
The Department of Sociology and Anthropology has been in existence since 1999. Initially the Department was offering a Degree course in Sociology alone but in 2006, Anthropology was introduced. The degree courses offered in the department prepare students to get engaged in various development sectors of the economy.
Moreover, graduates in these courses are well prepared to carry out research and to be consulted on diverse social issues. The staff of the department are well trained in their respective areas and highly committed to their service.
The western region where Maseno University is situated provides the Department with a truly rich, fertile and diverse area for research activities.
Indeed, geographical positioning in the heart of western region of Kenya has encouraged the Department to capitalize on the rapidly growing region as our laboratory and inspiration.