Overview
Approved by Senate in 1976
INTRODUCTION
Since its inception in 1976 the social work program (B.A. Degree) has been administratively under the auspices of the Department of Sociology but with its own Program Coordinator. The Programme was initiated within the Department of Sociology in response to a request from an Inter-Ministerial Working Committee on Social Work Education in Kenya. The Inter-Ministerial Committee included the following representatives: The Kenya Institute of Administration, The Kenya National Association of Social Workers, The National Council of Social Services, The Ministry of Housing and Social Services, The Ministry of Finance and Planning, The Ministry of Education, The Directorate of Personnel and The Department of Sociology, University of Nairobi. Following its study of the social welfare needs of Kenya at that time projected that the country would need twenty to twenty-five (20-25) social work graduates per year to meet the existing manpower needs.
PHILOSOPHY
“The overall goal of the programme is to train professional university level social workers in response to the increasing complexity of social problems in the country”. Prior to 1976, there existed in Kenya a Diploma and Certificate Training Programme operating under the auspices of the Kenya Institute of Administration at Kabete. The Diploma Training Programme was later transferred to the Embu Government Training Institute. In other words, there was no university level training of social workers in Kenya prior to 1976.
Initially, the Social Work Programme was funded by the Fredrick Ebert Foundation for three-years. The Foundation met the cost of a senior lecturer position and two lecturer positions, including other expenses for operating the programme for the period specified and renewable for an additional two years. However, the Foundation did not fund the programme beyond the three years. Consequently, the financial responsibilities for operating the programme were taken over by the government. The programme has since grown; from admitting about 20 students per year to about 60 currently.
RATIONALE
From 1976 to as recent as the 1990’s, the BA (Social Work) programme at the University of Nairobi remained the only university program in Kenya for professional training in social work. The course was started to fill a professional gap not only in Kenya’s but actually in East Africa’s social development sector. Social work graduates have since played a critical role in the overall development of the country. Of notable significance has been their contribution in the following areas: management of children’s affairs (e.g., rehabilitation and training), gender and development, youth affairs, probation and correctional services, management of community development programmes, community mobilization and capacity building, medical social work (in health facilities), counselling, human resource management and micro-enterprise development.
Like all recognized tertiary training centres for social workers, the University of Nairobi has over the years adhered to a curricula that not only allows students to specialize in social work early in the BA programme but also that combines class work and fieldwork. It is hoped that this practice will be sustained especially for the purpose of maintaining internationally recognized social work training standards and for the University of Nairobi to maintain its pole position as the model for professional social work training in Kenya.
OBJECTIVES
The general objective of the BA (Social Work) programme is to produce graduates equipped with skills and knowledge necessary in the social development sector.
The specific objectives are:
- To equip students with knowledge, skills and an enabling mind-set in the social development sector.
- To expose students to current practices in social development management.
- To contribute to high human resource development in the social development sector.
This shall be the interactive mode of instruction consisting of lectures, discussions, presentations, seminars, tutorials, demonstrations, case studies, fieldwork, practicums, individual and group consultations, independent studies, guest speakers, field visits and field research.
This will be offered using a multi-media approach that includes self-instructional print and electronic study materials. This will include interactive study materials and both synchronous and asynchronous modes of learning. Online teaching and learning shall be offered through the Learning Management Systems (LMS) of the University of Nairobi.
This will combine both face to face and online learning approaches
Structure
COURSE STRUCTURE AND DURATION
Candidates for the Bachelor of Arts (Social Work) degree programme will be admitted to the course at the beginning of their first year and enroll for four courses in the social work programme, four in the department of Sociology and four others in any other two departments in the faculty of Arts. Thereafter, students will take courses prescribed by the social work programme, including not less than 1200 hours of field Practicum. Therefore, the curriculum for the B.A. Social Work will consist of:
I). Taught courses 41 courses
II) Practicum 3 courses
Each taught course shall include 45 contact hours
Each field practicum course shall take 10 weeks of external agency attachment.
Course Codes and Titles
First year
Semester 1
|
CODES |
COURSE DESCRIPTION |
HOURS |
TOTAL |
||||
|
|
|
Lecture |
Practical |
|
|||
|
CSO 101 |
Introduction to Sociology
|
45 |
0 |
45 |
|||
|
CSW 101 |
Introduction to Psychology
|
45 |
0 |
45 |
|||
|
CSO 102 |
Introduction to Anthropology
|
45 |
0 |
45 |
|||
|
CSW 100 |
Introduction to the Principles and Methods of Social Work
|
45 |
0 |
45 |
|||
|
Total hours required |
180 |
0 |
180 |
||||
Semester 2
|
CODES |
COURSE DESCRIPTION |
HOURS |
TOTAL |
||||
|
|
|
Lecture |
Practical |
|
|||
|
CSW 102 |
Social Work and Social Sciences
|
45 |
0 |
45 |
|||
|
CSO 103 |
Introduction to Comparative Sociology
|
45 |
0 |
45 |
|||
|
CSW 103 |
The Government and the People of Kenya
|
45 |
0 |
45 |
|||
|
CSO 104 |
The Socialization Process |
45 |
0 |
45 |
|||
|
Total hours required |
180 |
0 |
180 |
||||
Second Year
Semester 1
|
CODES |
COURSE DESCRIPTION |
HOURS |
TOTAL |
||||
|
|
|
Lecture |
Practical |
|
|||
|
CSW 203 |
Community Development
|
45 |
0 |
45 |
|||
|
CSW 201 |
Social Work Methods
|
45 |
0 |
45 |
|||
|
CSO 204 |
Social statistics 1
|
45 |
0 |
45 |
|||
|
CSW 208 |
Professional theory and practice
|
45 |
0 |
45 |
|||
|
CSO 206 |
Rural Sociology |
45 |
0 |
45 |
|||
|
Total hours required |
225 |
0 |
225 |
||||
Semester 2
|
CODES |
COURSE DESCRIPTION |
HOURS |
TOTAL |
||||
|
|
|
Lecture |
Practical |
|
|||
|
CSW 200 |
Human Growth and Development
|
45 |
0 |
45 |
|||
|
CSW 202 |
Social Work Methods: Case Work
|
45 |
0 |
45 |
|||
|
CSW 204 |
Social Work theory and practice I
|
45 |
0 |
45 |
|||
|
CSW 204 |
Social work methods
|
45 |
0 |
45 |
|||
|
CSO 209 |
Deviant Behaviour |
45 |
0 |
45 |
|||
|
|
Field work practice at the end of the year
|
0 |
135 |
135 |
|||
|
Total hours required |
225 |
135 |
360 |
||||
Third Year
Semester 1
|
CODES |
COURSE DESCRIPTION |
HOURS |
TOTAL |
||||
|
|
|
Lecture |
Practical |
|
|||
|
CSW 302 |
Family and Child Welfare
|
45 |
0 |
45 |
|||
|
CSW 303 |
Social Work Theory and Practice 11
|
45 |
0 |
45 |
|||
|
CSW 305 |
Personnel Management in Human Service Agencies
|
45 |
0 |
45 |
|||
|
CSW 307 |
Human Relations
|
45 |
0 |
45 |
|||
|
CSW 309 |
Economics for Social Development
|
45 |
0 |
45 |
|||
|
CSW 311 |
Social Work and Social Ethics
|
45 |
0 |
45 |
|||
|
|
Plus field work practice at the end of the year
|
0 |
135 |
135 |
|||
|
Total hours required |
270 |
135 |
405 |
||||
Semester 2
|
CODES |
COURSE DESCRIPTION |
HOURS |
TOTAL |
||||
|
|
|
Lecture |
Practical |
|
|||
|
CSW 300 |
Social Policy and Administration
|
45 |
0 |
45 |
|||
|
CSW 301 |
Environment and Social Development
|
45 |
0 |
45 |
|||
|
CSW 304 |
Social Change and Development
|
45 |
0 |
45 |
|||
|
CSW 306 |
Evaluative Research
|
45 |
0 |
45 |
|||
|
CSO 308 |
Social Statistics II
|
45 |
0 |
45 |
|||
|
CSW 310 |
Community Organization and Action
|
45 |
0 |
45 |
|||
|
CSW 312 |
Social Deviation and Rehabilitation I
|
45 |
0 |
45 |
|||
|
Total hours required |
315 |
0 |
315 |
||||
Fourth Year
Semester 1
|
CODES |
COURSE DESCRIPTION |
HOURS |
TOTAL |
||||
|
|
|
Lecture |
Practical |
|
|||
|
CSW 401 |
Adolescence
|
45 |
0 |
45 |
|||
|
CSW 403 |
Dissertation/Project paper
|
45 |
0 |
45 |
|||
|
CSW 405 |
Social Work Theory and Practice 111
|
45 |
0 |
45 |
|||
|
CSO 407 |
Formal Organization and Behaviour
|
45 |
0 |
45 |
|||
|
CSW 409 |
Gerontology
|
45 |
0 |
45 |
|||
|
CSW 411 |
Social Law
|
45 |
0 |
45 |
|||
|
CSW 412 |
Psychiatry
|
45 |
0 |
45 |
|||
|
Total hours required |
315 |
0 |
315 |
||||
Semester 1
|
CODES |
COURSE DESCRIPTION |
HOURS |
TOTAL |
||||
|
|
|
Lecture |
Practical |
|
|||
|
CSW 400 |
Gender and Development
|
45 |
0 |
45 |
|||
|
CSW 402 |
Population and Development
|
45 |
0 |
45 |
|||
|
CSW 404 |
Urbanization
|
45 |
0 |
45 |
|||
|
CSW 406 |
Counselling
|
45 |
0 |
45 |
|||
|
CSO 406 |
Health and community
|
45 |
0 |
45 |
|||
|
CSW 408 |
Health and community
|
45 |
0 |
45 |
|||
|
CSW 413 |
Social Deviation and Rehabilitation 11
|
45 |
0 |
45 |
|||
|
Total hours required |
315 |
0 |
315 |
||||
Schedule of intake
September
Admission Requirements
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS:
- KCSE mean grade C+ or equivalent
- KCSE mean grade C- or equivalent plus a Certificate and Diploma
- Level Division II or equivalent plus a Diploma
- Level Division III or equivalent plus a Certificate and Diploma
- Level Division III or equivalent plus a three-year Diploma from a recognized post-secondary Institution for admissions to Bachelor of Education
- Diploma from University of Nairobi or other recognized institutions and an aggregate of C in KCSE or equivalent
- A Level with two principal passes or equivalent in relevant subjects Only Applicants whose results are available at the time of application will be considered
- CPAII/CPSII/CIPS or equivalent for Commerce and Arts and should have attained an aggregate of C in KCSE or O level Division III
- P1 from a two-year post-secondary training institution for entry into Bachelor of Education with Minimum KCSE Mean Grade C or O Level Division III
- Higher National Diploma in relevant fields and should have attained an aggregate of C in KCSE
- Degree from a recognized University
- Equivalent qualifications to the above from institutions recognized by Senate
- Level Division III or equivalent plus a three-year Diploma from a recognized post-secondary Institution for admissions to Bachelor of Education
- Diploma from University of Nairobi or other recognized institutions and an aggregate of C in KCSE or equivalent
- A Level with two principal passes or equivalent in relevant subjects Only Applicants whose results are available at the time of application will be considered
- CPAII/CPSII/CIPS or equivalent for Commerce and Arts and should have attained an aggregate of C in KCSE or O level Division III
- P1 from a two-year post-secondary training institution for entry into Bachelor of Education with Minimum KCSE Mean Grade C or O Level Division III
- Higher National Diploma in relevant fields and should have attained an aggregate of C in KCSE
- Degree from a recognized University
- Equivalent qualifications to the above from institutions recognized by Senate
Careers
ATTACHMENT OPPORTUNITIES
- Medical Facilities (Hospitals and Clinics)
- Correctional Facilities (Police Stations & Prisons)
- Children Homes
- Safe Haven Facilities (From Domestic Abuse)