FG tinkers with university curriculum, unbundles courses, introduces new studies
Yinka ADETUNJI
The National Universities Commission (NUC) has introduced new programmes into the Nigerian university system.
According to the federal government, the new curriculum is known as Core Curriculum and Minimum Academic Standards.
The new curriculum for university education in the country is expected to reflect 21st-century realities.
“The Benchmark Minimum Academic Standards has been revised to Core Curriculum and Minimum Academic Standards.
“The CCMAS, provides 70 percent of what should be taught along with the expected outcome, while the university will provide 30 per cent based on their individual contextual peculiarities and characteristics.”
The NUC yesterday unveiled a new Core Curriculum and Minimum Academic Standards (CCMAS) with 17 disciplines and 238 academic programmes to replace the Benchmark Minimum Academic Standard (BMAS) used in Nigerian universities.
The federal government also approved three new courses in the university system, namely Allied Health Sciences, Architecture and Communication, and Menial studies.
Speaking on the CCMAS at NUC celebration of 60 years of regulating university education in Nigeria, NUC Executive Secretary, Prof. Peter Okebukola, said the new curriculum addresses the knowledge and skill gaps as it was replacing in comparable in contents to similar curriculum in the best university system in the world and relevant to Nigeria’s social cultural context.
In the new curriculum, Mass Communication was unbundled to Advertising, Broadcasting, Development Communication Studies, Film and Multimedia, Information and Media Studies, Journalism and Media Studies, Mass Communication, Public Relations and Strategic Communication.
Agriculture is unbundled into programmes in its contributing components of B.Sc Agricultural Economics, B.Sc. Animal Science, B.Sc. Crop Science and B.Sc. Soil Science.
There is also the unbundling of Architecture and introduction of Architecture as a new discipline with programmes like Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Architectural Technology, Interior Architecture design Architectural Technology and Naval architecture.
There is also the split of the Basic Medical Sciences discipline into Basic Medical Sciences and Allied Health Science.
Also is the reduction of the General Studies course from 36 credit units to 12 credit units of 6 courses such as Communication in English; Nigerian People and Culture; Philosophy, Logic and Human Existence; Entrepreneurship and Innovation; Venture creation; and Peace and Conflict resolution.
Entrepreneurship has been repackaged with the introduction of programme-specific entrepreneurship.
