POSTGRADUATE PROGRAMMES JANUARY 2024 INTAKE

POSTGRADUATE PROGRAMMES

JANUARY 2024 INTAKE

The University of Malawi, formerly Chancellor College, is inviting applications for various Postgraduate Programmes which will commence in January, 2024.

I. GENERAL ENTRY REQUIREMENTS FOR MASTER’S DEGREES

The following are the minimum application requirements for all Master’s degree programmes:

  1. A filled 2024 PG1 form to be downloaded from our website http://pg.unima.ac.mw/

  1. A Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university/programme with at least a credit. Candidates with a strong pass may be considered;

  1. A detailed CV;

  1. Certified or notarised copies of academic transcripts and certificates;

  1. Two letters of reference from traceable referees (one of which shall be an academician and the other one may be a professional referee) and to be submitted in sealed envelopes or as a PDF attachment;

  1. A copy of a bank deposit slip for the application fee of MK20,000 for Malawian nationals and US$50 for international applicants. Please indicate the name of the programme you are applying for and deposit the money into the following account: Chanco Sundry Income, Account No: 282553, held at the National Bank of Malawi, Zomba Service Centre;

  1. Candidates MUST sign on the 2024 PG 1 form that they have satisfied all the general entry requirements.

NOTE: Specific programmes may have additional requirements which must be complied with. Incomplete applications will not be processed.

II. GENERAL ENTRY REQUIREMENTS FOR PHD PROGRAMMES

In addition to the general requirements above, applications for doctoral degree programmes should meet the following minimum conditions:

  1. A good Master’s degree from an accredited university/programme;

  1. A concept note detailing the proposed research topic in terms of objectives, approach and research questions;

  1. Sample of the applicant’s written academic work.

 Conditions of admission

  1. Unless specifically indicated, all Masters’ Degree programmes are full-time and will run for 24 months while PhD programmes run for 3 to 5 years;

  1. The tuition fees cover costs of registration, examinations, supervision and institutional overheads. Students are expected to meet costs of research, accommodation, meals, medical cover, books, stationery and learning materials;

  1. The University does not provide accommodation, and the students will be required to look for their accommodation outside the campus;

  1. All programmes operate on a no-fees no-classes basis. Sponsored applicants will be expected to provide letters of commitment from their sponsors.

  1. SPECIFIC ENTRY REQUIREMENTS FOR PROGRAMMES The following are the specific details of the advertised programmes:

  1. SCHOOL OF EDUCATION

    1. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION FOUNDATIONS (LILONGWE SATELLITE CENTRE)

At its Lilongwe Satellite Centre, the Education Foundations Department is offering the following Master of Education programmes:

      1. M.Ed. in Policy, Planning and Leadership

      1. M.Ed. in Testing, Measurement and Evaluation

      1. M.Ed. in Educational Psychology

      1. M.Ed. in Sociology of Education

All programs are two-year programmes. However, lectures will be conducted during weekends at the Lilongwe Satellite Centre (KUHES/old KCN campus), on Saturdays and Sundays.

Fee Structure: MK2,062,500 per academic year for Malawian nationals; US$3,000 per academic year for SADC region students; and US$3,500 per academic year for international students.

Entry Requirements: Possession of a Bachelor’s degree in Education (or its equivalent) with credit, from an accredited university. Those with a strong pass may be considered. Work experience in teaching or an education-related area will be an added advantage.

Contacts for further details: The Postgraduate Coordinator, Mrs. O. Mwisama on 0888 775 147, or via email at med@unima.ac.mw

  1. DEPARTMENT OF LANGUAGE EDUCATION

Master of Education in Curriculum and Teaching Studies (Language Education)

  1. DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL STUDIES EDUCATION

Master of Education in Curriculum and Teaching Studies (Social Studies Education)

      1.  DEPARTMENT OF MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE EDUCATION

Master of Education in Curriculum and Teaching Studies (Mathematics and Science Education)

Fee Structure: MK4,125,000 for Malawian nationals; US$6,000 for SADC region students; and US$7,000 for international students.

Additional Entry Requirements: Bachelor’s degree in Education (or its equivalent) with credit. Those with a strong pass may also be considered. Work experience in education or education related area will be an added advantage.

Preliminary Enquiries: Contact the Department of Curriculum and Teaching Studies on

telephone number 0996787515 or by email: cats@unima.ac.mw.

  1. SCHOOL OF NATURAL AND APPLIED SCIENCES

    1. Master of Science in Environmental Science (MES) Duration of Programme: 24 months (full time)

Fee Structure: MK2,250,000 per academic year for Malawian nationals or US$3,000 per academic year for international students.

Description of Programme: The MES programme consists of coursework, research, and a thesis.

Additional Entry Requirements: Candidates should have a good Bachelor’s degree (at least an upper pass) in natural sciences or related fields. Preference will be given to candidates with relevant experience.

Contacts for further details: The MES Coordinator at mesadmin@unima.ac.mw.

(ii). Master of Science in Water Science and Management (WSM)

Description of Programme: The WSM programme consists of course work, research and a thesis.

Duration of Programme: 2 years (full-time)

Fee Structure: MK2,250,000 per academic year for Malawian nationals and US$3,000 per academic year for international students.

Additional Entry Requirements: Potential candidates should have at least a high pass in natural/applied sciences or related fields from recognised and accredited universities.

Contact for further details: The Programme Coordinator, Dr. Evance Mwathunga at wrmg@unima.ac.mw.

  1. DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY AND EARTH SCIENCES

    1. Master of Science in Geography and Earth Sciences (by Research) Duration: 2 years (full-time) and 3 years (part-time) programme.

Fee Structure: MK2,587,500 per academic year for Malawian nationals or US$3,450 per academic year for international students.

Description of Programme: Supervised research and thesis.

Additional Entry Requirements: A strong first degree (credit or high pass) majoring in Geography and/or Earth Sciences or any other related discipline. Candidates must also submit a research topic of their choice.

 Contacts for further details: The Head of Department on: geo@unima.ac.mw; or emwathunga@unima.ac.mw.

(ii). Doctor of Philosophy in Geography by Research

Duration: 3 years (full time); 5 years (part-time)

Fee structure: MK3,750,000 per academic year for Malawian nationals or US$5,000 per academic year for international students.

Description of Programme: Full-time students will dedicate their time to the programme of study, either at the University of Malawi or at a collaborating institution depending on agreed-upon arrangements and availability of resources. Those on a part-time basis will have to spend a minimum amount of time on campus that is equivalent to the full-time students during the 5 years. Students will be required to attend and participate in regular seminars, reading exercises and presentations, offer tutorials to MSc and BSc students, and participate in other scholarly activities as may be arranged by the department from time to time.

Additional Entry Requirements

Applicants must hold a Master’s degree in Geographical Sciences or related disciplines from accredited institutions of higher learning.

Contacts for further details: The Head of Department on: geo@unima.ac.mw; or emwathunga@unima.ac.mw.

  1. Doctor of Philosophy in Earth Sciences by Research Duration: 3 years (full-time); 5 years (part-time)

Fee Structure: MK3,750,000 per academic year for Malawian nationals or US$5,000 per academic year for international students.

Description of Programme: Full-time students will dedicate their time to the programme of study, either at the University of Malawi campus or at a collaborating institution depending on agreed-upon arrangements and availability of resources. Those on part-time basis will have to spend a minimum amount of time on campus that is equivalent to the full-time students during the 5 years. Students will be required to attend and participate in regular seminars, reading exercises and presentations, offer tutorials to MSc and BSc students, and participate in other scholarly activities as may be arranged by the department from time to time.

Additional Entry Requirements: Students applying to be admitted into this programme must hold a Master’s degree in Earth Sciences or related disciplines obtained from accredited institutions of higher learning.

Contacts for further details: The Head of Department at: geo@unima.ac.mw; or emwathunga@unima.ac.mw.

B. DEPARTMENT OF MATHEMATICAL SCIENCES

(i). Master of Science in Biostatistics

Description of Programme: A 2 years programme, offered through block-release and involves coursework and thesis.

Additional Entry Requirements: Applicants must have a Bachelor’s degree, majored in Statistics or Mathematics and any other related disciplines with at least a strong pass from a recognized university. Selected candidates with deficiency in some Mathematics/Statistics modules will be asked to attend bridging course prior to enrolment.

 Scholarships for International Students under CRAFS-ACE 2 Project: Under the Centre for Resilient Agri-food Systems (CRAFS), with support from the World Bank's Africa Centres of Excellence II (ACE II) project, the School of Natural and Applied Sciences (SNAS) has secured funding for full-time study scholarships of international students willing to pursue various postgraduate science programmes at the University of Malawi. A separate advert for the same will be circulated. Selection for scholarship will be through a competitive process. Female candidates are particularly encouraged to apply.

Scholarships: Limited full scholarships will be available under the DELTAS Sub-Saharan Africa Consortium for Advanced Biostatistics Training (SSACAB) project to selected applicants having a Statistics degree with at least a credit pass and aged below 35 years.

Fee Structure: MK2,250,000 per academic year for Malawian nationals and US$3,000 per academic year for international students. Those attending bridging courses will be required to pay US $300 per module.

Contacts for further details: The Coordinator, Mr. Sawerengera, on 0999530764 or psawerengera@unima.ac.mw, copy to sec.maths@unima.ac.mw.

    1. Master of Science in Mathematical Sciences

Description of Programme: A 2-year full-time programme involving course work and thesis.

Entry Requirements: Applicants must have a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematical Sciences with at least a credit or a strong pass obtained from any accredited institution of higher learning.

Fee Structure: MK2,450,000 for Malawian nationals and US$3,000 for international students for the entire duration of the programme (2 years).

Scholarships for International Students under CRAFS-ACE 2 Project: Under the Centre for Resilient Agri-food Systems (CRAFS), with support from the World Bank’s Africa Centres of

Excellence II (ACE II) project, the School of Natural and Applied Sciences (SNAS) has secured funding for full-time study scholarships of international students willing to pursue various postgraduate science programmes at the University of Malawi. A separate advert for the same will be circulated. Selection for scholarship will be through a competitive process. Females are particularly encouraged to apply.

Contact for further details: The Programme coordinator (Dr. Elias Peter Mwakilama) at:

emwakilama@unima.ac.mw / mathsciences_unima@cc.ac.mw, and copy to sec.maths@cc.ac.mw.

  1. Doctor of Philosophy in Mathematical Sciences by Research

Description of Programme: This is a 3 - 5 years full-time PhD programme by research, including supervisor guided reading. Students on this programme will dedicate full time to the programme of study, spending their time on campus at Chancellor College or at a collaborating institution depending on agreements and availability of resources. During the entire period of study, students should be prepared to devote at least 90 hours of tutoring undergraduate or MSc students in the Department of Mathematical Sciences at Chancellor College. In addition, students will be required to attend and participate in departmental or faculty seminars and/or presentations, and attend to other scholarly activities which the department may arrange from time to time.

Additional Entry Requirements: A Master’s degree in Mathematics or related disciplines obtained from any accredited institution of higher learning. Those with first class BSc honours degrees in Mathematics may also be admitted. It is highly recommended for PhD applicants to pre-identify academic supervisors who are specialists in the proposed research areas.

Fee Structure: MK2,000,000 for Malawian nationals or US$3,500.00 for international students per academic year.

 Contact for further details: The Programme coordinator (Dr. Elias Peter Mwakilama) at:

emwakilama@unima.ac.mw/mathsciences_unima@cc.ac.mw, and copy to sec.maths@cc.ac.mw

    1. Doctor of Philosophy in Biostatistics

Description of the programme: This is a 3 to 5-year full-time PhD programme by research including supervisor guided reading. During the entire period of study, the candidate should also be prepared to devote at least 135 hours of teaching/tutoring MSc or undergraduate students in the Department of Mathematical Sciences, which is equivalent to teaching 3 modules.

Additional Entry Requirements: Applicants to be considered under PhD programmes in

Biostatistics or Statistics should have a strong Master’s degree in Statistics or Biostatistics from a recognized university. Applicants should also submit a concept note, not exceeding 5 pages, outlining the proposed area of research.

It is also highly advised that applicants should pre-identify or suggest an academic supervisor who is a specialist in the research area they are proposing. The University requires that the main PhD supervisor should be at the level of at least Senior Lecturer. The academic supervisor does not necessarily have to be from the University of Malawi. The University encourages collaborative supervision. Applications with pre-identified supervisors may have an added advantage.

Scholarships: The Africa DELTAS SSACAB programme offers some fellowships to deserving applicants. For more details visit https://www.ssacab.co.za/Fellowships/Opportunities.aspx.

Fee structure: Tuition fees is USD 5,500.00 per academic year payable in Malawi Kwacha equivalent at the time of registration.

Contacts for further details: The programme coordinator, Dr. Jupiter Simbeye at sec.maths@unima.ac.mw copy jsimbeye@unima.ac.mw

  1. DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN ECOLOGY AND AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES

    1. Master of Science in Food Science

Duration of programme: 2 years (24 months) full-time

Fees structure: K2, 500,000 per academic year for Malawian nationals or US$3,750 per academic year for international students.

Description of the programme: This is a full-time Master’s programme comprising coursework in the first year and research leading to a thesis in the second year. The aim of the programme is to produce a highly trained Food Scientist who will contribute to knowledge generation, inform food policy and produce a range of nutritious food products.

Additional entry requirements: Candidates must have a Bachelor’s degree in Food Science,

Food and Nutrition, Food Technology, Public Health, Biology, Microbiology and related fields with at least a strong pass or its equivalent from any recognised institution of higher learning.

Contacts for further details: The Head of Department, Human Ecology Department at: humanecology@unima.ac.mw

  1. DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY

    1. Name of Programme: Master of Science in Applied Chemistry (by Research)

Programme Description: The Master of Science programme in Applied Chemistry is intended to improve capacity of trained and experienced professionals and technical man-power working in the many fields that require the application of chemical principles. The research component allows

 students to undertake studies on a topic which requires comprehensive application of chemical principles. Typically, students take their dissertations in the broad areas of natural products, environmental chemistry, and food chemistry and processing.

Programme duration: 2 years (full time)

Entry requirements: At the minimum, potential candidates should have a high pass Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry or a field related to the chemical sciences from a recognized university.

Fee Structure: MK1,500,000.00 per year for Malawian nationals and US$2000 per year for international students.

Contact for further details: Dr. Margret Maoni, the PG Coordinator, E-mail:

mmaoni@unima.ac.mw and copy to chemistry@unima.ac.mw.

    1. Name of Programme: Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry (by Research)

Programme Description: The aim of the programme is to produce a highly trained cadre of individuals who will contribute to knowledge generation in Chemistry and related disciplines. Students enrolled on full time basis will dedicate full time to the programme of study, spending their time on campus or at a collaborating institution depending on agreements and availability of resources. Those on part time will have to spend a minimum amount of time on campus that is equivalent to the full time students during the 5 year period.

Duration: 3 years (fulltime) and a maximum of 5 years (part time).

Entry requirements: At the minimum, hold an Honours or Master’s degree in Chemistry or related disciplines obtained from recognized institutions of higher learning. Experience will not be a substitute for these requirements.

Fee Structure: MK 1,875,000 per year for Malawian nationals and US$2,500 per year for international students.

Contact for further details: Dr. Margret Maoni, the PG Coordinator, E-mail: mmaoni@unima.ac.mw and copy to chemistry@unima.ac.mw .

  1. SCHOOL OF LAW, ECONOMICS AND GOVERNMENT A. DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMICS

        1. Name of Programme: Master of Arts Degree in Economics (Full time)

Programme Structure: The MA in Economics is offered jointly by the University of Malawi (www.economics.unima.ac.mw ) and the African Economic Research Consortium (AERC) (www.aercafrica.org), in two components. In the first component, students spend their first year doing coursework before embarking on thesis preparation under supervision of senior faculty in the second year. The first semester of coursework year is spent while in residence at University of Malawi in Zomba and the second semester takes students to the Joint Facility of Electives in Nairobi, Kenya (Blended – physical and virtual). The facility draws students from leading universities in Anglophone Africa.

Entry Requirements: Applicants should have a good Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university majoring in Economics or closely related fields of study. The applicant should also have covered Intermediate Microeconomics and Intermediate Macroeconomics and Quantitative methods/econometrics with an average grade of a high pass. Applicants with a bare pass in their first degree and relevant work experience will also be considered.

 Scholarships: Under the auspices of AERC, the Department of Economics offers a limited number of partial scholarships to outstanding candidates. Applicants are, however, encouraged to identify other sources of funding.

Fee Structure: MK3,750,000.00 for year 1, and MK4,500,000 for year 2 for Malawian nationals . US$5,000.00 per year for international students.

Contact for further details: The MA (R) Economics Programme Coordinator at sec.economics@unima.ac.mw or +265111951135.

    1. Master of Arts in Economics (Non-Residential Programme) Duration of Programme: 24 months (full-time)

Fee Structure: MK4,500,000.00 per student per year for Malawian nationals and US$5,000.00 per year for international students.

Description of Programme: The Programme consists of two components: a one-year taught course work in the first year followed by research and thesis writing in the second year. Modules are delivered in a block-release form in a specified period of not more than three working weeks and will be sequenced over one year.

Entry Requirements: A good Bachelor’s degree from a recognised university majoring in Economics or closely related fields of study. The applicant should also have covered Intermediate Microeconomics and Intermediate Macroeconomics and Quantitative methods/econometrics with an average grade of a high pass. Applicants with a bare pass in their first degree and relevant work experience will also be considered.

Contacts for further details: The MA (NR) Coordinator, Economics Department, Email: sec.economics@unima.ac.mw or +265111951135

  1. DEPARTMENT OF POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

    1. Master of Arts in Political Science

Description of Programme: The programme consists of taught coursework in the first year, followed by independent research and preparation of an examinable thesis in the second year. Duration: 2 years (Full-time)

Additional Entry Requirements: Applicants should have a strong Bachelor’s degree with a credit or strong pass in Political Science or Public Administration. Applicants with a degree in Humanities and Social Sciences from an accredited institution will be considered if they had some Political Science subjects in their undergraduate programmes. Applicants should also submit a two-page typed brief of proposed research interests in the chosen discipline of study.

Fee Structure: MK1,875,000.00 per academic year for Malawian nationals or US$ 3,250 per academic year for international students.

Contacts for further details: The Coordinator or Head of the Department of Politics and

Government at: pastudies@unima.ac.mw, or call 0882436251/0993007186.

  1. DEPARTMENT OF PRIVATE LAW

Master of Laws in Commercial Law [LLM (Commercial Law)] Duration of Programme: 18 Months

 Fee Structure: The tuition fee for the entire programme is MK7,875,000 for Malawian nationals or US$10,500.00 for international students.

Description of Programme: The LLM (Commercial Law) programme consists of coursework, supervised research and a thesis. The course modules are delivered at the purpose-built Faculty of Law complex situated at the University of Malawi in Zomba, where they have access to the National Bank of Malawi Postgraduate Computer Lab, which includes free access to the University of Malawi internet resources, and the Macknight Machika Resource Centre, which stocks a wide variety of up-to-date Library resources relevant to the postgraduate study of Commercial Law.

Additional Entry Requirements: Admission into the programme is open to graduates who

have either: (a) Bachelor of Laws (Honours) Upper Second Class degree (or its equivalent); or

  1. A Bachelor of Laws (Honours) Lower Second Class degree (or its equivalent) and two years’ experience working on matters directly related to the application of commercial law.

Contacts for further details: The Dean, Faculty of Law, Phone: +265 1 951 096, deanlaw@unima.ac.mw or the Programme Coordinator or postgradlaw@unima.ac.mw.

  1. SCHOOL OF HUMANITES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES

    1. DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY, ARCHAEOLOGY AND HERITAGE STUDIES

      1. Master of Arts in African Social and Economic History

The programme is organised around a modular system and candidates may have the option of choosing either the MA (African Social History) or the MA (African Economic History) routes.

Duration: 24 months (full time)

Specific Entry Requirements: To qualify for admission in this programme, applicants must have Bachelor’s degree with credit in history or related disciplines obtained from accredited institutions of higher learning. Applicants with a strong pass in their first degree and relevant work experience may also be considered.

Fee Structure: MK3,000,000 for the entire period of study for Malawian nationals; U$4,800 for SADC and U$7,200 for Non-SADC students for a similar period of study.

Preliminary inquiries can be made to: Head of History, Archeology and Heritage Studies Department on gkayira@unima.ac.mw or call +265883688771

    1. DEPARTMENT OF THEOLOGY AND RELIGIOUS STUDIES

      1. Name of Programme: PhD in Theology and Religious Studies (TRS)

Fee Structure: Tuition fees for the whole programme is K4, 000, 000 for Malawian nationals, US$ 6,000 for SADC students, and US$ 8, 000 for international students. Duration of the Programme: 3 years

Programme Description

The PhD in Theology and Religious Studies (TRS) is a research degree for postgraduate students in the TRS department. It offers a high-quality training programme and an outstanding environment for research in various fields of theological and religious studies. This is a full-time PhD programme by research. Candidates will undergo a compulsory research methods course prior to commencement of their research studies.

 Candidates will later be expected to work with allocated supervisors on their chosen research topics and they will be expected to make at least two presentations: one on the research proposal and the other one on the research findings. Each candidate is also expected to publish articles in peer-reviewed scholarly journals before completion of the study.

Specific Entry Requirements

Qualification for admission into the PhD in Theology and Religious Studies (TRS) is a strong Master’s degree in Theology and Religious Studies or any other related field from accredited institutions. Prospective candidates will be expected to be able to conduct independent research in the various academic fields of Theology and Religious Studies.

Contact for further details: Head of TRS department, Dr. Hermann Mvula on +265 884 03 31 20 or via email at hmvula@unima.ac.mw or the Postgraduate Coordinator, Dr. Jones Mawerenga on +265 991 91 88 97 or via email at jmawerenga@unima.ac.mw.

  1. Name of Programme: Master of Theology and Religious Studies

Additional Entry Requirements: Bachelor’s degree in Theology and Religious Studies or any other relevant first degree with a credit.

Fee Structure: MK4,500,000 for Malawian nationals and US$6,000 for international students for the entire two years.

Contact for further details: Head of TRS department, Dr. Hermann Mvula on +265 884 03 31 20 or via email at hmvula@unima.ac.mw or the Postgraduate Coordinator, Dr. Jones Mawerenga on +265 991 91 88 97 or via email at jmawerenga@unima.ac.mw.

 

IV. PROCEDURE FOR SUBMITTING APPLICATIONS

Only short-listed applications will be acknowledged. Those who were previously offered a place but did not reserve their places should re-apply.

All applications should clearly state the programme applied for and should reach the following address by 31st July, 2023. This includes electronic applications.

 

Postgraduate Studies Office

University of Malawi

P.O. Box 280

Zomba

Email: pgstudies@unima.ac.mw

To apply online click https://pg.unima.ac.mw/

For further details, please refer to www.unima.ac.mw

REGISTRAR