Bachelor of Earth Sciences

Course Structure

The program offers 5 of the seven recommended University-wide common courses.

2.10.6 Core courses

There are 26 core courses offered in this programme.

2.10.7 Elective courses:

There are 6 elective courses in this Programme each in Meteorology, Geology, Hydrology.

2.10.8 Total credit hours

The program offers a total of 183 credit hoursand thus satisfies Commission for University Education requirement of between 168 and 192 credit hours for a Bachelor’s degree programme.

2.10.9 Total credit hours for graduation

For graduation the learner musy have a minimum of 186 total credsit hours as indicated in this curriculum. The courses listed are in conformity with the relevant professional societies, eg Kenya Meteorological Society and Geological Society of Kenya.

2.11: DISTRIBUTION AND STRUCTURE OF THE PROGRAMME

This Bachelor of Earth Sciences runs for four full time academic years with a total of eight semesters.  This is a flexible programme which allows the student to select from three areas of specialization from the range of options offered across meteorology, Geology and Hydrology.  The first year of this programme ensures that the student has the necessary building blocks to choose effectively from the wide range of courses on offer in the succeeding years.

YEAR ONE

              SEMESTER I

  1. CMJ 1100-1: Communication Skills
  2. ZOO 1100-1: HIV/Aids and lifestyle diseases
  3. ESC 1103-1: Physical chemistry for earth sciences
  4. BES 1105-1: Environment and Development                                    
  5. ESC 1104-1: Field report writing and field course (10 days)
  6. GEO 1105-1: History and Philosophy of Geography      
  7. MAT 1161-1: Calculus for Earth Sciences I
  8. PHY 1161-1: Physics for Earth Sciences

 SEMESTER II

  1. COM 1200-1: Computer and Information literacy (UCC)
  2. EPM 1209-1: Human ecology
  3. ESC 1207-1: Introduction to hydrological processes and monitoring
  4. CHE 1262-1: Inorganic chemistry for earth Sciences      
  5. STA 1261-1: Probability & statistics for earth Sciences I
  6. GEO 1210-1: Introduction to GIS (also for BA Geo)
  7. MAT 1262-1: Calculus for Earth Sciences II                                  
  8. ESC 1211-1: Introduction to environmental meteorology

YEAR TWO

SEMESTER I

  1. PHG 2100-1: Critical Thinking Skills (UCC)
  2. ESC 2112-1: Introduction to remote sensing for earth Sciences
  3. MAT 2163-1: Ordinary differential equations for Earth Sciences

 METEOROLOGY OPTION

  1. MAT 2164-1: Introduction to fluid mechanics for Earth Sciences
  2. MAT 2165-1: Vector analysis for Earth Sciences
  3. STA 2162-1: Probability & statistics for Earth Sciences II
  4. ESC 2117-1: Meteorological instruments& weather observations

 GEOLOGY OPTION (to select only one elective course)

  1. ESC 2118-1: Basic principles of paleontology                      
  2. ESC 2119-1: Environmental geochemistry  
  3. ESC 2120-1: Principles of mineralogy     
  4. ESC 2121-1: Principles of Geomorphology (elective)
  5. ESC 2122-1: Introduction to soil science (elective)
  6. GEO 2114-1: Economic geography (elective)       

HYDROLOGY OPTION

  1. ESC 2123: Hydrographic surveying, mapping and fieldwork
  2. MAT 2164-1: Introduction to fluid mechanics for Earth Sciences
  3. MAT 2165-1: Vector analysis for Earth Sciences
  4. ESC 2121-1: Principles of geomorphology                        

SEMESTER II

  1. ESC 2226-1: Research methods in Earth Sciences
  2. ESC 2227-1: Industrial attachment I (3 months)           
  3. GEO 2223-1: Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and the Web

 METEOROLOGY OPTION

  1. ESC 2228-1: Radiation and optics in earth-atmosphere system
  2. ESC 2229-1: Quantitative analysis & computer apps in meteorology
  3. ESC 2230-1: Structure and properties of earth materials
  4. PHY 2264-1: Electricity and magnetism for Earth Sciences

GEOLOGY OPTION 

  1. ESC 2232-1: Systematic mineralogy 
  2. ESC 2233-1: Structural geology
  3. ESC 2234-1: Organic chemistry for earth sciences 
  4. ESC 2235-1: Essentials of geophysics

HYDROLOGY OPTION (to select only one elective course)

  1. ESC 2236-1: Sewage and waste water treatment
  2. ESC 2237-1: Introduction to vadose zone hydrology
  3. GEO: 2217: Introduction to land surveying                                     
  4. BES 2209-1: Land Use and the Environment (elective)
  5. FEM 2204-1 Forest Economics and Valuation (elective)
  6. GEO 2219-1: Land Use Planning (elective)    

Course Structure

YEAR THREE

SEMESTER I

  1. ESC 3138-1:  Economic of
  2. natural resources
  3. ESC 3139-1: Principles of integrated water resources management                 

METEOROLOGY OPTION

  1. ESC 3140-1: Synoptic Weather analysis and forecasting    
  2. ESC 3141-1: Dynamic meteorology I 
  3. ESC 3142-1: Tropical Meteorology I
  4. ESC 3143-1: General circulation of the atmosphere     
  5. GEO 3135-1: Statistical Applications in Climatology       

GEOLOGY OPTION

  1. ESC 3144-1: Stratigraphy
  2. ESC 3145-1: Historical geology 
  3. ESC 3146-1: Igneous petrology 
  4. ESC 3147-1: Metamorphic petrology
  5. ESC 3148-1: Sedimentary petrology

 HYDROLOGY OPTION

  1. ESC 3149-1: Open channel hydraulics
  2. ESC 3150-1: Eco-hydrology 
  3. ESC 3152: Hydrologic modeling 
  4. ESC 3153-1: Soil and Water Conservation (elective) 
  5. GEO 3135-1: Statistical Applications in Climatology (elective)
  6. GEO 3134-1: Biogeography (elective)

SEMESTER II

  1. BCM 3200-1: Entrepreneurship and Work Skills
  2. GEO 3239-1: Advanced remote sensing
  3. BES 3233-1: Environmental Impact Assessments and Audits
  4. ESC 3254-1: Industrial Attachment II (3 months)

 METEOROLOGY OPTION (to select only one elective course)

  1. ESC 3255-1: Hydrometeorology 
  2. ESC 3256-1: Agro-meteorology and ecology   
  3. ESC 3257-1: Climate change and ecosystems (elective)
  4. ESC 3258-1: Urban meteorology
  5. (elective)                                      
  6. ESC 3259-1: Biometeorology (elective)

GEOLOGY OPTION (to select only one elective course)

  1. ESC 3260-1: Spatial analysis and Geostatistics
  2. ESC 3261: Photo-geology and field mapping
  3. ESC 3262-1: Ground water geochemistry (elective)
  4. ESC 3263-1: Marine petrology (elective)
  5. GEO 3133-1: Soil Survey and Mapping (elective)

HYDROLOGY OPTION (to select only one elective course)

  1. URP 3231-1: Water resources planning and management  
  2. ESC 3264-1: Water quality monitoring and assessments
  3. EPM 3233-1: Water Resources Management and Policy (elective)
  4. EPM 3125-1: Sustainable development (elective)
  5. GEO 3242-1: Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALS)(elective)

 YEAR FOUR

SEMESTER I

  1. ESC 4165-1: Research proposal and Seminars in Earth Sciences                              

 METEOROLOGY OPTION (to select only one elective course)

  1. ESC 4166-1: Atmospheric thermodynamics
  2. ESC 4167-1: Dynamic meteorology II
  3. ESC 4168-1: Renewable energy technologies
  4. ESC 4169-1: Synoptic and mesoscale systems  
  5. ESC 4170-1: Numerical weather prediction
  6. ESC 4171-1: Forest Meteorology (elective)                   
  7. GEO 4149-1: Geography of natural hazards (elective)
  8. GEO 4150-1: Environmental management (elective)

 GEOLOGY OPTION

  1. ESC 4172-1: Global tectonics
  2. ESC 4173-1: Ore deposits           
  3. ESC 4174-1: Industrial rocks and minerals   
  4. ESC 4175-1: Exploration geochemistry
  5. ESC 4176-1: Geological mapping 
  6. ESC 4177-1: Paleontology

 HYDROLOGY OPTION (to select only one elective course)

  1. GEO 4157-1: Wetlands management
  2. GEO 4160-1: Statistical methods in hydrology
  3. ESC 4178-1 Flood forecasting
  4. ESC 4179-1: Hydrologic design
  5. GEO 4149-1: Geography of natural hazards                                    
  6. ESC 4168-1: Renewable energy technologies (elective)
  7. ESC 4180-1: Natural resource conflicts and resolution-(elective)
  8. GEO 4150-1: Environmental management (elective)

SEMESTER II

  1. EPM 4246-1: Solid Waste, Waste Water Disposal and Policy   
  2. ESC 4281-1: Research project and seminars in Earth Sciences

 METEOROLOGY OPTION

  1. ESC 4282-1: Field course in operational meteorology (10 days)
  2. ESC 4283-1: Aviation meteorology
  3. ESC 4284-1: Drought management
  4. ESC 4285-1: Atmospheric chemistry and air pollution
  5. GEO 4272-1: Oceanography and marine hydrology (elective)
  6. ESC 4286-1: Marine Meteorology (elective)
  7. ESC 4287-1: Weather Risk and Financial Markets (electives)

 GEOLOGY OPTION

  1. ESC 4288-1: Hydrogeology & geophysics field course (10 days)
  2. ESC 4289-1: Exploration and environmental geophysics
  3. ESC 4290-1: Engineering geology    
  4. ESC 4291-1: Environmental geology                                            
  5. ESC 4292-1: Petroleum and mining geology

 HYDROLOGY OPTION (to select only one elective course)

  1. ESC 4288-1: Hydrogeology & geophysics field course (10 days)
  2. GEO 4273-1: Fluvial geomorphology     
  3. ESC 4294-1 Water resources in East Africa
  4. ESC 4284-1: Drought management
  5. GEO 4272-1: Oceanography and marine hydrology (elective)
  6. ESC 4296-1: Hydroinformatics for Smart Water Systems (elective)
  7. EPM 4249-1: Project planning implementation & management(elect)

Admission Requirements

To be admitted into this degree programme, an applicant must be in possession of the minimum qualification for admission into a bachelor’s degree programme of Maasai Mara University, or its equivalent.  In addition, the applicant will be required to:

  1. Have obtained a grade of C+ (plus) and above in K.C.S.E with a minimum of a Grade C (plain) in Mathematics, and any of Group II courses at Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) level or
  2. Have obtained at A-level with a minimum of 2 principles (one of which should be in Mathematics) and 2 subsidiaries or
  3. Have passed K.C.S.E or its equivalent with a minimum grade of C- (minus) in the subjects named in (a) above. In addition to this the applicant must have a Diploma and/or a Higher National diploma from a recognized institution in Environment Studies or a related field (with distinction or credit).  Diploma holders who meet this requirement will join this programme in 2nd

Have passed K.C.S.E or its equivalent with a minimum grade of C- (minus) in the subjects named in (a) above.  In addition to this the applicant must have a certificate from the Institute for Meteorological Training and Research (IMTR) or any other Regional Meteorological Training Centre (with distinction or credit) and should have at least one year of relevant work experience.  Those who meet this requirement will join the programme in 1st year.

Careers

Meteorologists enter the professional world. After additional preparation aimed at developing competencies for a specific job (which should include an orientation period, on-the-job training and additional training courses), they gradually assume operational duties in weather analysis and forecasting, climate monitoring and prediction, or other relevant applications. Some Meteorologists will become involved in consulting, directing, decision-making and management; others will become involved in areas such as research and development, or teaching.

Fee Structure and Funding

Government Sponsored

Privately Sponsored

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