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Introduction

Master of Science in Community Studies and Extension is a response to the challenge of improving the quality of living within societies in developing countries such as Kenya. This approach to development initiates and manages sustainable projects in families and communities using the individual, family and household as the key implementation units.  Sustainable improvement in quality of life for all people begins with the individual in the family and the community. This entails improving people?s health and sanitation, housing, food and nutrition, equity, providing educational opportunities, providing opportunities for all people to participate in public life, promoting inter-generational understanding, sustainable development and wealth creation.

Justification

The Master of Science programme in Community Studies and Extension (COSE) is designed to address the rapid changes affecting individuals, families, communities, and the society. These changes evolve around cultural, economic, technological, political, environmental and human factors at different levels in society. COSE focuses on sustainable development, which proposes a range of complementary policies to enhance active participation of individuals and families at the grass root level in development interventions. M.Sc. Community Studies and Extension is unique and differs from most programmes offering Masters degree in Community development related areas in the following ways:

• M.Sc COSE has the extension component, which lacks in the other degree programmes
• The target groups for M.Sc. COSE are the individuals, families and households.  This gives it a grassroot approach, which is not emphasized in other programmes.
• The practicum component is unique to M.Sc. COSE and gives students an opportunity to critically analyze the approaches, activities and roles of organizations involved in community development.

The M.Sc. COSE program is expected to contribute towards development in critical areas of community improvement such as family and youth development, gender and development, entrepreneurship, community resource management, project planning, implementation, monitoring  and evaluation.

Objectives

The objectives of the Programme are to:

• Build human capacity in academic and critical thinking to address issues related to physical, economic, technical, social, and psychological transformation of the family and community.
• Provide the student with knowledge and skills in identifying, analysing and interpreting issues in community development.
• Equip the student with understanding of the process of identifying, planning, and managing community development projects.
• Enhance the student?s capacity to incorporate information technology in resource allocation, networking and community development programmes.
• Demonstrate an understanding of theory and practice of research in community studies and extension.

Admision Regulations

The regulations for the admission to the Masters degree Programme as specified in the Egerton University statutes shall apply.
In addition, applicants for the Master of Science degree in Community Studies and Extension shall be required to have at least upper second class honours bachelor?s degree in Agriculture and Human Ecology Extension, Community Development or related qualifications from recognised institutions.
In exceptional cases, holders of lower class honour may be admitted if they have at least two years of relevant experience.

Duration of Study
Full-time candidates for the Masters? degree shall be registers for a minimum of eighteen (18) months and maximum of thirty-six (36) months.
Part-time candidates for the Master?s Degree shall complete their programme in a period between thirty (30) and forty-eight (48) months.
Candidates must successfully complete thirty (30) Credit Factors of coursework, four (4) credit factors of practicum and in addition successfully complete a Masters Thesis of fifteen (15) C.Fs.

Transfer of Credit
Course Credits may be considered for transfer to a Master?s Degree programme provided they have been obtained from a recognized institution.
No more than thirty per cent (30%) of the total required Course Credits will be accepted from other Institutions.
All credits transferred should be of grade B and above and should be indicated in the transcript.
The Department shall guide the Board of Graduate studies on transferable course through the Faculty.

Course Details

The Masters degree in COSE shall have two options:
1)    Community Resource Mapping and Management.
2)    Family Ecology
The programme shall be undertaken by Coursework, Examinations and Thesis.  The coursework shall constitute a minimum of 30CFs of which 21 CFs will be from compulsory courses and 9 CFs from elective courses. Thesis will constitute 15 C.F.  The student shall also undertake a practicum for a period of eight (8) weeks.

Course Coding
COSE denotes: Co for Community, S for Studies and E for Extension
The three digits used for coding indicate the following:
a.    The first digit is the level of study.
b.    The second digit is the sub-discipline whereby:
1=Core courses
2=Community Resource Mapping and Management
3=Family Ecology
c.    The third digit is the level of the course within a sub-discipline
Examination
Mater?s Degree Examinations shall be conducted under the authority of the Senate as specified under various Rules and Regulations.
Examination shall consist of:
(i)    Continuous Assessment based on Assignments, Fieldwork and such other Tests as the Regulations of the Department may prescribe, which shall constitute forty per cent (40%) of the total marks for each course.
(ii)    The Final Examination which shall constitute sixty per cent (60%) of the total for each Course.
(iii)    Continuous Assessment for programmes conducted by Research/Thesis only shall be reflected in the candidate?s Progress Report submitted by the Supervisor(s).
Courses which are purely of a practical nature and/or Seminars may be assessed entirely by Continuous Assessment.
Marks obtained in Examinations shall be converted into Letter Grades as follows:
70% and above    A (Excellent)
60%-69%        B (Good)
50%-59%        C (Pass)
0 ? 49%        F (Fail)
Other designations related to Examinations shall be as follows.
P:        Pass
I:        Incomplete
K:    Course in Progress
CT:    Credit Transfer
AU:     Audit

Resit Examination
(i)    A candidate who fails in twenty five per cent (25%) or less of the total Credit Factors (C.Fs.) in an academic year but has Cumulated Weighted Average (CWA) marks of 60% or more shall be required to resit examination once only.
(ii)    Candidates shall be awarded grade ?C? (50%) in all Courses passed in Resit.
Discontinuation
A student shall be discontinued for:
(i)    Failing MORE than twenty five per cent (25%) of the total Credit Factors (CFs) taken in an academic year.
(ii)    Obtaining a Cumulative Weighted Average marks of LESS THAN sixty per cent (60%) i.e. average grade B for the academic year.
(iii)    Failing a resit Examination.
(iv)    Committing serious Examination malpractice as defined under section 5.0 of the Regulations.
(v)    Failing to register for and attend scheduled Lectures for two (2) weeks or longer without the consent of the Senate.
(vi)    Abscondment from Research Work for a maximum period of sixty (60) days or more.
Special Examinations
(i)    Special Examinations shall be offered to a candidate who, due to circumstances acceptable to the Senate was unable to sit for ordinary Examinations.
(ii)    Special Examinations shall be graded like ordinary Examinations.
(iii)    No student shall be permitted to proceed to the next year of study without having satisfied all examination requirements.
(iv)    Examinations Results shall be processed and approved by the Faculty board of Examiners and submitted to the Board of Postgraduate Studies for ratification before being presented to Senate by the Faculty Dean.

Submission and Examination of Thesis
A candidate will be expected to satisfy the Faculty Board of Examiners with regard to the thesis as stipulated in the university rules and regulations governing examinations.