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Introduction

CURRICULUM FOR BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN APPLIED AQUATIC SCIENCE
Introduction
Water covers 71% of the total earths surface and extends to an average depth of about 4 km. About 98% of this immense volume occur in the oceans, while a small fraction occur as freshwater in lakes, rivers and polar ice caps. Freshwater is among the most used of the world?s resources. No settlement can be far from a source of it and many of the worlds civilisations have developed along the rivers. For example, the Nile, Indus and Mesopotamia. Whereas the riparian people have continuously benefited by having settlements near the water bodies, they have also impacted negatively on these ecosystems. It should also be remembered that this closeness to water has inflicted diseases to humans, carried by water or animals that live in it.

Justification
Freshwater and marine sciences have acquired a prominent dimension world-wide over the past decade. This has been necessitated by the tremendous perturbation of freshwater and marine ecosystems by man. Further, the high demand for food by the ever increasing population requires to be supplemented through harvesting of aquatic resources. Aquatic resources have not been fully utilised due to lack of well-trained personnel in water and fisheries science. There is an urgent need for scientific and educational institutions to increase the number of trained aquatic scientists. This is particularly urgent in view of water becoming a limiting resource in most regions of the African continent. The proposed programme is designed to produce aquatic scientists able to teach, research, advice and formulate policies for better management of aquatic ecosystems. The courses to be taught in this programme will address the interrelationships between the physical, chemical and biological aspects of aquatic systems, including land-water interactions as well as addressing human diseases related to water.

Objectives

Aims and Objectives
The programme will endeavour to promote interaction between students and laymen, researchers, consultants and policy makers through short-term courses, workshops and symposia in aquatic sciences. The graduates of this programme will be able to engage in self-employment as fishermen, fish farmers, aquaculturists, water quality consultants, and can also be employed as fisheries officers/managers, policy makers and environmental health officers. In addition, the graduates can be employed as researchers or lecturers in freshwater/marine institutes and universities, government ministries and in other private and non-governmental organizations. The main objectives of the programme are to:
3.1 equip the graduates with adequate practical and theoretical knowledge which they can use to create awareness in sustainable use of aquatic resources and provide practical solutions to aquatic resources problems.
3.2 train graduates who are able to interpret and implement policies related to aquatic resources conservation, utilization and management.
3.3 prepare graduates for the societal and scientific challenges in aquatic sciences and for self-employment in aquaculture, consultancy, inter alia.

Admission

Admission Requirements
4.1 All candidates admitted to the degree programme of Bachelor of Science in Water Science and Fisheries must satisfy the minimum entrance requirements stipulated in the common university entrance regulations.
4.2 In addition, candidates MUST have passed the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) with a minimum grade indicated in each of the following subjects:
Biology B- or Biological Science B
Chemistry B- or Physical Science B
Mathematics C+
Geography B-
4.3 Those holding qualifications equivalent to the above from institutions recognized by Egerton University Senate may also be admitted.
4.4 Admission may be offered to outstanding diploma holders in Biological Sciences passed with a credit or above or their equivalent. Such cases will be treated on individual merit.
4.5 Transfer of credit factors from the diploma programme or their equivalent may be considered and in such a case a credit transfer a maximum of 30% of the curricular would be allowed for those who qualify based on the guidelines stipulated by the Senate.

Course Details

Loading and Duration of Study
5.1 The Bachelor of Science in Water and Fisheries Science degree shall normally take a full time student four academic years each with two 17-week semesters comprising of fifteen (15) and two (2) weeks of Teaching and Examination, respectively, during which students will register for minimum of 18 CFs per Semester.
5.2 Part time students will, however, be allowed to cover the programme within eight academic years.
5.3 To graduate with the Bachelor of Science in Water and Fisheries degree, a student will be required to take and pass a minimum of 144 Credit Factors which includes the University common core courses approved by the Senate.

Course Coding
The course codes used are:
AQUA stands for ?Applied Aquatic Science? followed by 3 digits.
Digit 1 indicates the year the course is offered or level of the course.
Digit 2 indicates the nature or sub-discipline of the course within the discipline.
Digit 2 shall be interpreted according to the following levels:
Level 0 Introductory courses
Level 1 Basic aquatic sciences courses
Level 2 Physical and chemical courses
Level 3 Instrumentation and technology courses
Level 4 Ecological courses
Level 5 Resources management and applied courses
Level 6 Environmental pollution and toxicological courses
Level 7 Seminars, Research, Field Attachment and Visits
Digit 3 Indicates the serial number of individual courses within a particular Sub-discipline within the discipline.

Course Coding

YEAR 1 SEMESTER 1    
CODE    TITLE
ZOOL101    Lower Invertebrates
MATH100    General Mathematics
ECON100    Introduction to Economics
BOTA101    General Botany
BOTA111    General Genetics
CHEM102    General Inorganic and Physical Chemistry

YEAR 1 SEMESTER 2    
BOTA121    Plant anatomy and Morphology
BOTA131    General Microbiology
COMS101    Communication Skills
ZOOL143    Biology of HIV/AIDS and Society
ZOOL102    Higher Invertebrates
ZOOL103    Vertebrate Zoology
AQUA100    Fundamentals of Hydrobiology

YEAR 2 SEMESTER 1    
COMP101    Introduction to Computer Application
BOTA241    Taxonomy of Higher Plants
BOTA232    Phycology
ZOOL232    Cell Biology
ZOOL210    Ecology
AQUA220    Water Chemistry

ZOOL 230  Vertabrate Anatomy And Physiology

YEAR 2 SEMESTER 2    
AQUA212    Ichthyology
BOTA271    Plant Physiology 1
AQUA213    Aquatic Invertebrates
AQUA221    Hydrology
AQUA240    Fundamentals of Stream Ecology
AQUA241    Fundamentals of Lake Ecology
BOC204    Basic Biochemistry

YEAR 3 SEMESTER 1- CORE COURSES    
AQUA310    Oceanography
AQUA311    Aquatic Protozoology
AQUA340    Plankton Ecology
AQUA341    Wetlands Ecology
AQUA350    Aquaculture
BOTA302    Biostatistics
ZOOL330    Vertebrate Anatomy and Physiology

YEAR 3 SEMESTER 2- CORE COURSES    
AQUA330    Fishery Technology
AQUA342    Mangrove Ecology
AQUA343    Marine Sandy and Rocky Shores Ecology
AQUA344    Groundwater Ecology
AQUA351    Mariculture
AQUA370    Research Methods

ELECTIVES    
AQUA352    Watershed Ecology and Management
AQUA353    Aquatic Resources Economics
AQUA360    Aquatic Toxicology
AQUA371    Industrial Attachment

YEAR 4 SEMESTER 1 - CORE COURSES    
AQUA440    Aquatic Weeds Ecology
AQUA450    Fisheries Biology
AQUA461    Principles of Water Quality
AQUA462    Aquatic Microbiology
AQUA470    Research Projects

ELECTIVES    
AQUA453    Fish Pathology
AQUA463    Aquatic Mycology

YEAR 4 SEMESTER 2 - CORE COURSES    
AQUA400    Law of the Sea and Inland Waters
AQUA451    Aquatic Resources and Management
AQUA452    Integrated Aquaculture Systems
AQUA464    Water-borne and Water-related Diseases
AQUA470    Research Projects
ZOOL452    Zoology Seminars

ELECTIVES    
AQUA410    Comparative Limnology
AQUA454    Fish Nutrition

Exams

Examination
All examinations for this programme will be conducted in accordance with the examination regulations as stipulated in Statutes of Egerton University. For each course, a minimum of two Continuous Assessment Tests (CATs) with an option of practicals and or assignments will be given. The maximum marks for the CATs shall be 30% while the final examination shall constitute 70%. Where a course has practical component, a maximum of 15% shall be allocated for practicals and or assignments and 15 % for written CATs to form a total of 30%. Specialised courses such as industrial attachment and seminars will have separate examination format. Industrial attachment will be examined as follows; Final Report 70%, Egerton Lecturers ? 20%, institutional assessors 10%. The final report will constitute 70% while presentation 30%.