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Introduction

Some of the Kenya?s most pressing environmental problems include loss of biodiversity; destruction of water catchments; high pressure on energy resources; pollution of atmosphere, soil and water resources and deterioration of the social environment, including human settlement and workplace. Given these environmental problems, there is need to develop professional and research capabilities in all major areas of environment which are of local, national and regional significance. This will contribute to the resolution of national environmental issues by producing professionals equipped with knowledge, awareness, understanding, skills and concern for the environment, so as to incorporate environmental considerations in all national development strategies and plans.

Justification

For many centuries, humans have continued to draw all the support resources from the environment. In most cases, the by-products of the resources used are dumped in the environment. In addition, there is lack of sustainable resource use. This has brought about a myriad of environmental challenges which are of local, regional and global concern. There is need therefore to train environmental custodians at all levels. This programme is designed to help students appreciate the concerns for the environment and equip students with skills for mitigating and/or solving both local and global environmental problems.

Objectives

1. Develop Environmental Science Department at Egerton University into a recognized center of excellence in environmental research and training.
2. Develop Professional and Research capabilities in major areas of environment.
3. Develop Mid-Career professionals in various fields in maintaining environmental integrity in relation to human development.
4. Produce graduates grounded in their areas of specialization yet more holistic in their approach to environmental issues.

Admissions

Applicants should be holders of B.Sc in Environmental Science, or related disciplines with a minimum of Second Class Honours (upper division) from Egerton University or any other recognized University. Under special circumstances and based on other University requirements, candidates with Second Class Honours (lower division) shall be considered.

Programme Duration

The M.Sc programme will extend for a minimum period of 18 months and a maximum of 36 months of which the first 12 months must be spent in the University. The rest of the period will be spent on thesis research

Course Loading

At least forty-five (45) credit factors (CF) of graduate work are required for the award of Master of Science in Environmental Science. This includes 15 C.F for thesis, and 16 C.F. of core courses. The rest are required through elective courses.

Examination And Grading

Examination shall consist of continuous assessment tests (CATs), field reports and laboratory work where appropriate. These shall account for 40% of the final grade. The end of semester examination shall account for 60% of the final grade. The examination may be either written, practical, oral or a combination of all, depending on the nature of the course. All examination shall be moderated internally and externally. Graduate courses shall be graded as follows:
70% and above -A = Very Good
60% - 69% -B = Good
50% - 59% -C = Average
49% and below -F = Fail
-I = Incomplete
-K = Course in Progress
-CR = Credit Transfer
-AU = Audit
-P = Pass
The passing grade shall be ?B? in all courses taken by a candidate. A candidate shall be required to maintain a minimum average of a ?B? grade in course work in order to continue with the programme. To be able to graduate, the candidate must have an accumulated average of grade ?B?.

Thesis

All candidates shall conduct independent research, with the direction of a subject specialist, write and submit a thesis, in partial fulfilment for Master of Science in Environmental Science. The thesis shall be awarded grade ?P? if accepted or ?F? if it is not. The regulations of the Board of Post Graduate Studies shall apply in the Submission and examination of theses.

Course Coding
Graduate courses leading to the degree of Master of Science in Environmental Science shall be coded ENSC. Course numbers shall consist of three digits and serialized from 700 and above. Courses offered in other departments shall retain their respective coding.

Schedule of Courses
All candidates are required to take all core courses and at least 14 credit factors.

Coures Description

ENSC 700: Ecology and the Environment
Ecological implications of human interactions with key ecosystems in Kenya, namely Savannah and Tropical rain Forests. Influence of human interactions on water and air quality. Constraints to rehabilitation of ecosystems. Desertification and ecological degradation.

ENSC 701: Environment and Development
Economic order, north ? south relationship, concepts of development and underdevelopment, international resources, industrialization and trade in potentially toxic substances, species and biodiversity conservation, genetic engineering; energy usage, and resources for development, human resources. Human settlement and urbanization.

ENSC 702: Environmental Policy and Advocacy
An examination in the way the institutions and individuals play their roles in the outcome of selected environmental issues. A study of political processes at work in Kenya which shape the environmental decision making. Examination of environmental advocacy groups, NGOs and international organisations. Examination of view points, and interaction with guest speakers on various environmental issues.

ENSC 703: Research Methods I
Scientific theories, what research and research tools. Methods applicable to research on natural resources. Design and analysis of experiments in Natural Resources Research; problems inherent in research. Project management and publication.

ENSC 704: Environmental Pollution and Management
An introduction to air, water and soil pollution. Air pollution and its effects; acid rain formation, the global warming phenomenon, the ozone layer depletion. Gaseous emission from combustion of petroleum fuels. Particulates, Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC). Lead in petroleum and its potential hazards. Emission control measures, catalytic converters. Alternative or renewable sources of fuel. Environmental pollution associated with agriculture and industry. Solid and liquid waste disposal methods. Hazardous waste disposal. Introduction to analytical techniques for the assessment and evaluation of environmental pollution.

ENSC 705: Environmental Impact Assessment
Techniques of comparing and assessing outcomes of various activities such as agriculture, urbanization, economic and industrial projects and their impacts to the environment ; mitigation of environmental damage, environmental costing.

ENSC 706: Principles of Environmental Law
An introduction to environmental law. Legal methods available to resolve environemental problems and the scope and limitations of these methods. Limits of litigation. Examination of the existing environmental legislations in the statutes. Harmonization of environmental Acts, alternative and implementable environmental law.



ENSC 707: Research Methods II
Data analysis tools, Statistical concepts and applications; why use statistics; variability in data; variables; statistical distributions; statistical tests; descriptive statistics; Student?s t ? test; the paired t ? test; mann ? whitney U ? test; Wilcoxon signed ? Rank test; ANOVA; Multiple comparison tests; kruskal ? wallis test; Correlation and Regression; Chi ? square test; Application of statistical software packages. Report writing and presentation.

ENSC 708: Environmental Hazards and Waste Management
Natural and human induced hazards, floods, drought, lightening, land slides, earthquakes, etc. their identification, measurement and estimation, social and economic damage. National preparedness and management; solid and liquid waste management with examples.

ENSC 709: Resource Use Conflicts and Resolution
Social processes and problems associated with public and communal natural resources development, use and management; Group dynamics and leadership; Power structure, interests group, elites, and pluralism, conflict bargaining, mitigation and conflict resolution; public relations; public opinion and public resolutions; public involvement in organization decision making; Group techniques for public involvement in development.
ENSC 710: Environmental Economics
Application of economics to the environmental problems of pollution and resource depletion/ degradation. Natural resource accounting