Courses to be offered by open university
The Kenya Open University is going to be a reality after Members of Parliament gave an okay for the admission of the first cohort of students.
The National Assembly Education Committee has given permission to the government to establish the open university, marking the beginning of the process to admit approximately seven thousand students.
Qualified candidates will have an opportunity to pursue their dream careers through e-learning, eliminating the need for physical classrooms.
The Education Committee emphasized that the open university will do away with barriers for accessing higher education for marginalized groups.
The move marks a significant turning point in the nature of learning that will be conducted in tertiary level as it will primarily be based on information and technology.
The university aims to provide affordable education by reducing costs associated with transportation, accommodation, tuition fees, and admission fees for students attending physical classes.
Moreover, the university will offer access to individuals working or residing in remote areas, regardless of their social background, enabling them to pursue higher education.
The university campus will be established at Konza City in Machakos County. However, all lessons will be done via E-Learning.
The technical committee spearheading the establishment of the institution has projected a starting fee range of between 10,400 to 10,900 shillings per module, depending on the nature of the course.
The university plans to offer eight online degree and diploma courses, with students doing 4 to 6 subjects.
Courses to be offered by open university
For programs such as Bachelor’s in Data Science, Economics and Statistics, Bachelor’s of Science in Business and Entrepreneurship, Bachelor’s of Technology Education, and Bachelor of Cyber Security and Digital Forensic, learners will pay 10,400 shillings per module.
Those pursuing a Bachelor’s of Science in Agriculture Science and Technology and Food Systems will pay 10,900 shillings per module.
The university’s charter will also enable it to offer postgraduate diploma courses in leadership and management, learning design and technology, which will be offered in the first year at a cost of one hundred and thirty thousand shillings.
Students will also have the opportunity to study subjects such as climate change and sustainability, global citizenship, philosophy ethics and social cohesion, psychology, and research.
Beatrice Inyangala, the Permanent Secretary of Higher Education, stated that the establishment of the Open University is part of a concerted effort to realize previously stalled projects adding that open university has been in the records since 2010. It is among the stalled projects.
The government has consistently emphasized that the university aims to address the high cost of university education and provide opportunities for those who were unable to secure admission in previous intakes.
