Structure
Courses shall be evaluated in terms of units: A course unit being defined as a series of 35 one-hour lecture equivalents. For this purpose 1-hour lecture is equivalent to one 2-hour tutorial or one 3-hour practical or any combination of these that may be approved by the Board of the School of Physical Sciences.
To qualify for the award of a degree, a candidate shall normally have completed study for the degree exceeding a period of not less than four academic years and not more than eight academic years since registration.
Candidates for B.Sc. degree shall take a minimum of 44 units for the four years of study distributed as follows:
i) In the first year of study, a candidate must take a minimum of three course units from each of three Departments/Schools in addition to three other units from the common Undergradudate Courses one of which should be from the general elective course units and they should be from the Arts Electives for Science students.
ii) In the second year, a candidate must take a minimum of four courses from each three departments/Schools.
iii) In the third and fourth years of study, a candidate must take a minimum of ten units distributed as follows:
- At least five units from each of two departments in order qualify for a non-specialized honours degree, or a minimum of eight units in one Department in order to qualify for a specialized honours degree.
In all cases, admission to a particular course shall be subject to meeting departmental requirements.
The Departments/Schools from which courses may be chosen are:
- Geology
- Physics
- Chemistry
- Meteorology
- Geography
- School of Mathematics (for mathematics units)
- School of Biological Sciences (Zoology and Biology units)
Admission Requirements
No person shall be registered as a candidate for the degree of Bachelor of Science unless he/she satisfied the prescribed University and School’s minimum entry requirements.
In addition to meeting the minimum University general admission requirements, candidates for the School of Physical Sciences must have passed: -
(a) Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE), or equivalent qualifications, with passes in at least three subjects from either of the following two alternatives (A or B) with minimum grades shown:
(a) Kenya Advanced Certificate of Education (KACE) or equivalent qualifications, with at least two Principal level passes in Applied Mathematics, Biology, Botany, Chemistry, Geography, Mathematics, Physics, Pure Mathematics, Statistics and Zoology.
(b) Ordinary/Higher national Diploma, or equivalent qualifications in the sciences or computer science with at least a pass.
(c) Science/Technical Diploma from Teachers Training Colleges, or equivalent qualifications in the sciences or in computer science with at least a pass.
(d) A degree from a recognized University or equivalent qualifications.
(e) A candidate for the Bachelor of Science degree in the School of Physical Sciences shall be required to take a combination of courses approved by the Dean of the School. An approved combination of courses may be modified only with the consent of the Dean normally within the first two weeks of the semester.
Careers
Chemistry option
For candidates who intend to take Chemistry as one of their main subjects and for those who intend to major in Chemistry, the Department of Chemistry offers 4:3:2:2 and 4:3:1:1repectively.
Those who intend to major in Chemistry they are required to take the following Mathematics course units:First year SMA101, SMA103, SMA104. Second year: SMA201, SMA203, SMA204 & SMA208. In order to qualify for 4:3:1:1 programme, a candidate must obtain a minimum of B grade in each of the second year units in Chemistry.
The 4:3:2:2 students will be required to take all the core units and are advised to take the mathematics units in the first and second year while the 4:3:1:1 candidates in addition to the core units will be required to take at least five elective courses in each of the third and fourth years of study.
Meteorology option
The course structure for candidates who wish to maior in Meteorology follows the 4:3:1:1 unit system. In addition to taking Meteorology units, candidates will be required to take units as follows: First year: 3 Physics units; 3 Mathematics units and 3 Common courses; Second year: 4 Physics units; 4 Mathematics units; in the Third and Fourth years of study, a candidate will be required to register for 10 Meteorology units respectively.
Candidates shall NOT be allowed to register for the relevant courses in the Department during their Second, Third and Fourth years of study UNLESS they have successfully completed and passed the core courses or any other specified requisite courses in the relevant Department in the previous year.
Physics option
Candidates who wish to pursue physics in the 2nd year of study, thye must take the following first year units: SPH101, SPH102 and SPH103. To proceed with Physics in the 3rd year, the candidate must take and pass SPH201, SPH202, SPH203 & SPH204.
Third Physics major must take and pass all Core units in the first and second years of study.
Majors in Physics must take all Five Core units plus a minimum of Five units from the electives according to area of specialization.
Non-majors taking Physics that is, Physics and another subject, must take all Five Core units in Physics.
Fourth year Physics Major must take all Five core units plus a minimum of Five units from the electives according to area of specialization. Non-major Physics that is, Physics with another subject, must take all Five core units.
Mathematics option
A first year candidate who takes Double Mathematics msut register for six core units: SMA101, SMA103, SMA104, SMA105, SMA106 and SMA140. Double Mathematics must only be taken in combination with (a) subject area(s) or course programme(s) which contnue beyong the second year.
A stuent who takes Single Mathematics must register for SMA101, SMA103 and SMA104.
A second year student who take Double Mathematics must register for eight core units: SMA201, SMA203, SMA204, SMA225, SMA206, SMA208, SMA221 and SMA240.
A second year candidate who takes Single Mathematics may register for a suitable combination of Mathematics units as advised.
A candidate who takes Double Mathematics in the second year of study and has a minimum average of Grade B in the Mathematics units taken during the second year may be admitted as a third year Mathematics major.
In the third year of study, Mathematics majors must register for core units: SMA301, SMA303, SMA306, SMA308, SMA321, SMA322, SMA341 and SMA371.
In addition:
- Students who major in Pure Mathematics must register for SMA302 and at least one unit from SMA304 and SMA308;
- Students who major in Applied Mathematics must register for at least two units from: SMA342, SMA344 and SMA346;
- Students who major in Statistics must register for at least two units from: SMA342, SMA344 and SMA346;
- Students who major in Operations Research must register for SMA360 and SMA372.
Third year Mathematics Minors may take suitable combinations of units as advised, provided they have the appropriate prerequisites.
Fourth year Mathematics Majors must register for three core units; SMA401, SMA403 and SMA405.
During the third and fourth years of study, candidates may specialize in either one or two of the subject areas.
The area of specialization in the third and fourth years of study shall be indicated in the degree certificate.
Exam Regulations
1. All units shall be examined by Ordinary Examinations during the academic year in which they are taken. Such Ordinary Examinations shall consist of Continuous Assessments and a TWO-HOUR end-of-semester examination for each UNIT. Unless otherwise stated, end-of-semester examinations will comprise 70% of the total UNIT marks whereas Continuous Assessment will account for 30%. Continuous Assessment shall consist of several evaluations based on a suitable combination of practicals, tutorials, assignments and class tests
2. Each unit shall be graded out of a maximum of 100 marks, and the pass mark shall be 40%. Marks shall be translated into letter grades as follows:
70 - 100% A
60 - 69% B
50 - 59% C
40 - 49% D
39% and below E
3. A candidate may, on the recommendation of the School Board of Examiners and approval by Senate, be admitted to special examinations at the next appropriate end-of-semester examination, in the units for which the candidate failed to sit for ordinary examinations at the prescribed time. Special Examinations shall be graded as ordinary examinations.
4. A candidate who, whether by ordinary examinations or special examinations or after repeating the year of study
a) Passes in at least TEN units in the 1st or 2nd or 3rd year of study, or at least EIGHT units in the 3rd year of study, shall on the recommendation of the School Board of Examiners and approval by Senate, be allowed to proceed to the subsequent year of study;
b) Passes in at least EIGHT units in the 4th year of study shall, on the recommendation of the School Board of Examiners and approval by Senate, be considered for award of a degree, subject to have obtained an average score of at least 40.
5. A candidate who, whether by Ordinary or Special Examination or after repeating the year of study:
a) Passes in SEVEN to NINE units in the 1st and 2nd year of study, or in SIX to SEVEN units in the 3rd year of study shall, on the recommendation on the School Board of Examiners and approval by Senate, be admitted to supplementary examinations in the courses failed. Pending the results of such supplementary examinations the candidate may be admitted into 2nd, 3rd or 4th year of study but shall not continue therein unless he/she obtains the prescribed minimum number of units in section 4.
i) For units which a candidate sits a supplementary, the marking shall be out of 100% but continuous assessment marks shall not be considered. Any score exceeding 40% shall be taken as 40%, whereas any score below 40% shall be left as such.
ii) A candidate who after sitting a supplementary examination in the first and second year passes in less than ten units, shall be required to repeat the year.
iii) A candidate who after sitting a supplementary examination in the third or fourth year passes in less that eight units shall be required to repeat the year.
iv) A candidate shall be allowed to repeat a year of study ONLY ONCE.
b) Passes SIX to SEVEN units in the 4th year of study, shall on the recommendation of the School Board of Examiners and approval by Senate, be subject to the degree award and classification shall be based on the average score of ALL the units taken in the 3rd and 4th years of study.
6. A candidate shall, on the recommendation of the School Board of Examiners and approval by Senate, be allowed to repeat the year of study if the he/she has passed FOUR to SIX units in the 1st or 2nd year of study; and FOUR to FIVE units in 3rd or 4th year of study. Repeated units shall be marked like an Ordinary Examination. A candidate repeating a year of study shall:
i) Be required to register for ONLY the units previously failed or not completed.
ii) Be required to attend lectures and tutorials as well as to carry out practicals and to sit for assessment tests in all units repeated.
iii) Be allowed to repeat the particular year of study ONLY ONCE.
7. A candidate shall be discontinued from the University if:
i) In any year of study the candidate passes in less than FOUR units.
ii) The candidate fails to follow the prescribed units of the course.
iii) The candidate after repeating 4th year of study fails to satisfy Regulation 4 (b).