Requirements:
Both the common regulations for all Masters Degrees in the university and the general regula- tions for all Masters Degrees in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences shall apply.The following shall be eligible for registration in the Department:

  • Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Education (Arts) with at least Second Class Honours (Upper Division) or equivalent in relevant disciplines from a recognized university with an average grade of ‘B’ in Kiswahili Studies.
  • Those with Second Class (Lower Division) may be considered on condition that they have Grade “C” and above in units relevant to their areas of specialization.

Master of Arts (Regular Full-Time mode of study)

Duration and Pattern of the Course
The masters of Arts degree in the Department shall extend over a period of at least eighteen months (18).
The degree will be offered in two patterns.  Either; Coursework examination and project, Or Coursework, examination and thesis.

The language of instruction and the writing of all assignments (including the thesis) will be Kiswahili except for the general linguistics and General Research Methodology Courses, which may be taught and examined in English. In the first year, all students will take a minimum of EIGHT (8) Units and a maximum of TEN (10) Units. In the second year, students taking pattern A will take four (4) units in the first semester all of which will be elective. In the second semester, the students will write a project.  The project will be equivalent to four (4) units. In the second year, students following pattern B will concentrate on their research work and submit a thesis. The thesis will be equivalent to eight (8) units.

Unit Code and Title

Level 800 (1st Year)
AKS 800: Trends in Linguistic Theory
AKS 801: Advanced Kiswahili Structure
AKS 802: Historical Development of Kiswahili
AKS 803: Theories of Literary Criticism and Textual Analysis
AKS 804: Advanced Kiswahili Skills
AKS 805: Field Methods in Language and Literature
AKS 806: Advanced Sociolinguistics
AKS 807: Comparative and Historical Linguistics
AKS 808: Advanced Phonetics and Phonology
AKS 809: Kiswahili Literature in History
AKS 810: Advanced Stylistics
AKS 811: Translated Works in Kiswahili
AKS 812: Advanced Morphology
AKS 813: Comparative Linguistic Analysis

Level 800   (2nd Year)
AKS 814: Classical Kiswahili Literature
AKS 815: Contemporary Kiswahili Literature
AKS 816: Language and Culture
AKS 817: Advanced Oral Literature in Kiswahili
AKS 818: Advanced Creative Writing in Kiswahili
AKS 819: Advanced Psycholinguistics
AKS 820: Advanced Syntax
AKS 821: Pragmatics
AKS 822: Advanced Discourse Analysis
AKS 823: Advanced Comparative Literature
AKS 824: Advanced Children’s Literature
AKS 825: Advanced Gender Issues in Kiswahili Literature
AKS 826: Advanced Semantics
AKS 827: Project