Undergraduate

1. BSc. Aquaculture and Water Resources Management
2. BSc Natural Resource Management (Fisheries and Watershed Mgt option)

Entry Qualification(S):  West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) / Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (SSSCE), General Certificate of Education (Advanced Level), matured students (≥25yrs), Higher National Diploma (HND) and other diploma holders

Purpose: This BSc. programme provides an integrated approach in training key personnel with the requisite practical, theoretical, entrepreneurial and leadership skills needed for the growing aquaculture industry and sustainable management of our water resources in a way that puts us on the right path of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs 1, 2, 3, 6, 8, 12, 13 and 14). Successful graduates should have the confidence to act as entry level managers in any aquaculture venture and or water resource management agency complimenting the efforts of engineers to ensure adequate supply of good quality water for human and other life forms.

Characteristics

Discipline(S)/Subject Area(S): Two main themes ran through this programme: 1) Aquaculture management and 2) Water Resources management. Additionally, leadership and entrepreneurial skills, lifelong learning, sustainability mindedness are crosscutting competences that are developed.

General/Specialist: Specialist training in aquaculture and water resources management

Distinctive Features: Practical-oriented, at least three structured internships and practical training outside campus in related industries, a mini- project and thesis under the guidance of a supervisor.

Further Studies: MSc/MPhil/PhD in all areas related to aquatic sciences, leadership training, management, and conservation sciences

Education Style

Learning & Teaching Approaches: Lectures, practical training (lab & field works, internships), class project, thesis, case studies, discussions, and brainstorming sessions.

Assessment Methods: Presentations, written & oral exams (mid semester and final), practical exams, quizzes, assignments (individual and group work), seminars, and journals/notebooks.

Programme Competences

Generic competencies characteristic of the programme are summarized below:

• Experimental design, data analysis and forecasting: A holistic approach to solving problems, see hidden patterns, identify relevant variables, particularly by experiments and surveys to collect, organize, analyse, predict/forecast and present data.
• Effective leadership and management: Taking initiative, solving problems, quick decision making and crises management, people management and basic bookkeeping skills
• Entrepreneurship skills: Be an integral part of training and culminate in one chapter of their thesis focusing on a business/ commercialization plan related to their research
• Multidisciplinary and collaborative skills: This includes students’ ability to work with different people from various backgrounds and with various skills, ability to continuously learn and improve, approach to work, how they handle time and emergencies and resources.
• Language and communication skills: students develop competences in local and international languages for effective communication; creating an effective ‘pitch’ and writing a business proposal, thesis writing, writing memos, communicating orally to different audiences including superiors and subordinates, writing field and technical reports and scientific papers, participating in group discussions, writing a CV/resume and networking among stakeholders.
• Occupational Safety and Environmental Awareness: graduates from the program should have adequate swimming and diving skills, be comfortable working in water and knowledgeable about safety measure needed in working in and around water and culturing organisms in water. Emphasis should also be placed on laboratory and field safety.
• Software: Students should be highly skilled in the use of Microsoft Excel. This skill will be applied to project, aquaculture and water resources management and the development of visuals
• Research ability: Student should be skilled in designing and running an experiment, testing a variable, collecting and analysing data and making cogent inferences from the data.

Subject Specific

Key specific subject competencies are summarized below:

• Practical industry training: Internships in at least 3 different areas related to the degree.
• Aquatic ecosystems and management: students should be knowledgeable about the marine and freshwater systems, their structure and function, changes and threats, and interactions between them and other ecosystem skilful in research methods used aquatic ecology work.
• Community water resources management: Students should develop skill sets in the management of surface water and groundwater resources; the river continuum and biochemical changes associated with water resources.
• Environmental change and water resources: Major issues such as climate change, agriculture, industry, population growth and pollution will be assessed in relation to water resources.
• Aquaculture production: Students should be able to select a suitable site for production, formulate and execute a production plan to meet a specific target and make projections.
• Fish systematic, breeding and genetics: Students should be knowledgeable about fish classifications and skilful in tilapia and catfish breeding techniques used in industry and genetic improvement techniques available in the field and be able to calculate sex ratios.
• Water quality and environmental impact:  Students should understand the effect of water quality on fish health and growth and drinking water quality requirements and standards, be able to correctly use basic water quality equipment to monitor water quality and take remedial action when a variable goes out of range.
• Fish nutrition: Students will understand the differences in nutritional requirement for different species and life stages and the importance of natural foods in aquaculture. Be able to formulate and prepare feeds and properly feed fish.
• Fish health and consumer protection: Be able to diagnose common fish diseases and give detailed report on changes in fish behaviour, appearance and performance and maintain healthy aquaculture systems. Also produce aquaculture products that are safe for consumers
• Non-fish species: knowledge in the production of other species either of commercial importance or used as food for fish as well as other uses.

          Programme Learning Outcomes

          The graduate can demonstrate:

•        Ability to work comfortably in and around water

•        Competency in the use of water quality and feed equipment

•        Understanding sustainability issues pertaining to water resources and notable threats to sustainability including climate change and pollution

•        Understanding of how aquatic ecosystems work; most importantly freshwater ecosystems

•        Ability to work with a team to meet targets and communicate effectively using the appropriate terminology

•        Show competency in setting up experiments, implementing, analysing and correctly interpreting data

•        Capability of setting up or managing an aquaculture facility (technical and managerial skills)

•        Ability to establish a bio-secure aquaculture facility that minimizes disease and negative impacts on the environment