GIJ to offer post graduate programmes
By Fatima Adam
A Rector at the Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ), Mr. David Newton has disclosed that the educational sub committee of the National Council of Tertiary Institution has granted the institution the autonomy to award master degree programmes.
The programmes, he noted, include Development in Communication, Media Management and Journalism and Public Relations.
According to the Rector, the above mentioned programmes are part of the new courses incorporated into the GIJ curriculum after the review of the curriculum in 2009.
Mr. Newton made this observation last Friday when delivering his speech at the 12th matriculation of the GIJ in Accra.
He said though the institution had been given the mandate to award the new programmes, the commencement of the courses are yet to begin since they are yet to be approved by the National Accreditation Board (NAB).
“We are currently awaiting approval from the National Accreditation Board to enable the programmes to start early next year in order to become more competitive in this global environment,” he said.
To ensure that students who would be studying the programmes get the best of training, he stated that GIJ has formed a committee to enable collaboration between both local and international students.
He added that students from GIJ as a result of the exchange programmes, had attended international conferences and they (GIJ) currently have three students from Finland who have come to spend a semester with them.
According to him, over 1,500 students had applied to the institution, out of which 800 candidates met the requirement and 573 were given the opportunity to study at the institution in the various courses.
In all, 170 students were admitted to pursue regular Bachelors of Arts (BA) in Communication Studies, 148 students for Diploma in Communication Studies and 255 students for top up in the Bachelors of Arts (BA) in Communication Studies. Out of the 573 admitted students, 377 are females while the remaining 196 are males.
Mr. Newton hinted that the institute was hoping to complete its new site at Okponglo on time, in order to make do with the new programmes awarded the school. The project, he anticipated, would be completed next year.
A representative from the Ministry of Education, Mr. Paul Dzandu applauded the GIJ for their ability to attain the mandate to award post-graduate degrees programmes, adding “the Ministry of Education is indeed impressed about the institution’s quest to give best training to students.”
He said the Ministry shall continue to support GIJ to get funds to work on the new site and make it one of the finest tertiary institutions in the sub-region.
Short URL: http://thechronicle.com.gh/?p=48445