By Victor Turinawe.
The School of Social Sciences at Uganda Christian University (UCU), in collaboration with Hanze University of Applied Sciences, has begun a five-day curriculum validation and co-design workshop to strengthen professional competencies in social sciences education.
The workshop, themed “Strengthening Social Sciences Education for Professional Practice, Community Impact and the Future of Work,” started on Monday, October 12, and will end on Friday, October 16, 2026, at UCU’s Mukono Campus.
The programme will cover key competencies, including public policy analysis, public financial management, procurement and accountability, organisational management, human resource leadership, community participation, communication, research and digital literacy.
During his presentation, Mr Anthony Watuwa explained that the proposed Public Administration and Management programme seeks to equip students with the knowledge, practical skills and ethical values required to manage public institutions, formulate and implement policies, and improve community service delivery.
The proposed bachelor’s degree will run for three years, with the curriculum progressing from foundational concepts in the first year to advanced and practical applications in the final year.
First-year students will study political science, economics, communication, organisational life, public service delivery and management theories. In the second year, they will explore public budgeting, project planning and management, research methods, environmental governance, decentralisation, local governance, civil society organisations, administrative law and public sector ethics.
The third year will focus on advanced areas, including public sector economics, public policy analysis, human resource management, disaster management, public-private partnerships, financial management for non-financial managers and public procurement.
Other proposed courses include international political economy, classical and modern political thought, government and politics, urban planning and management, rural development administration, comparative public administration and social entrepreneurship.
“Assessment methods will include case studies, administrative assignments, fieldwork, research projects and portfolios. Oral presentations, version histories and supervisor verification have also been proposed to strengthen the authenticity of students’ work,” explained Watuwa.
During discussions, participants, including Prof. Mary Ssonko Nabacwa and Dr Martin Kizito, welcomed the proposed curriculum but called for a clearer distinction between Public Administration and Management and related programmes, particularly Governance and International Relations.
“Programmes share several subject areas and recommended identifying their areas of convergence and divergence to avoid unnecessary duplication and ensure each programme maintains a distinct academic and professional focus,” said Prof Nabacwa.
Participants also urged the university to move beyond theoretical instruction and incorporate practical experiences reflecting Uganda’s administrative systems and development challenges.
UCU’s School of Social Sciences offers undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, including Governance and International Relations, Public Administration and Management, and Social Work.
The workshop is being facilitated by Suzanne Nalugendo Kuik and Tamara Siegers from Hanze University of Applied Sciences under the supervision of the Dean of the School of Social Sciences, Dr Jonathan Tumwebaze.
