COURSE DESCRIPTION

GNS 101 Use of English (2 Units)

The course is designed to equip students with listening, speaking and reading language skills which will enable them to comprehend their lectures with ease and accomplish their reading tasks. The course is task-based and student-oriented

Course Content:
1. Awareness Raising:
To sensitize students on the need for the course by examining some errors in students’ scripts.  
To examine some differences between formal and informal English.

2. Listening Skill:
To help students develop some note-taking skills and strategies.  
To help students anticipate the subject–matter of a lecture from the topic.  
To distinguish main from minor points.  
To follow a teacher’s train of thought using lexical and structural signals.  
To match verbal clues with pictures.

3. Speaking Skill:
To minimize and eliminate first language interference.  
To help students pronounce vowel and consonant sounds correctly.  
To identify dark/silent letters.  
To enable students use stress and intonation appropriately.

4. Word Classes:
To emphasize correct use of nouns, verbs, adverbs, pronouns, adjectives, prepositions, conjunctions, interjections and exclamations.  
To encourage correct agreement in grammatical structures.  
To point attention to common errors and locate the sources of such errors.

5. Punctuation Marks:
To identify different kinds of punctuation marks.
To facilitate the correct use of punctuation marks in writing.

6. Reading Skill:
To develop fast reading in students.  
To enhance and improve comprehension for specific and main ideas; reference and critical interpretations.  
To facilitate vocabulary development.

7. Application of the above Skill:
To study two prescribed texts (short prose).

 

GNS 102 Introduction to Nigeria History (1 Unit)

The course provides an overview of Nigeria’s contribution to world history and her relationship with other parts of the world. It focuses on the following: Sources of Nigerian history, Methodology of history; major landmarks in early Nigeria History (Nok, Igbo-Ukwu, Ife, Benin, etc). Emphasis is on the scientific and technological development of these early Nigerian societies. Students will also be exposed to pre-colonial history: Sudanese/Nigerian states; the Slave trade and its effects; colonial and post-colonial history of Nigeria. Attempts are made to relate the discussion to agriculture, with special reference to the introduction of cash crops, industrialization and urbanization processes.

Course Content:
(1) Methodology of History
(2) Sources of Nigerian History
History of Non-Literate Societies
Early Nigerian Cultures and Society
Nok, Igbo-Ukwu, Ife, Benin, others.
(3) Pre-colonial Societies
(a) Sudanese Empires
(b) Forest States
(4) Nigeria’s Early Contact with the World
The Trans-Saharan and Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade and their effects.
(5) Scramble For Africa
British interest in Nigeria
The British conquest of Nigeria

Colonial rule and its impact on Nigeria
(a) Political
(b) Economic
(c) Social
(6) Decolonization Process in Nigeria
(a) Rise of Nationalism
(b) Culture and Political dimension
(c) Economic Dimension
(7) Development in Nigeria after independence

 

GNS 103 Introduction to Social Problems (2 Units)

The course will present students with current perspectives on the nature and cause of contemporary social problems and possible ways of solving them. The approach is meant to help students to use their reasoning ability in a way that would help them to better understand the causes of our social problems; by so doing, students will be able to make decisions that will contribute to an improvement in the quality of life in Nigerian society. Since the sociological approach is not the only approach which offers useful insight about social problems, an eclectic approach will be adopted in this course. That is, in addition to a variety of sociological perspectives diverse views to social problems will be considered. Thus, where relevant, the course will rely on other social science disciplines such as anthropology, psychology, political science, economics and indeed some of the natural sciences.

Course Content:
What is social problem? The sociological approach to the study of social problems. Problems inequality. Prejudice, discrimination and ethnicism/racism. Deviance (Collective behaviour and substance abuse). Problems of environment and energy. Population and Urbanisation. Education and Social Problems. Health and HIV/AIDS related issues.

 

200 LEVEL COURSES

GNS 201 Writing and Literary Appreciation (2 Units)

The course is designed to enable students write acceptable summaries, reports and essays with the aid of relevant reference works. It will also enable the students to have a generalized but clear awareness of the historical development of literature in the English Language in Nigeria and in Africa, the Caribbean, the United States of America and the British Isles. It will expose students to relevance and classification of literature and literary appreciation.

Course Content
1. Evaluation of Common Errors in Students’ Writing:
To bring out students’ errors and locate the sources of such errors.
2. Writing Skill:
To help students organise their ideas and write good outline.  
To raise awareness of order in texts-coherence.  
To develop text with the appropriate use of transitional devices.  
To know different kinds of writing as applied to students’ disciplines and other situations.  
To raise awareness on the technicalities of different forms of letter writing
To write formal and informal letters.
3. Bibliography and Citations in Academic Writing:
To draw graphs, tables from descriptions.  
To write descriptions using graphs, tables and charts etc.  
To write bibliography and other references.
4. Literary Appreciation
To know the historical development of literature across culture.
To have a general awareness of literature.
To know the relevance and classification of literature.
To study literary terms.
To appreciate the three genres of literature by studying a play, a poem and a novel.
5. Application of the various Acquired Skills:
To write projects that will integrate the taught/acquired English Language skills.

 

GNS 202 Government and Politics (1 Units)

Examination of man in a political society: the nature and role of the state; political systems; ideologies of politics; political institutions; the evolution of the Nigerian State; the Nigerian political system; constitution-making in Nigeria, Nigeria and the international political system; problems of world politics.

Course Content:
Man as apolitical animal; theories of the state. The evolution of the modern state. Varieties of political system and institutions. Ideologies of politics Liberalism, Conservatism, Socialism, Pan Africanism etc. Colonialism and the Evolution of the Nigerian Politics, Structure and problems of the contemporary international political system. Politics in Africa. Nigeria in world politics.

 

GNS 203: USE-OF-LIBRARY

The objectives of the course are:

(i) To make students aware of the role of the Library in their academic pursuit;

 

(ii) To equip students with the knowledge of how library materials are organized; and

 

(iii) To develop in students, skills of using library information resources (both print and non-print)

 

Course Content and Synopsis

 

1. Brief history of libraries; the origin of library from Egyptian, Greece and Roman civilizations to the present day libraries.

 

2. Type of libraries: academic, national, public, special, private, school libraries and the differences between them.

 

3. Types of library materials: textbooks, reference materials, periodicals, documents, electronic resources e.t.c.

 

4. Organization of library resources: the library catalogue (Card catalogue, OPAC e.t.c) and how library materials are arranged according to subject class.

 

5. Using library resources: these include e-learning, e-materials, (data base resources, CD-ROM, On-line e.t.c.)

 

6. Library rules and regulations regarding loans, reservation of books, theft, mutilation, library infractions e.t.c.

 

7. Study skills: how to use books, journals and reference materials for research.

 

8. Copyright and its implication: what copyright is, Nigerian Copyright Commission, authorship, plagiarism, fair use, e.t.c.

 

9. Bibliographies and referencing: meaning and use of bibliographies, literature survey, compilation of bibliographies; citation methods; footnotes, references e.t.c.

 

GNS 204 Logic and History of Science (2 Units)

Introduction to the basic principles and techniques of distinguishing correct from incorrect reasoning; evolution of science and technology; issues in the philosophy of science.

Course Content:
Nature of arguments: Deductive and inductive arguments; Validity and soundness: Validity and truth. Elementary techniques of testing validity. Fallacies. The priori and the empirical Problems of Induction. Elements of probability. Elements of the history of science and technology. Observation, hypotheses, experiments and scientific explanation. Problems of scientific and technological development in Nigeria. Science and society.

i. Postgraduate Diploma in Communication Studies

PCS 601 Use of English (2 units)

Basic course in written and spoken English. Brief review of the grammar and principles of English speech. Practice in spoken English.

 

PCS 602 Developmental Writing Skills (2 units)

Fundamental elements of punctuations. Americanism in English language, Colloquialism. Basic or General Reporting. Specialised Writing and Reporting, Basic News Writing, News Agencies.

 

PCS 603 Basic Mass Communication Theories (2 units)

The contemporary theories of Mass Communication – Individual Differences Theory, Social Categories Theory, Social Relations Theory, The Cultural Norms Theory, Theories of Media Violence, Catharsis Theory, Observation Learning Theory, Reconfirments Theory, Cultivation Theory.

 

PCS 605 Introduction to Sociology (2 units)

The scope and methods of Sociology. General Definition. Problems Hampering the study of Sociology as a Scientific Discipline. Human societies and culture. Characteristics and Functions of Culture. Basic but important concepts in Sociology. Social Organizations. Socialisation. Social Stratification and Social Problems and Issues in Modern Societies.

 

PCS 607 Public Relations (2 units)

What is Public Relations? Evolution of PR: The Nigeria. Experience. Corporate Public Relations. The Public Relations Process, Public Opinion, Propaganda, Persuasive Communication Techniques. Public Relations as Management Function. Corporate Publicity. Public Relations Periodicals. Production of House Organs. Ethics of Public Relation.

 

PCS 608 Developmental Oral Communication Skills (2 units)

Oral language as a form of communication. Relevant theoretical instructions are followed by practical exercises designed to improve the mechanics of oral communication.

 

PCS 609 Conflict and Dispute Settlement (2 units)

Theories of Conflicts. Machinery for dispute settlement – mediation, reconciliation, arbitration and industrial courts.

 

PCS 617 Ethnics (2 units)

Historical and contemporary theories of ethics. Intensive study of specialized topics in ethics e.g. the place of reason in ethics, ethical intuitionism, utilitarianism, the ethics of Aristotle, the ethics of medicine, and moral problems. Enforcement of professional ethics. The meeting point between Ethics and Journalism.

PCS 619 Advertising (2 units)

The origin of Advertising. Economics and Social Role of Advertising. Public attitudes in Advertising. Marketing Evolution. The Basic principles of marketing. Relevance of market concept to Advertising. Product life cycle. Marketing segmentation and evaluation. Reaching Target Segment. Organisation of Advertising. Control and Regulation of Advertising.

 

ARD 611 Introductory Rural Sociology (2 units)

Meaning of Rural Sociology. Concept of Rurality. Differences between rural and urban societies. Culture, Agents of Socialisation, Social Groups, Governance in Rural Communities, Social Stratification. Settlement Patterns in Rural Areas. Types of Migration. Contemporary Rural Societies in developing and developed countries.

 

ARD 613 Social Theories and Social Change (3 units)

Theories of Development, Social Development Theories. Types of Social Changes and Social Responses. Rural Development Approaches Indicators of Socio-economic Development. The Concept of Sustain-ability (ecological and economic dimensions, people related/social dimension.

 

ARD 614 Gender Matters in Development Policy (3 units)

Gender Inequality Issues. Gender and Poverty Levels. Measurement of Gender Empowerment Index. Measurement of Gender Development Index. Gender Empowerment and Development Indices in Nigeria. Gender-Related Policy Options in Human Development and Agrarian Programmes. Strategies for Implementing Gender-biased Programmes.

ARD 615 Principles of Human Development (3 units)

Facets of Human Development Gender Perspective in Human Development (Nigeria, Africa, and Global Status). Measurement of Human Development Index (HDI). Poverty as a human development problem; Perspectives of Poverty. Human Poverty and Income Poverty. Measurement of Human Poverty Index (HPI). Poverty Alleviation Policies. The Status of Human Development in Nigeria. Strategies for Enhancing Human Development Index (World Regional Models inclusive.)

 

ARD 616 Research Methods & Measurement Techniques (3 units)

Steps in Social Science Research. Defining Research Problem and its Guidelines. Developing Specific Objectives and Hypotheses Writing. Categories of Research Design. Concept of Variables. Sampling Techniques. Method of Data Collection. Roles of Related Literature in Research. Analysis and Interpretation of Data. Measurement and Evaluation. Levels of Measurement. Validity and Reliability. Types of Rating Scale. Test Construction and Item Analysis. Measurement of Socio-economic Status. Measurement of Innovation Adoption. Techniques of Attitude Scale Construction. Likert Method of Scaling. Conversion of Descriptive Ratings to Standard Stores.

 

ARD 618 Statistics for Social Sciences (3 units)

Distinction between Descriptive and Inferential Statistics. Steps in Hypothesis Testing. Measures of Central Tendency (Mean, Mode, and Median). Measures of Dispersion (Variance, Standard Deviation etc.). Measures of Association. (Correlation, Coefficient, Kendall’s Coefficient of Concordance). Dependent and Independent Variables. Hypothesis Testing taking cognizance of one sample, two samples, dependent and non dependent cases. Chi-square. Analysis, Wilcoxon’s Test, t-test, Analysis of Variance, Regression Analysis.

 

PCS 610 Seminar (3 units)

A seminar paper to be presented by each student on a topic approved by the Institute.

 

PCS 612 Practicum (2 units)

Opportunities in putting research theories into visitation to media houses or relevant organizations. Students should experience visitations to media houses or relevant organizations on a three months attachment.

 

PCS 614 Project (3 units)

A project report to be written by the student on any topic approved by the Institute. The topic should be an outcome of the student’s practicum experience.

 

ii. Masters in Communication Development

COM 720 Gender and Genre (2 units)

When writers choose one mode of discourse (and not another), they shape what can be included and what must be excluded. Before a word has been put on a page or an image on a screen, they have simultaneously created a bounded space for readers and opened a site of experimentation. Students in “Gender and Genre” will explore some implications of genre choices, with special attention given to the gender questions those choices raise. Further, it will look at how both implications and questions change over time.

 

COM 721 Philosophy, Language and Communication (2 units)

The nature of language and human communication. The role of language in the development of knowledge. The character of concepts and their role in the organisation of human experience. The problem of the objectivity of meaning and the possibility of inter-cultural translation of ideas.

 

COM 722 Gender and Writing (2 units)

This course will explore the connections between theories of gendered identity and ways of writing. In order to examine the effects of a gendered identity on the production of text, it will examine what the assumptions, gender theory, makes about identity production. In particular, it will look at theories of gendered identity from many different schools of thought – essentialism, psychoanalysis, developmental psychology, cognitive psychology, poststructuralism, neo-Marxism, and cultural studies – and the resulting writing research which emerges from each theory.

 

COM 723 Culture and Society (2 units)

Culture, its meaning and significance. Cultural attributes and their dynamics: Ecology, Language, social, political and belief systems. Cultural development with special reference to human’s recent cultural history. West Africa as a case study..

COM 724 Business Communication (2 units)

A study of various types of verbal and non-verbal messages in business setting, with an examination of the accompanying communication problems. Also consumer behaviour and practices will be analysed.

 

COM 725 The Role of Communication in Conflict and Negotiation (2 units)

This course examines the role of communication in managing conflict in various relationships: interpersonal, inter-organizational, and international. Special emphasis is given to how the application of communication processes like negotiation can influence outcomes. Current cases are studied to reveal how organizational leaders incorporate ethical decisions and strategic communication in conflict and change management.

 

COM 726 Political Communication (2 units)

Analysis and criticism of political discourse using theories and methods from the discipline of speech communication.

 

COM 728 Arguments and Critical Thinking (2 units)

Meaning and Definition. Types of discourse. The nature of arguments. Validity; techniques for evaluating of arguments. The distinction between inductive and deductive inferences. Illustrative arguments taken from typical texts in history, law reports, newspapers, etc. will be examined.

 

COM 730 Ethics (2 units)

A discussion of the nature of moral judgements. Problems concerning conflicts between moral judgements. Examination of some important ethical notions, e.g. moral objectivity, authority, punishment, freedom and moral responsibility. Philosophical discussion of issues in contemporary life, e.g. abortion, euthanasia, artificial insemination, suicide, capital punishment, war, nuclear weapons, polygamy, monogamy, etc..

 

COM 732 Social Conflict and Social Change (2 units)

Strategies for producing, and consequences of change. Topics could include effects of change on the individual, the collection and use of data as strategies for the production of change; socio-technical intervention strategies (e.g. Ajaokuta, etc) conflict as a change strategy.

 

COM 734 Advertisement (2 units)

This course examines theories of advertisement and reviews advertisement’s role in society. Students will gain increased familiarity with advertisement concepts, theories, methods and research findings; increased ability to apply theories and research generalizations to cases; increased ability to compare and evaluate approaches; increased sensitivity to problems of ethics in advertisement.

 

COM 736 Language and Communication in Peace and Conflict Resolution (2 units)

Language in the thinking processes and thought expression; uses and abuses of language as a means of communication in different socio-linguistic contexts; the Sapir-Whorfian hypothesis of the influence of language on the perception of reality; linguistic dimensions of ethnicity and features of power play between majority and minority language speakers; issues in identity, security and insecurity; language in legal arbitration and the administration of justice and conflicts within case studies of ethno linguistic conflicts and resolutions of language planning frameworks as in the former Soviet Union, India, South Africa, Switzerland etc.

 

ARD 703 Measurement and Scaling Techniques (3 units)

Meaning and scales of measurement. Factors influencing the choice of appropriate parametric tests. Principles of test construction-statistical concepts, item analysis, and types and measurements of reliability and validity. Techniques for attitude scale, construction methods of paired comparison, equal-appearing intervals, successive intervals, summated ratings, and scale-gram analysis.

 

ARD 705 Rural Sociology (3 units)

General Sociology Theory, Analysis of Rural Social Systems; Relation of the Individual to his Social Environment, Group Dynamics, Leadership Patterns; Social Change and Community Organisation; Special Topics in Rural Sociology.

 

ARD 707 Social Statistics and Computer Science I&II (3 units)

The courses aim at intimating students with advanced concepts and principles of statistical methods and their subsequent application in solving social science issues. The format of course will be in the shape of quizzes, assignments and group work, all of which count in the final course grading.

 

ARD 708 Mass Communication Theories and Practice (3 units)

This course examines a variety of communication theories, how they are constructed, tested and revised. Several theories are examined and critiqued (e.g., systems, discourse analysis) with reference to their theoretical traditions (e.g., hypo-deductive, phenomenological), and their respective orientations (e.g., epistemological, axiological). Connections between theory and research methods are explored, as well as the need for consistencies across theoretical and methodological approaches.

 

ARD 717 Statistical Theory and Analysis (3 units)

Sets and Probability, Random Variables and Probability Distributions, Mathematical Expectations, Sampling Theory, Estimation Theory, Tests Hypotheses and Significance, Regression and Correlation, and Analysis of Variance.

 

COM 727 Seminar (1 unit)

This is an oral presentation of the project proposal and literature review on the project topic before the investigation class critique.

 

COM 738 Seminar (1 unit)

This is an oral presentation of the research investigation and findings after the completion of the project.

 

COM 729 Practicum in the Area of Specialization (3 units)

Students would be attached to different communication outfits for practical experience in area of specialisation for three months. Students would be expected to receive sufficient practical training under strict professional conditions and supervision. Detailed report of the students’ activities and experiences during this period would be submitted by the students.

 

COM 740 Masters Dissertation (6 units)

A project report of not more than 15,000 words (excluding appendices) written
by the student on any topic approved by the Institute.

In addition to the above, the Department will work towards:

a) running and coordinating short-term certificate associate and proficiency courses, seminars, conferences and workshops for staff and others in the immediate environment in Language and Communication Skill courses.

b) providing expert advice and analysis on language and social issues for staff, students and the catchment areas.

c) encouraging staff and students to write, especially in the area of creative writing.

d) operating a language laboratory with writing and oral communication clinics. The writing clinic will focus on helping undergraduate and postgraduate students with writing skill in their courses, projects and dissertations. The oral communication clinic shall be responsible for organizing speech therapy for staff, students and others in the catchment areas.

e) organising a quantitative reasoning and critical thinking lectures.

f) providing and promoting awareness and training on citizenship and leadership issues, peace and conflict resolutions, and problems facing our communities and the nation at large.

g) widening the academic experiences of students through drama presentations – the University Theatre Troupe shall be placed directly under the Centre.

h) establishing a small scale museum of Natural History.

i) organizing campus wide quiz and writing competitions.