By Enock Sithole
Tanzania’s oldest journalism school is introducing a new curriculum following a review informed by inputs from key stakeholders such as students, academics, alumni and industry practitioners from the country’s media houses.
The “comprehensive” curriculum review is a culmination of some 15 years of conversations with several stakeholders on “how (the curriculum” is helping them, said the Dean of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication of Dar es Salaam (UDSM), Dr Mona Ngusekela Mwakalinga.
The country’s oldest journalism school used the celebrations of its 60th anniversary to invite stakeholders from the profession to consult on what should be included in the new curriculum.
“So, there are some things that are going to be added. Of course, AI (Artificial Intelligence) cannot be left aside. But we are also going to put more strength on investigative journalism”.
Climate change, all-inclusive education and gender journalism are also going to be added, said Dr Mwakalinga. The new curriculum will emphasise industry linkage so students can acquire industry expertise before graduating. Blended learning will be added to ensure that students can receive tuition off-campus.
The curriculum is undergoing several accreditation stages and could be implemented as early as next year in 2025, said Dr Mwakalinga.
Having started as an institute under the prime minister’s office, the school was integrated into the University of Dar es Salaam in 1975, thus being a pioneer in what is today the country’s nine schools offering several courses in journalism, mass communication, public relations and advertising. There are also about 15 private colleges offering diverse media courses.
The university offers degree certificates, postgraduate diplomas, master’s and PhD qualifications. With an annual intake of 50 students for journalism, 50 for mass communication and 70 for public relations, the school struggles with infrastructure to accommodate all the students at its off-campus facility.
The lack of adequate equipment to train students is a major challenge, making it difficult to have sufficient practical training. Industry has often raised the concern that graduates were unprepared for the workplace. Dr Mwakalinga said this was partially due to the lack of equipment to offer training on a one-on-one basis. “Industry are concerned that our graduates are very competent with theory, but fall short of practical skills,” she said.
The UDSM has responded by constantly increasing the attachment of students to the industry to expose them to the demands of their chosen professions.
As part of this initiative, industry professionals will be invited to teach at UDSM to expose students to new developments in the sector. The university’s academics will also be interned in various workplaces so that they can learn contemporary methods of the journalism profession.
“So, we really have to make sure that we up the game in terms of equipment, to attract students to our school,” she said, adding that the university is enrolling fewer students than it wanted.
For example, the mass communication degree was one of the most preferred by students, in the entire university, “but the school can only accommodate 50 per year, leaving other applicants to go to other universities, despite UDSM being their first choice,” said Dr Mwakalinga.
The university does not have the problem of having to teach journalism in various indigenous languages, because about 99% of Tanzanians speak Kiswahili, which is the language that is used by most of the media in the country.
There are several indigenous languages, but they are not used in the media or public life. “For example, in election campaigns, you are not supposed to use your vernacular, even if you go to your place of birth,” she disclosed. Thus, the university concentrates on teaching journalism in English and Kiswahili. Through the envisaged new curriculum, the UDSM wants to cement its position as the oldest university in the country by being the best.
This article, University of Dar es Salaam upping the game i journalism education, originally published by the Ajen newsletter on November, 10th, 2024