EDUCATIONAL COURSES IN NIGERIA UNIVERSITIES.

In this post we will be looking at the meaning of educational courses, Elective and required courses, formats and types of courses in Nigerian universities

INTRODUCTION.

How to study Education? Most university level education courses include essential definitions, theories and methods of educational science and their scientific application. Educational strategies focus on developing communication skills, looking at future career aspirations, and leadership and teamwork.

WHAT IS EDUCATIONAL COURSE?

Educational Course means a graduate course taken by the Participant under the university’s tuition benefit policy or other professional development programs, or a graduate course taken by the Participant at another Educational Institution.

Educational Courses include graduate-level courses of a kind normally taken by an individual pursuing a program leading to a law, business, medical, or other advanced academic or professional degree. Educational Courses do not include courses that instruct the Participant in any sport, game, or hobby, unless such course is required as part of a degree program.

A course is a unit of teaching that typically lasts one academic term, is led by one or more instructors (teachers or professors), and has a fixed roster of students. A course usually covers an individual subject. In higher education in various countries, such as Canada, Nigeria and the United States, Courses generally have a fixed program of sessions every week during the term, called lessons or classes. Students may receive a grade and academic credit after completion of the course.

In South Africa, a course is officially the collection of all courses (in the American sense, these are often called “modules”) over a year or semester, though the American usage is common.

ELECTIVE AND REQUIRED COURSES.

An elective course is one chosen by a student from a number of optional subjects or courses in a curriculum, as opposed to a required course which the student must take. While required courses (sometimes called “core courses” or “general education courses”) are deemed essential for an academic degree, elective courses tend to be more specialized.

Electives are courses you can choose outside core or compulsory courses in your degree. They can be chosen from all courses available at the University that do not have any other conditions (such as a course requisite) applied to them.

Elective courses usually have fewer students than the required courses. Elective courses are also offered in the third and fourth years of university, though the choice is more restrictive and will depend upon the particular major the student has chosen.

FORMATS AND TYPES OF COURSES.

There are different formats of course in universities:

• The lecture courses: Where the instructor gives lectures with minimal interaction. Lecture courses often include weekly discussion sections with smaller groups of students led by the principal instructor, another instructor, or teaching assistant.

• The seminar: Students prepare and present their original written work for discussion and critique.

• The colloquium or reading course: The instructor assigns readings for each session which are then discussed by the members.

• The tutorial courses: One or a small number of students work on a topic and meet with the instructor weekly for discussion and guidance.

• The directed Individual Study course: Student requests to create and title an area of study for themselves which is more concentrated and in-depth than a standard course. It is directed under a tenured faculty member and approved by a department chair or possibly the dean within that specific college.

• The laboratory courses: Most of the and lectures takes place in a laboratory. Laboratory courses often combine lectures, discussion sections, and laboratory sessions e.g, practical work.

LIST OF COURSES OFFERED IN NIGERIAN UNIVERSITIES.

This is a compiled comprehensive and general list of all approved courses offered by tertiary institutions in Nigeria.

These lists of courses are offered across different universities in Nigeria such as Federal Universities, State Universities and Private Universities, they are as follows:

1. Law
2. Veterinary Medicine
3. Arts and Humanities
4. Agriculture
5. Biological Science
6. Environmental Science
7. Dentistry
8. Administration
9. Pharmaceutical Science
10. .Social Science
11. Education
12. Medical Science
13. Health Science and Technology
14. Pure & Natural Sciences
15. English and Literary Studies
16. Political Science
17. Theatre and Media Arts
18. Mass Communications
19. Administration
20. Engineering

Students are expected to do various kinds of work for a course:

• Attending course sessions.
• Reading and studying course readings assigned in the course syllabus.
• Discussing material, they have read.
• Writing short and long papers based on assigned reading and their own library research.
• Completing homework or problem sets.
• Completing laboratory exercises.
• Taking quizzes and examinations.

The exact work required depends on the discipline, the course, and the particular instructor. Unlike most European university courses, grades are generally determined by all of these kinds of work, not only the final examination.