REPORT

ON

ASSESSMENT OF THE CURRENT SYSTEM FOR SETTING

COURSE ANTE AND CODES

August, 2023
 SUMMARY OF THE REPORT

1.0 Terms of Reference

The assessment was guided by the following terms of reference with respect
to this task:
1.1 Analyse the existing arrangements for the setting of course ante and
codes for courses offered in the non-degree up to postgraduate
programmes;
1.2 Propose a sustainable system that will provide a mechanism for setting
course ante and codes for courses offered in different programmes;
1.3 Consult key stakeholders at the University and get the required inputs.
Also, you may benchmark the best practices from other Higher Learning
Institutions (HLIs); and
1.4 Perform any other task that is in the interest of improving the
effectiveness and applicability of course ante and codes.

2.0 Methodology
A qualitative approach was used where data was collected through
interviews and documentary reviews. All university curricula from
undergraduate to postgraduate were reviewed. An interview guide was used
to collect data from 36 respondents. Participants of this assessment were
Deans and Directors; Heads of Academic Departments; Course Instructors;
University-wide Curriculum Committee; Timetabling and Examinations
Management Unit; and MUSARIS Administrators. The reviewed documents
included University Programmes Curricula; MoCU Prospectus (2021/22);
and Prospectus from other higher learning institutions including the
University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM); Mzumbe University (MU); The
University of Dodoma (UDOM); Institute of Finance Management (IFM); and
Ruaha Catholic University (RUCU).
3.0 Key Findings
3.1 Current Practices
The current practice of arranging course ante and codes is based on
departmental abbreviations. For instance, the Department of Economics and
Statistics (ECS), Department of Procurement and Supply Chain Management
(PSM), and Department of Accounting and Finance (BAF). The system was
efficient for years until recently when the University experienced a growing
number of students and programmes which necessitated the splitting and
formulation of new academic departments.

3.2 Existing Challenges

As a result, the current system for allocation of the ante and codes has been
challenged by the following aspects which distorts efficiency and
effectiveness:
3.2.1 Different academic departments use the same course ante which
brings confusion to students and instructors in the timetable. For
example, the Department of Microfinance and Banking and
Department of Accounting and Finance use the Ante “BAF” in all
courses despite the differences in disciplines.

Similarly, the Department of Procurement and Supply Chain

Management and Department of Marketing and Enterprise
Management use the Ante “PSM” while Department of Law still has
some courses with the “MAL” Ante reflecting the previous practice
where Management and Law Courses were hosted in the same
department (Management).

3.2.2 Adjustments and changes in the academic department name affect

the naming of course ante. For instance, the split of the Department
 of Management to create the Department of Law affected the
naming of course ante from MAL to MGT and LAW respectively;

3.2.3 The existence of alien course ante and codes due to the collision of
ante and codes during the development of programmes’ curricula.
This is contributed by poor harmonization of setting course ante and
codes. For example, the ante ECS 312A, CDM 201U, BAF 600A, BAF
600B, BAF 308M, BAF 300P, and BAF 300R; and

3.2.4 Presence of similar course antes but with different course names
(collision) and existence of different course antes with the same
course name. This is the case for cross cutting courses that are
taught to different programmes where you will find the same course
having different antes. For example, Co-operative Development;
Information and Communication Technology; and Research
Methodology.

4.0 Recommended System for Setting Course Ante and Codes

The University should use the nature of the programme discipline or field of
study as a criterion for setting course ante. For instance, all marketing-
related courses should bear MK or MKT ante, statistics-related courses
should bear ST or STA ante, and Law-related courses should bear LW or LAW
ante. During the interview session, one of the respondents said that:
“………The course ante should be derived from the specific field of
study. This will work better because when the department split or its
name change will not affect the course ante………”

Likewise, through benchmarking it was found that other HLIs are using
academic disciplines to set their course ante and codes. For example, UDSM
uses “AC” as the Ante for accounting related courses; MU uses “LOG” for
logistics and procurement related courses; IFM uses “AFU” for accounting
and finance courses for undergraduate programmes while RUCU uses “RMK”
for marketing courses.

With consideration of the findings, it is recommended that the university

should use the nature of the discipline as a criterion for setting course
ante. The codes should vary for core and elective courses as well as for non-
degree, bachelor's degree, postgraduate, masters and PhD in order to have
clear demarcation of the course. The proposed course ante and codes are
presented in Tables 1 and 2:

Table 1: Proposed Course Ante

Proposed Course
S/N Discipline
Ante
1 Accounting ACC
2 Finance FIN
3 Tax and Taxation TAX
4 Co-operative COP
5 Development Studies DSS
6 Research Methodology (including Proposal and RES
Report)
7 Microfinance MIF
8 Banking BNK
9 Risk Management and Social Protection RSP
10 Marketing MKT
11 Entrepreneurship ENT
12 Procurement and Supply Chain PSM
13 Quantitative Methods QMS
14 Mathematics MTH
15 Economics ECO
16 Statistics STA
17 Community Development COD
18 Sociology SOC
19 Rural Development RDV
20 Law LAW
21 Information and Communication Technologies ICT
 Proposed Course
S/N Discipline
Ante
22 Library and Information Sciences LIS
23 Management MGT
24 Communication Skills COM
25 Human Resource HRM
26 Agriculture and Extension AGR

Table 2: Proposed Course Codes

Proposed Core Elective
SN Level
Codes Courses Courses
1 Certificate 010 - 049 010 - 044 045 - 049
Field Attachment 010 010
2 Diploma Year I 050 - 069 050 - 064 065 -069
Diploma year II 070 - 099 070 – 094 095 - 099
Field Attachment 050 and 070 Year I = 050
Year II= 070
3 Bachelor's Degree 100 - 199 100 – 179 180 - 199
Year I
Bachelor's Degree 200 - 299 200 – 279 280 - 299
Year II
Bachelor's degree 300 - 399 300 – 379 380 - 399
Year III
Field attachment 100 Year I= 100
for Bachelor's 200 Year II= 200
Degree 300 Year III= 300
Research Methods/ 250 250
Methodology
Research/Project 300 300
Proposal
Research/Project 350 350
Report
4 Postgraduate 500 - 599 500 - 579 580 - 599
Diploma
Research Methods/ 500 500
Methodology
Research/Project 550 550
Proposal
Research/Project 570 570
Report
5 Master’s Degree 600 - 699 600 - 679 680 - 699
Research Methods/ 600 600
 Methodology
Research/Project 650 650
Proposal
Research/Project 670 670
Report
6 Doctor of 700 - 799 700 - 779 780 - 799
Philosophy
Research Methods/ 700 700
Methodology
Concept Note 720 720
Research Proposal 750 750
Research Report 770 770