Bachelor of Cultural Heritage Studies

The program trains students to protect and promote cultural heritage, addressing issues like identity, diversity, and contemporary challenges like decolonization and stereotypes.

Bachelor of Cultural Heritage Studies

The program trains students to protect and promote cultural heritage, addressing issues like identity, diversity, and contemporary challenges like decolonization and stereotypes.

The programme is hosted by the Department of History, Archeology & Heritage

The Bachelor of Cultural Heritage Studies (ABCH) program is designed to train students to protect and promote cultural heritage, both tangible and intangible. The program will address critical issues in cultural heritage, including identity, diversity, protection, safeguarding, promotion, and contemporary challenges like decolonization, stereotypes, and youth perceptions. Students will gain a comprehensive understanding of cultural rights, the role of cultural heritage in sustainable development, and effective stewardship practices. The program will employ a multidisciplinary approach to address real-world scenarios related to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The aim is to cultivate a group of experts who utilize cultural heritage and indigenous knowledge systems to tackle local and global social, economic, and cultural issues. The program welcomes both Ugandan and non-Ugandan candidates who meet the university admission requirements and aspire to work in cultural heritage preservation, conservation, tourism, archaeology, land management, or indigenous knowledge practices in areas like medicine, architecture, governance, and human rights.

Programme Objectives

  • Produce graduates with a firm theoretical understanding of the nature of tangible and intangible cultural heritage resources, as well as a practical understanding of their relevance to contemporary development challenges.
  • Equip students with skills in policy formulation and implementation relevant to cultural heritage safeguarding, restoration, and promotion at local and international levels.
  • Provide students with skills to design and implement strategies that promote both tangible and intangible heritage in relation to sustainable development challenges.
  • Provide students with cognitive and analytical skills relevant to researching, managing, safeguarding and promoting cultural heritage.

Admission to this program will be based on Kyambogo University’s procedures and regulations on the admission of students at the undergraduate level. The specific requirements relating to admission into this program are:

Direct Entry:

Candidates shall qualify for admission having passed the Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education or its equivalent with a minimum of 2 principal passes and at least 5 passes at the Uganda Certificate of Education level, obtained at the same sitting.

Diploma Entry

Candidates shall qualify for admission having obtained a diploma from a recognised institution, such as a diploma in heritage studies, a diploma in library and information science, a diploma in music and music education, or a diploma in education secondary or primary, among others.

Mature-Age Entry

Candidates must have sat and passed a Mature Age Entry examination in a relevant discipline from a recognised institution within the last 2 years.

Bachelor Entry: Candidates with related Bachelor’s degrees

Duration of the Program

The program will be a full-time, taught, three-academic-year programme comprising six semesters, each lasting 17 weeks. There will be examinations conducted at the end of each semester. Teaching will take 15 weeks, and exams will take 2 weeks.

COURSE CODECOURSE NAMELHTHPHCHCU
YEAR I SEMESTER II
ABCH 1101Culture, Religion and Gender (Core)30300453
ABCH 1102Introduction to Cultural Heritage (Core)30300453
ABCH 1103Introduction to Heritage Management (Core)30300453
ABCH1104Fundamentals of Archaeology (Core)30300453
ABCH 1105Intangible Cultural Heritage Management (Core)303030604
ABCH 1106Communication Skills (Core)
Contact Hours19
YEAR I SEMESTER II
ABCH 1201Fundamentals of Intangible Cultural Heritage Studies (Core)45030604
ABCH 1202Cultural Heritage and Human Rights (Core)30300453
ABCH 1203Themes in the History of Uganda (Core)30300453
ABCH1204Introduction to Social Anthropology (Core)30300453
ABCH 1205Contemporary Issues in Cultural Heritage Studies (Core)30300453
ABCH 1206Culture and Environment (Core)30300453
YEAR II SEMESTER I20
ABCH 2101Introduction to information Technology (Core)30300454
ABCH 2102Theories in Cultural Studies (Core)30300453
ABCH 2103Culture and Imperialism (Core)30300453
ABCH 2104Cultural Economics (Core)30300453
ABCH 2105Cultural Tourism and Sustainable Development (Elective)30300453
ABCH 2106Indigenous knowledge systems (Elective)30300453
ABCH 2107Technology and Cultural Studies (Elective)30300453
ABCH 2108Cultural Heritage and Development (Elective)30300453
ABCH 2109Project Planning and Management (Core)30300454
YEAR II SEMESTER I20
ABCH 2201Research Methods30030454
ABCH 2202Oral Literature in Africa30300453
ABCH 2203Entrepreneurship and Culture30300453
ABCH 2204Culture and the Arts (Elective)30300453
ABCH2205Legal and Institutional Frameworks on Culture and Heritage (Elective)30300453
ABCH2206Disaster Management (Elective)30300453
ABCH 2207Conservation, preservation and Management of Cultural Resources (Core)303030604
ABCH 2208African Cultural Philosophy (Core)30300453
ABCH 2209Internship or Project (Core)00150454
YEAR III SEMESTER II21
ABCH 3101Human Empowerment (Core)303030604
ABCH 3102Cultural Heritage Impact Assessment (CHIA)30300454
ABCH 3103Safeguarding and Documentation of Intangible Cultural Heritage (Core)303030604
ABCH 3104Culture and Architecture (Elective)30300453
ABCH 3105Cultural Heritage Advocacy (Elective)30300453
ABCH 3106Development and Preservation of Heritage Storages303030604
ABCH 3107Cultural Food Systems (Elective)30300453
ABCH 3108Culture and the Environment (Elective)30300453
YEAR III SEMESTER II21
ABCH 3201Practical entrepreneurship (Core)30300453
ABCH 3202Management of Cultural Diversity (Core)30300453
ABCH 3203Traditional Justice System (Elective)30300453
ABCH 3204Traditional African Ethical systems (Elective)30300453
ABCH 3205Principles and Practices of Archaeology (Core)301515453
ABCH 3206Culture and Health (Elective)30300453
ABCH 3207Research Project Report (Core)00150755
ABCH 3208Comparative Social Institutions (Elective)30300453
ABCH3209African Cultural Philosophy (Elective)30300453
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  • Demonstrate a theoretical understanding of the nature and relationship of tangible and intangible cultural heritage resources.
  • Demonstrate a theoretical understanding of the relevance of tangible and intangible cultural heritage to tackling development challenges, especially in Africa.
  • Formulate policies for cultural heritage safeguarding, restoration, and promotion at local and international levels.
  • Design and implement strategies that link and promote tangible and intangible cultural heritage with sustainable development.
  • Demonstrate cognitive and analytical skills relevant to researching, managing preserving and promoting cultural heritage.

The Bachelor of Cultural Heritage Studies program prepares graduates for diverse career opportunities in cultural heritage safeguarding and promotion. Graduates may pursue roles in arts administration, archaeology, anthropology, history, business (cultural entrepreneurship, tours, and art galleries), community development, conservation, journalism, and architecture.

Employment prospects include NGOs, civil trusts, government agencies, media houses, museums, hospitality, tourism, libraries, archives, and technology companies. The program's interdisciplinary approach equips graduates for contributions in cultural heritage management, museology, archaeology, tourism, and public administration.

The focus on sustainable development and contemporary challenges prepares graduates to address issues locally and globally. Additionally, graduates may further their expertise through postgraduate programs in cultural heritage management, museology, archaeology, tourism, public administration, and history.

Access the approved fees structure from the main website. 

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What More We Offer?

The program highlights the importance of archaeology and heritage management in protecting our heritage from environmental threats and human activities.