By Julius Mugaga Tukacungurwa, Umoja Standard.
Makerere, University: The School of Statistics and Planning under Makerere University’s College of Business and Management Sciences has launched the inception phase of curriculum development for four proposed graduate programmes, with education experts urging participants to design courses that respond to real-world needs rather than institutional assumptions.
The proposed programmes include the Master of Science in Civil Registration, Vital Statistics and Digitalization, the Postgraduate Diploma in Civil Registration, Vital Statistics and Digitalization, the Master of Science in Gerontology, and the Postgraduate Diploma in Gerontology.
Developed under a competency-based education framework, the programmes aim to equip graduates with the knowledge, practical skills and adaptability required to address emerging national and global development challenges.
Speaking at the workshop, Dean of the School of Statistics and Planning, Associate Professor Margaret Banga, called for academic programmes that respond to changing population dynamics, digital transformation and emerging technologies. She acknowledged support from the Consolidating Early Career Academic Programme (CECAP), noting that the initiative was made possible through project funding.
Banga underscored the importance of civil registration and vital statistics in national development, stressing that effective planning depends on reliable population data. “Without this data, we cannot have planning,” she said, while urging the integration of big data analytics and artificial intelligence into future programmes to strengthen evidence-based decision-making.
Dr. Julius Shopi Mburankende from the College of Education and External Studies urged universities to redesign academic programmes in line with Competency-Based Education (CBE) principles to respond to evolving education systems and labour market demands.
Addressing participants during a session on aligning university programmes with the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC), Mburankende said curriculum development should be guided by regulatory requirements, stakeholder expectations and the practical competencies graduates need in the workplace.
He explained that curricula are shaped by national priorities and government policies, making them strategic instruments for education reform. He encouraged institutions to move beyond traditional knowledge-based instruction and adopt learner-centred approaches that emphasise practical skills, competency assessment and real-world application.
Mburankende recommended that future programmes be structured in modular formats, enabling learners to earn recognised competencies and certifications at different stages of study. He also urged universities to contextualise curricula while maintaining international standards to prepare graduates capable of addressing local and global challenges.
Presenting the proposed Master of Science in Civil Registration, Vital Statistics and Digitalization, Dr. Allen Kabagenyi, Head of the Department of Population Studies, said the programme is designed to address critical gaps in Uganda’s data systems.
She described Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) as the continuous, permanent and compulsory registration of births, deaths and marriages, together with the production and use of vital statistics that provide legal identity and support national planning.
Kabagenyi observed that Uganda currently lacks a dedicated university programme specialising in CRVS despite increasing demand for qualified professionals. “There is no university that currently offers any dedicated master’s programme specific to CRVS,” she said, adding that existing training is largely limited to short courses and standalone modules.
She explained that the proposed programme would build expertise in digital registration systems, data management and geospatial analysis to address low registration coverage. Citing Uganda’s civil registration completeness rate of only 32 percent, Kabagenyi stressed the need for stronger CRVS systems to advance evidence-based planning, digital transformation and achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.
The workshop also considered two proposed graduate programmes in gerontology aimed at strengthening training and research on ageing through a Postgraduate Diploma in Gerontology and a Master of Science in Gerontology. The programmes seek to address the social and behavioural dimensions of ageing while equipping graduates with interdisciplinary expertise in policy, healthcare, mental wellbeing and long-term care.
“We want to look at the social and behavioral perspectives of aging,” said Dr. Steven Wandera.
The proposed curriculum includes modules on population ageing, mental health, dementia, social isolation, HIV and ageing, research methods and ageing policies. It adopts a competency-based and modular structure that allows learners to progress from postgraduate diploma to master’s level.
Wandera noted that the programmes must undergo approval by the department, school, college, Quality Assurance Committee, University Council and the National Council for Higher Education before implementation.
He also proposed revisions to the PhD in Population Studies to strengthen academic standards, improve admission requirements and align the programme with Makerere University’s 2024 policy on compulsory cross-cutting doctoral courses. The reforms, initiated in 2019, introduce mandatory demographic methods, research training and quantitative analysis to strengthen professional competence among doctoral graduates.
During the workshop, Florence Namuwaya, a CECAP II Fellow and Master’s student in the Department of Population Studies, presented preliminary findings from her research on the lived experiences of caregivers of children under five with developmental delays in Busia and Tororo districts.
She identified poverty, emotional distress, stigma and limited access to essential services as major challenges facing caregivers, noting that their experiences have received limited scholarly and policy attention.
Namuwaya said the study aims to generate evidence to inform policy and improve interventions that support children with developmental delays and their families. She also called for sustained institutional support and expanded research capacity-building opportunities for Master’s students.
The curriculum development initiative marks another step in Makerere University’s efforts to align graduate education with competency-based learning, national development priorities and internationally recognised academic standards.
