UZ | University of Zimbabwe

MASTER OF ARTS ARCHAEOLOGICAL FORENSICS

Module Code	Module Name	Description
MAF501	Fundamentals of Archaeological Forensics	The module is about the history of the application of forensic science to archaeology. Aims of forensic archaeology (understanding mortuary practices in the past, understanding causes of death in the past and the present, pathology and diseases, graves, mass burials and grave relocations), criminology and human behaviour, ethics and legal issues around human remains (the human remains debate, museums and human collections, colonial practices vs culture, return and reburials, genocides, coping with disease pandemics), natural and human caused disasters, e.g., cyclones, tsunamis, mining disasters, accidents. The investigative skills of the archaeologist readily suit cold criminal cases, homicides, etc. Although more focused-on human remains, archaeological practice in general can be considered a forensic science. Thus, key archaeological concepts such as stratigraphy, site formation and taphonomy are discussed.
MAF503	Human Anatomy, Evolution and Adaptation	This module explores how Archaeological techniques and the analysis of human remains are used in forensic context. Issues to do with human anatomy and anthropological analysis of human remains including ancestry assessment (evolutionary tree), age analysis and sex determination will be explored. Ethical issues surrounding the study of human remains will be explored. Key skills and knowledge to be delivered in this module includes: the ability to identify the human skeletal parts, to determine age and sex of a given skeleton, traumatic experiences and effects of various diseases on the human body. The module will be taught jointly with the Department of Anatomy.
MAF504	Field and Laboratory Methods for Forensic Archaeology	The module is aimed at equipping students with theoretical and practical issues in field archaeology. Field approaches and data collection techniques will be discussed and put into practice during site/field visits. Key skills and knowledge to be delivered in this module includes: Understanding context: documentation of context; Analysis of evidence (archaeological and recent); Crime Scene/ archaeological site investigation; Crime Scene Analysis using modern techniques; Site surveys, geophysical surveying, remote sensing, site planning, excavation techniques, data collection, sampling techniques, ethnographic knowledge; Preservation and conservation; understanding site formation, Understanding Context: stratigraphy, originality, associations, provenance, matrix; Detecting taphonomic processes; Documentation and Presentation of contextual information: drawings, 3D productions, mapping, surveying techniques; Excavating human remains; Sampling/collecting human remains; ethical considerations.
MIDAH501	Digital Skills for Masters	The Information and Digital Skills module for Postgraduate students introduces students to the tenets of conducting scientific research in alignment with the current scholarly communication landscape. Module aims to conduct effective literature searches and synthesise evidence, understand academic integrity and reference management, navigate the academic publishing landscape, effectively manage research data, collaborate in research and identify funding opportunities, and communicate research findings and track research impact.
MAF505	Archaeological Informatics	Field and post field data management requires knowledge and skills in ICTs. This module equips students with skills of utilising ICTs to document, analyse, manage, present and share archaeological data; 2D and 3D documentation; GIS applications, Multimedia and VR productions, Modelling; Students will learn on database development and management, digital analysis of data and creating digital products from their data through modelling and other forms of digital manipulations. The students may also be exposed to the HPC and other advanced techniques such as DNA Analysis and diagnostic imaging.
MAF502	Archaeological Theory	The module covers detailed discussion of archaeological theories such as social theory, agency, social transmission theory, costly signalling, decolonisation, coloniality and the contribution of data from archaeological forensics. These help in understanding decisions regarding working with, and disposal of human remains.
MAF506	Public and Contract Archaeology	This module will introduce students to the principles and practice of public archaeology and acquaint them with the main theoretical and practical issues of the field. The aim of this module is to explore the interaction and dynamic relationship between archaeology and the public and society to study the social and educational aspects of archaeological research and ultimately help students develop analytical and practical skills in heritage dissemination. The module allows students to discuss the public importance of archaeology, the nature of public archaeology, and how to engage the public in archaeological research, archaeological exhibitions and interpretation.
MAF507	Analytical Chemistry for Archaeology	The module explores the compositional analysis of natural and synthetic materials and residues. This includes human and other biological remains. By the end of the module, students should have comprehensively understood methods used in investigating organic residue analysis on archaeological pottery to reconstruct ancient diet; nutrition and resource use; analysis of ancient sediments and soils (geographic sources of procurement of raw materials), analysis of mummies including DNA and characterising the embalming agency through CT scanning, MRI, X-Ray, Ultrasound; analysis of skeletal remains; use of analytical chemistry in the conservation of archaeological materials.
MAF508	Community Project	Students work with remains from archaeological sites or from museums to determine that they are human remains, establish ancestry and race through forensic investigations. With known human remains, students should be able to investigate the cause of death and diseases. They should be able to solve genealogical problems.
MAF570	Dissertation	The project shall be on an approved topic and should be submitted at the end of Part 2 of the programme. The topic should satisfy the expectations of Education 5.0 by focussing on Archaeological Forensics, being able to solve community challenges or being innovative to cause communities to behave in certain beneficial ways. It may be on digital creations with educational, economic and social value or that enhances service delivery in relevant stakeholder institutions.

MASTER OF ARTS DIGITAL HUMANITIES

Module Code	Module Name	Description
MADH501	Digital Humanities: Theories, Practices and Debates	This module will provide students with a comprehensive introduction to the exciting field of Digital Humanities, which explores the various intersections between literary and cultural studies, digital media and computing technologies. Digital Humanities (DH) is both a theoretical and methodological field: some DH work is about applying computing methodologies to literary and cultural research, to enable new insights into existing questions for literary studies; the theoretical strands of DH critically examine digital discourses and platforms – including code, interactive text, and social media, among others – from a Humanities perspective. DH critically examines the impact of digital technologies on literature, arts, and culture, with an awareness of both the continuities and discontinuities in reading practices across history, ‘from Codex to Hypertext’. The module is organised around three topic headings: theories, practices and debates. In the theory portion of the module you will explore critical theories of textuality, reading, and communication in the context of ‘new media’ and information technologies, as well as the production, distribution and consumption of literature, culture, and scholarship in the digital age. Armed with diverse theoretical frameworks, students will then explore some of the key practices and methodologies that underpin digital humanities research, including distant reading, data visualization for literary studies, and archival research and digitization. The module then explores debates at the forefront of the field, focused on access and accessibility, cultural representation, equality and the digital divide, and the ways that reading communities are constructed and interpellated via digital media, literature, history, culture and scholarship.
MIDAH501	Digital Skills for Masters	The Information and Digital Skills module for Postgraduate students introduces students to the tenets of conducting scientific research in alignment with the current scholarly communication landscape. Module aims to conduct effective literature searches and synthesise evidence, understand academic integrity and reference management, navigate the academic publishing landscape, effectively manage research data, collaborate in research and identify funding opportunities, and communicate research findings and track research impact.
MADH502	African Indigenous Knowledge, Technology and Innovation Systems	This module is multi-disciplinary designed to prepare graduate students with the necessary knowledge, skills and values of Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS), which will enable them to pursue careers as practitioners in various fields and contexts. It is based on a holistic approach to understanding IKS and lays a solid foundation for students to gain academic and practical competencies which will enable them to apply theoretical knowledge and understanding in a range of contexts which includes but is not limited to health sciences, nutrition, leadership, tourism, communication, agriculture, nature conservation, arts and culture, heritage, education, law, human and social sciences, physical planning and construction. Given the importance of IKS to a community’s survival and flourishing, these knowledge bases and systems are critically important for capacity building within a nation or continent. This capacity building takes the form of developing technologies and innovation systems to sustainably meet the scientific developmental necessities. The importance of IKS in this context becomes even more critical and significant. IKS provides tremendous knowledge and technology resource bases that tend to be sustainable, and which also focus on addressing needs in appropriate cultural contexts. The module allows students to study indigenous knowledge as local ways of knowing and innovating. Students will have opportunities to deploy indigenous knowledge in developing technologies and innovation systems in health, agriculture, nutrition, arts, languages, science and technology and their management systems. The module raises the critical need for Africa to promote its own ways of innovation through indigenous systems that relate to peoples' daily lives.
MADH503	Interdisciplinary Humanities Research: Methods and Skills	The module comprises a programme of lectures and workshops. The programme will develop your research skills in a number of areas including skills, such as communicating with different audiences, using sources, texts, archives and data; frameworks, such as integrating theory into your project, ethics and (auto-)ethnography, fieldwork, knowledge production; and bringing your project together, including situating yourself within the academic field, project management techniques and sample case studies of successful projects. Summative work will focus on referencing skills and critical engagement with sources and texts for research in the form of an annotated bibliography and critical review of selected sources.
MADH504	Digital, Internet and Programming Resources in the Humanities	This module introduces students to a range of issues involved in the design, creation, management and use of electronic resources in the humanities. It seeks to familiarize students with the computing technologies and applications that are used in humanities research and teaching; providing a basis for making informed choices in the design, management and use of digital resources in the humanities; promoting understanding of the areas where access, manipulation and analysis of digital resources can benefit research and teaching in the humanities. The delivery of content and information online is becoming increasingly dynamic and device-driven. This module acquaints students to the concepts of markup for web pages, website structuring and design, and the issues involved in generating, delivering and evaluating content effectively. It uses JavaScript (ECMAscript) to introduce the fundamental principles of procedural computer programming and scripting languages. The module reinforces these concepts by practical application in the context of automated web browser and document manipulation. Applications include manipulation of web browsers and documents, dynamic generation of web content, and form verification via regular expressions. The module also provides a brief overview of a range of other common programming languages. It provides an introduction to the issues, techniques, technologies and underlying principles associated with creating and maintaining Web servers and database-driven websites. The module will describe different approaches to extending the functionality of 'plain' web sites by using structured data to build database-driven websites.
MADH505	Digitisation and Mechanisation of Cultural Heritage	This module will serve as a practice-led introduction to the digitisation and mechanisation of cultural heritage materials in the galleries, libraries, archives and museums sector. It is an advanced level module taught in two ways: theory and principle-led lectures and tutorials, and hands-on sessions in the imaging lab. This module will also involve close liaison with Museums and Collections, Library Special Collections, and digitisation as well as mechanisation professionals to provide hands-on teaching to understand the practical application of digitisation and mechanization in the cultural and heritage sector. In addition, the students will have the opportunity to visit digitisation and mechanisation facilities at heritage institutions in Zimbabwe to get an understanding of different digitisation and mechanisation approaches across the heritage sector.
MADH506	Contemporary Genres: Culture in the Digital Age	This module seeks to examine genre in the digital age in three ways or senses. Firstly, we will start by considering the ways that more conventional literary, historical and cultural narratives have dramatized or represented the digital revolution or age of the internet. Secondly, we will look at narratives that have been disseminated digitally and which use digital technology like mobile apps or GPS systems. Finally we will look at genres across a range of forms, including game narratives, web series, digital music and its micro-genres, as well as collaborative fiction that uses the internet to tell / build stories collaboratively or interactively. By doing this we will both map out new genre categories but also look at the way the digital revolution might invite us to challenge the confines and hierarchies of genre.
MADH507	Digital texts in the Humanities	Despite huge advances in digital technologies, many of the approaches literary critics, historians and numerous cultural critics use remain rooted in the analogue or hardcopies age. Perhaps the only major change that computers have led to among literary critics, historians and cultural critics to date is the use of major digitised texts and archives. Even with these, many literary critics, historians and cultural critics simply use these to search and browse, never making use of their full potential or able to critique the digitised sources effectively. In the first part of this course you will look at how paper sources or hard copies are digitised and encoded to create digital literary, historical and cultural resources. This will enable students to understand how digital sources or texts are created, and encourage students to think critically about their benefits and limitations. The second part of the course explores how digitised literary, historical and cultural sources or texts can be explored and analysed in more sophisticated ways. Corpus linguistics enables us to identify and summarise themes of interest from millions or billions of words of text in ways that go far beyond simply keyword searches. It also helps the literary critic, historian and cultural critic decide which parts of a large body of text require further research and which do not.
MADH508	Digital Humanities Practicum: Inventory Building Technologies	This module provides opportunity for students to get into real-life project-based experience by working in a cultural heritage institution or private sector organisation or an existing digital humanities project where the student is assigned a mentor or supervisor from the project or institution to which the students gets attached. These projects may range, for example, from writing a scoping document for a specific digital humanities project, to creating a digital exhibition or another online resource on a specific theme or topic, to writing best practice white paper on a particular technology, digital preservation method, or new digital or mechanical idea. The module involves the application of the skills and knowledge acquired in the previous courses but in specific settings.
MADH570	Dissertation	This dissertation provides the opportunity for students to demonstrate the knowledge, understanding, research skills and techniques of presentation developed in the taught modules of the degree. The specialist field of enquiry is chosen by the student in consultation with a supervisor and other members of the department before arrival and in the first half of the semester. Individual one-to-one supervisions will be provided throughout the year to support taught modules, define and formulate a research hypothesis, identify relevant qualitative and quantitative sources, offer guidance on presentation and comment on the structure of the dissertation.

BACHELOR OF ARTS HONOURS AFRICAN HERITAGE AND KNOWLEDGE SYSTEMS

Module Code	Module Name	Description
HAHKS101	Introduction to Heritage Studies	This module provides a foundational introduction to Heritage Studies, positing that the study of heritage must be situated within its proper historical context to be fully understood. It covers the essential definitions and distinct categories of the field, distinguishing between natural and cultural, moveable and immovable, and tangible and intangible forms, while also examining underwater, archaeological, and geological resources, among others. In alignment with the broader programme, special attention is given to Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) and liberation heritage as critical components of the African narrative. Students will evaluate the concepts of heritage values and significance, analyzing how these are determined and contested at local, regional, and international levels.
HAHKS 102	African Societies, Heritage and Indigenous Knowledge Systems	This module employs an interdisciplinary approach, drawing from anthropology, archaeology, and history to explore the depth of African societies and their heritage. It examines the preservation and transmission of knowledge prior to written systems, emphasizing the role of language, socialization, and oral traditions in passing down wisdom. Students will investigate Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) across a broad spectrum of disciplines, including agriculture, metallurgy, environmental forecasting, astronomy, mathematics, and traditional medicine. Furthermore, the module critically assesses the impact of the colonial interface, highlighting the legacy of colonialism and the enduring resilience of African value and thought systems. The module contextualizes all these themes within the African Renaissance, discussing the transformation of beliefs and the relevance of indigenous worldviews in the contemporary era.
HAHKS 105	Heritage of Zimbabwe	The Heritage of Zimbabwe module provides an in-depth analysis of the nation’s identity, weaving together its natural and cultural legacies across both tangible and intangible forms. This study begins with the environment, exploring how Zimbabwe’s unique geology, geography, and biodiversity have historically shaped the symbiotic relationship between nature and human society. In the cultural heritage sphere, students examine population distributions, historical traditions, archaeological remains, the liberation war and its memorialisation, cultural practices with enduring value, and the sophisticated evolution of indigenous architecture, technology and socio-cultural institutions and practices. Ultimately, the module concludes by investigating the dual processes of knowledge preservation and creation, ensuring that Zimbabwe’s rich heritage remains a dynamic and thriving force for future generations.
HAHKS 104	Introduction to Heritage Management	This module traces the global development and growth of heritage management, highlighting its foundational connections to the evolution of archaeology and the post-World War impetus for cultural protection. Students will examine the core technical pillars of the field, including documentation, conservation, and safeguarding mechanisms. The module fosters critical thinking by addressing contentious debates on restoration, reconstruction, and the diverse factors that influence the interpretation and presentation of the past. Central to the module are theoretical frameworks, such as Authorised Heritage Discourse (AHD), Actor Network Theory, and the vital processes of decolonization and value assessment. Participants will exposed to the roles of higher education and international organizations like UNESCO, ICOMOS, and ICCROM in shaping modern practice
HAHKS 106	Heritage Survey Project	This is a project based module where students are expected to visit communities to apply what they would have learnt in their introductory modules. Students are expected to identify heritage places, landscapes, heritage institutions, traditions, protected areas or natural phenomena with heritage value(s) and systematically report and record them using national and international formats of heritage recording. Key issues learnt in the module include heritage site identification, heritage recording, significance assessment and site illustration. The students are expected to research and document oral traditions, cultural practices, acquiring skills in conducting archival research, heritage surveys, documentation, condition surveys, identification of heritage values, interpretation and reporting. Students are expected to complete the module by showing the report of their work.
HAHKS 202	Collections Conservation and Management	This module provides a comprehensive overview of the historical development and functional evolution of galleries, museums, and archives as central pillars of cultural heritage. Students will explore the intricate lifecycle of collections, beginning with the formal procedures for accessioning and the strategic development of acquisition policies. A significant portion of the module is dedicated to the technical requirements of conservation, exhibition and presentation of diverse objects. The module examines the collections environment, focusing on how physical factors such as light, temperature, and humidity are controlled within storage and display spaces. The module also addresses the sensitive and highly regulated procedures for collections disposal, providing students with an ethical and legal framework for responsible deaccessioning. Finally, the module culminates in the interpretation of collections, teaching students how to translate physical artifacts into meaningful narratives that facilitate public engagement and education.
HIA 202	History of Zimbabwe Before 1890	The module dwells on the internal and external dynamics of pre-colonial polities in Zimbabwe. It explores the nature of socio-economic and political organization of these states as well as their interaction with global forces.
HAHKS 201	Research Methods and Field Techniques	This critical module not only equips but also empowers students with life skills-sets to conduct qualitative and quantitative heritage based research relevant for different kinds of sustainable community development. The module also deals with different research methods for data collection and ethical issues involved when researching, especially where individuals and communities are involved.
HIA 208	History of Zimbabwe, 1890 to 1980	The module explores the political, social and economic features of colonial Zimbabwe paying particular attention to the marginalization of Africans. The responses of Africans to colonial domination and the subsequent liberation struggle are also examined. The topics that the module covers are: the occupation of Mashonaland and Matabeleland by the white settlers, African resistance to occupation, the establishment of the colonial economy and political systems, rise of African nationalism and the armed struggle for independence.
HAHKS 204	Safeguarding Intangible Heritage	The range of tourist attractions has expanded to include components of intangible heritage. The module brings to the fore the significance of tourism that is based on intangible cultural heritage. This includes cultural performances, ethnomusicology, indigenous knowledge systems, indigenous lifeways and cuisines. Students will research and present on case studies of this kind of tourism.
HAHKS 203	Heritage and the Law	This module exposes students to the complex intersection of various legal systems in heritage preservation, focusing on the relationship between traditional customary laws and formal national and international legislations. It traces the historical development of these legal frameworks, highlighting how they have evolved over time to meet the growing needs of modern heritage management. Students will critically analyze the impact of regional and international treaties, charters, and conventions that establish the standards for global heritage protection. A central component of the course involves evaluating the adequacy and effectiveness of existing laws in safeguarding both tangible and intangible assets against modern threats.
HAHKS 302	Heritage, Conflict and Peace Building in Africa	This module highlights the intersections between conflict, heritage, and conflict resolutions strategies. Students examine causes of conflicts, theories on conflicts, ethnicity, identity, values, sacredness, beliefs, examples of heritage based conflicts, and heritage-based approaches to conflict management. It also discusses the Hague conventions, the Blue Shield, the 1970 UNESCO convention and the UNESCO convention of 2005 on Cultural Diversity
HAHKS 303	Heritage Risk and Impact Assessment	The module focuses on the origins, aims and practice of Heritage Impact Assessment within the overall context of Cultural Resource Management. These are examined against the background of heritage risks and the need to save the heritage. Risks include development undertakings, climate change, conflicts, wars and various factors that pose different kinds of threats to the preservation of heritage. The module discusses various ways of carrying out impact assessments in order to determine the extent of the risks and generating disaster mitigation strategies.
HAHKS 304	Heritage and Sustainable Development	This module critically examines the intersection of heritage management and sustainable development, utilizing UNESCO and ICOMOS frameworks to explore how cultural assets contribute to economic growth and community well-being. Students will analyze cultural economics, emphasizing heritage-based entrepreneurship, employment generation, and the delicate balance between increasing GDP and preserving the heritage. A significant portion of the module focuses on heritage tourism planning, covering feasibility studies, visitor management, and legal frameworks across niche sectors such as religious, medical, and archaeo-tourism. The curriculum addresses the inherent tensions between development and conservation, evaluating stakeholder interests and the threats tourism poses to fragile sites.
HAHKS 305	Museum Management	Focus on different aspects of the practice of museology including the display and exhibition of museum objects, influenced by the nature of collections and knowledge of visitor learning behaviour. Purpose-built museums should plan for the conservation of collections and visitor safety and learning behaviour. Collections management can be facilitated by designing the museum environment.
HAHKS 306	Heritage Project	Students undertake a heritage project that involves processing heritage materials for purposes of conservation.
HAHKS 401	Cultural Heritage Technologies	This module explores the intersection of cultural heritage and technology, focusing on the role of digital tools and innovations in enhancing visitor experiences, preservation efforts, and destination management. It examines a range of technologies used in cultural heritage tourism, including virtual reality, augmented reality, mobile applications, digital storytelling, and geospatial technologies. The module also addresses the challenges and ethical considerations associated with the use of technology in cultural heritage contexts.
HAHKS 404	Management of World Heritage	Listing places on the World Heritage List is an important approach in the protection, management, and utilization of heritage. This module covers discussion of the significance of World Heritage Places and the complexities surrounding their management. It explores issues surrounding decision-making, international collaboration with organizations such as the World Heritage committee, ICOMOS, ICCROM and national governments. It provides students with a thorough knowledge of the World Heritage Convention and its application in solving heritage conservation problems. It examines the position of African conservation science as science can be exploited at global levels. In addition, the module also critically examines tourism development and management at world heritage sites.
HAHKS 402	Heritage Education and Tourism Planning	Heritage is an important element of education. The memories of the past that are embedded in heritage require an educational strategy for them to be usable. Heritage organisations, including the government should cultivate heritage education for social cohesion, understanding of the other and peace.
HAHKS 403	Heritage Entrepreneurship	Research has shown that the protection and management of heritage for its own sake is not always sustainable. The module is meant to cultivate entrepreneurial skills amongst heritage students. The module may be co-taught with the department of Business Studies. Students can come up with a project that shall reflect their entrepreneurship skills development. The project should be based on an aspect of heritage.
HAHKS 405	Critical Issues in African Heritage and Knowledge Systems	This module provides students with the opportunity to reflect on the programme and identify critical issues that concern African societies and their perspectives on heritage. It prepares the students to face the African realities and think of solutions.
HAHKS450	Dissertation	The dissertation shall be submitted at the end of level 4 second semester.

MASTER OF ARTS IN RISK REDUCTION AND MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

Module Code	Module Name	Description
MDM 501	Research Methods for Disaster Risk Management	Conducting research in disaster situations is one of the most difficult activities in human endeavor. This module is designed to equip students with the knowledge and skills to conduct research about risks, impact and outcomes associated with various disasters. By the end of the module, students should be able to carry out research towards the production of disaster preparedness, mitigation, prevention, rehabilitation and recovery reports, the development of national disaster response policies, publications on disaster related issues and solutions to challenges experienced at community, national, regional and international levels due to disasters.
MDM 502	Theory and Practice of Disaster Risk Reduction and Management	For the most part, theory and practice cannot be separated. This module is designed to equip students with knowledge about the current multi-disciplinary theory concerning disaster risk management for both natural and man-made disasters. By the end of the module, students should be able to apply various theories to understand disaster phenomena, design community-based models to assess disaster risks, plan and prepare for disasters.
MDM 503	Disasters and Governance	Accountability and transparency are crucial in disasters. This module is designed to address the increasing need to critically understand the crisis of governance during disasters. By the end of the module, students should be able to identify governance challenges in disasters and develop policy frameworks for enhancing accountability, transparency and curbing corruption.
MDM 504	Global Crisis, Conflict and Disaster Management	Global crises and conflicts negatively affect disaster management efforts. This module is designed to equip students with the knowledge about the role of global policy and practice across the spectrum of crises and conflicts. By the end of the module, students should be able to identify the ways in which global crises and conflicts affect disaster management and design context-specific disaster interventions and long term projects for the international community, humanitarian organisations, national governments and communities to effectively intervene in disasters even in the midst of global crises and conflicts.
MDM 505	Resilience and Adaptation in Disasters	Resilience and adaption play important roles in disaster risk reduction. This module is designed to equip students with a high-level of conceptual understanding of resilience and its link to preparedness and recovery activities done by and on behalf of communities. By the end of this module, students should be able to lobby organisations, mainstream historical coping mechanisms and design context-specific resiliency and adaptation strategies for communities.
MDM 506	Water, Security and the Environment	Water and the environment present both challenges and opportunities for security. This module seeks to equip students with knowledge about the importance of water on the sustainability of the environment, the human security components of water security and environmental security, global water crisis, the vulnerability of water scarcity and the impact of water and/or lack thereof on the environment and security. By the end of the module, students should be able to identify the security implications of water and environmental insecurity, design models for the sustainable exploitation of water resources and the environment, and advise stakeholders on water policy that saves the environment from depletion.
MDM 507	Monitoring and Evaluation in Disasters	Monitoring and evaluation provides a consistent approach that can be taken in the evaluation of disaster programmes in disaster situations. This module is designed to empower students with knowledge of the framework for designing monitoring and evaluation systems and for students to be able to apply evaluations on disaster management programmes. At the end of the module, students should be able to design programme monitoring and evaluation to feed into the evidence base that will improve subsequent disaster recovery programmes.
MDM 508	Public Health in Disasters	Public health is important in disaster preparedness and response. This module explores the role and capability of public health and health care systems in disasters and emergencies. By the end of the module, students should be able to design context-specific interventions that address the growing threat and potential public health consequences of disasters.
MDM 509	Disaster Risk Reduction and Management in Zimbabwe	Zimbabwe, like many developing countries, lack tools, expertise and instruments to mitigate and reduce the impact of disasters in their settings. This module is designed to equip students with the knowledge and skills to formulate the policies and interventions for disaster reduction and management in Zimbabwe. At the end of the module, students should be able to empower stakeholders with the knowledge of disaster risk reduction and management and design context-specific and environmentally friendly approaches to reduce the impact of disasters in Zimbabwe.
MDM 510	Humanitarian Aid and Disasters	Humanitarian aid is essential in disasters and emergencies. This module is designed to equip students with knowledge about the phenomenon of humanitarian aid in emergencies and disasters. By the end of the module, students should be able to identify the political, cultural, economic, social and ethical challenges encountered in providing humanitarian aid in disaster situations, design models or approaches to ensure effective delivery of humanitarian aid and advising practitioners on ways to improve the provision of humanitarian aid.
MDM 511	Disasters and Development in the Third World	Disasters and development are related given that disasters can both destroy development enterprises and generate development opportunities, and that development schemes can both increase and decrease vulnerability. This module equips students with knowledge about the interface between disasters and development with special reference to the Third World. By the end of the module, students should be able to identify the various ways in which disasters affect development in Third World countries and design interventions to identify and exploit development opportunities in disaster affected environments.
MDM 570	Dissertation	All students shall write a dissertation on an approved topic which must be between 15 000 and 30 000 words long. Students will be required to choose a researchable topic in the fields of risk reduction, disaster management, peacebuilding, conflict and security and design a proposal. The proposal shall be presented before the Departmental Board which shall evaluate which shall evaluate its contribution to positive transformation of life. The proposal shall be awarded a minimum of 1 credit and a maximum of 10 credits. A complete write-up of the dissertation shall be orally presented with a minimum of 1 and a maximum of 30 credits. The final dissertation shall have a minimum of 1 and a maximum of 50 credits. A minimum of 1 and a maximum of 10 credits shall be awarded upon the incorporation of comments suggested by reviewers. Each student shall be assigned a supervisor to oversee the research process until the dissertation is submitted.

BACHELOR OF ARTS HONOURS MULTICULTURAL HERITAGE AND TOURISM (HMHT)

Module Code	Module Name	Description
LHM101	Introduction to Tourism and Hospitality Industry	This module covers the definition of tourism and the socio-economic perspectives of tourism, definition of hospitality, the tourism product, the tourism system, types of tourists, travel in the middle ages, rise of spas and seaside resorts, railway age, the mass tourism era, tourist motivation, definition and concepts of demand, measuring tourism demand, accommodation types and types of hotels, hotels as social institutions, standard hotel departments, functional hotel system, empowerment of frontline staff, concept of multi-skilling, attractions, amenities and ancillary services, access, activities, ambience, destination life cycle, carrying capacity, social, cultural, economic and environmental impacts, innovation and sustainability in the hospitality and tourism industry, regional tourism organisations, hotel groups and their advantages, government involvement in tourism and hospitality industry. national tourist organisations, Zimbabwe Tourism Authority, Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Authority, Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe and Peace Parks (Trans frontier Parks). The module is also designed to introduce students to how tourism industry is organised in Zimbabwe. Areas to be covered will include regulatory framework, structural components, attractions in Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe’s weather patterns and their impact on tourism, the physical and social impact of tourism, people-parks conflict. Population demographics and their effect on tourism, the overview of tourism in Zimbabwe.
HMHT101	Introduction to Heritage and Cultural Tourism	The module equips students with skills for heritage documentation, interpretation, presentation as well as critical debates on the links between heritage and sustainable development
LHM102	Principles of Leisure and Recreation Management	This module will equip students with both theoretical knowledge about leisure concepts and practical experience for leading recreational activities or managing a leisure facility. The following areas which are taught throughout the module: concepts of leisure and recreation; theory of leisure and how it fits into society; typologies and classifications of activities including recreation for therapeutic purposes; disabilities/ activities; motivations for leisure activities, management and administration of leisure and recreational facilities; analysis of case studies and trends and segments analysis. The module will also equip students with both theoretical knowledge about leisure concepts and practical experience for leading recreational activities or managing leisure or sporting facility. The concepts of leisure and recreation will be matched with business practices for operating leisure and recreational facilities. Emphasis will be on the creation, management and strategic development of leisure facilities. Case studies will be analysed.
HLLIC102	Introduction to Intercultural Communication	This module aims to enable students to recognize and understand the role of language as a key locus of personal and sociocultural identity as well as cultural understanding. It will combine a theoretical understanding of language and intercultural communication; problematize concepts of culture and intercultural communication, intercultural competence, linguistic and cultural diversity, verbal and non-verbal aspects of intercultural communication, critical theories of culture and language, especially in global lingua franca contexts and applications of this to practical settings. The module adopts an interdisciplinary approach that helps students to appreciate different analytical tools and approaches. These are useful for understanding Africa and beyond in the context of unhu/ubuntu and practical communicative experiences deriving from global mobility, bilateral and multilateral engagement as well as political and economic negotiation and mediation protocols. By the end of this module, students should have developed intercultural awareness and therefore be able to conceptualise and solve communication problems emanating from cultural diversity. Student will have the basics of construction human interaction tools needed during intercultural negotiations and conflict resolution.
LHM104	Tourism Law, Regulations and Policies	The purpose of this module is to expose students to the policies and regulations that govern the development of tourism sector in Zimbabwe and to make students aware of the regulatory environment in which the sector operates. The module aims to ensure that students have adequate appreciation of the country’s tourism policies and regulations which will help them to effect compliance in the enterprises they will be managing after graduation. The module is also designed to expose students to the role and functions of international organizations in tourism. It helps students to appreciate the complexity of internationalization of the tourism sector and how Zimbabwe as a destination cooperates with other organizations at a regional and international arena in promoting global tourism. The module also covers: case law and statutory law; law of contract, law of sale, law of agency, Insurance law, specific legislations concerning the operation of hotels, place of entertainment, travel agency and tourist guide businesses, Employment Law: health and safety and welfare at work, common law duties, employee’s duties, employer’s duties, offences and penalties, contract of employment, unfair dismissal, retrenchment, Law of Delict: definition of a delict, negligence, breach of the duty of care, damage, causation, remoteness of damage, negligent misstatement, professional negligence, misrepresentation, Damages as a remedy, ordinary compensatory damages, aggravated damages, punitive/exemplary damages, contemptuous damages, nominal damages. Licensing laws and regulations and their applications in the hospitality and tourism industry; reduction and prevention of losses that may occur as a result of liability and negligence; spectrum of risks associated with operating hospitality and/or tourism businesses.
HMHT102	Fundamentals of Heritage Tourism Management and Culinary Arts	The module teaches students how to identify, develop, and promote tourism and hospitality products and services in which issues such as marketing, sales, advertising, and promotion for the tourism and hospitality industry will be explored, along with basic planning and financial. Students will gain understanding of complex issues such as cultural identity and representation and authenticity and commoditisation which are critical in heritage tourism. Students will learn about the importance of concepts such as planning, conservation of resources, monitoring and assessment, environmental audits, visitor management. Students will be provided with a larger global and regional perspective on sustainability issues related to tourism such as the impacts that it can have on a community’s sense of identity, control, and wellbeing and climate change. Students will learn about economic development; social and cultural impacts; strategic planning; stakeholder theory; community participation; destination life cycles; marketing and promotion; and social conflict.
HAHKS102	African Societies, Heritage and Indigenous Knowledge Systems	This module heightens the students’ awareness on African indigenous knowledge systems in the design and implementation of research in Africa. Its rallying thesis is that African indigenous knowledge and its methods of investigation cannot be divorced from African history, cultural context and worldview. The module conscientises students about the imperativeness of African indigenous ways of knowing useful for inspiring innovations that cause industries.
HAHKS203	Heritage and the Law	The module is core-taught with members from the Faculty of Law and is concerned with the legal frameworks for heritage ranging from formal legislative frameworks, traditional community based frameworks to international legal instruments and frameworks such as Charters and Conventions and will include evaluation of the adequacy and effectiveness of these instruments. Students should be able to utilise the different types of laws to protect cultural heritage.
HMHT201	Research Methods and Field Techniques	The module is co-taught with the Historians and is aimed at equipping students with skills to conduct qualitative and quantitative research relevant for different kinds of heritage. Historians will teach archival research and use of oral traditions, archaeologists/heritage experts teach heritage surveys, sampling, mapping and documentation techniques, significance assessment and valorisation. Students learn ethical issues involved when researching on heritage, especially when communities are involved.
HMHT202	Colonial and Postcolonial Semiotics and Tourism	In order for graduates of this module to effectively and professionally function as tourism consultants and be able to design competitive tourism policies and protocols, they must be conversant with the signs and symbols associated with tourism infrastructure and the ideology that inspired their construction. This module will, therefore, expose students to colonial and postcolonial value systems that shaped the design of a tourism culture and how this culture informed the meanings attached to places and objects of tourist attraction. The historical approach is significant as it reflects the changes (if any) and continuities in the semiotics and how these have impacted the status and socio-cultural and economic value of various heritage places and objects in Zimbabwe.
HMHT204	Creative Cultures	This module introduces students to the integral significance of creative cultures in tourism. We are here thinking of carnivals, literature festivals (like the Frankfurt Book Fair which is the biggest book Fair in the world), musical festivals (like the Jamaican Sumfest or Rebel Salute which have given rise to reggae tourism), fashion festivals, cultural festivals and so on. These can play an integral part in the development of tourist destinations. Students who graduate from this module are likely to be equipped with skills that will enable them to contribute to the growth of tourism locally and internationally through identifying potential tourist attractions embedded in creative cultures.
HMHT205	Fundamentals of Heritage Management	Students learn the origins and development of cultural heritage management across the globe, the theoretical frameworks that inform heritage management. They will learn key concepts in heritage management such as preservation, conservation including restoration and reconstruction, documentation, interpretation and presentation. Students should be aware of the legal and administrative frameworks for heritage management and stakeholder engagement. Students should have knowledge of international instruments and bodies that are critical in heritage management and be able to use this knowledge to help government institutions and communities. They should be able to articulate the role of Higher Education institutions in heritage management and be able to carry out heritage management tasks.
HMHT206	Indigenous Architecture and Material Culture	Skills to provide designs and models suited to the conditions obtaining in communities and historical time can be derived from a thorough examination and appreciation of indigenous architecture and material objects and products available in among the various ethnic groups in Zimbabwe. This module focuses on the architectural designs and the epistemology and experiential circumstances that informed those designs, on the one hand. On the other hand, it looks at the material objects and products and how they can be used to inspire creative ingenuity. The module allows students to work with gifted individuals and groups in communities and benefit from relevant disciplines such as architecture, design, philosophy and engineering.
HIA202	Zimbabwe Political History, Migration and Tourism	The module is offered by Historians and dwells on the internal and external dynamics of pre-colonial polities in Zimbabwe. It explores the nature of socio-economic and political organization of these states as well as their interaction with global forces. Students should be able to present the nature of pre-colonial societies in Zimbabwe and be able to explain major developments as reconstructed from oral, written and archaeological sources.
HIA208	History of Zimbabwe 1890 - 1980	In this module the student learns the various ddefinitions and categories of heritage (natural vs cultural, tangible vs intangible, underwater) covering archaeological, geological, indigenous knowledge systems, liberation heritage, museums, galleries and archives. The student learns aboutheritage values (local, regional and international) and significance assessment. While the module imparts knowledge about the heritage of Zimbabwe in its broad sense, it then details what is now known about the archaeological heritage of Zimbabwe. The students will visit archaeological and other heritage places and interact with communities to understand the values of the places visited. From this module, the students should be able to identify heritage items in their communities, thus spreading heritage awareness leading to the protection and safeguarding of the heritage. The module is co-taught with African Languages (languages as heritage).
HMHT207	Travelogue Writing	This module is meant to equip students with the ability to creatively write, critique and produce travel manuscripts and documentaries that focus on cultural heritage materials that are offered in tourism. The idea is to be able to travel and tell the stories of these travels in a way that points potential tourists towards potential cultural landscapes, food, customs, fashion, art and so on. Students who graduate from this module are likely to gain employment in the tourism ministry, travel and tour companies, television, film companies and so on. More enterprising ones can even form their own tourism companies in the form of consultancies and so on.
HMHT303	Zimbabwe Traditional Music and Dance Styles	The purpose of the module is to make students realize and appreciate the importance of traditional music and dance styles from Zimbabwe’s different ethnic groups. Most of the information stored in music and the cultural portrayal of dances as ‘visual’ music belong to the body of orature and thus are passed from generation to generation through oral and aural means. It is from these traditional music and dance styles that students will be able to understand their past as they forge into the future. The main aim of this module is to make students realize the utilitarian role of music and dance as cultural elements of a society. This module will also help students to document, preserve and archive music and dance. Students will be inspired to do documentaries of music and dance for repositories and for making money say in the tourism industry.
HMHT304	Toponymy, Linguistic Landscaping and Tourism	As tourism expects with strong language and culture background, graduates of this module should be able to provide consultancy on onomastic and linguistic landscaping strategies that promote both local and international tourism. The students must demonstrate the ability to connect onomastic meanings with socio-cultural and historical reality. The module will allow students to map tourism destinations, objects and products using technology based tools and acquire basic marketing and finance competencies that aid the commercialisation of tourism products using linguistic data. The module will include content on branding and commodification and multilingual literacy.
HMHT305	Heritage and Sustainable Development	The module is co-taught with Economic Historians and equips students with knowledge of the concepts of development and the contribution of heritage to sustainable development. Students will learn the application of indigenous knowledge systems in the mitigation of threats to societies and heritage. Economic Historians will teach the concepts of sustainable development and the theories involved while heritage professionals teach the role of heritage in sustainable development.
HMHT302	Tangible and Intangible Cultural Heritage and International Tourism	This module exposes students to Zimbabwe’s both tangible and intangible heritage, their identification, adaptation and their commodification. Students are expected to acquire skills that enable them to carry out field research and develop inventories and community and IT based designs for international consumption. They are expected to use ideas from their historical and epistemological understanding of cultural heritage to provide consultancies in establishing cultural industries for both the domestic and international market. The module will cover international regulations and conventions that promote the identification and preservation of cultural heritage as well as its integration in the mainstream economy.
HMHT301	Strategic Destination Development and Brand Management	The module introduces students to the fundamental concepts and principles of strategy, and equips students with the tools they need to formulate and implement strategies that will enhance the performance of the organisations that they join. The module explains how organisations manage their affairs in to be successful and sustain competitiveness and remain afloat locally, regionally and globally. The module will make use of the case study methodology, which ensures that students are actively involved in analysis and decision-making, and it brings practice into the classroom, and taps a wide variety of experience from other colleagues. There will be class discussion and activities, which tend to make learning an active process by requiring the attention and effort of students. I therefore impress upon students to have a sense of shared responsibility for learning. Besides general strategic development, students will also have an opportunity to learn and develop models in destination brand development and nurturing.
HMHT380	Work Related Learning	Students shall engage on activities whose cumulative effect is to satisfy requirements for industrial attachment. They go into communities and map (document) heritage resources in those communities. The record will be used by investors, rural and town planners. Students are expected to come up with databases of the heritage recorded with an articulation of its value/significance to the community documented. These will be presented in the form of a seminar with the final submission being a written report.
HAHKS302	Heritage Risk and Impact Assessment	By the end of the module students have knowledge of conducting heritage impact assessment. The students should know the legal requirements and best practices that are considered in heritage impact assessments. Students should be able to evaluate heritage risks and proffer mitigatory measures that lead to sustainable development whilst at the same time safeguarding and protecting the heritage. The module also equips students with skills relevant in managing heritage projects and conducting the Heritage Impact Assessments. Where the opportunity arises, students may participate in a real heritage impact assessment.
HAHKS305	Museum Management	By the end of the module students should be able to design and develop their own museums, work with communities in developing community museums and to work with existing museums and galleries to improve visitor management, collections management, risk management including storage and security. The students should be able to work with established museums on different aspects of museums including museum design, acquisition and interpretation of collections, presentation and exhibition of museum objects. Students should be able to carry out consultancy services to evaluate museum design and exhibition layouts recommend improvements.
HAHKS401	Cultural Heritage Technologies	This module explores the intersection of cultural heritage and technology, focusing on the role of digital tools and innovations in enhancing visitor experiences, preservation efforts, and destination management. It examines a range of technologies used in cultural heritage tourism, including virtual reality, augmented reality, mobile applications, digital storytelling, and geospatial technologies. The module also addresses the challenges and ethical considerations associated with the use of technology in cultural heritage contexts.
HAHKS403	Heritage Entrepreneurship	Students should be able to transform or make use of heritage material or knowledge into feasible heritage based business plans. The students should take all the necessary steps to develop the business plan and should pitch their plans in front of a panel that involves heritage experts and business personnel. Successful business ideas would be patented by the University and the student may pursue the business beyond this module.
HMHT400	Contemporary Music and Tourism	The purpose of this module is to examine music tourism in historical and geographical contexts assessing its local and global economic impact. The importance of the creative industries has come to be recognized as key drivers of employment, tourism, personal wealth and foreign income earning. Culture’s role in tourism is unquestioned. In Zimbabwe it is the primary reason a visitor comes to an area in the first place. The module will also focus on the multiculturalism perspective as indicated by singers like Macheso, Chimbetu and Jah Prayzah through their use of diverse languages as well as collaborations.
HLLIC406	Popular Culture	This module exposes students to the intersection of cultural values and the production of cultural meaning and cultural products through popular culture in Zimbabwe. The module conceptualizes and explores popular culture as those political, economic and cultural texts that are not only produced and consumed by society but also reflect, shape and are shaped by people’s lived experiences. Focusing on diverse popular cultural forms such as literature, the internet, social media, film, sport, music, graffiti, painting, sculpture, dance, cartoons, advertising, and also many subcultural movements, such hip hop and dancehall, that ultimately become mainstream, the module uses approaches that are both theoretical and practical in the study of popular culture. These are production, political economy and industry practices; representation and textual analysis; reception and audience studies. Popular cultural texts will be related to complex economic, political, social and global issues and how issues of power, ideology and resistance are interwoven in these cultural practices. The overarching goal of the module is the identification of both benefits and negative effects of popular culture with the sole objective of how the former can be harnessed for national transformation and the latter minimized or eradicated. Theoretically, students will be equipped with an understanding of the world via its mainstream and sub-cultures, an understanding that will enable students to navigate that world, create meaning out of it and position themselves in it as creators and consumers of meaning and culture. Practically, students who study this module will contribute to the growth of popular culture in Zimbabwe through research, working in the popular culture industry and also as producers of the popular culture themselves (writers, musicians, dancers, painters, among others). With popular cultural production and consumption driving the 4^th Industrial Revolution, this module is geared to equip students with knowledge and skills that will position them within that revolution and thus make practical contributions to the development of popular culture and its economic benefits to Zimbabwe.
HMHT460	Project	The project shall be on an approved topic and should be submitted at the end of the Second Semester of Level 4. The topic should satisfy the expectations of Education 5.0 by focussing on transforming heritage knowledge into production of goods and tourism services. The student may mobilise communities into viable tourism destinations. They should be able to come up with digital platforms or creations that enhance the tourism sector or for marketing heritage tourism destinations
LHM403	Tourism Planning and Operations Management	The module enables the students to understand the nature and complexity of the tourism industry and hence the need to effectively plan for its development. The module covers the nature of the tourism industry, rationale for tourism planning, scale and process of tourism planning, forms of planning, tourism management and managing different components of the tourism sector.