The Department of African Languages and Literature offers a two-year Master of Arts Programme by coursework and Dissertation. Subject to the provisions of General Regulation 400 governing such programmes, the following Departmental Regulations shall apply:
1.0.1 The normal minimum entrance requirement for admission to the Master of Arts Programme in the Department of African Languages and Literature shall be a Major in African Languages and Literature in a Single or Combined Major Programme in a Bachelor of Arts Degree programme from the University of Botswana or other recognised institutions, with a general classification of “2” in the subject of African Languages and Literature.
1.0.2 The Department may admit candidates with other qualifications, which, in the view of Senate, are deemed to be acceptable from their academic or professional relevance.
In the normal offering of the Programme, students are required to complete two semesters of coursework and two semesters of Dissertation. The coursework will be offered in three streams. The students will be free to choose the stream they wish to follow.
1.1.1 Stream A consists of courses from both African Languages and Literature. The Programme comprises as follows:
a) Six core courses from Language and Literature, including a course in research methods;
b) Four optional courses from Language and Literature, up to two of which may be taken as electives from other departments;
c) Two compulsory non-credit courses aimed at providing special skills.
2.1.2 Stream B consists of African Languages and Linguistics courses. The Pro-gramme comprises the following:
a) Four core Linguistics courses, including a course in research methods;
b) Six optional courses from the Language options up to three of which may be taken as electives from other departments;
c) Two compulsory non-credit courses aimed at providing special skills.
2.1.3 Stream C consists of African Oral and Written Literature courses. The Programme is comprised as follows:
a) Four core Literature courses, including a course in research methods;
b) Six optional courses from the Literature options, up to three of which may be taken as electives from other departments;
c) Two compulsory non-credit courses aimed to provide special skills.
1.1.4 A student will usually be required to obtain a total of at least 24 credits.
1.1.5 Upon completion of coursework, a student will be expected to do Dissertation ALL701, which will normally be undertaken in two semesters. The Dissertation will be 24 credits.
1.1.6 In the Coursework and Research Essay option, candidates may do additional coursework in three semesters consisting of:
a) Nine core courses including a course in Research Methods;
b) Seven optional courses from Language and Literature, up to three of which may be taken as electives from other departments;
c) Two compulsory non-credit courses aimed at providing special skills.
2.1.7 The Research Essay ALL 702 will normally be written in one semester, and will be equivalent to six courses or 12 credits.
1.2.1 To proceed from Part One to Part Two of the Master of Arts Programme in African Languages and Literature, the candidate shall normally be expected to complete the coursework and pass all the courses in Part One.
1.2.2 Assessment shall normally be by continuous assessment. Where examinations are required, the weighting shall be as follows:
a) Sixty per cent (60%) continuous assessment;
b) Forty per cent (40%) end-of semester examination.
The progression requirements shall follow General Regulation 40.6.
The following is a synopsis of the Master of Arts courses offered by the Department of African Languages and Literature:
ALL 601 Research Methods and Dissertation Planning (C)
ALL 611 Phonetics and Sound Transcription (C)
ALL 612 Grammatical Theory and Analysis (C)
ALL 613 African Literature and Literary Theory I (C)
ALL 614 Poetics of Orality and Intertextuality in Africa
ALL 621 Current Approaches in Phonology
(Pre: ALL 611)
ALL 622 Semantics and Pragmatics
ALL 623 Studies in Historical and Comparative Linguistics
ALL 624 Translation Theory and Practice in Africa
ALL 625 Theory and Practice in African Lexicography
ALL 626 Linguistic Theory and the Teaching of African Languages
ALL 631 The Major Writers of Southern Africa
ALL 632 Advanced Creative Writing I
ALL 633 African Theatre and Drama
ALL 634 African Philosophical Thought and the Arts
ALL 635 Gender and Genre in African Literature
ALL 636 Pedagogical Approaches to Literary and Cultural Studies
ALL 641 Phonological Analysis (Pre: ALL 611)
ALL 642 Grammatical Description (Pre: ALL 612)
ALL 643 African Literature and Literary Theory II (C)
ALL 644 Myth and Ritual in Africa (C)
ALL 651 Current Approaches to Morphological Analysis
ALL 652 Discourse Analysis and Stylistics
ALL 653 Bantu Linguistics (Pre: ALL 623)
ALL 654 Studies in Sociolinguistics
ALL 655 Language Acquisition and Pathology
ALL 661 Current Issues in Botswana Literature
ALL 662 Advanced Creative Writing II
ALL 663 The Written Literature in Africa
ALL 664 Literature, Ideology and Culture
ALL 665 Oral Traditions of the Khoesan and Other Cultures in Botswana
ALL 666 Metaphor and Interpretation
ALL 671 Computer-Aided Learning and Research
ALL 672 Language Reading Proficiency
(in a major SADC Language e.g Swahili, Zulu, Shona, etc)
ALL 701 Dissertation
ALL 702 Research Essay