GENERAL STUDIES UNIT

An Academic Resource Center

Programme Philosophy
                The General Studies Department was established at the inception of the University as a non-degree awarding unit, providing for the cultural socialization needs of students of Science and Technology.  To this end, it provides programes in English as a Second Language, the Humanities and Social Sciences.  The courses in the Department are intended to aid communication and the understanding of the social structure within which science and Technology develop as well as the relationship of the scientist with his/her society.  General Studies courses are aimed at producing graduates who can make their professions relevant to contemporary problems and needs of the Nigerian society.
In addition to this, the General Studies Department provides training at  post-graduate levels in Management and Financial Studies.

Programmes in the Department equip the students with the following:

Instruction in communication, study skills and English for Academic Purposes (EAP) to the end that: they;

·          learn and communication more effectively in English as a second language.

·          make useful intellectual and academic contributions to topical environmental   issues such as HIV/AIDS, Pollution, Forest Conservation, Natural Disasters and the likes. Their contributions will take the form of class seminars and a word-processed supervised term paper that has undergone peer-review.

·          provide opportunity for students to develop multiliteracies using the channels of the new media such as the internet, to garner information for class assignments.

OBJECTIVES OF PROGRAMMES

The Unit’s programmes equip the students with the following:

(i)                   Instruction in English for Academic Purposes (EAP)/ English for Science and Technology (EST) to students of various disciplines to the end that they can learn and communicate more effectively in English as a second language

(ii)                 Knowledge of African History, Society and Culture, for the understanding of the past and present; the peculiarities of the African political economy, the technological gap and the problem of under-development.

(iii)                An African Cultural Identity with respect for moral and societal values in order to strengthen a sense of national awareness, loyalty, identity and unity.

(iv)                Knowledge of the structure of the Nigerian economy and the process of employing the scarce productive resources to achieve economic self sufficiency.

(v)                  Orientation needed for the integration of scientific and technological

knowledge for socio-economic development and improvement of the quality of life of Nigerian citizens.

 UNITS

The Department has three units;

English Unit
This unit handles study skills courses such as Use of English and Information Retrieval.  The Information Retrieval is taught by academic staff from the University Library. 

Philosophy and Humanities Unit

This unit provides instruction in history, culture and philosophy

Management Unit

In this unit, instruction is provided in Sociology, Accounting, Economics, Management and Business administration.

All the units jointly provide academic consulting both within and outside the University.  Outreach course are also provided on demand.

ACADEMIC PROGRAMMES

Degree Courses

University Required Courses                            

CONTACT HOURS

COURSE               COURSE TITLE                   L              T              P             U

GNS 101               Use of English I                   1              1              0              2

GNS 102               Use of English II                  1              1              0              2

GNS 104               Information Retrieval          1              0              0              1

GNS 202               Principles of Economics    2              1              0              3

                                Total                                                                                         8

NOTE:  All students are required to take GNS 101, 102, 104 and 202

Specialized Course (as options in Degree Granting Departments)

                                                                                                L              T              P             U

GNS 106               Logic and Philosophy                         1              1              0              2

“       201                 Man and His Environment                 1              1             0              2

“       203                 Nigerian History and Culture            1              1              0              2

“       301                 Managerial Economics                      2              1              0              3

“       304                 Principles of Accounting                    2              1              0              3

“       501                 Industrial Management                     2              1              0              3

“       503                 Project Analysis                                 2              1              0              3

“       504                 Entrepreneurship                              2              1              0              3

                                Total                                                                                                     21

COURSE DESCRIPTION

GNS 101:  USE OF ENGLISH 1: Study Skills (2 UNITS)

Time management, Study aids, Scientific word building:  Word group Aspects of grammar; Prepositions tenses and the sentence; Listening and Lecture Comprehension; Note taking and note-making. Reading; purposes, aids, speed, comprehension; spelling and punctuation;

GNS 102:  USE OF ENGLISH II – Integrated Skills (2 UNITS)

Awareness raising; Gathering/generating ideas/information for writing.                 Writing a well-researched, well-written and supervised term paper:

Structuring the essay; Writing a first draft: Introductions and Conclusions; main sections; citations and bibliography; interpreting graphic and pictorial information; peer reviewing; Quotations and Referencing. Answering exam questions.

GNS 104   INFORMATION RETRIEVAL (1 UNIT)

Libraries and the organization of knowledge:  Types of Libraries and the Various forms of recorded knowledge; Organization and retrieval of Knowledge catalogues; classification schemes Practical use of catalogues. Information retrieval methods and techniques: Use and evaluation of Information sources and tools: Dictionaries, encyclopedias, serial Publications, abstracts and indexes; Guide to the Literature of   specific Subjects; Information gathering methods and project writing;

Practical use of information sources and tools.

GNS 106:  LOGIC AND PHILOSOPHY (2 UNIT

The nature and scope of Philosophy.  Branches of Philosophy. Philosophy Science. African Philosophy. General Introduction to Logic Deductive and Inductive reasoning.  Symbolic logic.  Truth Value tables: connectives, affirmation, negation, conjunctions, alternation, Conditional and bi- conditional.  Grouping and telescoping.  Formal  fallacies and Informal fallacies.

GNS 201: MAN AND HIS ENVIRONMENT

A:  Social Environment as an aspect of the ecosystem.  Man, society and Culture.  Social structure and social institutions.  The social structure of Nigeria.  Social  change and development.  Technology and social change Social and psychological consequences of change.  Ethical revolution

B:  Scope of politics.  Political systems in Nigeria.  Comparative Political Structure.  The Nigerian political systems.  Development of Nigerian      constitution.  Presidential system of government.  The role of the Executive, Legislature and Judiciary.  The problems of federalism in a multi-ethnic society and the question for national unity.

GNS 202:  PRINCIPLES OF ECONOMICS  (3 UNITS)

Scope and methodology of economic study.  Price mechanism.  Demand and supply.  Theory of production.  Forms of business organization.  Market structures, Money and banking.  The national income, International trade, Economic growth and development.  The role of the government in the Economy.

GNS 203  NIGERIAN HISTORY AND CULTURE (2 UNITS)

Introduction to Nigerian History.  Introduction to Nigerian Culture: Sources of Nigerian history; Primitive science and technology;  Penetration of Christianity and Islam Traditional; political structures and administration..  Modern day politics and culture:  Role of culture in development;  Culture and Socialization; Festival and ritual in Nigerian culture;  Festival as drama.  Nigeria Literature.  The quest for appropriate technology.  Cultural revival.

GNS 301:  MANAGERIAL ECONOMICS (3 UNITS)

Scope of Managerial Economics.  Managerial models.  Revenue of the firm.  Production decisions.  Cost of production.  Profit analysis of the firm.  Pricing techniques.  Location and localization of Industries.  Industrial growth in Nigeria.  The size of the firm.  Integration and diversification.  Marketing Demand and Forecasting.  Distributive trade in Nigeria.  Business finance.  Investment.  Capital budgeting and management control.  Government policies and the firm.

GNS 304:  PRINCIPLES OF ACCOUNTING (3 UNITS)

Terminology and conceptual framework of Accounting.  Nature of business transaction.  Functions, concepts and conventions of Accounting.  The structure of business accounts.  Double entry principles.  Preparation of accounts of sole trader.  The cash book, journals and journal entries into the ledger.  Trial balance, correction of errors reconciliation of bank statement.  Final accounts; trade accounts, profit and loss account, the balance sheet, control accounts.  Allocation of expenditure between capital and revenue.  Recreation of reserve and provisions., the treatment of accrued expenditures and payments in advance.  Depreciation accounts of non-profit making organizations.  Consignments.  Hire purchase accounts and joint ventures .

GNS 501:  INDUSTRIAL MANAGEMENT (3 UNITS)

Management principles and practice for enhance efficiency in an establishment, including Management functions; Tools of management: forecasting planning, execution, organization, control, delegation of authority.  Human relation.  Motivation.  Workgroups in an industrial set-up.  Leadership, Personnel management.  Capital structure, sources of funds, financial and operating ratios to measure results and efficiency share/dividend/profit plans.  Break-even analysis.  Budgetary control, market research and product development.

GNS 503:  PROJECT ANALYSIS (3 UNITS)

Fundamentals of project analysis, classification of projects.  The project in relation to the economy.  Data requirements, location and size of project.  Capital budgeting.  The investment decision, incorporating time, risk, uncertainty and externalities into decision models.  Project appraisal and sensitivity analysis.  Evaluation of projects – financial/social profitability.

GNS 504:  ENTREPRENEURSHIP (3 UNITS)

Aspects of starting a business.  Selecting a promising idea, initiating enterprises, explicating opportunities and obtaining initial finance.  Market analysis.  Legal aspects of starting a business.  Accounting and special tax problems.  Going public, selling out, acquisitions,. Bankruptcy and diversification decisions. Family involvements entrepreneurial succession.  Management, organization and control Student’s business proposal.

POSTGRADUATE COURSES

Two postgraduate progammes are currently located in the unit.  Master of Technology in Management (M.Tech (MGT) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) in Management.

The Department has a Language Resource Laboratory that houses a well stocked library with books on various disciplines such as communication skills, English for Academic Purpose (EAP), Politics Philosophy, Management etc.  Also there is a Reading Room for students, audio-visual equipment and internet facilities.

Further Details please contact:

Admissions Office
The Federal University of Technology, Akure
P.M.B 704,
Akure, Ondo-State.
Nigeria.