HISTORY OF ARDHI UNIVERSITY
The Ardhi University (ARU) was established after transforming the former University College of Lands and Architectural Studies (UCLAS) which was then a constituent college of the University of Dar es Salaam from 1st July 1996. The history of Ardhi University, however, dates back to 1956 when then Surveying Training School offering land surveying technician certificate courses was established at the present location of Mgulani Salvation Army Camp in Dar es Salaam. Then, that school was moved to the present location at which it is today (the Observation Hill) in 1958.
In 1972, the school became called Ardhi Institute. The Institute offered two-year diploma programmes in the fields of Land Surveying and Land Management and Valuation. In the same year a three-year Diploma program in Urban and Rural Planning was introduced.
By the Act of the Parliament No. 35 of 1974, Ardhi Institute was made a parastatal organisation and consequently the duration of two-years was extended to three years. Later in 1975, all the three-year diploma programes were upgraded to Advanced Diploma level. The Building Design and Building Economics courses started in 1976 and 1978 respectively. In the 1979, the Centre for Housing Studies was established as a joint project between the Government of Tanzania and the Netherlands. The centre has now grown into the Institute of Human Settlement Studies (IHSS).
In early 1980s, the Public Health Engineering (later named Environmental Engineering) course was introduced.
As pointed out earlier, in 1996 the Ardhi Institute was affiliated to the University of Dar es Salaam and became a constituent college of the University. It then became known as the University College of Lands and Architectural Studies (UCLAS). Two legal instruments, namely, Government Notice (GN) Number 148 of June 29th, 1996 and University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) Act No.12 of 1970 provided the basis for the establishment of UCLAS.
Within ten (10) years of its existence (i.e. 1996-2006) UCLAS increased the number of academic programmes from six (6) to thirty nine (39). The programmes ranging from diploma to PhD were offered by two faculties, that is, the Faculty of Architecture and Planning (FAP) and the Faculty of Lands and Environmental Engineering (FLEE).
As a result of those changes, student enrolment increased from only 400 in 1996 to about 1,400 in 2007. At the same time the number of academic staff with PhD increased from 3 in 1996 to 43 in 2008.
At last, Ardhi University came into being after the signing of Ardhi University Charter by His Excellency the President of United Republic of Tanzania, Hon. Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete on 28th March, 2007. The University Charter was prepared basing on the Universities Act No. 7 of 2005. The establishment of ARU went concurrently with the establishment of various schools.
PROGRAMS OFFERED BY ARDHI UNIVERSITY
There are different programs for Bachelor Degree, Postgraduate Diploma, Masters Degree and PHDs offered by Ardhi University under Four different schools and one Institute (for Postgraduate).
School of Architecture Construction Economics and Management (SACEM)
- Undergraduate Programmes
- Bachelor of Architecture (B. Arch)
- Bachelor of Science in Interior Design (BSc. ID)
- Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture (BSc. LA)
- Bachelor of Science in Quantity Surveying and Construction Economics (BSc. QSCE)
- Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering (BSc. CE)
- Postgraduate Programmes
- Postgraduate Diploma in Architecture (PGD Arch.)
- Postgraduate Diploma in Construction Economics and Management (PGD-CEM)
- Master of Architecture (M. Arch.)
- Master of Science in Construction Economics and Management (MSc. CEM)
- Doctor of Philosophy in Architecture (PhD Arch)
- Doctor of Philosophy in Construction Economics and Management (PhD CEM)
- Doctor of Philosophy in Construction Management (PhD CM)
- Doctor of Philosophy in Civil Engineering (PhD CE)
School of Earth Sciences, Real Estate, Business and Informatics (SERBI)
- Undergraduate Programmes
- Bachelor of Science in Land Management and Valuation (B.Sc. LMV)
- Bachelor of Science in Real Estate (Finance and Investment) (B.Sc. REFI)
- Bachelor of Science in Property and Facilities Management (B.Sc. PFM)
- Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Finance (B.Sc. AF)
- Bachelor of Science in Geomatics (BSc GM)
- Bachelor of Science in Geographical Information Systems and Remote Sensing (BSc GI & RS)
- Bachelor of Science in Computer Systems and Networks (BSc CSN)
- Bachelor of Science in Information Systems Management (BSc. ISM)
- Postgraduate Programmes
- Master of Science in Geomatics (MSc. Gm) - (By Coursework & Dissertation)
- Master of Science in Geomatics (MSc. Gm) - (By Thesis)
- Master of Science in Real Estate (MSc. RE) - (By Coursework & Dissertation)
- Master of Science in Real Estate (MSc. LM) - (By Thesis)
- Doctor of Philosophy in Geospatial Sciences (PhD GS) – By Thesis
- Doctor of Philosophy in Real Estate (PhD RE) – By Thesis
- Doctor of Philosophy in Land Administration (By Coursework & Dissertation)
- Doctor of Philosophy in Real Estate Economics (By Coursework & Dissertation)
School of Environmental Science and Technology (SEST)
- Undergraduate Programmes
- Bachelor of Science in Environmental Engineering (B.Sc. EE)
- Bachelor of Science in Municipal and Industrial Services Engineering (B.Sc. MISE)
- Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science and Management (B.Sc. ESM)
- Bachelor of Science in Environmental Laboratory Science and Technology (BSc.ELST)
- Postgraduate Programmes
- Master of Science in Environmental Technology and Management (MSc. ETM) - (By Coursework and Dissertation)
- Master of Science in Environmental Technology and Management (MSc. ETM) - (By Thesis)
- Master of Disaster Risk Management (M. DRM) - (By Coursework and Dissertation)
- Master of Disaster Risk Management (M. DRM)- (By Thesis)
- Doctor of philosophy in Environmental Engineering (PhD EE) - (By Thesis)
- Doctor of philosophy in Environmental Technology and Management (PhD ETM) - (By Thesis)
- Doctor of philosophy in Environmental Science and Management (PhD ESM)- (By Thesis)
- Doctor of philosophy in Disaster Management (PhD DM)- (By Thesis)
- Doctor of philosophy in Laboratory Science and Management (PhD LSM) - (By Thesis)
School of Spatial Planning and Social Studies (SPSS)
- Undergraduate Programmes
- Bachelor of Science in Urban and Regional Planning (BSc URP)
- Bachelor of Science in Regional Development Planning (B.Sc. RDP)
- Bachelor of Science in Housing and Infrastructure Planning (B.Sc. HIP)
- Bachelor of Arts in Economics (BAE)
- Bachelor of Arts in Community and Development Studies (BACDS)
- Postgraduate Programmes
- Master of Science in Urban Planning and Management (MSc. UPM)
- Master of Science in Urban and Regional Planning and Management (MSc. URPM)
- MSc. Transportation Sciences (MSc TS)
- Doctor of Philosophy in Urban and Regional Planning (PhD URP) – By Thesis
- Doctor of Philosophy in Urban Planning and Management (Housing and Infrastructure) (PhD UPM), - By Thesis
- Doctor of Philosophy in Economics (PhD Econ) – By Thesis
- Doctor of Philosophy in Urban and Regional Planning (By Coursework & Dissertation)
Institute of Human Settlement Studies (IHSS)
Training Programme of IHSS includes short courses, Postgraduate programmes (PGD, MSc. and PhD); on themes of Human Settlements Development and Management, Environmental Planning and Management, and Land Development and Management.
The postgraduate programmes offered are:
- PGD Housing;
- MSc. Housing;
- MSc. Public Policy Analysis and Programme Management;
- MA. Development Studies;
- PhD in Built Environment and Analysis;
- PhD in Climate Change Studies;
- PhD in Housing and Settlements Studies;
- PhD in Policy Analysis and Programme Management;
- PhD in Development Studies; and
- PhD in Urban Governance and Environmental Studies.