1. Rationale
As a result of the local language policy which was stipulated in the education and training policy of the 1994, many of the local languages have been used in primary education. In addition, some previously marginalized languages, including Afan Oromo have got ample opportunity to be the language of education and they are being taught at high schools and higher institutions as a subject. Due to the reforms taken place in the early 1990s, Afan Oromo become a language of socio-cultural economy, government and media. Therefore, the Oromo people and the government (particularly, Oromia Regional State) need Afan Oromo to be a language of education, office, courts, trades and inter-ethnic communication in order to develop and preserve the indigenous cultures and literatures of Oromo people. On top of that, the government (especially the Oromia Regional State), needs well-qualified professionals in Afan Oromo who can participate in the sustainable development quality of education at all levels.
Thus, the department of Afan Oromo also believes that launching of this program would add a lot to the contribution of qualified manpower and provision of quality education in Afan Oromo at all levels of education in the region. It also enhances the development of Oromo cultures, language and its literatures as it intends to train graduates for the same purpose.
The introduction of this program has also various advantages for the society. It strengthens the capacity to carryout language-based study of Oromo culture and the indigenous knowledge embedded in the culture. On top of that, it enhances the capacity to study the relationship between the Oromo culture and other cultures in Ethiopia.
Since Language, education and development are closely interrelated in the socio-economic progress of nations and nationalities, it is not viable to ignore the role of language in education. Thus, to bring sustainable development and quality education, qualified personnel in language of education is vital for a nation.
Accordingly, the increasing demand for Afan Oromo in various sectors like education, offices, local courts, trade, inter-ethnic communications and others creates a high need for advanced knowledge of this language, so that it enables the professionals to learn and work with it effectively.
2. Program Description
The Masters of Art in Afan Oromo (MA in Afan Oromo) has been designed for graduates in Afan Oromo, Amharic and English. It helps them to develop their professional expertise and further their understanding in the areas of Afan Oromo. The program explores a range of issues relating to language (Afan Oromo) teaching, sociolinguistic aspects, literature/folklore, applied linguistics and socio-cultural contexts. It develops themes relating to the practical issues of research in language and in the context of language and particularly, Afan Oromo. It also investigates the theoretical issues of language development in education in the light of recent development. The program has the following three Streams: MA in Afan Oromo Teaching Stream, MA in Applied Linguistics in Afan Oromo Stream and MA in Oromo Literature.
3. Admission Requirement
All graduates from Bachelor of Art/education in Afan Oromo Teaching, Linguistics, and Literature such as Amharic and English can apply for admission to the M.A in Afan Oromo studies. However, the candidates will be required to take and pass an entrance examination (written & oral) to be eligible for admission. The entrance examination will be prepared to identify competent candidates. The candidates will be short listed based on their performances in the entrance examination and their undergraduate CGPA. Candidates are required to fill application forms and bring letter of recommendations from three academic referees to be submitted to the University’s Registrar. They are also required to submit letter of sponsorship from a government agency or a non- governmental organization (NGO) or proof of financial capacity by self-sponsors.
4. Graduation Requirements
As a graduation requirements for MA in Afan Oromo studies, candidates are required to get a minimum Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 3.0 (equivalent to B’s in all the courses taken). But a candidate with one ‘C’ grade for one course and CGPA of 3.0 or above is also legible for graduation. Candidates are also required to complete a supervised thesis of six credit hours as a partial fulfillment of the requirements for graduation and the thesis should be defended and approved by Board of Examiners. The corrected versions of the thesis should be submitted within 3 weeks of thesis defense examination.
5. Degree Nomenclature
Upon successful completion of the program, candidates will be awarded Master of Arts Degree in Afan Oromo (Digirii Maastarsii Aartii Afaan Oromoo (የኣርት ማስቴርስ ዲግሪ በአፋን ኦሮሞ) with reference to one of the following fields of specialization:
- Afan Oromo Teaching (Education),
- Applied Linguistics in Afan Oromo and
- Oromo Literature