The Faculty of Economic Sciences and Management offers contemporary business and management courses which are highly regarded by employers. Its well designed programs are designed to produce competent, creative, responsible and productive graduates ready to respond to the needs of constantly changing labor market. Through this faculty, students can pursue a
specialization from any of the following area: Finance, Accounting, Human Resources Management, Marketing, Economics, Cooperative Management and Accounting.

DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE

About the program

The Department of Finance provides instruction to students in aspects of management and finance. Finance students learn how to raise funds, invest, allocate funds to investments, and manage capital. In addition to the core modules, students also learn general modules designed to provide with them general knowledge of humanities, social sciences, basic sciences, computer, languages and cross-cultures which will enable them to work well in multicultural environments.

The objectives of the Department of Finance are to:

• Train students in aspects of management and finance;
• Provide advanced training in specific areas pertaining to the field of business;
• Provide students with professional skills that will enable them to determine failure or success in business organizations;
• Expose students to knowledge, skills and values of good business practice;
• Produce responsible and competent professionals and leaders;
• Conduct academic research in finance.

The method of teaching integrates lectures with practical activities to enable students to understand the application of their studies. The program also enables students to develop strong ethical, critical, analytical, and problem solving skills to adapt the various finance models to dynamic business environment.

Degree awarded

Successful pursuit of this undergraduate program leads to the award of Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance.

Duration of the program

The duration for the Bachelor’s degree in Finance is 3 years for full-time students.

Graduate career prospects

Graduates in finance can work in a variety of settings including private and public sector firms, major corporations, investment banks and management consulting firms. Typical positions with a finance degree include but are not limited to Finance officer, Personal financial advisor, Financial controller, Financial manager, Treasurer, Credit manager, Loan officer, Cash manager, Financial analyst, Financial planner, Underwriter, Asset manager, Real estate broker, Public finance officer, Capital markets officer, portfolio manager, Operations manager, Branch
manager, Financial services sales agent, Investment advisor, etc. Furthermore, finance graduates are competent enough to launch their own businesses.

DEPARTMENT OF ACCOUNTING

About the program

 In Rwanda and elsewhere worldwide, there is a fast growing of the industry of financial institutions, financial markets, manufacturing companies, and commercial enterprises. The development of these industries needs a good number of qualified and competent accountants to boost it. In addition, almost every institution or organization needs a skilled accountant for the smooth running of its business. Students enrolled in the Accounting Department
learn to analyze how accounting is implicated in multifaceted range of institutional and organizational processes of calculation, reporting and evaluation and, therefore, grasp the potential of accounting in a wide range of settings. In this way, Accounting students are enabled to better understand the financial structure of an organization, produce and analyze financial information.

Degree awarded

Successful completion of this program leads to the award of Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting.

Duration of the program

The duration for the Bachelor’s degree in Accounting is 3 years for full-time students.

Graduates career prospects

Accounting degree provides career opportunities at different levels in many, if not all, industries. Specific jobs vary widely among the four major field of accounting and auditing, namely public accounting, management accounting, government accounting, and internal accounting. These jobs include Accountant, Auditor, Budget analyst, Financial analyst, Bank manager, Cashier, Tax collector, Revenue agent, Purchasing agent, Payroll manager, Actuary, Accounting clerk, Senior accountant, Accounting manager, Cost accountant, Controller, Financial officer, Budget Controller/officer, Loan officer, Treasurer, Underwriter, Appraiser, Bookkeeper, Consultant, etc. Accounting graduates can also become self-employed.

DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT

 About the program

Human Resources Management (HRM) has become an important component of success in almost all organizations (public, private and non-profit). It is an interdisciplinary study program involving human resources, social science, business and communication. 

The Human Resources Management major at UNILAK is set to provide students with tangible skills meant to enhance their leadership, organizational and interpersonal skills; thereby enabling them to oversee employment of personnel. All the courses provided are specifically designed to equip students with skills and knowledge pertaining to staffing, maintaining a strong workforce, compensation and benefits, organizational development, training and career development, handling employee relations, drafting contracts, negotiating salaries, mediating personnel conflicts, and employment law.

Degree awarded

Successful completion of this program leads to the award of Bachelor of Business Administration in Human Resources Management.

Duration of the program

The duration for the Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources Management is 3 years for full-time students.

Graduates career prospects

 Graduates with bachelor’s degree in Human Resources Management are exposed to the vast array of careers opportunities in small or large organizations within almost any industry. Some of the most common job titles in the field include: Human resources manager,
Human resources assistant, Human resources specialist, Human resources director, General manager, Labor relations manager, Employee relations manager, employment and placement manager, Benefits manager/specialist, Payroll officer/manager, Compensation and benefits analyst/officer/specialist/manager, Training and development manager/specialist, Corporate recruiter/recruiting manager, Corporate trainer, Customer service representative, Human resources representative, among other possibilities. It should be made clear that a human resources degree can eventually lead to a top managerial or executive position.

DEPARTMENT OF MARKETING

 About the program

The role of any organization’s marketing department in its success is undeniable. This scenario calls for highly skilled and employable marketing professionals to fulfill the needs of dynamic business environments.

It is against this background that the Department of Marketing at UNILAK was established. This department aimed at training caliber graduates ready to meet the needs of the industry by
developing an understanding of consumer behaviour and the broader environment within the operations of the organization; identifying, communicating with, and satisfying customers;  creating a positive image of the organization; among others. Our marketing courses enables undergraduates students to develop a mastery of their profession, operate effectively in today’s competitive market and deliver exceptional services by fulfilling the needs of any industry’s customers, stakeholders and employees.

Degree awarded

The Department of Marketing offers courses leading to the award of Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing.

Duration of the program

The duration for the Bachelor’s degree in Marketing is 3 years for full-time students.

Graduates career prospects

Marketing is a large field that is required by almost every type of business. Marketing graduates can be assigned to a wide variety of marketing functions such as: advertising, sales management, general marketing management, marketing research, marketing strategy, public relations, retail management, database marketing, E-commerce marketing, consumer promotions and special events marketing, brand/product management, global marketing, purchasing and distribution management, services marketing, marketing communications, customer relationship
management, etc. Some of the positions graduates with a marketing degree might land in include those of marketing manager, product manager, sales manager, advertising manager, brand manager, retail manager, communications manager, market researcher, events and promotions manager, public relations, and many more.

DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMICS

About the program

Economics has an impact in almost every aspect of our lives. Being the study of how individuals, businesses, and governments choose to allocate resources to best satisfy their objectives; economics helps students to:

• understand the functioning of markets, of firms, and of financial organizations;
• understand public debate about economic policy, including taxation and government expenditure, trade and globalization, health and welfare;
• master a variety of tools and skills for the effective communication of economic ideas and discussion of economic issues
• make rational economic choices for their own lives and decisions on various social issues.

The compelling evidence that economics education can improve knowledge base of students in critical areas such as micro and macro economics and other branches of economics such as development economics, public finance, agricultural economics, monetary economics, entrepreneurship development, health economics and economics policy analysis among others; provide strong justification to invest in economics education, hence the Department of Economics has been established.

Briefly, the study of economics, perhaps more than any other social science, has a significant and long-term impact on the lives of students and helps to develop in students a concern for the wellbeing of the family, society, the nation and the world.

Degree awarded

Successful pursuit of undergraduate program in Economics leads to the award of Bachelor of Arts in Economics.

Duration of the program

The period of study for the undergraduate program in Economics is three years for full time students.

Graduates career prospects

Economics graduates can be employed as: Accountant, Actuary, Auditor, Bank manager/officer/representative, Claims adjuster, Credit analyst, Budget analyst, Market
surveyor, Controller, Manager, Data processing manager, Economist, Environmental economist,
Government analyst, Industry analyst, Insurance agent, Labor relations specialist, Land use economist, Macroeconomist manager, Microeconomist, Mineral economist, Operations manager, Packing analyst, Purchasing planner, Risk analyst, Sales manager, Stock broker, Systems analyst, Tax preparer/examiner, Internal revenue agent, Underwriter, Econometrician, Economics teacher/lecturer, etc.

DEPARTMENT OF COOPERATIVE MANAGEMENT AND ACCOUNTING

About the program

Cooperative movement is the heart of our country’s progress, cutting across all sectors. However, the growth of cooperative sector demands to have managers who are well grounded in cooperative business. Although these Managers can as well apply knowledge from other disciplines to manage cooperatives or even to formulate policies for the sector, yet knowledge and through understanding of the essence of cooperative management is still a prerequisite for a successful cooperative sector. Not only that, but also it is indisputable fact that cooperative business is unique, thus, having Managers who fully understand how cooperatives work will be a boom to the sector which in turn will realize its very goal of becoming a vehicle for rapid economic development.

To this end, the Department of Cooperative Management and Accounting at UNILAK aims at equipping the undergraduate candidates to deal with complex issues of cooperative development and management in the national and international competitive business environment.

Degree awarded

Successful completion of this undergraduate program shall lead to the award of Bachelor of arts in Cooperative Management and Accounting.

Duration of the program

The duration for the Bachelor’s degree in Cooperative Management and Accounting is 3 years for full time students.

Graduates career prospects

Graduates from the Department of Cooperative Management and Accounting should be able to take up managerial, promotional, and accounting positions in cooperatives, community development, government, and non-government establishments. They should therefore be employed as: Cooperative accountant, Front office savings clerk, Cooperative personnel manager, Cooperative manager, Cooperative supervisor, Cooperative facilitator, Cooperative credit officer, SACCO managing director/advisor, Cooperative consultant, Accountant, etc. They can also run and manage their own cooperative businesses.