Open University of Tanzania: General Information

Honorary Degrees Awardees

• The late Dr. Julius K. Nyerere, First President of the URT – Doctor
  of letters (Honoris Causa) 1999.
• Nelson Mandela: First President of South Africa – Doctor of letters
  (Honoris Causa) Sept. 2003.
• Dr. Koichiro Matsuura, director General of UNESCO – Doctor of Laws
  (Honoris Causa).
• Benjamin W. Mkapa – President of URT – Doctor of letters (Honoris
  Causa) 2003.
• Jane Goodall – Doctor of Science (Honoris Causa – 2006)

Support Services

• Regional Centres – The Open University of Tanzania is administered
  through Regional Centres.
• There are 25 Regional Centres at the moment 23 in the Mainland and one
  in Unguja and one Pemba
• Orientation Sessions are held at the start of each Academic year.
• Face to face sessions are conducted twice a year but there are enhanced
  face to face where need arises and for evening programmes for MBA; and M.A
  Tourism courses.
• Distribution of study materials, Course outlines, soft copies of Study
  materials, video and Audio Cassettes.
• Provision and access to library Services at Regional Libraries and Mini
  Libraries at the Regional

Centres

• Assessment of students Academic progress through assignments, timed Tests and annual examinations.
• Facilitation of Communication with students through the use of telecommunication
  infrastructure as well as postal and courier services.
• Facilitation of students government activities.
• Guidance and counseling of students

Mode of Study

All students of the Open University of Tanzania study by distance education
methods whereby their respective study materials are supported by face to face
sessions conducted twice ore more in each academic year.

As part of the assessment students have to do two assignments, two Timed Tests
and an annual examination for each course of study one has registered for. students
in the Science, Geography and Education courses have to do practicals as the
case may be. In some Faculties like Law and Business Management students have
to write a Research paper.

Extra Curricula Activities

The Open University of Tanzania apart from having academic programmes it also
involves students and staff in extra curricula activities like sports and various
Games. The games most popular to the University are football, netball, basket
ball and dancing. The Open University of Tanzania has links with the following
Organizations:

• The Commonwealth of Learning
• The Association of Commonwealth Universities
• The International Association of Universities
• The Open University of the United Kingdom
• The Zimbabwe Open University
• The Book Aid International
• The University of South Africa
• The David Anderson Africa Trust
• The Abo Akademi University of Finland
• The African Council for Distance Education
• The Inter University Council of East Africa

Participation of the OUT in Poverty Reduction

• Most graduates of the Open University of Tanzania go back to their Institutions
  or their Villages and use their new skills for production.
• The graduates of the Open University of Tanzania become more efficient
  in doing their work after training. Thus they Contribute in reducing Poverty.
• The Open University provides consultancy Services to the Communities around.
• The spread of the Open University of Tanzania in all Regions enables the
  disadvantaged like disabled, women and young people to advance themselves.
• The Open University of Tanzania is involved in training Form Six Leavers
  to be Secondary School teachers.
• The Open University of Tanzania has established an HIV-AIDs Unit to assist
  in HIV-AIDs prevention.
• The Open University of Tanzania has established subjects which help to educate
  people in environment matters in the Faculty of Arts and Social Science and
  is conducting Research on Water Resources in the Faculty of Science, Technology
  and Environmental Studies.