Interdisciplinary Approach

From the establishment of the School of Health Sciences in 1966, AUW has perused an interdisciplinary approach to programs and courses. Moreover, the overall interdisciplinary approach adopted by the School of Health Sciences has always aimed at a continuous improvement of teaching methodology, evaluation and development of curricula. This is to bridge the gap between medical, technological and sociological education. In this respect, graduates of the School of Health Sciences are prepared to interact positively with various scientific fields:

-The Medical Field: Through the interaction with Community Health Program Management Specialization (Option).

-The Nutritional and Agricultural Fields: Through the interaction with Food and Nutrition Specialization (Option).

-The Food Technology Field: Through the interaction with Food Science and Technology Specialization (Option).

Objectives of the School

The general objective of the School of Health Sciences is to educate and train a motivated, qualified cadre of women to act as change agents in the areas of nutrition, community health management and food science and technology to improve the quality Sudanese community of life.

Specific objectives of the program include:

Generation of well-equipped graduates capable of tackling and managing food and nutrition and health problems among the Sudanese communities with particular emphasis on rural areas.

Preparation of specified cadre of planners capable of identifying and utilizing available resources in generating appropriate solutions to common health, food and nutrition problems at community level with emphasis on rural areas.

Preparation of a cadre qualified in the area of Food Science and Technology for the promotion of food industry with particular emphasis on intermediate technology in rural areas to serve the work-force of their community.

The Curriculum

The curriculum is based on a combination of a credit hour system (CHS) and a semester system. The award of the B.Sc. honor degree is conditioned by successfully completing all the university and school courses within the academic period of 5 years, divided into 10 semesters. In the fifth year students specialize in one of the three above-mentioned options.

All courses are compulsory and are taken by all students up to fourth year. In fifth year students are divided into the three options. Admission into any option depends on academic performance, available places and student preference (as far as possible).

Generally practical work constitutes 30% of the final grade while theory constitutes 70% unless otherwise stated. All the offered courses are compulsory. Students are also required to carry out graduation projects

Options and specialization (5th year)

A. Food and Nutrition Option: Applied Nutrition, Clinical Nutrition, Nutrition Program Management, Nutrition Problems Seminar, Mother and Child Nutrition, Food and Nutrition Policy and Planning, and Research Project.

B. Community Health Management Option: Communicable and Non-Communicable Diseases, Women and Child Health, Advanced Population Education, Health Education, Health Program Policy and Planning, Health Problems Seminar and Research Project, Health Economics and Health Care Finance.

C. Food Science and Technology Option: Food Engineering, Food Enzymology, Food Processing, Processed Food Seminar, Food Toxicology, Food Acceptability and Sensory Evaluation, Food Quality Control and Quality Assurance and Research Project.

Though the offered options may appear as independent entities, yet they are very well linked and interrelated with one another. The characteristic and distinguishing feature of these specializations is their concern with the welfare of the society. This renders the gained knowledge vivid, practical and realistic, and hence contributing to solving some urgent problems with particular emphasis to Sudanese and other similar societies in the region.

Opportunities for Employment

The continual development of curricula to keep pace with the scientific leaps in a diversity of areas, led to the innovation of a number of specialization that paved the way for the Master Degree Program in Human Nutrition. Accordingly, more chances of employment became available for our graduates in so many institutions, including:

Ministry of Health:

- Health Programs Management.

- Primary Health Care Centers.

- Research and Statistics Centers.

- Mother and Child Health Centers.

- Health Education.

- Hospitals.

- Nutrition Programs Management.

- Ministry of Agriculture.

- Ministry of Planning and Economics.

- Ministry of Education.

- Ministry of Social Affair's.

- Ministry of Youth and Sport.

- Ministry of Culture and Information.

- Universities and Higher Education Institutions.

- Governmental Voluntary Organizations.

- Non- governmental Organizations (National and International).

- Higher Council for Conservation of Environmental Resources.

- Women Development Departments in all the Ministries.

The School Infrastructure

The School of Infrastructure makes use of the laboratories of the Center for Science and Technology which are well equipped for different aspects of practical training and are considered among the best of similar units in institutions of higher education in Sudan. The laboratories include:

- Chemistry and Biochemistry Laboratory

- Biology and Microbiology Laboratory

- Physics Laboratory

- Clinical Chemistry Laboratory

- Botany Laboratory

- Physiology Laboratory

- Multipurpose (Histology and Parasitology) Laboratory

- Nutrition (Multipurpose) Laboratory

- Food Laboratory

- Skills Laboratory

- Microbiology Research Laboratory

- General Research Laboratory

- Ornamental Plants Nursery

School of Health Sciences