Identified Competency Focus Areas and Selected Courses for National Exit

Examination

Program: Bachelor of Arts Degree in History and Heritage Management

Compiled By:
Yishak Alemayehu (Dire Dawa University)

Desta Roba (Hawassa University

September, 2022
Hawasa, Ethiopia
 1. Introduction
In terms of its nature, as it is true for other disciplines, the knowledge of history is expansive.
History is the totality of the human past stretched in such distant past. Currently history is
discussing every facets of human activity in the past. The versatile nature of the knowledge of
history demands the inclusion of the human past, culture, politics, heritage and environment.
It is indispensable to realize the societal need of history and the urgency to make the
knowledge of the past usable. A perpetual dialogue between the past and the present is a
common phenomenon which is very popular in our country, being paramount in recent years.
In such dialogue contemporary society continuously refer its collective achievements in the
past while living today and projecting the future. However, failure to understand the past
would lead societies into unending misunderstanding, mess and backwardness.
This strongly disagrees with the true essence of learning history which is to take lesson from
the past. One can say, in Ethiopia, there encounter absence of proper and balanced knowledge
and understanding of historical knowledge among societies. History has never been immune
from being vulgarized and mystified. Moreover, there is still a belief that history has nothing
to contribute in the nation building by unleashing national consensus. This clearly shows the
pressing need to train historians with the powerful analytical and inquisitive thinking who
have also keen need to settle the historiographical imbalance among the Ethiopian peoples.
This in turn helps produce scholars with the tradition of tolerance towards the ethnic, cultural,
political and economic diversity of our country. In addition, trained professionals and experts
can create jobs instead of looking for employment (from the entrepreneurial quality they
obtained); will be able to uncover the socio-cultural and economic potentials of our country’s
rich heritage resources.
This ultimately meant the need to produce professionals who can make the knowledge of
history a usable past for our society. To this end, therefore, it is professional to assess and
evaluate graduates’ competencies in knowledge, skills and attitude. Hence, in this regard, an
exit exam is an important assessment mechanism to assess graduates’ competencies. An exit
exam is a test that assesses a student’s competencies in a particular programme.
The exam is typically given to students towards the end of their higher education tenure, and
is 3 used to measure the general level of education received at a learning institution. As such,
all the competencies needed to answer a given question is contained within the question
itself. An exit exam would help a college or a university make pertinent decisions to improve
the quality of institution-wide education and, in some cases, can help assess the standard of
education in specific courses or departments. Therefore, implementing the National Exit
Exam for History and Heritage Management, HiHm, graduates is great initiative by the
Ministry of Education, MoE, and will be a great contribution, among other initiatives by
universities, to produce competent citizens. Competent graduates in HiHm, therefore, with
the desired knowledge, skills and attitude will have a better picture of their country’s history,
society, politics, economy and heritage to contribute in the overall sustainable development
of our country. This document, therefore, will be used to prepare an exit exam in HiHm by
the MoE that is working on a strategy to implement a National Exit Examination for
undergraduate programs starting from 2015 E.C (2022/23 G.C).
The Main Objectives of Exit Examination are as follows:
 To ensure students’ achievement and improve the quality of education;
 To improve the relevance of academic programs and institutional performance;
 To assess whether higher education graduates attain the graduate profile or not
 To produce skilled and competent manpower for local, national, and international
markets;
 To ensure that graduates achieve the required learning outcomes and hence meet the
graduate profile of the curriculum;
 To provide a platform as a quality monitoring tool in the form of certification of
competence for employment; Moreover, it is important to set competency areas of the
subject matter (program) in order to measure how much graduates are acquired skills,
knowledge, and attitudes.
The following shows us the significance of setting competencies and identifying selected
courses of the program;
 To set competencies that helps to assess the basic skills, knowledge and attitude of
graduating students, To systematically identify the selected courses which will be
included the exit exam, and
 To realize standardization of higher education programs and to be able to meet
minimum quality standards across all programs.
2. Expected Profiles of Graduates
A graduate's profile is the general description of the desirable qualities of graduates in
realworld work. Graduates' profile helps to determine the students’ conceptual knowledge,
skills, and attitude that they possess. A graduate profile can be advanced through experience
in the real world. It is known that history and heritage management graduates have the
necessary understanding of theoretical, analytical tools, and practical implementation of
historical issues. Similarly, they should have knowledge and skills in historical research and
critical thinking on the various historical issues and contents. Accordingly, graduates in
history and heritage management are expected and equipped with good knowledge of history
and skills of carrying out researches that will enable them to:
 Undertake scientific researches in historiography and historical issues of Ethiopia and
its people
 Represent the Ethiopian intellectual community in national, continental and
international Forums
 Provide consultancy services to government, on government private and civic
associations on the historical and cultural aspects of developmental activities and
policy formulation efforts
 Carry out research on historical themes and issues that enlighten the Ethiopian
people.
 Engage in exercises of critical thinking about historical themes and issues as well as
to develop skills of identifying and solving historical problems.
3. Competences and Learning Outcomes
3.1. Competences
Currently, the competency of students will be measured by national exit examination at the
end of completion of economics courses with a great emphasis on students’ knowledge, skill,
and attitude. The details of the competency are presented here below by categorizing
knowledge, skills, and attitudes
Areas of Competency Expected Competencies to be
achieved
nations and the international community
 Identify the origins of World War I and
analyze how the war's outcome altered
economic and political balances of power
throughout the world;
 Identify the origins of totalitarian political
Knowledge movements across the globe in the 1920s and
1930s and assess how these movements led
to World War II;
 Have critical awareness of the physical,
social and economic environments in which
travel and tourism takes place, including
 understanding of the global, regional and
local perspectives of travel and tourism.
 Identify the various tourist attraction sites
and destinations in Ethiopia
 Describe the major tourism routes of the
country
 Explain the image of Ethiopia as a tourist
destination
 List tour operators and travel agencies in
Ethiopia
 Identify the negative and positive impacts
of tourism in Ethiopia
 Identify and differentiate the stages of
tourism development in Ethiopia
 Discuss the status and future trends of
tourism in Ethiopia.
Describe the political geography of Ethiopia
and the Horn in the first half of the sixteenth
century  Engage with primary and
Skills secondary sources and explore the
relationship between text and context in the
writing of history
 Develop writing conventions appropriate
to the discipline of History Analyse primary
historical sources relevant to the periods from
1270-1527; 1527-1896;
 Describe the characteristics of modern
Ethiopia in terms of geography, demography,
peoples, cultures, and the central themes of
the History of Ethiopia and the Horn of
Africa
 Identify and analyze the Great events of
the sixteenth century
 Assess the Gondarine period and the
Zemene Messafint
 Discuss the nature of Ethiopia‘s relation
with the outside powers during the period
1527- 1896  Identify sources of the Nile,
agricultural practices, effects of damming the
Nile, and hydro politics
 Discuss the history of the Hydro politics of
the Nile River during the period under study
 Describe the characteristics of modern
Africa in terms of geography, demography,
peoples, cultures, and the central themes of
African history.
 Identify major historical eras or periods in
modern African history that have combined
to help explain the major social, cultural, and
 economic challenges facing contemporary
African states.
 Read and interpret historical works in
colonial African history through formulating
historical arguments and thought in writing
based on material assigned throughout the
course.
 Be equipped to participate critically and
proactively in current debates, inside and
outside academia
 Apply key concepts as part of a historical
inquiry, including evidence, continuity and
change, cause and effect, significance,
empathy, perspectives and contestability
 Identify major historical eras or periods in
Post-Italian Ethiopian history that have
combined to help explain the major social,
cultural, and economic challenges facing
contemporary states of the Horn of Africa.
 Apply statistical software to detect
existence econometrics diagnostic test
 Use logical reasoning in economics
analysis;
 Develop research proposal skills and
writing research reports and professional
articles;
 Apply critical socio-economic phenomenon
observation and data analysis skills;
 Use both quantitative and qualitative socio-
economic research skills;
 Apply quantitative analysis on economic
and non-economic variables to solve practical
and real-life problems;
 Use empirical evidence to evaluate an
economic argument;
 Use appropriate statistical analysis of data,
and explain the statistical problems involved;
and
 Instruct in universities and higher training
institutions.
Attitudes Critically evaluate and interpret a variety of
primary sources and acquiring an awareness
of the issues involved in interpreting primary
sources
 Analyze the concepts and methods of
heritage conservation
 Analyze the resurgence of monarchical
power in northern Ethiopia
 Analyze the resurgence of monarchical
 power in northern Ethiopia
 Examine water as a resource.
 Assess and think critically the values, ideas,
and practices drawn from various sources in
colonial African history.
 Critically assess key historical themes and
narratives in the relationship between
Ethiopia and the outside world during the
period under study.
 Compare and contrast how European
imperialism affected the states and peoples of
Asia, Africa, and the Americas in the 19th
century;
 Analyze how World War II reshaped power
balances throughout the world and led to the
emergence of the United States and the
Soviet Union as global superpowers;
 Interpret primary sources for major themes
and episodes in modern Ethiopian history
within their own particular social, cultural,
political, and economic contexts
 Interpret primary sources for major themes
and episodes in modern Ethiopian history
within their own particular social, cultural,
political, and economic contexts
 Assess and think critically the values,
ideas, and practices drawn from various
sources in the history of Ethiopia and the
Horn of Africa during the period 1941-1974
 Appreciate the contribution of tourism to
the national economy
 Criticize private and/or public matters and
being rational attitude toward them;
 Appreciate working with other
professionals (economists and other
professionals); and
 Suggest other similar professionals and
ready to support the state and communities.
3.2. Learning Outcomes
After completing those courses presented on the mentioned themes, graduating students will
be able to:
 Develop understanding of historical sources and the methods used by historians
 Be critical, reflective and independent, able to interpret and evaluate historical source
material and offer substantiated explanations to historical questions.
 Acquire a breadth of historical knowledge across a range of periods and regions and
to encourage consideration of links and comparisons between them.
  Promote depth of understanding of historical concepts such as change and continuity,
causation and motivation, as well as period-specific concepts such as nationalism,
revolution and colonization.
 Demonstrate a broad knowledge of History and Heritage Management and its role in
society
4. Categorizing Courses of the Program into Themes
National Exit Examination in history and heritage management program for undergraduate
students’ competency has five themes. These are Historiography; Ethiopian History;
African History; World History and Heritage Management. Under the Historiography
theme, course, Philosophy of History and Historiography would be considered. While, the
theme with Ethiopian History has six courses such as Ethiopia and the Horn, 1270 -1527;
Ethiopia and the Horn, 1527-1896; History of Hydro Politics in the Nile Basin to 1959 ;
Ethiopia and the Horn, 1896-1941; Ethiopia and the Horn, 1941-1974 ; Ethiopia and the
Horn, 1974-1995. The theme with African history has two courses such as Africa, 1500-1884
and Africa, 1884- 1960. The theme with world history has one course, named the Modern
World, 1848-1945. Moreover, the final theme takes into account Heritage management and it
has two courses such as Cultural Heritage Management and Tourism Resources and Tourism
Management in Ethiopia. Thus, these told us relatively students are expected to give more
emphasis to Ethiopian History /issues as compared to other themes. Accordingly, for national
exit examination documentation the themes in History and Heritage Management program
can be generalized by the table here below.
S.N List of Themes in History and Heritage Management Credit hour
Program
1. Historiography 3
2. Ethiopian History 17
3. African History 7
4. World History 3
5. Heritage Management 7

5. Courses to be Included in the Exit Examination

This document has been compiled with five themes and eleven courses for exit examination
for achieving the competencies level of graduates that are expected to acquire. According to
the direction suggested by the head of quality and competency improvement desk (at MoE),
 10 during the preparation of this document, there was a general consensus that a specific
program should consider a total of 10-15 lists of courses. In History and Heritage
Management BA program the selected courses are clearly presented and have been selected
in this document. Accordingly, this exit examination document has identified 11 courses
delivered at different semesters and academic calendars.
S.No List of Themes List of courses Course Code Credit hour
1. Historiography Philosophy of History and HiHm--2551 3
Historiography
Total 3
Ethiopian Ethiopia and the Horn, 1270 -1527 HiHm 2112 3
History Ethiopia and the Horn, 1527-1896 HiHm-3111 4
Ethiopia and the Horn, 1896-1941 HiHm- 3112 3
Ethiopia and the Horn, 1941-1974 HiHm-4111 3
Ethiopia and the Horn, 1974-1995 HiHm-4112 3
History of Hydro Politics in the Nile HiHm-3881 3
basin to 1959
Total credit hour 19
African Africa, 1500-1884 HiHm-2222 4
History Africa,1884-1960 HiHm-3221 3
Total 7
World History The Modern World, 1848-1945 HiHm-3332 3
Total 3
Heritage Cultural Heritage Management HiHm-3771 3
Management Tourism Resources and Tourism HiHm-4772 3
Management in Ethiopia
Total 6
6. Conclusion
Having a competent base exit examination guide in History and Heritage Management
program enables our graduates to have a solid understanding of historiography, Ethiopian
history, African history, World history and heritage management and other historical issues
for intelligent applications of history in a way that improves the quality, relevance, and output
of graduates in History and Heritage Management in Ethiopia; to identify necessary
methodologies in history which explain the historical phenomenon, to undertake historical
analysis and conduct historical research; to highlight the different historical issues in various
sectors and expose the students to the different sub-discipline of history; to offer short term
training courses and provides consultancy service for different organizations and community,
and to show students how historical science evolved at present and future vision of the field
and make them up-to-date with the dynamism of the field.
Generally, the basic aim of the national exit examination is to produce high-level and
qualified professionals in history and heritage management that will benefit the country’s
overall social, cultural, political, historical development, and heritage management. The
national exit examination offers a comprehensive basis for graduates’ careers and further
education in History and Heritage Management on the identified course lists and themes.
Graduates in History and Heritage Management will be equipped with a solid knowledge of
historical knowledge and research, launching different research findings to the state related to
historical research and providing consultancy services to the community which benefits the
country’s heritage management and conservation endeavours. And also, the academia,
students, and concerned higher officials are expected to be responsible for the successfulness
of the new intervention cope up mechanism the so-called National Exit Examination.