Certificate in Sustainable Ocean and Aquaculture Management

Description of the Qualification

This qualification is developed to meet the growing needs of the fishing industry in both private and public sectors. Fisheries being one of the major revenue earners of the country, there is a need for well-trained fisheries professionals at all levels in the industry to manage developments and challenges faced in the fishing and aquaculture industry. The qualification will contribute to the national efforts of protecting, managing, and sustainable utilization of natural resources as articulated in Chapter 5 of the Vision 2030 and Article 95 of Namibia’s Constitution. In addition, this qualification will promote the production, marketing and development of value-added products, as well as marketing of fishery and aquaculture products.

This qualification is in principle a foundation year programme, which serves as a gateway into full higher education study. Considering that the current workforce in the fishing industry do not qualify for admission to Diploma or Degree courses, the certificate was developed to bridge this gap, therefore granting all an opportunity for further study to obtain a diploma or honours degree. This qualification was developed in consultation with national key stakeholders and benchmarked with curricula from regional and international universities.

Admission / Entry Requirements

Students will be admitted if they hold a Namibia Senior Secondary Certificate Ordinary (NSSCO) or Namibia Senior Secondary Advance Subsidiary (NSSAS), or a combination of both or equivalent qualification(s), provided that the candidate has passed a minimum of five (5) subjects including English at D. A student must have a minimum of 20 points on the IUM’s evaluation scale, normally in not more than three examination sittings. In addition, students may enter through Mature Age Entry as stipulated in GR 4.1.1/prior learning with relevant years of experience in various fields of ocean, environmental and aquaculture or related fields. A recognized qualification in related fields may also qualify a student into this programme.

Career opportunities

Aspirants in Certificate in Sustainable Ocean and Aquaculture Management course can pursue careers such as marine/aquatic technician, assistant fisheries/biological technician, fisheries inspector, fisheries observers, etc. These opportunities may be found in public and private sectors such the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources, Fisheries Observer Agency, Fishing industry, Namibia Standard Institution, aquaculture farms, etc.

Qualification structure