Degrees in science and education introduced at SLIIT

SLIIT has introduced a new Faculty of Science and Education to meet emerging trends in the field of higher education. SLIIT is the leading non-state degree awarding institute approved by the University Grants Commission and the Ministry of Higher Education in Sri Lanka. 

The Faculty was established to cater to the growing need for Science and Education related qualifications in Sri Lanka. The new Faculty will offer a range of undergraduate and post graduate degree programmes in the areas of Science, Education, Mathematics, Psychology and Nursing. The Faculty has an experienced and continuously expanding panel of 26 full-time academics including six with PhDs and three Professors. 

Qualifications ranging from Diploma in Early Childhood Education to Master of Education offered by the Faculty, grooms students to become professionals in the field of education. The first programme on Bachelor of Education (Hons) in Physical Sciences has just opened for registration for the June intake. The content of the programme is uniquely designed as it focuses on teaching the subjects of Physics and Mathematics with Education as the professional component. This exceptional degree programme is the first of many specialist education degree programmes scheduled to be introduced at SLIIT. The other programmes that will be offered for the 2019 intake include, Bachelor of Education (Hons) in Biological Sciences, Bachelor of Education (Hons) in English and Bachelor of Education (Hons) in Information Technology.

Graduates who successfully complete the Bachelor of Education (Hons) in Physical Sciences degree program have the potential to be employed as teachers for Advance Level classes in state and private schools. The demand for teaching vacancies for Physics and Mathematics is on an increasing trend in Sri Lanka and the current numbers of qualified teachers is insufficient. 

Upon completion of the program the graduates also secure the competitive advantage over conventional science graduates as the Postgraduate Diploma in Education is not required for their career promotions and confirmation of employment. In addition to the teaching sector of Sri Lanka, the graduates will also be competent to apply and be considered for vacancies in various state services such as the administrative services, education services, scientific services and the Sri Lanka Customs. Higher education opportunities in the related field of education are also available for successful graduates through MEd, MSc, MPhil and PhD qualifications. 

The Physics courses of the program were designed and will be conducted primarily by Prof. Denzil Rosa, one of the top Physics educators in the country. Prof. Rosa is an exceptional Physics teacher and is highly respected by graduates and advanced level students. Apart from theory courses, each Physics module is coupled with a practical component. The experiments are designed in such a way that students will get hands-on experience on conventional apparatus as well as state-of-the-art techniques in collecting, analysing, and interpreting scientific data using sensors and computer aided facilities. This unique feature will undoubtedly help the students to understand the Physics principles clearly and concisely. 

The modern infrastructure established by the Faculty will enable the courses to be delivered using novel interactive educational tools such as up-to-date laboratories, smart classrooms, access to e-repositories and reference books thus creating a unique learning experience for all students.

Applicants will be required to face a formal interview and submit the prerequisite documents including official transcripts. Many banks offer loan facilities for SLIIT students and such facilities can be extended for the students who apply for the programmes offered by the Faculty of Science and Education. The international schools that wish to partially fund their teachers to be qualified through this program may contact the Dean – Faculty of Science and Education, Dr. Malitha Wijesundara for further assistance. Application forms are available at any SLIIT centre or campus or from the website www.sliit.lk.