Land Policy and Administration

Degree Type: 

Master of Science

Department: 

Department of Geography and Regional Planning

Programme Duration: 

2 years (Standard Entry)

Modes of Study: 

Sandwich

Entry Requirements: 

.

Goal / Aim / Objectives: 

Aim

The proposed MSc. programme seeks to enhance the capacity of professionals to think critically and function independently in matters of land administration and management in the country. 

Objective

The specific objectives are to:

  • Build the capacity of students to apply multi-disciplinary methods to the study of the sustainable administration and management of land as a resource.
  • Equip students with the knowledge to appreciate the complexities of land issues by undertaking practical exercises with a view to facilitating the settlement of land disputes; and 
  • Enhance the capacity of students to understand the relationship between land resource management and sustainable development;

Programme Structure

Level 800

First Semester

LPA 801S: Environmental Politics and Policy
3 Credit(s)

Objective

To guide students to be able to assess the effectiveness of current politics and policy mechanisms designed to reduce environmental stress induced by human behaviour. 

Content

The course deals with international politics in relation to sustainable development within the context of the Brundtland Commission, the Earth Summit and the Kyoto Protocol. It also examines the politics and laws governing the national environmental action plan, environmental and sanitation policy and related issues. 

Mode of delivery

The course will be delivered through lectures, seminars, group discussion, fieldwork and practical or applied problem-solving approach.
LPA 802S: Land Economics & Resource Management
3 Credit(s)

Objective 

To assist students to analyse economic principles as applied to the use of land, land markets and land values, especially in relation to development, investment and the regulatory environment. 

Content 

The course covers the concept and statutory definition of land ownership and tenure system; economics as applied to land property; and economic factors affecting the land market with emphasis on the determinants of land values, the housing market, and land use policies. The course will also address issues and concepts relating to ecology and resources as well as their utilization and management and discuss the processes that create dynamics in ecological systems and mechanisms as applied to conservation of the environment and sustainable land resource management. 

Mode of delivery

The course will be delivered through lectures, seminars, group discussion, fieldwork and applied problem solving approach.
LPA 803S: Land, Law and Policy
3 Credit(s)

Objective

To guide students to appraise contemporary land use law and policy in Ghana to improve land administration. 

Content 

The course deals with contemporary land use law and policy. Other areas to cover are use and abuse of the "police power" (the legal basis for land use control); zoning flexibility; vested property rights, development agreements and undertakings; redevelopment and growth control; and direct democracy. The course will demonstrate how land use laws and decisions affect environmental quality and how land use decision-making addresses environmental impacts. 

Mode of delivery

The course will be delivered through lectures, seminars, group discussion, fieldwork and applied problem solving approach.
LPA 805S: Research Methods
3 Credit(s)

Objective 

To guide students to acquire the knowledge and skills in conducting research in Land Policy and Administration.

Content 

This course fundamentally exposes students to the processes involved in research. These include philosophy of social science research, conceptualization of a research problem, data collection and instrumentation, techniques in fieldwork, data analysis and presentation of results. Models and modelling of geographic phenomenon are also treated.

Mode of Delivery

The course will be delivered through lectures, seminars, fieldwork, individual and group presentations.
LPA 811S: Research Methods
3 Credit(s)

Objective

To assist students to discuss in detail the relationship between the physical features and the socio-economic characteristics as well as the distribution of humans in space. 

Content

The course deals with the description of the physical, socio-political and cultural landscape of Ghana. Other issues covered are the evolution of landscapes of Ghana; the geographic regions of the country; settlement patterns; transport systems; identification, appraisal, use, and conservation of the country’s resources; interplay of population, politics and other socio-economic variables with natural resources for socio-economic development. 

Mode of delivery

The course will be delivered through lectures, seminars, group discussion, fieldwork and applied problem solving approach.

Level 850

First Semester

LPA 804S: Concepts and Theories Of Development
3 Credit(s)

Objective

To equip students with the concepts and theories underlying development process in the global south and how they impact land policy and administration procedure. 

Content

The course covers economic, social and political aspects of development processes in the Global South. Emphasis is on the linkages between local contexts and global forces of change in the South. However, examples of development trajectories are drawn from many historical contexts, especially in discussions about the content of the concept of development. A selection of texts that have shaped contemporary development geography and the extent to which these development thinkers have influenced development strategies and land resources management would also be discussed. 

Mode of Delivery

The course will be delivered through lectures, seminars, individual and group presentations.
LPA 807S: Customary Land Laws, Gender and Cultural Traditions
3 Credit(s)

Objective 

To guide students to assess how gender and land tenure dynamics impact on access and ownership rights.

Content

The course looks at gender and land tenure dynamics under customary land laws and explores the changing access to land by both genders as well as the factors that influence the differential land rights under customary law. Issues such as history and application of customary law and law of property and succession and their impact on land ownership and administration. 

Mode of Delivery

The course will be delivered through lectures, seminars, individual and group presentations.
LPA 808S: Surveying and Geographic Information System (GIS)
3 Credit(s)

Objective 

To equip students to acquire skills in theory and techniques of surveying as well as the skills of applying GIS in modern surveying.

Content

Topics to be covers in surveying include: reduction of observations of angles, directions, distances and differences in elevation, the computation and adjustment of traverses, and other methods of collecting and recording spatial data. The course will also cover the use of total stations, electronic distance meters, surveyors’ tapes, differential levels, Global Positioning Systems (GPS) receivers, data loggers, and computer aided design (CAD) software. The students will also be introduced to computer information systems, such as GIS, Land Information System (LIS) and their applications. 

Mode of Delivery

The course will be delivered through lectures, laboratory exercises, fieldwork, seminars, individual and group presentations.
LPA 809S: Rural Land Use Planning
3 Credit(s)

Objective 

To equip students to acquire skills in theory and techniques of surveying as well as the skills of applying GIS in modern surveying.

Content

Topics to be covers in surveying include: reduction of observations of angles, directions, distances and differences in elevation, the computation and adjustment of traverses, and other methods of collecting and recording spatial data. The course will also cover the use of total stations, electronic distance meters, surveyors’ tapes, differential levels, Global Positioning Systems (GPS) receivers, data loggers, and computer aided design (CAD) software. The students will also be introduced to computer information systems, such as GIS, Land Information System (LIS) and their applications. 

Mode of Delivery

The course will be delivered through lectures, laboratory exercises, fieldwork, seminars, individual and group presentations.
LPA 812S: Quantitative and Statistical Methods
3 Credit(s)

Objective 

To equip students with quantitative and statistical techniques to analyse land administration data. 

Content 

The course focuses on the quantitative and statistical analytical techniques that are currently applied in land policy and administration. Emphasis will be on understanding of the uses of such tools as well as their application to land policy and administration. Statistical models and frameworks as well as descriptive and inferential techniques will be discussed. 

Mode of Delivery

The course will be delivered through lectures, seminars, laboratory exercises, individual and group presentations.
LPA 813S: Planning Laws and Policy
3 Credit(s)

Objective

Students are supposed to discuss traditional aspects of planning law, from nuisance and trespass, to the origins of zoning. 

Content 

The course deals with the more controversial aspects of planning law including recent cases in eminent domain and affordable housing as well as the implications of smart growth legislation such as Transfer of Development Rights schemes and environmental law for land use planning and administration.

Mode of Delivery

The course will be delivered through lectures, seminars, individual and group presentations.
LPA 814S: Principles of Valuation I
3 Credit(s)

Objectives   

To equip students with skills of the basic principles of land valuation and the role of the land valuer in the land administration procedure.

Content   

Topics to be covered include: nature, purpose, functions and process of valuation; role of the Valuer in society; elements and characteristics of value in economic, social, ethical theories; nature and characteristics of real estate markets: the real estate market in Ghana; determination of land values; influence of land values in economic, social, fiscal and political policies; Distinction between Basis and Method of valuation; Introduction to methods of valuation. 

Mode of Delivery

The course will be delivered through lectures, seminars, group discussion, case studies, and applied problem solving approach.
LPA 815S: Principles of Valuation II
3 Credit(s)

Objective   

To enable students to conduct practical valuation by enhancing their ability to apply the methods of valuation to empirical situations.  

Content   

Topics to be covered include: the principles of investment; Estimation of the yield and the Year’s Purchase; he concept of rental value; outgoings; principal types of interests in real estate; detailed treatment of the investment method of valuation – valuation of freehold interests let at full rental value, valuation of freehold interests let at less than the full rental value, valuation of leasehold and sub-leasehold interests; effect of taxation on valuations.

Mode of Delivery

The course will be delivered through lectures, seminars, individual and group presentations.
LPA 816S: Advanced Valuation I
3 Credit(s)

Objective   

To equip students with practical skills to apply the methods of valuation to enable them undertake independent valuation of public and private properties using any of the methods of valuation.

Content

This course covers topics such as detailed treatment and practical application of valuation methods: comparative valuation method; replacement cost method; profits method; residual method; investment method: marriage value, premiums, surrenders and renewals of leases; valuation for special purposes – mortgages, insurance, company assets, going concern, probate.

Mode of Delivery

The course will be delivered through lectures, seminars, group discussion, case studies, and applied problem solving approach.
LPA 817S: Advanced Valuation II
3 Credit(s)

Objectives    

To assist students to acquire skills in conducting high levels and complex valuation of properties with emphasis on land resources.

Content   

The course builds on Advance Valuation I, by equipping students with the skills to conduct more practical application of the methods of valuation in all areas of public and private endeavours. Topics include: valuation for special purposes – mortgages, insurance, company assets, going concern, probate; valuation of special properties: agricultural holdings (including farms, farm houses forestry holdings, etc.) industrial (including plant and machinery, furniture, etc.), warehouses, offices, petrol filling stations; statutory valuation for compulsory purchase and acquisition valuation of statutory way leaves.

Mode of Delivery

The course will be delivered through lectures, seminars, group discussion, case studies, and applied problem solving approach.
LPA 899S: Fieldwork and Seminars
3 Credit(s)

Objective

Students should be able to conduct field surveys, write academic reports and present in seminars using data collected from the field seminars. 

Content 

The main focus of this course is on planning for fieldwork, preparation of field instruments and how to conduct surveys using specific locations/populations as case studies. The course is in two parts. The first part deals with developing students’ ability to design and use field instruments. The second part involves equipping students with skills in data management, preparation of reports, and presentation of results at organised seminars. 

Mode of Delivery

The course will be delivered through lectures, fieldwork, individual and group presentations.