Kirundi as a National Language and Teaching Resource
The IPA's Master's in Kirundi Teaching trains expert educators in the didactics of the national language and in Kirundi literature, able to transform Kirundi teaching in contexts where the language is fundamental to Burundian national and cultural identity. The programme rests on four inseparable pillars that structure every semester and every academic project.
The first pillar concerns in-depth mastery of Kirundi in its linguistic, historical, sociolinguistic and cultural dimensions. Students develop excellent language competence while gaining a critical understanding of dialect variation, the history of the language and the contemporary sociolinguistic dynamics of Kirundi in Burundi.
The second pillar concerns the didactics of Kirundi as a national language and mother tongue. Students master modern teaching approaches suited to Burundian learners, critically assess their relative effectiveness, and develop the ability to design innovative learning sequences rooted in the cultural and linguistic realities of the Burundian context.
The third pillar concerns the in-depth study of oral and written Kirundi literature. The IPA emphasises literature as a lever for teaching and for heritage: how the study of texts develops language competence, strengthens national cultural identity and is an act of preserving Burundi's literary heritage.
The fourth pillar emphasises continuing professional development and the ability to innovate in teaching practice. Graduates are not trained to reproduce existing practices, but to question them, adapt them and create innovative solutions to the real educational problems of Burundian schools.
Three Principles of Kirundi Teaching
This programme rests on three principles that shape every course, project and academic interaction.
Principle 1: Valuing Kirundi as a national language and a complete teaching resource
Recognising that Kirundi is the national language of Burundi, with a rich literature, sophisticated linguistic structures and limitless expressive capacity. Students learn to teach Kirundi with national pride, placing the language at the centre of Burundian identity and citizenship. This approach roots teaching in deep respect for the national linguistic and cultural heritage.
Principle 2: Supporting change in teaching practice
Training not only qualified teachers, but also professionals able to develop linguistic and educational practice in their institutions and in the Burundian national context. Our graduates develop the skills to motivate colleagues, implement educational change and defend the prestige of Kirundi in the face of modern teaching trends.
Principle 3: Burundian roots and national contextualisation
Kirundi teaching must be deeply rooted in the cultural, historical and sociolinguistic realities of Burundi. Students develop a teaching practice that respects the history of the Kirundi language, contemporary national dynamics and the role of the language in building Burundian civic identity.
Curriculum Architecture of the Master's
This Master's programme spans two academic years, i.e. four semesters. It totals 120 ECTS credits (European Credit Transfer System), corresponding to about 1,800 hours of academic work combining theoretical courses, seminars, supervised practical work, research projects and classroom placements. Each semester is worth 30 ECTS credits.
The balance between theoretical teaching, practical fieldwork, research projects and professional placements ensures well-rounded and genuinely professional training. To complete the Master's, students must pass all modules, submit an original research thesis on a question of Kirundi didactics or literature, and defend this work publicly before an academic panel.
Fundamentals and Practice
Students take core courses in Kirundi linguistics (phonetics, morphosyntax, semantics), the literary analysis of oral and written texts, and the history of the Kirundi language. They study the didactics of Kirundi as a mother tongue and national language, psycholinguistics and research methodologies. Supervised practical work allows systematic classroom observation and the delivery of lessons under the close supervision of a trainer. Students also complete optional modules: Kirundi oral literatures, regional dialect variation, educational technologies for Kirundi teaching.
Research and Educational Innovation
The focus shifts to applied research and independent teaching design. Students carry out a substantial research project (thesis) on a concrete question related to the teaching of Kirundi or Kirundi literatures in the Burundian context. Examples: how can the place of Kirundi in formal education be strengthened? How can oral literature be used to enrich teaching? How can teachers be trained in Kirundi philology? Specialised seminars allow for in-depth study of themes. Students continue their classroom placements, gradually taking on greater teaching responsibility.
| MASTER I SEMESTER I | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.E | ECUE | Codes | Hours | Credits | ||||
| VHP | CM | TP | TPE | TGE | ||||
| UE1 : Linguistics I | Linguistics Applied to Language Teaching | MLEK1101 | 45 | 30 | 15 | 30 | 75 | 3 |
| Advanced Kirundi Syntax | MLEK1102 | 45 | 30 | 15 | 30 | 75 | 3 | |
| Kirundi Discourse Analysis | MLEK1103 | 45 | 30 | 15 | 30 | 75 | 3 | |
| 9 | ||||||||
| UE2 : Literature I | Semiotic Analysis of Rundi Literary Texts | MLEK1104 | 45 | 30 | 15 | 30 | 75 | 3 |
| Literature and Interculturality | MLEK1105 | 45 | 30 | 15 | 30 | 75 | 3 | |
| Burundian Literature Past and Present | MLEK1106 | 45 | 30 | 15 | 30 | 75 | 3 | |
| 9 | ||||||||
| UE3 : Computing and Multimedia | Software for Automatic Processing of Language Data | MLEK1107 | 45 | 30 | 15 | 30 | 75 | 3 |
| Elements of Statistics | MLEK1108 | 45 | 30 | 15 | 30 | 75 | 3 | |
| 6 | ||||||||
| UE4 : Support Subjects I | Advanced Writing Skills in English | MLEK1109 | 45 | 30 | 15 | 30 | 75 | 3 |
| Written Expression in Kiswahili (Advanced Level) | MLEK1110 | 45 | 30 | 15 | 30 | 75 | 3 | |
| 6 | ||||||||
| SEMESTER TOTAL | 450 | 300 | 150 | 300 | 750 | 30 | ||
| MASTER I SEMESTER II | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.E | ECUE | Codes | Hours | Credits | ||||
| VHP | CM | TP | TPE | TGE | ||||
| UE5 : Research Methodology I | Experimental Pedagogy | MLEK1201 | 30 | 20 | 10 | 20 | 50 | 2 |
| Research Methods and Techniques in the Humanities | MLEK1202 | 45 | 30 | 15 | 30 | 75 | 3 | |
| Research Seminar | MLEK1203 | 45 | 15 | 30 | 30 | 45 | 3 | |
| 8 | ||||||||
| UE6 : Linguistics II | Kirundi Text Linguistics | MLEK1204 | 45 | 30 | 15 | 30 | 75 | 3 |
| Second Language Acquisition and Use | MLEK1205 | 45 | 30 | 15 | 30 | 75 | 3 | |
| 6 | ||||||||
| UE7 : Literature II | Written Literature in Kirundi | MLEK1206 | 45 | 30 | 15 | 30 | 75 | 3 |
| Poetics of Orality | MLEK1207 | 45 | 30 | 15 | 30 | 75 | 3 | |
| 6 | ||||||||
| UE8 : Pedagogy | Curriculum Design and Evaluation | MLEK1208 | 30 | 20 | 10 | 30 | 50 | 2 |
| Inspection and Pedagogical Support | MLEK1209 | 30 | 20 | 10 | 30 | 50 | 2 | |
| 4 | ||||||||
| UE9 : Special Didactics I | Didactics of Rundi Grammar | MLEK1210 | 30 | 20 | 10 | 20 | 50 | 2 |
| Didactics of Rundi Oral and Written Expression | MLEK1211 | 30 | 20 | 10 | 20 | 50 | 2 | |
| Didactics of Rundi Literature | MLEK1212 | 30 | 20 | 10 | 20 | 50 | 2 | |
| 6 | ||||||||
| SEMESTER TOTAL | 450 | 275 | 175 | 300 | 750 | 30 | ||
| MASTER II SEMESTER III | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.E | ECUE | Codes | Hours | Credits | ||||
| VHP | CM | TP | TPE | TGE | ||||
| UE1 : Research Methodology II | Corpus Linguistics | MLEK2301 | 45 | 30 | 15 | 30 | 75 | 3 |
| Statistical Processing of Language Data | MLEK2302 | 45 | 30 | 15 | 30 | 75 | 3 | |
| 6 | ||||||||
| UE2 : Special Didactics II | Pedagogy of Integration in Kirundi Teaching | MLEK2303 | 30 | 20 | 10 | 20 | 50 | 2 |
| Teaching Large Groups in Kirundi | MLEK2304 | 30 | 20 | 10 | 20 | 50 | 2 | |
| 4 | ||||||||
| UE3 : Differentiated Pedagogy | Elements of Differentiated Pedagogy | MLEK2305 | 30 | 20 | 10 | 20 | 50 | 2 |
| School Inclusion | MLEK2306 | 30 | 20 | 10 | 20 | 50 | 2 | |
| 4 | ||||||||
| UE4 : Linguistics III | Multilingualism and Society | MLEK2307 | 45 | 30 | 15 | 30 | 75 | 3 |
| Kirundi Discourse Semantics | MLEK2308 | 45 | 30 | 15 | 30 | 75 | 3 | |
| Corrective Linguistics of Kirundi | MLEK2309 | 45 | 20 | 25 | 30 | 75 | 3 | |
| 9 | ||||||||
| UE6 : Support Subjects II | Advanced Reading Skills in English | MLEK2310 | 30 | 15 | 15 | 20 | 50 | 2 |
| Business Kiswahili | MLEK2311 | 45 | 30 | 15 | 30 | 75 | 3 | |
| Project Design and Development | MLEK2312 | 30 | 15 | 15 | 20 | 50 | 2 | |
| 7 | ||||||||
| SEMESTER TOTAL | 450 | 280 | 170 | 300 | 750 | 30 | ||
Professional Impact and National Careers
Graduates of the IPA's Master's in Kirundi Teaching go on to diverse careers in the public and private sectors. Many become senior teachers in secondary and higher education institutions, directly applying the innovative approaches they have learned and helping to raise the prestige and quality of Kirundi teaching. Others move into initial or in-service teacher training, working as trainers in teacher training colleges or professional development programmes.
Some graduates take up posts as education officers, curriculum managers or advisers to the Ministry of Education and national institutions. A few graduates go on to doctoral studies to contribute to fundamental and applied research in Kirundi linguistics and the didactics of national languages. The professional impact extends beyond individual careers: our graduates transform educational practice, strengthen the prestige of the Kirundi language, create more effective and culturally rooted learning environments, and help safeguard the national linguistic heritage.
Admission Criteria and Procedure
The Master's in Kirundi Teaching is aimed at experienced Kirundi teachers and education professionals who wish to deepen their subject and teaching expertise.
Admission to the IPA's Master's in Kirundi Teaching is based on the three official conditions set by the University of Burundi:
- Hold a first-cycle degree. Applicants must hold one of the following qualifications: a Licence or Bachelor's degree awarded by the University of Burundi, or a university degree recognised as equivalent by the National Commission for the Equivalence of Diplomas.
- Hold a degree compatible with the chosen specialisation. The degree submitted must correspond to the field of the Master's in Kirundi Teaching applied for, demonstrating adequate prior training in Kirundi teaching or related fields (literature, linguistics).
- Pass the entrance examination or admission selection. The University of Burundi generally organises a Master's entrance examination according to an academic calendar published each year. The admissions committee assesses applicants on the basis of their academic record, their examination results and their fit with the objectives of the Master's programme.