The Department of Management and Leadership was born out of the Department of Political and Administrative Studies, in the Faculty of Social Sciences at Chancellor College. This follows the reforms that the University of Malawi has undergone.

The Department of Management and Leadership Studies is a multi-disciplinary centre for management, leadership and organisations. The Department’s programmes aim at developing students’ ability to engage critically and holistically in both public and private sectors in a global context, across a wide range of industries through both face-to-face and online delivery. The programmes also provide students with the skills they need to pursue successful employment and entrepreneurship. The learning experience of our students is at all times underpinned by the diverse cutting-edge research of our staff. Through incorporating evidence-based research into our theory-based courses and initiatives across the department, we ensure that our students gain the knowledge, skills and experience to succeed in a diverse and globalised business as well as public sector environment. Thus, we aim to deliver business and public sector relevant research that continues to inform and enhance teaching and is reflected throughout our wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate courses.

Within the Management and Leadership department, it is envisioned that our courses will enable students – whether new to the world of management and leadership or already in managerial positions – to develop and apply their skills and make a meaningful contribution to the development of organisations in Malawi and further afield for the achievement of poverty reduction and sustainable development of Malawi, the SADC region, and beyond. Departmental expertise also extends to providing consultancy services, and specialist projects tailored to external client needs and working with relevant professional bodies at national, regional and international level.

The Department aims to fulfil the School of Law, Economics and Government’s core mandate of teaching, research, publication and outreach. It is designed to contribute to Malawi’s socio-economic development through training of the management cadres in the public service and business sectors of the Malawi economy. Specifically, the study programmes aim at enabling cadres in the management function to acquire specialised technical skills necessary for ensuring optimal deployment and utilisation of the different types of resources including the human resource both at micro and macro level.

The department currently offers three undergraduate programmes and one postgraduate programme. The undergraduate programmes include the following: Bachelor of Arts in Human Resource Management (4-year generic programme), Bachelor of Arts in Human Resource Management (2-year mature entry weekend programme) and Bachelor of Arts in Law Enforcement Management and Leadership. For postgraduate students, the department also offers the Master of Arts in Human Resource Management and Industrial Relations.