Department of Human Formation
Systems and Modelling
Documentation and Academic Structure of the Department
The Department of Human Formation Systems and Modelling examines formal and computational models of how a person’s formation unfolds over time — formation trajectories, developmental sequencing, and systems dynamics applied specifically to Human Formation, distinct from Faculty IV’s Department of Social Systems, which models society-wide dynamics rather than individual formation.
A model of a person’s formation is, at best, a simplified and useful representation. Treated as a complete or deterministic account of that person’s actual development, it becomes a reduction that mistakes the map for the person.
This document establishes the Department’s complete academic and institutional documentation architecture across seven structural layers.
Foundational Framework
Governing Field. Human Formation, examined through the discipline of Human Formation Systems and Modelling — the systematic study of formal and computational models of formation trajectories and developmental sequencing.
Central Premise. A formation model is a simplified representation built to support understanding, never a deterministic prediction of what a person will become. Treating a model as though it exhausted a person’s actual developmental possibility replaces their own agency with the model’s assumptions.
Foundational Theoretical Anchor. The Department operates under the Principle of Methodological Integrity established by the Department of Research Methodology, and coordinates closely with the Department of Cognitive Science (Faculty III, Principle of Model Humility) and the Department of Human Formation (Faculty I, Formation Safeguarding Principle), applying both Departments’ protections to formal formation modelling specifically.
Programme List
The Department offers a complete academic ladder from foundational study through doctoral research.
Delivery Framework
The Department is delivered online-first, using structured cohort-based study supported by Module Specifications, Study Guides, Teaching Manuals, and Assessment Briefs for every unit, consistent with the Institute’s established production standard.
Curriculum
The BA (Honours) Human Formation Systems and Modelling curriculum proceeds across four levels, numbered HFSM101 through HFSM111, following the Institute’s core pedagogical standard: scaffolded progression from structured instruction toward fully independent, appropriately humble formation modelling.
| Level | Focus | Modules |
|---|---|---|
| Level 4 | Foundations of Human Formation Systems and Modelling; the representation–determinism distinction; introduction to trajectory theory | HFSM101–HFSM104 |
| Level 5 | Systems dynamics applied to formation; comparative modelling approaches; ethics of formation prediction | HFSM105–HFSM107 |
| Level 6 | Independent formation modelling research; capstone applied trajectory study; specialization electives | HFSM108–HFSM109 |
| Level 7 (MA) | Advanced formation systems theory; modelling and Human Formation; research methods; dissertation | HFSM110–HFSM111 |
Key Pedagogical Standard. Every module moves the learner from structured instruction toward the independent capacity to build formation models while stating their limits honestly — no learner exits the programme presenting a formation model as a deterministic prediction of what a person will become.
Research Fields and Centres
The Department maintains the following primary research fields:
Centre for Human Formation Systems and Modelling
The Department’s standing research centre, coordinating cross-domain research with the Department of Research Methodology, the Department of Cognitive Science (Faculty III), and the Department of Human Formation (Faculty I).
Assessment and Ethics
Assessment in the Department evaluates a learner’s competence in formal modelling method and their demonstrated humility about a model’s actual predictive scope — never a reward for a formation model presented with more confidence than its evidence warrants.
Because formal models of human formation can be mistaken for deterministic accounts of an actual person’s development, the Department applies a dedicated integrity principle.
Award Titles
Public-Facing Department Page
The Department of Human Formation Systems and Modelling is where the Institute studies formal models of how a person’s formation unfolds over time — always presented as a simplified representation, never a deterministic prediction. As a sibling Department of Faculty IX, it applies Faculty III’s model humility standard directly to modelling the human formation process itself.
Learners join a structured academic pathway from Certificate through PhD, moving from guided foundational study toward independent, appropriately humble formation modelling, supported at every level by the Institute’s full documentation standard: Module Specifications, Study Guides, Teaching Manuals, and Assessment Briefs.
Permanent Department Documentation Order
The permanent documentation order of the Department, restated for reference:
Delivery Framework Detail
Programme Specification I — Certificate in Human Formation Systems and Modelling
Programme Specification II — Diploma in Human Formation Systems and Modelling
Programme Specification III — BA Human Formation Systems and Modelling
Programme Specification IV — BA (Honours) Human Formation Systems and Modelling
Programme Specification V — Postgraduate Certificate in Human Formation Systems and Modelling
Programme Specification VI — Postgraduate Diploma in Human Formation Systems and Modelling
Programme Specification VII — MA Human Formation Systems and Modelling
Programme Specification VIII — Specialized Master’s in Human Formation Systems and Modelling
Programme Specification IX — MRes Human Formation Systems and Modelling
Programme Specification X — MPhil Human Formation Systems and Modelling
Programme Specification XI — PhD Human Formation Systems and Modelling
Programme Specification XII — Professional Practice Certificate in Formation Systems Modelling Support
Summary Programme Table
A consolidated summary of all twelve programmes offered by the Department.
| Award | Abbreviation | Duration | Credits | Tuition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Certificate in Human Formation Systems and Modelling | CertHFSM | 6–12 months | 60 credits | ₦450,000 |
| Diploma in Human Formation Systems and Modelling | DipHFSM | 1 year | 120 credits | ₦850,000 |
| BA Human Formation Systems and Modelling | BA HFSM | 3 years | 360 credits | ₦2,400,000 |
| BA (Honours) Human Formation Systems and Modelling | BA(Hons) HFSM | 4 years | 480 credits | ₦3,100,000 |
| Postgraduate Certificate in Human Formation Systems and Modelling | PGCert HFSM | 6 months | 60 credits | ₦900,000 |
| Postgraduate Diploma in Human Formation Systems and Modelling | PGDip HFSM | 9 months | 120 credits | ₦1,600,000 |
| MA Human Formation Systems and Modelling | MA HFSM | 1 year (FT) / 2 years (PT) | 180 credits | ₦2,900,000 |
| Specialized Master’s in Human Formation Systems and Modelling | MA HFSM (Spec.) | 1 year (FT) / 2 years (PT) | 180 credits | ₦3,200,000 |
| MRes Human Formation Systems and Modelling | MRes HFSM | 1 year (FT) / 2 years (PT) | 180 credits | ₦3,400,000 |
| MPhil Human Formation Systems and Modelling | MPhil HFSM | 2 years (FT) / 3 years (PT) | 240 credits | ₦5,600,000 |
| PhD Human Formation Systems and Modelling | PhD HFSM | 3–4 years (FT) / 5–6 years (PT) | 360 credits | ₦9,100,000+ |
| Professional Practice Certificate in Formation Systems Modelling Support | PPC FSMS | 6–9 months | 60 credits (practice-based) | ₦1,100,000 |
Credit Framework
The Department applies the Institute’s standard credit framework: one credit represents approximately 10 notional learning hours, inclusive of guided instruction, independent study, formation systems modelling practicum where applicable, and assessment.
| Level | Credits (Full Level) | Notional Learning Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Level 4 (Certificate/Year 1) | 120 | 1,200 |
| Level 5 (Diploma/Year 2) | 120 | 1,200 |
| Level 6 (BA Year 3 / Honours Year) | 120–240 | 1,200–2,400 |
| Level 7 (Postgraduate/MA) | 180 | 1,800 |
| Level 8 (MPhil/PhD, research credit) | 240–360 | 2,400–3,600 |
Model Restraint Ethics Principle
Because formal models of human formation can be mistaken for deterministic accounts of an actual person’s development, the Department’s ethical commitments govern every module, practicum, and research activity it authorizes.
This principle governs curriculum design, formation systems modelling practicum, assessment design, and all research conducted across the Department, and stands alongside the Principle of Methodological Integrity (Department of Research Methodology), the Principle of Classificatory Equity (Department of Knowledge Systems), the Principle of Accessible Information Design (Department of Information Architecture), the Principle of Documentary Integrity (Department of Documentation Studies), the Principle of Peer Review Integrity (Department of Scholarly Communication), and the Principle of Equitable Preservation (Department of Knowledge Preservation) as the seventh ethics principle documented within Faculty IX.
Tuition Principle
Tuition for every programme is published in full above, with no undisclosed fees. Where a learner’s circumstances warrant it, the Department may offer needs-based tuition adjustment, cohort scholarships, or staged payment plans, at the discretion of the Institute’s admissions and finance offices.
Tuition figures reflect the Institute’s standard credit-based tuition model and are reviewed annually.
Final Delivery and Access Declaration
The Department of Human Formation Systems and Modelling is delivered online-first to maximize access for learners regardless of geographic location, with structured cohort support, complete documentation for every module, and a clear pathway from Certificate through PhD. No learner shall be required to relocate to access any taught programme offered by this Department.
Final Structural Declaration
The Department of Human Formation Systems and Modelling stands as a sibling Department of Faculty IX, holding formal models of formation to a standard of restraint that never mistakes the map for the person walking it. Every award, module, and research activity documented above proceeds through the Department’s permanent structural chain:
This chain governs the Department of Human Formation Systems and Modelling now and permanently, coordinated with, and answerable to, the Principle of Methodological Integrity held by the Department of Research Methodology.