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Universities in Uganda

Bugema University

Kampala, Uganda
Bugema University is a private Christian, co-educational Ugandan university, affiliated with the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The school was founded in 1948 as a training school for teachers and pastors for the Seventh-Day Adventist Church in East Africa. It is currently organized into six schools - School of Business, School of Social Sciences, School of Education, and School of Graduate Studies. Degrees granted are at the bachelor’s and master’s levels, but there are also diploma-granting and short courses.

Universities in Uganda by City:

Kampala

About universities in Uganda

The higher education system in Uganda has not undergone any significant revision since the 1960s, although the availability of education has certainly expanded. Private and public universities, as well as technical schools, are usually government-run or religiously affiliated. This makes it easy for the National Council for Higher Education to regulate the standards of the institutions. Despite the increasing availability of education, many Ugandan students still do not pursue higher education. Those that do, typically attend the Makerere University in Kampala.

There are various financial and social issues challenging the educational system. The Government of Uganda sponsors thousands of students every year in an attempt to alleviate the financial burden of higher education, while still promoting learning. Private institutions, however, do not have government funding, and there is a much lower enrollment rate to these institutions.

Higher education in Uganda includes three degree levels:
  1. Bachelor’s degree
  2. Master’s degree
  3. Doctorate degree
 
Bachelor’s Degree in Uganda

Before enrolling in a bachelor program at a college, university or technical school, students must complete a secondary education course. Public universities may have additional entrance requirements, such as minimal GPA scores, or a passing grade on the Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education Examination (a passing grade usually amounts to outstanding grades in at least two subjects).

If candidates want to be considered for admission under government sponsorship, they will need to fill out an application form provided by the Public Universities Joint Admission Board. The form will ask them to rank their top six degree program choices. These students are also usually required to have much higher marks on their examinations, earning top scores in up to four subjects. Only academically gifted students reportedly gain admission into public universities under government sponsorship.

Medicine, architecture and dentistry studies are available to students with high scores. Those with lower scores may enroll in law, social administration, mass communication and social work programs.

Master’s Degree in Uganda

Enrollment in a master degree program is only open to individuals who have earned a prior bachelor degree. Public universities in Uganda offer graduation programs in various fields, such as- business, management science, environmental science, information technology, health science and education. Master degree programs are also offered in professional fields that precede doctorate degrees, such as engineering and medicine.

Master degree programs require that students complete a two-year full time study, or a three to four-year part time study.  The length of a program typically depends on the subject; a master degree in medicine, for example, takes three academic years.

Doctorate degree in Uganda

Doctorate degrees can only be pursued by individuals that have successfully completed a master’s course of study. PhD qualifications, especially for college and university professors, are becoming more and more common in Uganda. These degrees are usually completed after two years of coursework and the successful completion of a dissertation. Uganda has only a few PhD programs, mainly in the areas of information technology, computer science, biotechnology and plant breeding.