Thousands of Students Left Stranded as NCHE Scraps Over 1,000 Academic Programmes

Thousands of students planning to pursue higher education in Uganda and abroad have been left stranded after the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) removed over 1,000 academic programmes from its list of accredited courses. This decision, which has disrupted admissions and verification processes, affects both undergraduate and postgraduate programmes at leading institutions.

Background

The scrapped programmes were removed following universities’ failure to meet NCHE’s requirements for periodic review and re-accreditation. Previously labeled as “expired,” these courses are now classified as “due for review” to mitigate the negative perception associated with the term.

This change in terminology follows a public uproar in 2023, when international universities rejected Ugandan degrees due to outdated accreditation. Despite the rebranding, the problem persists, with many students unable to validate their qualifications for international admissions or local job opportunities.

Student Impact

Among those affected is a graduate of the Bachelor of Science in Medical Radiography at Makerere University, whose application to the University of Bristol in the UK was rejected. The rejection stemmed from the fact that the programme’s accreditation expired in 2016, a year before her enrollment in 2017. Neither Makerere University nor NCHE could provide the proof of accreditation Bristol required for her study period from 2018 to 2021.

She is one of many students caught in a bureaucratic tangle as universities and NCHE struggle to resolve accreditation issues. Such cases have drawn attention to the systemic challenges within Uganda’s higher education sector.

University and NCHE Positions

Prof. Mukadasi Buyinza, Makerere University’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Academic Affairs, explained that programme reviews are lengthy processes, especially for science-related courses that require laboratory assessments and quality assurance checks.

NCHE has been working to address the backlog. According to Vincent Ssembatya, Director for Quality Assurance and Accreditation at NCHE, approximately 3,050 programmes are currently valid, while 660 are awaiting final approval.

Institutions that failed to meet the NCHE deadline of November 30, 2023, cannot admit students into affected programmes until re-accreditation is completed.

Comprehensive List of Affected Programmes

Below is a full list of the programmes impacted across various universities:

Makerere University

1. Bachelor of Laws (LLB)
2. Master of Instructional Design and Technology
3. Bachelor of Youth Development Work
4. Bachelor of Geographical Sciences
5. Master of Science in Disaster Risk Management
6. Master of Science in Wildlife Health and Management
7. Master of Education
8. Bachelor of Industrial Livestock Business
9. Bachelor of Information Systems and Technology
10. Master of Science in Records and Archives Management
11. Master in Bioethics

Kyambogo University

12. Master of Public Health
13. Bachelor of Economics and Statistics
14. Bachelor of Science in Sport and Exercise Instruction
15. Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences
16. Master of Arts in Economics
17. Diploma in Deaf Studies
18. Diploma in Food Processing Technology
19. Bachelor of Adult and Community Education
20. Postgraduate Diploma in Community-Based Rehabilitation
21. Bachelor of Demography and Reproductive Health

Mbarara University of Science and Technology

22. Master of Science in Physiology
23. Bachelor of Medical Laboratory Sciences (Diploma Entry)
24. Master of Medicine in Emergency Medicine
25. Diploma in Emergency Medicine for Emergency Care Practitioners
26. Bachelor of Electrical and Electronics Engineering
27. Master of Education in Curriculum Instruction and Media
28. Bachelor of Gender and Women Health

Uganda Christian University

29. Bachelor of Economics and Management
30. Bachelor of Dental Surgery
31. Bachelor of Computer Science
32. Diploma in Procurement and Logistics
33. Bachelor of Business Computing
34. Master of Nursing Sciences

Gulu University

35. Bachelor of Development Studies
36. Postgraduate Diploma in Entrepreneurship Skills Development
37. Bachelor of Science in Agriculture
38. Bachelor of Information Technology (Business Computing)
39. Master of Science in Information and Communication Technologies for Development

Islamic University of Uganda

40. Bachelor of Library and Information Science
41. Bachelor of Social Sciences
42. Diploma in Records Management
43. Master of Science in Environmental Science
44. Diploma in Library and Information Science

Kumi University

45. Bachelor of Commerce
46. Diploma in Languages
47. Bachelor of Community Development

Busitema University

48. Diploma in Catering and Hospitality Management
49. Master of Medicine in Paediatrics and Child Health
50. Diploma in Industrial Electronics and Electrical Engineering

Victoria University

51. Master of Arts in Public Administration and Management
52. Bachelor of Environmental Health Sciences
53. Bachelor of Science in Nursing

Bugema University

54. Foundation Programme (Science)
55. Foundation Programme (Arts)
56. Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies

Moving Forward

NCHE has urged students to verify programme accreditation before enrollment and advised institutions to begin reviews a year before expiry. The council is working with stakeholders to expedite re-accreditation and restore confidence in Uganda’s education system.

This situation underscores the need for streamlined accreditation processes to safeguard the futures of students and uphold the country’s academic reputation on the global stage.