All the universities in Uganda are guided by the Department of Higher Education which falls under the Ministry of Education and Sports. The department’s primary mission is to supervise, coordinate and guide the admissions, study, training and teaching and research at all institutions of higher learning in Uganda. This Uganda Universities guide covers all aspects such as the Higher Education Department, Public Uganda Universities, Private Uganda Universities and Chartered Universities in Uganda.
Objectives of Higher Education Department:-
- Monitoring and supervision activities of all the tertiary institutions, with the view to ensuring the following:
- Teaching to produce high-level human resource.
- Qualitative research both basic and applied takes place to produce high caliber academic and technical human resources.
- Public service through a variety of extension activities.
- Books, journals and research papers are published.
- Serving as store-houses of knowledge and centre of excellences.
- To admit Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (“A” level) leavers into other tertiary institutions.
- To co-ordinate activities of regional organizations such as the Inter-University Council of East Africa (IUCEA), African Institute for Capacity Development (AICAD) and matters of Ugandan students on scholarship abroad.
- To solicit for and administer scholarships through Central Scholarship Committee and Uganda Independence Scholarship Trust Fund.
- To make interventions on policy issues relating to higher education.
Uganda Universities: Public Institutions in Uganda
The Department monitors the functioning and operations of the following Government Universities:-
- Makerere University
- Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST)
- Kyambogo University
- Gulu University
- Busitema University
The Ministry is represented on the Governing Councils of these Universities by the staff of Higher Education Department. They attend all Council meetings and most of Council Committee meetings.
Uganda Universities: Private Institutions in Uganda
Several private universities have come up and have been licensed to cater for “A” level leavers who cannot be absorbed by Universities mentioned above. This has gone a long way in alleviating the problem of providing University Education to academically qualified students.
Those which are operating under this category are:
- Islamic University in Mbale (Chartered)
- Uganda Martyrs University, Nkozi (Chartered)
- Nkumba University, Entebbe (Chartered)
- Bugema Adventist University (Chartered)
- Uganda Christian University, Mukono (Chartered)
- Busoga University.
- Ndejje University, Luwero (Chartered)
- Agha Khan University in Uganda, Kampala.
- Kampala University.
- Kampala International University (Chartered)
- Kumi University.
- Kabale University.
- All Saints University, Lira.
- African Bible University, Entebbe
- Uganda Pentecostal University, Fort portal.
- Fairland University, Jinja.
- Bishop Stuart University, Mbarara.
- St. Lawrence University, Kampala.
- Muteesa I Royal University, Masaka.
- International Health Sciences University, Kampala.
- Mountain of the Moon University, Fortporal.
- Cavendish University, Kampala.
- Victory University, Kira Road.
- International University of East African, Kansanga
- African Rural University, Kagadi.
- Islamic Call University College, Kampala.
- Livingstone International University, Mbale.
In order to ensure that all the courses offered by Uganda Universities are up to par and that the universities are accredited, the Higher Education Department works hand in hand with the Uganda National Council for Higher Education (NCHE).
Accreditation is the process that entails recognition and confirmation in writing, by certificate, licence, charter or document issued by the National Council for Higher Education that following its application for establishment, recognition or upgrade, a higher education institution has met and continues to meet the standards set by the National Council for delivery of higher education in accordance with the provisions of universities and other Tertiary Institutions Act, 2001.
For any institution to be accredited, the National Council must be satisfied, after a series of inspections and visitations, that the institution concerned has adequate physical and financial resources, viable programmes, adequate qualified staff and structures of governance to deliver quality higher education.
Institutional accreditation or permitting institutions to exist and deliver higher education, is a key tool of quality assurance. It is a process through which institutions are assessed at various stages before they are licensed.
It covers all aspects of institutions; including land, staffing, educational facilities, governance, financial resources and physical facilities.
In processing the applications for accreditation, the NCHE follows the provisions of the University and other Tertiary Institutions Act, 200I, which empowers the NCHE to make regulations to ensure the provision of quality higher education. Accordingly, the NCHE has issued a number of Statutory Instruments.
