Programme overview

The University of Rwanda is a multi-College, multi-Campus institution offering a wide range of academic programmes. As such, it provides opportunities for students to pursue a variety of programs - some that are quite specialized in nature, others that are multi-disciplinary and/or problem-based in focus. The programmes are offered at different Campuses across the country, through both face to face and online distance learning modes of deliveries.

PROGRAMMES

UR programmes are offered in the following three categories :

1. Undergraduate programmes : Bachelor degrees with Honours and Advanced Diploma

• The Bachelors programmes are offered for three-five years and each year is split in semesters or trimesters depending the specifications of the programmes.
• ​Advanced Diploma last for two years, each split into trimesters. The programmes are offered in areas such as : Drama, music, education, creative arts and media.

2. Postgraduate Programmes :

• Postgraduate Diploma and Certificates

The Certificates are for a period of one year and the Diplomas for two years. The programmes are offered in the College of Education and College of Medicine and Health Sciences

• Masters Programmes

The duration of Masters programmes varies between eighteen (18) and twenty four (24) months, except in Medicine, where they last for four years. They are offered by coursework or purely by research.

• PhD Programmes

Currently, PhD studies can only be undertaken by research only, in all the disciplines. The duration is at least three years.

3. Short and Professional courses

Short courses are offered to support life long learning and professional development. The College of Business and Economics also offers training leading to professional qualifications in the fields of accounting, banking, insurance and finance.

MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION

The medium of instruction at the University of Rwanda is English. Applicants will be tested for proficiency in English at a period which will be determined by the University of Rwanda before the commencement of lectures. Those not meeting the requirements will have to register for and pass English courses offered by language units in the Colleges.

MINIMUM ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

1. Undergraduate Programmes

• Advanced General Certificate of Secondary Education/Technical and Vocational Education Training Certificate/Primary Teacher Education Certificate

Applicants to undergraduate degree programmes must be in possession of an Advanced General Certificate of Secondary Education, with at least two principal passes in the relevant subject combinations ;or a Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) Certificate, with at least three principal passes in the relevant subjects ;or a Primary Teacher Education Certificate with at least a Credit in the relevant subject combinations.

• Alternative qualifications

Candidates with alternative qualifications will be considered for admission into degree and diploma programmes, on the basis of equivalences determined by the Colleges. Foreign qualifications must be evaluated by the Rwanda Education Board (REB) prior to registration.

2. Postgraduate Programmes

• To qualify for admission into a Master’s Programme by Coursework and Dissertation, applicants must :

1. Have obtained a Bachelor’s Degree with Honours, Second-Class Upper Division (Level 5 in the Rwandan qualifications Framework) or a qualification deemed equivalent
2. Demonstrate sufficient ability in the language of instruction and excellent language proficiency in the case where the language is the discipline of choice for the degree.

• To qualify for admission to a doctoral degree at the University of Rwanda, applicants must have attained :

1. A Master’s Degree (Level 6 in the Rwandan qualifications Framework) in an area relevant to the proposed programme of research.
2. Demonstrate sufficient ability in English to undertake doctoral-level work.

• Entry requirements to postgraduate Diploma and Certificates programmes are similar to those for Masters programmes.

• Alternative entry requirements into postgraduate programmes maybe considered taking into account recognition of prior learning experience.

SUBJECT REQUIREMENTS AND LEVELS OF PERFORMANCE

Subject requirements and minimum level of performance, in terms of points in the subject combinations relevant to the programmes, are set by the different Colleges. The points are determined based on calculations of weighted points for the award of an Advanced General Certificate of Secondary Education, shown in the table below.

Subject

Mathematics/Physics/Chemistry/Biology/Accounting/Economics/
Entrepreneurship/Finance/History/Geography/English/Literature in English/French/Kinyarwanda/Kiswahili/Computer Science/
Secretarial Studies/Creative performance and Physical Education
General Paper

Grade letter

A
B
C
D
E
S

Weighted points

6*3=18
5*3=15
4*3=12
3*3=9
2*3=6
1*1=1

GENERAL MINIMUM ENTRY REQUIREMENTS INTO SPECIFIC COLLEGE PROGRAMMES

1. Applicants for programmes in the following Colleges :

• College of Arts and Social Sciences (CASS),
• College of Business and Economics (CBE) and
• College of Education (CE),

must have two (2) Principal passes with at least eighteen (18) points in specified courses relevant to the programmes applied for.

2. Applicants for programmes offered in the following Colleges :

• Colleges of Agriculture, Animal Sciences and Veterinary Medicine (CAVM),
• College of Medicine and Health Sciences (CMHS) and
• College of Science and Technology (CST),

must have two (2) Principal passes with at least twenty four (24) points in specified courses relevant to the programmes applied for. In the case of CST, there is an additional requirement of a C grade average in the relevant subjects as required by the Department.

3. In addition, all applicants must have :

1. A pass in General Paper. Applicants without a pass, but meeting the minimum criteria in terms of Principal subjects passes will be admitted and required to pass a special common course offered by UR, prior to graduation.
2. An English language proficiency test certificate. Applicants without proof of English proficiency will be required to register for and pass an English language module offered by the University Language Centre. The pass mark for English proficiency test is 70%.

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