700 university programmes face review as Uganda prepares for new education reforms

• NCHE has started assessing 700 university programmes redesigned under the competence-based education and training system.

• The review will check whether universities have enough facilities, equipment and staff to support their programmes.

• Students will have more practical training, including two internship placements under the new system.

• Uganda’s 60 accredited universities must review about 4,000 programmes before full implementation.

Uganda’s higher education sector is preparing for major changes as universities begin adjusting their programmes to meet a new learning system focused on skills and practical abilities.

The National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) has started reviewing about 700 university programmes that have been redesigned under the competence-based education and training (CBET) system ahead of its planned introduction in the 2027/2028 academic year.

The review covers 322 science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) programmes, which make up 46 percent, and 378 humanities programmes, representing 54 percent.

The programmes are part of more than 4,000 courses currently offered across Uganda’s universities, meaning the first review covers only a portion of the total number expected to be assessed.

NCHE has appointed 50 assessors, including senior lecturers and professors, to examine the revised programmes submitted by universities.

Deputy Executive Director Dr Alex Mugisha Kagume said universities have received guidelines on how to redesign their courses and have started sending them to the council for approval.

The shift follows a directive issued by Education Minister Janet Museveni requiring higher education institutions to adopt the competence-based approach.

Under CBET, universities will have to prove that they have enough facilities, equipment, lecturers and other resources to support the number of students they admit to each programme.

Dr Kagume said the changes are not intended to reduce student admissions across the board. However, institutions that lack enough resources may be required to reduce the number of students admitted to particular programmes.

He said universities will not be required to offer identical programmes, as long as each institution can show that its graduates gain the required skills and abilities.

The new system will also change how students gain workplace experience. Instead of completing one internship, students will be required to take part in two internship placements during their degree programmes.

Dr Vincent Ssembatya, NCHE’s director of Quality Assurance and Accreditation, said the new approach will focus more on practical training outside traditional classrooms.

He said learning could take place in industries, farms or other facilities created by universities, with technicians and industry experts helping train students.

Professional courses such as medicine, pharmacy and engineering will undergo joint reviews involving NCHE and the bodies that regulate those professions.

NCHE said it will continue inspecting institutions after approval to ensure universities maintain the required facilities and staffing levels.

Uganda currently has 60 accredited universities with about 4,000 programmes that must eventually be reviewed.

The council said it is still uncertain whether all institutions will complete the transition before the 2027/2028 academic year.

For students planning to join university in 2027, the courses and institutions available for selection may change as universities adjust to the new system.