Application and Admission

Applicants should apply and be admitted to graduate programs that can assist them to develop their abilities, interest and skills that are appropriate to their occupational or educational environment. The Higher Degrees Committees at Departments and Faculties will always be consulted to assess the suitability of the applicants to various programs. Their inputs will be used during admissions.

Eligibility for admission to Postgraduate Diploma

Any applicant shall have obtained a good Bachelors degree or its equivalent in the relevant field from a recognized and chartered university or institution of learning to be admitted. 

Eligibility for admission to Masters’ Degree

Any prospective masters’ student is expected to fulfil the following requirements;

• Hold a first degree of at least Lower Second or its equivalent from a university or institution recognized at the national level by NCHE and internationally by the Commonwealth;
• A third-class degree holder or its equivalent may be admitted only after providing evidence of academic growth and maturity in the desired field of study as judged by the Graduate Board;
• Applicants for Master of Business Administration shall be required to sit Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT) of Kyambogo University prior to selection for admission. The GMAT fees shall be set by the university and reviewed from time to time; evidence of competence in the medium of instruction. The university may decline to admit such a candidate for the graduate programme whose attainments are in its opinion, not sufficient to warrant such admission;
• Subject to the approval by the university, each faculty may formulate its own regulations for the Graduate programmes;
• Departments will be required to ascertain if applicants have attained such academic qualifications or equivalent.

Admission to Doctoral Degree (PhD)

The purpose of Doctoral training is to impart skills to Doctoral students which can enable them to become independent and critical thinkers who can conduct quality research and innovations for societal transformation. The end products are researchers who can engage with a broader environment of stakeholders as well as the knowledge economy in order for them to remain relevant to the local conditions.

The following shall be eligible for registration for the Doctoral Degree Programme:

1. A candidate who holds a Master’s Degree or equivalent qualifications from any other university recognised by the Senate of Kyambogo University as being an institution of comparable status to that of Kyambogo University.
2. A candidate who holds a Bachelor’s Degree from any recognised university and has at least three years’ postgraduate research experience in the subject area, and can provide proven evidence of research ability in the form of papers, reports, manuscripts, portfolios or other published works.
3. A candidate who holds a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent qualification from any other university or Institution recognised by the National Council for Higher Education. The candidate should provide proven evidence of research ability in the form of papers, reports, manuscripts, portfolios or other published works.
4. In exceptional cases, a candidate admitted to study for a Master’s Degree may have the registration changed to a doctorate degree, provided the candidate has shown exceptionally good progress in the research and that the area of study is suitable for Doctorate. Requests for such a change shall be submitted to the Graduate Board by the relevant faculty which will make an appropriate recommendation to Senate.
5. In addition to producing evidence of eligibility for admission, candidates for the Doctor of Philosophy degree may be required to appear for interview by the Faculty and/or Department, to determine their suitability for registration.

6. The Senate shall have overall authority to admit or decline to admit a candidate for the Degree;
7. Subject to approval by the Senate, Faculties may formulate regulations requiring applicants to have attained such academic or equivalent qualifications as may be consistent with the goals of their doctorate programmes.
8. Applications shall be submitted to the Graduate School on the prescribed application Forms;
9. Applications and research concepts shall, in the first instance, be scrutinised by the relevant Departmental Higher Degrees Committee and forwarded to the relevant Faculty Higher Degrees Committee; which shall make appropriate comments and recommendations to the university Graduate committee.
10. In case of rejection, the Academic Registrar shall inform the applicant of the grounds for rejection.
11. If satisfied with the applicant’s eligibility, the Kyambogo University Graduate Board shall recommend to the Senate that the applicant be admitted and the effective date of registration will be when the relevant Departmental graduate committee accepted the research proposal; (a) Before recommending an applicant for registration, the relevant faculty. High degree committee shall ensure that; (b) The proposed field is academically sound and can be profitably pursued under the supervision of Kyambogo University academic staff.
12. The applicant will have access to such literature, materials and facilities as demanded by the field of study.
13. The Graduate Board may postpone the research concept requirement as a pre-requisite for admission when a candidate seeks provisional registration. Departments must make recommendations for such postponement through the relevant Faculty. The recommendations must be based on the applicant’s credentials, departmental research objectives and other relevant considerations. Candidates who are registered provisionally must submit their research proposals within twelve months with effect from the date of registration.
14. Faculty Dean should present the successful candidate for full admission to the Graduate Board. The Dean is expected to highlight items in 11 (a) and (b) as a basis for the request for admission of the applicant.

Post Doctorate

Post Doctorate Degrees are awarded upon successful submission, review and defence of original published and unpublished works on the area/topic of specialization.  These Higher Doctorates are normally applied for by holders of PhD Degrees. Upon receipt of an application, the Senate shall nominate three distinguished scholars in the area of specialization to review the applicant’s works.