Recent developments in technology have turned the world into a global village, making the job market more competitive and jeopardising the security of jobs for many. And so to be safer, one has to upgrade one’s skills to be more secure. But this has not been an easy path if busy work-life and endless commitments are to be considered.

So, how can one pursue education to enhance and master skills and generally, be more ‘marketable’?

The University of Rwanda was established by the Government of Rwanda in 2013, through the merger of previously independent public institutions of higher education into one consolidated entity.  

The university offers opportunities to learn from a pool of leading academics and industry professionals, experienced in teaching and research. For example, if you want to specialise in a field of your choice, like a Master’s or Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), University of Rwanda is the place to go.

The university, with its strategically positioned colleges in all corners of the country, offers the best postgraduate programmes, from various disciplines that include; social arts, science and technology, medicine and health science, education, agriculture, animal resources and veterinary science, among many others.  

The university subscribes to the understanding that this is a demanding and competitive world, and so all programmes are tailored to enable one to discover oneself. 

Become the most talented educationist with the College of Education

Are you a secondary school teacher or a university lecturer and wish to upgrade and improve your pedagogical skills and excel as a certified, well-equipped professional teacher? UR’s College of Education will serve you best.

Prof. Charles Murigande, UR Deputy Vice-Chancellor in charge of Institutional Advancement, speaks during the event.

The college offers 26 PhD by Research, 10 Masters’ degree, 4 Postgraduate Diploma and 1 Postgraduate Certificate programmes all credited by the Higher Education Council.

To promote inclusiveness in the education sector, the college avails specialised learning facilities, such as a multimedia studio, a language laboratory and a resource room for students, which helps those with or without disabilities to master skills in teaching people with special needs.

The college also hosts the African Centre of Excellence in Innovative Teaching and Learning Mathematics and Science (ACEITLMS), putting it at the forefront of attracting international students for both masters’ and PhD programmes.

To favour the majority, the university makes it more convenient for one to study, and so most of the programmes are offered over the weekend.

Enhance your medical and health professionalism with the college of medicine and health sciences.

Do you want to be one of the most skilful medical or health practitioners? Your long-term vision will flourish with the university’s College of Medicine and Health Sciences, as you are guaranteed the best training offered by internationally recognised lecturers drawn from different nationalities.

University of Rwanda - Gikondo campus.

To produce the most competent and highly skilled medical and health professionals, the college offers 8 PhD programmes and 30 Masters programmes accredited by the Higher Education Council. PhD programmes are research-based, while Masters’ programmes are coursework-based.

In addition to its well-stocked laboratories, the college boasts of a strong relationship with all referral hospitals across the country, giving assurance of getting the hands-on experience the field requires.

With its well-developed curriculum and unending research on health issues, one of its research studies won the World Academy of Science award in 2017.

The College of Medicine and Health Science remains unique at the regional level with two regional centres of excellence; the Regional Centre of Excellence in Biomedical Engineering and e-Health and the Regional Centre of Excellence in Vaccines, Immunisation and Health Supply Chain Management. 

The centres serve the rest of the East African Region and offer Masters and PhD programmes.

Students testing soil at Busogo. 

They offer a wide range of postgraduate programmes; Master of Medicine in Anaesthesia, Master of Medicine in Internal Medicine, Master of Medicine in Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Master of Medicine in Paediatrics, Master of Medicine in Surgery (General Surgery), among others.

Apart from the Master of Medicine in Obstetrics & Gynaecology, all programmes require a 60 per cent score of an entrance exam.

Become a law expert, professional translator and interpreter and a specialist in other social arts disciplines with the college of Arts and Social Sciences.

The College of Arts and Social Sciences offers postgraduate programmes in Translation and Interpreting Law, Development Studies, Local Governance Studies, Gender and Development Studies, Security Studies, Peace Studies and Conflict Transformation, and Genocide Studies and Prevention.

The college has 24 PhD by research and 9 Masters by coursework programmes.

UR - CAVM students in a group photo after scooping soil samples.

Some of the postgraduate programmes have gained a regional and international reputation, notably the Master’s programmes in Translation and Interpreting, Security Studies, Peace Studies and Conflict Transformation Studies.

With Rwanda striving to become a global centre for meetings, incentives, conferencing and exhibitions (MICE), to be appealing enough and benefit most, you have to be a multi-lingual speaker and writer, and the master’s programme in translation and interpretation offers an opportunity for this.

The programme focuses on two regional languages, Kinyarwanda and Kiswahili, the latter being the most spoken language in East Africa; and two international languages—English and French.

The programme is supported by international institutions/partners such as the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF)/Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF), and the European Union.

For those interested in careers in peacebuilding and reconciliation, aiming at a better world, the college, with its high number of PhD holders and professors, is regulated by the best tutors.

Very active research and teaching centres for conflict management, together with a strong partnership with external reputable institutions and partners like Swedish Cooperation, you are assured of getting the exposure and real understanding of the subject matter of your career.

All programmes are offered and managed by the college’s centres and schools; School of Governance, School of Law, School of Arts and Languages, Centre for Gender Studies, School of Arts and Languages, Centre for Conflict Management (CCM).

Multi-purpose hall at Rukara campus 

The programmes only require a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in an equivalent or related field with a minimum study period of one year to four.

Develop, update and enhance your business and statistics professional skills with postgraduate programmes offered at the university’s college of business and economics

The College of Business and Economics is a multi-campus college where students have a wide range of choices to pursue their studies either full-time or part-time at one of its four campuses (Gikondo, Huye, Nyagatare and Rusizi).

The college offers several undergraduate, 16 masters and 21 PhD programmes, including 6 PhD programmes by course work in areas of; money policy analysis, banking, development economics, demography, actuarial and economic statistics, policy analysis, health economics, agricultural economics, agricultural business, human resources management, insurance, accounting and finance.

All programmes are credited by the Higher Education Council (HEC).

With its well-informed research centre focusing on real-world problems, supported by PhD holders and professors, the college was chosen to be the regional ‘centre of excellence’, thus becoming the only hub for graduate studies in Data Science in eastern and southern Africa.

University students in a library.

In choosing the college to pursue your postgraduate qualification, you meet a vibrant multi-cultural learning environment enriched by interaction with highly qualified international and national faculties.

Going forward, with a range of partnerships with other renowned universities across the globe, the college provides an opportunity to benefit from exchange programmes and participation in international conferences with an invaluable learning experience.

The college operates two schools and one centre of excellence; School of Economics, School of Business and African Centre of Excellence in Data Science.

To enrol for a PhD programme, one has to have a Master’s degree and at least two years of experience, and for Master’s students, a second upper and above in the bachelor’s degree programme is required. Those with lower qualifications, two years of working experience is a must.

Become the best Plant Doctor, Agronomist and Veterinary Doctor with the University of Rwanda College of Agriculture, Animal Sciences and Veterinary Medicines (ur-cavm). 

The college, located in Musanze District, is the nation’s leading high learning agricultural institute committed to always initiating research projects that offer lifelong changes in education, and contribute tremendously to the development of the community and the country.

The college’s academic environment attracts outstanding students and scholars, who engage in research to bring the most innovative solutions to the pressing issues in the agriculture and food security sector.

University students during a group discussion.

Currently, the college offers several undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, which are either by course work or by research, the former going for a maximum of 24 months and PhD programmes going for 48 months.

To enable and favour the majority, some programmes are offered over the weekend.

Equip yourself with the latest knowledge and skill in Information technology and other related disciplines at The University of Rwanda, College of Science and Technology

The College of Science and Technology offers 13 PhD and 21 Master’s programmes in postgraduate studies accredited by the Higher Education Council. The programmes are research or coursework based on the curriculum specifications.

The college is multi-campus operating in Nyarugenge and Huye districts.

The college has an excellent learning environment with reliable internet connectivity, library facilities with both printed and digital resources, ICT and other relevant laboratories, guided by renowned and respected persons that make up the teaching and research staff.

College of Science and Technology continue to be a regional beacon in the field of science and technology, accommodating several regional centres of excellence; Centre for Biodiversity, Conservation and Natural Resources Management, African Centre of Excellence in the Internet of Things (ACE IoT), African Centre of Excellence in Energy and Sustainable Development (ACE-ESD), and ICTP East African Institute for Fundamental Research (ICTP/EAIFR) that all offer PhD and Master’s programmes.

With such centres, pursuing a postgraduate programme at CST, you get the specialised scope of knowledge on cutting-edge technology and innovations, based on research and teaching from the best tutors and engineers.

The curriculum of the college is based on research, which gives students and greater advantage as innovators and tech entrepreneurs.

The postgraduate programmes are drawn from several high-tech engineering disciplines; machine learning, software engineering, sustainable energy research, among others.

To know when and how to apply for different programmes and the tuition structure for both international and local students, visit the university’s website at www.ur.ac.rw.