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Higher Education Certificate (HEC).

Programme Details

  • Programme Description
  • Requirements
  • Intakes
  • Duration
  • Objectives
  • Career Prospects

Programme Description Details

UCU runs three tracks of Higher Education Certificate: Higher Education Arts, Higher Education Physical and Higher Education Biological.

Higher Education Arts for those who intend to do Humanities courses at the university such as Law, SWASA, BAED, BBA, and Journalism etc .

Higher Education Biological for those who want to pursue: Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing, Agriculture, Environment, Bachelor of Science with Education etc.

Higher Education Physical for those who want to pursue Engineering courses, Computer Science, Bachelor of Science with Education, etc.

The current admission requirements to any higher education programme require at least two principal passes for degree programmes and one principal pass and two subsidiaries for a diploma programme.  Unfortunately, there is no remedial programme for candidates who qualify for UACE but have not scored sufficiently good grades to enroll for degree or diploma programmes.  The only available option is for them to repeat Senior Six or enroll for Certificate programmes using the Uganda Certificate of Education. In addition, teachers holding a grade III take a longer route through a diploma to enroll for the degree The programme is therefore intended to provide an alternative route to join higher education.  

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Admission Requirements

  1. Uganda Certificate of Education or its equivalent and Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education with at least two subsidiary passes obtained in principal subjects or its equivalent. For avoidance of doubt, a holder of UACE with only one principal pass shall be deemed to meet the admission requirements.
  2. Vocational Qualifications at level 2 or level 3 of the Uganda Vocational Qualifications Framework.
  3. Grade III Teacher’s Certificate
  4. Qualifications equivalent to Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE) as shall be determined by the National Council in consultation with the Uganda National Examinations Board
  5. An ordinary certificate from an institution recognized by NCHE.
  6. Students whose foreign secondary school qualifications are not considered equivalent to UACE but permit admission into Higher Education in the foreign country. Such students shall have passed at least five subjects with at least a credit in each of the five subjects. In addition, foreign students whose studies were not conducted in English shall show proof of proficiency in the English Language. The English proficiency centers shall be accredited by NCHE.

The Higher Education Certificate is intended for the following categories:

  1. UACE Holders: The HEC is intended for holders of the Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education or equivalent qualifications but who may not have attained sufficient grades to enroll for Diplomas or Degree programmes in Uganda.
  2. Foreign Qualification: The HEC can also serve as a foundation programme for students whose foreign secondary school qualifications are not considered equivalent to UACE but permit admission into Higher Education in the foreign country.
  3. Linkage between the Vocational Qualifications and the Higher Education Qualifications.

One of the challenges facing holders of vocational qualifications is the inability to cross to Higher Education at the same levels as those with school qualifications.  For example, although an Enrolled Nursing Certificate is equivalent to the Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education, holders of the former can only join degree programme after two and a half years of an intermediate diploma in addition to years of experience while holders of UACE can enroll for degree programmes right away. Similarly, teachers holding a Grade III certificate will have to go through a two-year diploma to have access to a degree programs.  There is a general belief that holders of vocational qualifications and grade III certificate teachers   may be highly skilled but lack adequate theoretical foundations to join knowledge-based higher education programmes. A HECA programme has been designed to enroll holders of vocational qualifications and teachers with Grade III certificate, expose them to rigorous theoretical foundations that will enable them pursue desired higher education programmes.

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Intakes

This course has three modules in each year i.e. Trinity, May and Advent intakes 

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Duration of the Programme

The minimum duration of the HEC  programme shall be 9 months for those who will be full time and one  academic year for those doing recess modular

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