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Welcome to my treatise on the universities in Ghana.
Here, you’ll find non formal and some formal information about the University of Ghana. Now the info you’ll find here have been written from my own experience of being once a student of the University of Ghana. You’ll read what you can expect to experience should you become a student here. Many things that are true of the University of Ghana also apply to some other universities in Ghana, especially the government or public universities. But first, here is a list of the universities in Ghana.
University of Ghana, Legon
University of Cape Coast
Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology
University College of Education, Winneba
University for Development Studies
Valley View University
Central University College
Ashesi University
Western University, Formerly School of Mines
Regent University College of Science and Technology
Ghana Telecom University College
Presbyterian University at Kwahu
Methodist University College of Ghana, Dansoman
Islamic University College of Ghana, East Legon
Catholic University, Fiapre
Now here goes the beginning of my treatise of the University of Ghana.
The University of Ghana is the oldest and largest of the five Ghanaian public universities. It was founded in 1948 as the University College of the Gold Coast, and was originally an affiliate college of the University of London, which supervised its academic programmes and awarded degrees. It gained full university status in 1961, and now has nearly 24,000 students.
The original emphasis was on the liberal arts, social sciences, basic science, agriculture, and medicine, but (partly as the result of a national educational reform programme) the curriculum was expanded to provide more technology-based and vocational courses and postgraduate training.
The University is mainly based at Legon, about twelve kilometres north-east of the centre of Accra. It has lush vegetation which is more beautiful during and after the rainy season.
The University of Ghana has two campuses: the Accra city campus and the Legon campus. I will talk about the latter.Legon campus is located about 15km east of the central Accra area. Suburbs around the school are described in relation to the school, for example, East Legon, North Legon etc. The very suburb, Legon, is identified with the school, and vice versa. Usually, when a passenger says s/he is getting of at Legon, it is assumed s/he is alighting on or near the school campus (Public transport vehicles plying some destinations pass through or near the campus. Some of these routes the buses ply are:Accra central to Adenta (and destinations along the way)Adenta to Lapaz, Dansoman and destinations along the wayAchimota to Adenta and destinations along the wayEtc.(Now I think you may have guessed that there is open access to the school. If so, you’re right. There is no wall which encloses the campus. For this reason you can’t tell, at a glance, whether a person is a student/lecturer or not. That can only be done upon inspecting the person’s ID card. Some outsiders use this opportunity to steal from students. (Many students dry their clothes outside, in the sun. There are also thefts of electronic gadgets like mobile/cell phones and laptops from inside students’ rooms. But if a person is caught stealing, he (the culprits are almost always male!) is roughly handled and mistreated. However such incidents have reduced as a result of tighter security).Also, branches of banks and other financial institutions, hospitals, ATM machines, the police station, etc which are on or near the campus are identified with the school, for example, Legon hospital, Barclays Bank, Legon branch, etc.Unless otherwise stated, I’m referring to the University of Ghana whenever I say ‘Legon’.
Here is a list of the courses studied at the University of Ghana.
College of Health Sciences
There are four faculties, one school and one research institute under this college.
University of Ghana Medical SchoolDepartment of Anaesthesia Department of Anatomy Department of Chemical Pathology Department of Child Health Department of Community Health
Department of Haematology Department of Medical Biochemistry Department of Medicine and Therapeutics Department of Microbiology Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology
Department of Pathology Department of Pharmacology Department of Physiology Department of Psychiatry Department of Radiology Department of Surgery
University of Ghana Dental SchoolDepartment of Biomaterials Science Department of Oral Pathology, Medicine and Radiology Department of Oral and Maxillo-Facial Surgery Department of Orthodontics & Pedodontics Department of Public Health Dentistry Department of Restorative Dentistry
School of Allied Health Sciences
School of NursingThis is located on the Legon campus though its students receive practical training at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital
Institutions and SchoolsSchool of Public Health Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research
College of Agriculture and Consumer SciencesDepartment of Agricultural Economics & Agribusiness Department of Agricultural Mechanization Department of Agricultural Extension Department of Animal Science Department of Home Science [Department of Soil Science Department of Crop Science Agricultural Research Station - Kade Agricultural Research Station - Kpong Agricultural Research Station - Nungua
Other FacultiesThere are six more faculties outside the above Colleges. They are Arts, Social Studies, Law, Science, Administration (Business), and Engineering Sciences.
Faculty of ArtsDepartment of Classics Department of Linguistics Department of English Department of Modern Languages Department of Philosophy Department for the Study of Religions The department coordinates the affiliations with five seminaries / Theological Colleges.[5]
Faculty of Social StudiesDepartment of Anthropology Department of Archaeology Department of Economics Department of Geography & Resource Development Department of Global and Cultural Studies Currently in the testing phase Department of History Department of Information Studies Department of Political Science Department of Psychology Department of Sociology Department of Social Work
Faculty of ScienceDepartment of Biochemistry Department of Botany Department of Chemistry, Department of Computer Science Department of Geology Department of Mathematics Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences Department of Oceanography and Fisheries Department of Physics Department of Statistics Department of Zoology
University of Ghana Business SchoolDepartment of Accounting Department of Banking and Finance Department of Health Services Administration Department of Management and Organisation Department of Marketing Department of Operations Management & Information Systems Department of Public Administration
Faculty of Law
Faculty of Engineering SciencesDepartment of Food Process Engineering Department of Computer Engineering Department of Agricultural Engineering Department of Material Science and Engineering Department of Biomedical Engineering
Institutes and schoolsInstitute of Statistical Social and Economic Research Institute of African Studies Institute of Adult Education Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research Regional Institute for Population Studies School of Public Health School of Communication Studies School of Research & Graduate Studies, School of Performing Arts (with the following departments): Department of Theatre Arts Department of Music Department of Dance Studies Abibigromma Theatre Company
CentresCentre for Social Policy Analysis Centre for Remote Sensing and Geographic Information System Legon Centre for International Affairs Centre for Migration International Centre for African Music and Dance Centre for Tropical Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics Centre for Biotechnology Research
Centre for African Wetlands Language Centre
Lectures at Legon range in duration from an hour to two. The scheduled times range from 6.30am to 8.30pm. However, students especially those at levels 100 and 200 often have to be in the lecture halls more than an hour before the scheduled time if they will get a place to sit. Just like the halls of residence, there is overcrowding in many of the lecture halls. Students can sometimes bee seen standing outside listening to the lecture. The lecture halls are okay anyway. They have trade mark white walls and brown roofs. Some of them are new (having been built only a few years ago).
ACADEMIC SCHEDULE
The academic year usually starts in September and ends in May or June of the following year. Each academic year is made up of two semesters. The semesters have a duration of four months. There is a vacation of about one month after the first semester and another lasting about three months after the second. At the beginning of each semester long queues can be seen as students line up to register for the various exams they will write. This is very inconvenient for the students. The problem has been lessened a little bit with the introduction of online registration (where registration can be done through the school’s website).
