Higher Education in the Democratic Republic of Congo: The Licence System Explained
By Muntasir Minhaz • Published Aug 20, 2025 • Education Planning
The Democratic Republic of Congo used a Belgian-style Graduat plus Licence system for decades, then began shifting to the standard LMD structure (Licence, Master, Doctorat) starting with the 2022/23 academic year.
🎓 Old system: Graduat after about 3 years, then Licence after 2 more years, roughly 5 years total.
New LMD system: Licence after 3 years, Master after 2 more, Doctorat after 3 more.
The Ministère de l'Enseignement Supérieur, Universitaire, Recherche Scientifique et Innovations (MESURSI) oversees the transition.
Older Graduat and Licence holders need to check how their diplomas convert under the new structure.
⏱️ Universities are moving to LMD at different speeds, so confirm which system your program follows before you enroll.
Two Systems, One Country: Why DRC's Structure Looks Different
The Democratic Republic of Congo built its higher education system on a Belgian model, inherited from its colonial history and kept in place long after independence. For decades this meant a two-cycle structure, the Graduat followed by the Licence, instead of the standard Francophone LMD (Licence, Master, Doctorat) format used across most of West and Central Africa. Since the 2022/23 academic year, the Ministère de l'Enseignement Supérieur, Universitaire, Recherche Scientifique et Innovations (MESURSI) has pushed universities toward LMD, and the two systems now run side by side while the transition completes.
The Old System: Graduat and Licence
Under the Belgian-influenced structure, a Congolese student first completed a Graduat, a first-cycle qualification earned after roughly three years of university study. Students who continued studied two more years for a Licence, the terminal qualification for most professional fields. This differs from the word Licence as used in the standard LMD system, where it names a three-year bachelor's degree. In DRC's older structure, Licence sat at the end of a roughly five-year track, closer to a master's-level qualification in LMD countries.
Belgian Roots of the Structure
Belgium's own university system historically separated a shorter first-cycle stage from a longer licence stage that qualified graduates for professional practice. DRC's university system, built under Belgian colonial administration and largely unchanged for decades after independence, followed this same two-tier logic rather than the French LMD model adopted elsewhere in Francophone Africa. This is why a DRC Licence historically meant something different, and took longer to earn, than a Licence in Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire, or Cameroon.
Old System vs LMD, Side by Side
| Stage | Old system | New LMD system |
|---|---|---|
| First qualification | Graduat, about 3 years | Licence, 3 years |
| Second qualification | Licence, 2 more years (about 5 years total) | Master, 2 more years (5 years total) |
| Research qualification | Doctorat, separate track | Doctorat, 3 more years after the Master |
The Shift to LMD Starting 2022/23
MESURSI began rolling out the LMD system across DRC's universities starting with the 2022/23 academic year , aiming to align the country's degree structure with the rest of Francophone Africa and simplify recognition abroad. The ministry published a cadre normatif LMD setting out how programs should structure courses, credits, and progression under the new system. Students who started under the old Graduat-Licence track before the reform need to confirm with their university how their credits transfer into the new structure.
What This Means If You Are Choosing a Program
Because the transition is not instant across every university and faculty, confirm which system a program follows before you enroll. Ask the admissions office directly whether your program runs on the old Graduat-Licence structure or the new LMD structure, and how many years each requires. If you already hold a Graduat or an old-format Licence and plan to continue studying, ask your university how that credential maps onto the new Licence and Master levels. This affects both how long your remaining studies will take and how your qualification reads to employers and universities outside DRC.
Doctoral Study Under Each System
Under the older structure, a Congolese student pursuing a doctorate typically continued past the Licence with further specialized study before a formal thesis defense, a path that ran on its own timeline separate from the Graduat-Licence sequence. Under the new LMD structure, the Doctorat sits explicitly after the Master, usually requiring three more years of supervised research once a student holds an LMD Master. This makes the doctoral track more predictable in length and easier to compare with doctoral programs elsewhere in Francophone Africa, where CAMES evaluates the Master-to-Doctorat pathway using the same three-cycle logic.
Questions to Ask Before You Enroll
Does this program run on the Graduat-Licence structure or the LMD structure, and for how many years?
If I already hold a Graduat or an old-format Licence, how do my credits map onto the LMD Licence and Master levels?
Is this program listed in the ministry's cadre normatif LMD documentation?
Will a diploma from this program be recognized by CAMES if I want to study or work in another member state afterward?
Why the Comparison to LMD Elsewhere Matters
Most of Francophone Africa, including Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire, Cameroon, and Madagascar, has run on LMD for years, with degrees evaluated for equivalence by CAMES. As DRC's universities complete the shift to LMD, Congolese Licence, Master, and Doctorat graduates fit more directly into that regional framework, making it easier to pursue further study or work in other CAMES member states. Until a program formally converts, treat the old Graduat and Licence as DRC-specific qualifications that need extra explanation or conversion when used outside the country.