Masters and PhD Study in Uganda: Admission, Costs and Funding

How postgraduate admission works

To enter a masters or PhD program, you need at least a first or second class bachelor's degree, or its equivalent, from a chartered university, along with your original Uganda Certificate of Education and Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education results. Makerere's Directorate of Research and Graduate Training (DRGT) coordinates admission to postgraduate diplomas, masters and doctoral programs, and other universities run equivalent graduate school offices.

PhD applicants additionally need a degree in a field relevant to their intended area of research, and most programs expect you to identify a proposed research topic and, at many universities, a prospective supervisor before or during your application.

Funding: mostly self-sponsored

Unlike undergraduate study, where a merit-based government sponsorship track exists, postgraduate study in Uganda carries no equivalent blanket funding scheme. At Makerere, all graduate programs are privately sponsored, so you cover your own fees unless you secure an external sponsor, such as an employer, a research grant, or a scholarship body, and have your application formally endorsed by that sponsor.

What changed after the Sida partnership ended

For 20 years, from 2000, Makerere ran a bilateral research cooperation with Sweden's international development agency, Sida, that funded PhD, masters and postdoctoral training in the sciences. Over that period, several hundred staff completed PhDs, masters and postdoctoral fellowships through the partnership. As the Sida-funded phase wound down, the Ugandan government pledged UGX 30 billion to help sustain Makerere's research capacity going forward.

Some health-related postgraduate research at Makerere continues to draw support through international partnerships, including funding channeled through the EU-backed EDCTP programme, though funding availability depends on the specific research area and active grants at any given time.

Program length

A masters degree typically runs 2 years, combining coursework with a thesis or a smaller research component depending on the program. A PhD typically runs 3-5 years of largely independent research under a supervisor, and can extend longer for part-time candidates who study while continuing to work, a common arrangement for university staff and public servants upgrading their qualifications.

Where to look for funding

• Research grants attached to a specific faculty project, research centre, or supervisor, which sometimes cover fees and a stipend for students who join an active project.

• International development partnerships and donor-funded research programs, which shift over time as agreements begin and end.

• Employer sponsorship, common for public servants, teachers and university staff pursuing a higher qualification relevant to their role.

• Personal or family funding, still the most common route given how few postgraduate places in Uganda carry a subsidy.

Choosing a program and supervisor

Contact the department or school offering your intended program directly, and ask about active research grants, faculty research interests, and typical completion times for recent graduates. Watch each university's graduate school office for its annual admission call, since these are announced on a yearly cycle, at Makerere typically posted through the DRGT website and university news pages around March.