The University of Rwanda (UR) has reinstated its four-year undergraduate degree programmes, returning to the traditional structure after a five-year trial with the three-year structure.

In the 2017 academic year, social sciences and certain science programs were reduced to a three-year duration instead of the traditional four years.

Officials explained that the decision was made after determining that only science courses such as architecture, engineering, and medicine should extend beyond three years.

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According to Didas Muganga Kayihura, Acting UR Vice-Chancellor, the change is aimed at enhancing the quality of education and aligning the university’s programs with feedback from graduates, employers, and other stakeholders.

"Graduates and employers consistently told us that the compressed three-year curriculum left students missing crucial knowledge and skills. While we tried to benchmark against regional universities offering three-year programs, our evaluation showed that this approach was not yielding the desired results,” said Kayihura.

"The decision to implement three-year degrees was initially influenced by trends in neighboring countries such as Uganda and Kenya, where universities condensed bachelor’s programs into three years. In Rwanda, this move sparked debate on whether such a system could produce graduates who meet both academic and professional standards.”

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Kayihura also told The New Times that globally, the minimum requirement for a bachelor’s degree is tied to 16 years of education.

"In Rwanda, this includes six years of primary school, six years of secondary school, and four years at the university level. When we switched to three years, we realised this left our students at 15 years of formal education, which created a gap compared to their peers in the region,” he said.

Following the graduation of the first cohorts under the three-year structure in 2020, UR conducted extensive reviews from stakeholders, including employers and faculty lecturers and students themselves among others, they all highlighted the challenges of ‘a compressed’ curriculum.

"Professors felt pressured to rush through the material, and students reported gaps in their foundational knowledge. Employers echoed these concerns, with many stating that three-year graduates lacked the depth of skills needed for their roles and a short period of time for their academic internship all affected their performance on the market,” said Kayihura.

"Our assessments confirmed that the curriculum was effective only to a certain extent, but it missed the mark in preparing students thoroughly for the workforce or further studies.”

Kayihura also said that the four-year structure will allow students to explore their fields of study more comprehensively, providing time for critical thinking, research, and professional readiness. Providing graduates with a competitive edge in both local and global markets.

"Education is a continuous process of improvement. As a university, we are committed to adapting and ensuring that our programs meet the highest standards of excellence,” he said.

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Telesphore Ngarambe, a representative of public universities and higher learning institutions, highlighted the importance of maintaining a standardised duration for degree programs which was not met with a three years program.

"A degree program should not be limited to just one university but should align with a national higher education policy. There are international standards that guide how long a student should take to mature in their field. In many systems, a bachelor’s degree requires a minimum of four years to ensure that students can cover both foundational and specialised courses thoroughly,” said Ngarambe.

"In a typical program, students must accumulate a minimum of 480 credits to graduate with a bachelor’s degree with honors. This means that over the course of four years, students should be able to manage 100 credits per year, which is more realistic than trying to compress that into just three years.”

Ngarambe also said that if a program is squeezed into three years, the students will face immense pressure to cover too much content in too little time.

"Students would have to compromise on practical exposure, which is crucial for competence in many fields. The move to four years provides students with more time to engage in practicals and real-world learning experiences, ensuring they are more capable in their professional roles,” said Ngarambe.

"Graduates of the three-year program did receive certificates, but they were not equipped with the same level of competence and exposure that the four-year program offers. These students might have needed additional training to fully prepare for their careers.”

There is no shortcut to knowledge. A degree earned in less time will not provide the same depth of understanding or professional competence. The four-year system gives students the necessary time to mature in their field, ensuring they are fully equipped to face the challenges in their professions, he said.

Annet Mukayuhi, a lecturer at the College of Education at UR, emphasised the need for sufficient time in undergraduate programs to ensure students are adequately prepared for their careers.

"Three years were simply not enough to produce undergraduates who are fully specialised in their fields. At the university, we have essential cross-cutting courses like English for specific purposes, entrepreneurship, and civic education. Adding these to specialized courses such as chemistry or geography and completing everything in just three years was almost impossible,” said Mukayuhi.

Mukayuhi explained that specialisation requires a balance between foundational and core courses, which is difficult to achieve within the limited timeframe of a three-year program.

"If you want to produce a teacher who specialises in a subject like geography or chemistry, they must also take education as their main focus. When you combine that with cross-cutting courses, the workload becomes too heavy for just three years,” she said.

She also said that while graduates from the three-year programs met the academic requirements, they often faced challenges when transitioning into professional roles due to gaps in subject-specific knowledge.

"They are graduates according to the program, but once recruited, they require continuous professional development. Additional training is needed to help them feel confident in their roles,” Mukayuhi said.

"The additional year gives students the time they need to engage more deeply with their subjects, participate in internships, and develop professional skills. This ensures they are better prepared and more comfortable in their roles after graduation.”