Cameroonian Higher Education Architecture
Degrees & Programs levels
Since the 2007/08 academic year, Cameroon has moved to the BMD System (Bachelor, Master, Doctorate/PhD), organised in three training cycles:
- A first cycle leading to a Bachelor’s degree (6 semesters);
- A second cycle leading to a Master’s degree (4 semesters);
- A third cycle leading to a Doctorate/PhD (6 semesters);
Besides these three cycles, there are also short vocational cycles leading to the High National Diploma (HND) and the High Professional Diploma (HPD). State universities generally offer full undergraduate and postgraduate programs, while most of the Private Institutions only offers undergraduate programs.
Architecture of the BMD’s system
Within the BMD system, contents of programs are organised into study areas, fields of study and specialisations.
Within the BMD system, study programs are measured in credits. These can be transferred and capitalised from one course to another. The course period covers a semester equivalent to 30 credits.
Types of programs
The degrees can take different forms: general (academic or research) and vocational programs, the number and duration of which vary according to the institution and the field of study.
Training programs
The training programs are diversified but do not cover many advanced technological and scientific fields, such as nanotechnology, robotics, aerospace, etc.
