The University for Development Studies,

Tamale A tamale, in Spanish language, Spanish , is a traditional Mesoamerican dish made of ''masa'', a dough made from nixtamalization, nixtamalized maize, corn, which is steaming, steamed in a corn husk or Banana leaf, banana leaves. The wrapping ...

was established in 1992 as a multi-campus institution. It is the fifth public

university A university () is an educational institution, institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly ...

to be established in

Ghana Ghana, officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It is situated along the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, and shares borders with Côte d’Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, and Togo to t ...

. This deviates from the usual practice of having universities with central campuses and administrations. It was created with the four northern regions of the country in mind. These are the

Brong Ahafo Region The Brong-Ahafo region was a region in central Ghana. Brong-Ahafo was bordered to the north by the Black Volta river and to the east by the Lake Volta, and to the south by the Ashanti, Eastern and Western regions. The capital of Brong-Ahafo is ...

, Northern Region,

Upper East Region The Upper East Region is located in the northern part of Ghana and it is the third smallest of the 16 administrative regions in Ghana. It occupies a total land surface of 8,842 square kilometers, or 2.7% of the total land area of Ghana. The reg ...

and the

Upper West Region The Upper West Region of Ghana is located in the north-western corner of Ghana and is bordered by Upper East Region to the east, Northern Region (Ghana), Northern Region to the south, and Burkina Faso to the west and north. The Upper West regional ...

History

The University for Development Studies (UDS) is a public university located in

, in the Northern Region of

. It consistently ranks as one of the top four universities in the country. Established in 1992 by the

Government of Ghana The Government of Ghana was created as a parliamentary democracy, followed by alternating military and civilian governments in Ghana. In January 1993, military government gave way to the Fourth Republic after presidential and parliamentary elect ...

, its purpose is to accelerate the development of Ghana's north, and the broader nation. The legislative instrument that founded the university is PNDC Law 279, which was gazetted on May 15, 1992. UDS is the fifth public university established by the

. The university has two main campuses: Nyankpala and Dungu in

The university incorporates the Third Trimester Field Practical Programme (TTFPP) into its curriculum for first and second-year students. This program provides students with practical exposure to real-world development challenges within communities, fostering problem-solving skills. UDS students annually spend about two months residing in communities, actively engaging in hands-on experiences that contribute to a nuanced understanding of applied knowledge and the development of innovative solutions. This aspect sets UDS apart within the Ghanaian academic landscape, promoting a distinctive approach to development studies. The University for Development Studies introduced Bachelor degree in Law which open for applicants for the 2025/26 academic year.

Campuses

Tamale Campus

The campus houses the Central Administration, School of Medicine (SoM), School of Allied Health Sciences (SAHS), School of Nursing and Midwifery (SoNM), School of Public Health (SPH) and Faculty of Education (FoE) and Desert Research Institute (DRI).

Tamale City Campus

Tamale City Campus is a centre for the following: Graduate School, Institute of Interdisciplinary Research (IIR), Institute of Distance and Continuing Education (IDCE), Colleges of Education Affiliation and Business Innovation and Incubation Centre (BIIC).

Nyankpala Campus

The following are located at Nyankpala Campus: Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Consumer Sciences (FoAFCS), Faculty of Natural Resources and Environment (FNRE), Faculty of Biosciences (FoB), School of Engineering (SoE), West African Centre for Water, Irrigation and Sustainable Agriculture (WACWISA) and West African Centre for Sustainable Rural Transformation (WAC-SRT).

Tamale North Campus

The Campus is site for School of Applied Economics and Management Sciences (SAEMS).

Eastern Campus, Yendi

Eastern Campus is a site for Faculty of Communication and Cultural Studies (FCCS) and Faculty of Sustainable Development Studies (FoSDS), Centre for Culture, Heritage and African Studies (CCHAS) and Centre for Peace and Security Studies (CePSS).

Schools/Faculties

Faculty of Planning and Land Management

*Department of Community Development *Department of Planning and Management *Department of Real Estate and Land management

Faculty of Agriculture

*Department of Agricultural Mechanization and Irrigation Technology *Department of Agricultural Extension and Farm Management *Department of

Agronomy Agronomy is the science and technology of producing and using plants by agriculture for food, fuel, fiber, chemicals, recreation, or land conservation. Agronomy has come to include research of plant genetics, plant physiology, meteorology, and ...

*Department of

Animal Science Animal science is described as "studying the biology of animals that are under the control of humankind". It can also be described as the production and management of farm animals. Historically, the degree was called animal husbandry and the ...

*Department of

Biotechnology Biotechnology is a multidisciplinary field that involves the integration of natural sciences and Engineering Science, engineering sciences in order to achieve the application of organisms and parts thereof for products and services. Specialists ...

*Department of Consumer Sciences & Agricultural Education *Department of

Horticulture Horticulture (from ) is the art and science of growing fruits, vegetables, flowers, trees, shrubs and ornamental plants. Horticulture is commonly associated with the more professional and technical aspects of plant cultivation on a smaller and mo ...

Faculty of Natural Resources and Environment

*Department of Forestry and Forest Resources Management *Department of Fisheries ad Aquatic Resources Management *Department of Biodiversity Conservation and Management *Department of Environment and Sustainability *Department of Ecotourism and Resort Management UDS SAHS BLK 1

School of Allied Health Sciences

The following Programmes are offered

* Undergraduate ** 4-Year BSc (Community Nutrition) ** 6-Year Doctor of Medical Laboratory Sciences (MLS.D) Sandwich Post-Graduate ** 4-Year Doctor of Medical imagery Technology ** MSc./MPhil in Community Health and Development (Modular) ** MSc./MPhil in Public Health Nutrition (Modular)

School of Nursing and midwifery

Departments under the School

* Department of Advanced Nursing Practice * Department of General Nursing * Department of Mental Health Nursing * Department of Midwifery and Women's Health * Department of Paediatric Nursing * Department of Preventive Health Nursing

Programmes offered

* 4-Year BSc (Nursing) * 2-Year Top-up BSc (Nursing) * 4-Year BSc (Midwifery) * 2-Year Top-up BSc (Midwifery) * 3-Year Matured Regular BSc (Nursing) * 3-Year Matured BSc (Midwifery) * 4-Year Access BSc (Midwifery) * 3-Year Matured Sandwich BSc (Nursing) * 3-Year BSc (Nurse Practitioner)

Faculty of Applied Sciences

*Department of

Applied Biology Biology is the scientific study of life and living organisms. It is a broad natural science that encompasses a wide range of fields and unifying principles that explain the structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, and distribution of ...

*Department of

Applied Chemistry Chemistry is the scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a physical science within the natural sciences that studies the chemical elements that make up matter and compounds made of atoms, molecules and ions: their com ...

Biochemistry Biochemistry, or biological chemistry, is the study of chemical processes within and relating to living organisms. A sub-discipline of both chemistry and biology, biochemistry may be divided into three fields: structural biology, enzymology, a ...

*Department of

Applied Physics Applied physics is the application of physics to solve scientific or engineering problems. It is usually considered a bridge or a connection between physics and engineering. "Applied" is distinguished from "pure" by a subtle combination of fac ...

Faculty of Mathematical Sciences

*Department of

Mathematics Mathematics is a field of study that discovers and organizes methods, Mathematical theory, theories and theorems that are developed and Mathematical proof, proved for the needs of empirical sciences and mathematics itself. There are many ar ...

*Department of

Computer Science Computer science is the study of computation, information, and automation. Computer science spans Theoretical computer science, theoretical disciplines (such as algorithms, theory of computation, and information theory) to Applied science, ...

*Department of

Statistics Statistics (from German language, German: ', "description of a State (polity), state, a country") is the discipline that concerns the collection, organization, analysis, interpretation, and presentation of data. In applying statistics to a s ...

Faculty of Earth and Environmental Sciences *Department of Earth and Geological Sciences *Department of Environmental Science

Faculty of Integrated Development

*Department of

Economics Economics () is a behavioral science that studies the Production (economics), production, distribution (economics), distribution, and Consumption (economics), consumption of goods and services. Economics focuses on the behaviour and interac ...

& Entrepreneurship Development *Department of Environmental & Resource Studies *Department of Social, Political & Historical Studies *Department of Planning, Land Economy and Rural Development *Department of

Communication studies Communication studies (or communication science) is an academic discipline that deals with processes of human communication and behavior, patterns of communication in interpersonal relationships, social interactions and communication in differ ...

*Department of

Business Studies Business studies, often simply called business, is a field of study that deals with the principles of business, management, and economics. It combines elements of accountancy, finance, marketing, organizational studies, human resource manageme ...

School of Medicine and Health Sciences

The first batch of students were admitted in 1996 *Department of

& Molecular Medicine *Department of Community Nutrition *Department of

Microbiology Microbiology () is the branches of science, scientific study of microorganisms, those being of unicellular organism, unicellular (single-celled), multicellular organism, multicellular (consisting of complex cells), or non-cellular life, acellula ...

*Department of

Pharmacology Pharmacology is the science of drugs and medications, including a substance's origin, composition, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, therapeutic use, and toxicology. More specifically, it is the study of the interactions that occur betwee ...

*Department of

Community Health Community health refers to non-treatment based health services that are delivered outside Hospital, hospitals and Clinic, clinics. Community health is a subset of public health that is taught to and practiced by Clinician, clinicians as part of th ...

and

Family Medicine Family medicine is a medical specialty that provides continuing and comprehensive health care for the individual and family across all ages, genders, diseases, and parts of the body. The specialist, who is usually a primary care physician, is ...

*Department of

Physiology Physiology (; ) is the science, scientific study of function (biology), functions and mechanism (biology), mechanisms in a life, living system. As a branches of science, subdiscipline of biology, physiology focuses on how organisms, organ syst ...

Surgery Surgery is a medical specialty that uses manual and instrumental techniques to diagnose or treat pathological conditions (e.g., trauma, disease, injury, malignancy), to alter bodily functions (e.g., malabsorption created by bariatric surgery s ...

Faculty of Education

*Department of Development Education Studies *Department of Basic Education Studies *Department of Educational Foundation Studies *Department of social and Business Studies

Faculty of Horticulture

To be established at the University for Development Studies

Directorates

* Directorate of Finance * Directorate of Academic Planning and Quality Assurance * Directorate of International Relations and Advancement * Directorate of Estates * Directorate of ICT * Directorate of Internal Audit * Directorate of Works and Physical Development * Directorate of Community Relations and Outreach Programmes (DCROP) * Directorate of Procurement * Directorate of Health Services * Directorate of Sports * Directorate of Colleges of Education Affiliation

Campuses

* Nyankpala,

Northern Region, Ghana The Northern Region is one of the sixteen regions of Ghana. It is situated in the northern part of the country and ranks as the second largest of the sixteen regions. Before its division, it covered an area of 25,000 square kilometres, representi ...

– houses the Faculty of Agriculture, Faculty of Renewable Natural Resources, Faculty of Agribusiness and Communication Sciences, Faculty of Physical Science and the School of Engineering. *Tamale City Campus is a centre for the following: Graduate School, Institute of Interdisciplinary Research (IIR), Institute of Distance and Continuing Education (IDCE), Colleges of Education Affiliation and Business Innovation and Incubation Centre (BIIC). *

Campus, Dungu,

– houses the School of Medicine and Health Sciences, School of Allied Health Sciences, School of Public health and The Faculty of Education

Third trimester field practical programme

For the Third Trimester Practical Programme (TTFPP) the whole of the third trimester is devoted to practical field work in the local communities. Students of a given year group identify a specific region, and in smaller groups live and interact with the people in the local communities during each third trimester for a period of three years. The programme began in 1993. It entails the combination of students from all the faculties: Agriculture, Integrated Development Studies; Applied Science and the School of Medicine and Health Sciences.

List of vice chancellors

*Prof. R.B Bening Pioneer Vice Chancellor (1992 – 2001) *Prof G.W.K Mensah (Acting Vice Chancellor) (2001 – 2002) *Prof. John Bonaventure Kubongpwa Kaburise (April 8, 2002 – April 7, 2007) *Prof. Nokoe (Acting Vice Chancellor) (April 2007 – 30 June 2010) * Prof. Haruna Yakubu (June 1, 2010 – 2015) *Prof. Gabriel Ayum Teye (October 1, 2015 – 2022) *Prof. Seidu Al-hassan (September 1, 2022 – Present)

References

Sources

Universities of Ghana Overseas Office

Official UDS website
Tamale, Ghana Dagbon 1992 establishments in Ghana Universities in Ghana Universities and colleges established in 1992

External links

{{commons category, University for Development Studies in Tamale

History

Campuses

Tamale Campus

Tamale City Campus

Nyankpala Campus

Tamale North Campus

Eastern Campus, Yendi

Schools/Faculties

Faculty of Planning and Land Management

Faculty of Agriculture

Faculty of Natural Resources and Environment

School of Allied Health Sciences

The following Programmes are offered

School of Nursing and midwifery

Departments under the School

Programmes offered

Faculty of Applied Sciences

Faculty of Mathematical Sciences

Faculty of Integrated Development

School of Medicine and Health Sciences

Faculty of Education

Faculty of Horticulture

Directorates

Campuses

Third trimester field practical programme

List of vice chancellors

See also

References

Sources

External links