Admissions


Application Procedures

Mode of application for all programmes offered by Kairuki University

Applicants for all programmes offered by KU are required to apply directly to the University through an online application portal available at: www.ku.ac.tz; with a non-refundable application fee of TZS 50,000 or USD 50 (for international students). For local applicants this can be paid through Tigo Pesa, m-pesa, Airtel Money, CRDB Bank, or CRDB Wakala using a control number generated automatically during the filling of personal particulars process. EAC and International students must pay directly to HKMU BOA Bank Account with details below.

 

Account Name

Kairuki University

Bank

BOA BANK TANZANIA LTD, NDC Branch

Swift Code

EUAFTZTZ

Account Number

0200721012

 

Scholarship award
The University offers scholarship to one undergraduate student, on merit, among those who have applied for sponsorship. The scholarship will be offered to the excelling students each year. It will cover tuition fees only. The award-winning students will have to pay their other charges in full. Upon completion of their studies, such students must be willing to work for KU for a specified bonded period.
 
Admissions Committee
 
The Admissions Committee will be presented with a list of all applicants shortlisted by Deans of Schools, Director of Postgraduate Studies and Research Institute or the Admissions Officer. Such shortlisted applicants must satisfy the conditions for admission as stipulated by TCU so that the committee may decide and recommend to Senate which applicants may be admitted and to which programmes.
The final approval for admission will be granted by Senate. Applicants who do not satisfy the requirements for admission as stated in the Prospectus have to be notified soon after application.

The University reserves the right to discontinue a candidate who was formally offered a place and who accepted the offer of admission but was subsequently found not to satisfy the admission requirements.

Transfer Students
Direct entry to the second and even third year of study is possible if a programme of approved content has been taken in an approved and acceptable institution with relevant transferable credits. However, scrutiny will have to be done including a confidential report brought from the institution where the candidate is transferring from. Transfer due to discontinuation on disciplinary grounds or on grounds of poor academic performance will not be accepted.
 
For a transfer student to get an KU qualification/certificate, at least 50% of his/her training must take place at KU. Students who do not have transferable credits will have to sit and pass relevant KU end of semester examinations as matriculation.

Duration of Programmes

i. Doctor of Medicine (MD) will last for a minimum of 10 semesters of 23 weeks each and a maximum of 14 semesters.
 
ii. Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN) will last for a minimum of 8 semesters of 23 weeks each, and a maximum of 12 semesters.
 
iii. Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) will last for a minimum of 6 semesters of 17 weeks and a maximum of 8 semesters.
 
iv. Master of Medicine (MMed) programme will last for a minimum of 3 calendar years and a maximum of 6 calendar years, with 4 weeks’ vacation per year.
 
v. Master of Science in Public Health (MScPH) will last for a minimum of 18 months and a maximum of 2 calendar years, with 4-weeks’ vacation per year.
 
vi. Diploma in Social Work:
NTA level 4 will last for a minimum of 6 semester 6 of 17 weeks each.
NTA level 5 will last for a minimum of 4 semesters of 17 weeks.
Visiting Students

Admission of visiting students or special admission will operate under the principle of Academic Credit Transfer. This will require acknowledgment by one’s institution for higher learning courses, study periods and examinations, which would have been completed in another higher learning institution. Students who have completed one or two years of higher education elsewhere may be admitted either to spend one or two or more years either to complete the course or re-transfer back to their own universities. For those students who are transferred completely, a serious review will be made, as already indicated in Section 4.13. In case of any doubt, especially regarding academic performance, the transfer student may be required to repeat a year.
 
Occasional Students (Electives)

Non-members of the University who wish to carry out elective period attachments at KU may be admitted to a part of the course for up to one course sub-unit; subject to approval of the Dean of the Faculty, and Chairperson of the Department concerned, and upon payment of the prescribed fees. Such persons are not eligible to take University Examinations.

Application Procedures for Electives

Interested applicants should send a letter of intent to do his/her elective at KU, with the following attachments:
  • A letter of introduction from the current University or College.
  • Curriculum Vitae.
  • Photographs (2 passport size), and
  • A summary of the expected learning outcomes of the proposed electives
Once applications are accepted, students should process visas from their own country and arrange for a medical insurance cover. On arrival, they will be required to pay an elective fee of USD 400 for the four weeks of study duration.

Residence Permit

The University will help non-East African nationals’ students to obtain class C residence permits (this should be done well in advance, although assistance will also be provided on their arrival). Documents required for permit are:
  • Photocopy of their passport;
  • CV;
  • Birth Certificate;
  • Letter of introduction from their respective Universities;
  • Duly filled immigration forms;
  • Five passport size photographs; and
  • A residence permit fee of USD 250.
 
East African nationals (Kenya, Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda, and South Sudan) will have to apply for exemption certificates which are obtained free of charge.
 
International Students

An international student at KU is the one who is not a Tanzanian. KU attaches great importance to the exchange of cross-cultural experiences that is made possible by the presence of international students. International students may pursue courses towards the award of KU degrees or as visiting students, a process already described; or may also undertake study for degrees of their own home Universities. In any case, international students are admitted if only they possess qualifications that are required of the Tanzanian students. They must also show evidence that they can follow instructions in English.
 
Orientation Programme

KU requires all new students to report to the University at the start of a new academic year for the orientation programme. During this period, students are introduced to the programmes’ curricula, University regulations and by-laws as well as students psycho-social services. They are also shown university facilities which include the library, the main university teaching hospital, lecture halls and the facility for computing services.
 
Undergraduate degree regulations for the semester/ course-credit system

KU has a semester/course-credit system in its undergraduate courses. Specific requirements for various degree courses are stipulated in the Prospectus and Curricula.
 

KU Course Credits and Interpretations

Course Credits

Definition of Credit: As in other institutions of higher learning one (1) credit at KU will be defined as:

  • 10-15 hours of theoretical learning [lecture/seminar/tutorial].
  • 30-45 hours practical learning sessions/clinical rotations/fieldwork.

 

Working out of Credits at KU

After conducting a detailed study of various universities in Africa, Europe and America, KU noted that on the average, a full-time student for a BA or a BSc Degree needs to earn a maximum of 21 credits per semester of 15-16 weeks (i.e. a maximum of 42 credits per academic year of 30-32 weeks).

Based on the above assumption, and in consideration that our academic year has 46 weeks of which 36 are allocated to active teaching, a KU student is expected to earn 48 credits. This means a maximum of 24 credits per semester. A minimum of 21 credits per semester for BSc. Nursing or MD is considered by faculties to be satisfactory.

 

Programme of Study

A candidate who is admitted to a degree programme will be required to follow his/her approved programme of study over the prescribed period. A minimum period for a given programme is what it should normally take to graduate. What is given as maximum is the period that one cannot exceed while doing a particular programme unless they are given permission in between programme to be out of studies for reasons like disabling illnesses or some other reasonable excuses. Such permission would be granted by Senate in writing.

 

Working Week

A working week for KU means Monday to Friday, 0800-1700hrs.

 


Registration

i. For a student to obtain credit in any course s/he must be admitted into the relevant faculty or department and must be properly registered for that programme during the official registration period at the beginning of each semester.

 

ii. A student who fails to register at the beginning of the semester, in the time designated for registration, shall forfeit the right to register for that semester.

 

iii. Students can only be registered after paying the required fees.

 

iv. The deadline for registration of first year students will be 2 weeks from the first day of the orientation week. For continuing students, it will be 1700hrs Friday of the second week from the date of beginning of the semester session.

Registration Requirements for New Students

 

a) Documentary Evidence of Qualifications

  •  Original certificates and transcripts of General Certificates of Education (Form Four [IV] and Form Six [VI], professional training certificate where applicable, and any other relevant documents as presented in the application).
  • Original and/or copy of selection letter.

 

b) Proof of identity

  • Four (4) passport size photographs (coloured with a light blue background)
  • Original and certified copy of Passport (if the applicant is an international student) and other documents relevant to the processing of residence permits.
  • Original and certified copy of birth certificate

 

c) Evidence of payment of fees

  • Legitimate Bank deposit pay-in-slip verified by the Accounts Office
  • Evidence of payment of NHIF fees

 

d) Medical Examination Report

 

e) Duly filled financial guarantee form
 

NB: Please note that all students are required to be vaccinated against Hepatitis B and yellow fever, at the centre that will be identified by the university.


Policy on interest applicable to tuition fees defaulters

I. Tuition Fees and other financial obligations are the sole responsibility of the student and/or the sponsor or guardian.

II. All Tuition Fees and other financial obligations payable to the University are paid in full at the beginning of each academic year.

III. All payments must be made by using CONTROL NUMBERS.

IV. Failure of payment of Fees will attract a penalty of 2.5 percent of the unpaid amount.

V. Payments of these fees by instalments will be subject to approval by the University’s Management and where the Management has approved payments in instalments, the following procedure will define interest applicable to tuition fees defaulters:

VI. For those programmes / courses organized in semesters, applicable fees will be paid in two instalments, one at the beginning of each semester.

VII. For those programmes / courses which are not semesterized but are organized in Parts, applicable fees will be paid in two instalments, one at the beginning of each part.

VIII. The portion / amount of total fees to be paid at each semester / part will be determined by the Finance and Accounts Office under the guidance of the University’s management.

IX. Failure of payment of the fees under instalments will attract a penalty of 2.5 percent of the unpaid amount by the end of week two after the instalment became due.

X. Any unsettled student’s balance will be charged an interest of 2.5 percent per annum.

XI. No student will be allowed to carry forward part of the fee into the following academic year.

XII. Fees may be revised from time to time without prior notice. New fee structures will apply for new intake as well as for continuing students.

XIII. Fees paid will not be refunded after the first four weeks of the academic year.

XIV. Any excess/extra fees paid will be carried forward to the next year.

XV. Any refund, if necessary, will attract a processing fee of TZS 50,000 or 25 percent if the amount to be refunded is less than TZS 50,000.


Interruption of Study Programmes

i. A student is advised to pursue his/her study programme and finish within the stipulated minimum and maximum periods.
 
ii. A student may postpone his/her study programme for not more than two consecutive semesters. Postponed semesters will count towards the student’s registration period for the respective programme.
 
iii. A student may also opt to freeze his/her study programme. The maximum period for such freezing shall be four semesters. Freezing of studies will not count towards the student’s registration period for the respective programme.
 
iv. A student who wishes to interrupt (postpone or freeze) his/her programme must write to the Dean of his/her School or Director of the Institute of Postgraduate studies and Research (in the case of postgraduate students) through the office of the Dean of Students. The Dean or Director will then seek approval from the Senate. Further, permission to resume studies after postponement or freezing must be sought in writing and approved through the same channels.
 
v. Students requesting to postpone or freeze study programmes must produce satisfactory evidence for the circumstances necessitating interruption of studies. Each request will be considered on its own merit.
 
vi. No student will be allowed to resume studies after the completion of the registration period for the respective semester.
 
vii. In any case, the maximum period allowable for the completion of a programme should not be exceeded. Special permission, in writing, may be granted to exceed the maximum, if given by the Senate.
 
viii. A unilateral decision by a student to interrupt programmes will be taken as self-discontinuation. A student who breaks his/her studies for more than 2 semesters, unless otherwise approved by Senate, shall be deemed to have lost any accumulated credits hence self-discontinuation. That notwithstanding, such a student may be allowed to re-apply for admission into the University, if sufficient reasons are presented.

Changing Programmes

i.    No student will be allowed to change the programme in which one has been originally admitted.

ii.    Students discontinued from studies because of cheating or due to other serious charges or serious misconduct, may be reconsidered for readmission to the university after they have been away from the university for three years.

Inability to Complete Study Programme within the Maximum Period

A student who fails to complete his/her courses of study programme within the maximum allowed period, may be allowed to re-apply for admission into the University. However, should such a student seek for assistance to be transferred to another institution of higher learning, the University shall have no objection to transfer the credits so far earned in case the other University is willing to admit that student.

Conduct of examinations

Conduct of examinations

i. The final university examination is conducted by a board of examiners consisting of one or more external examiners appointed by Senate or its Chairperson from outside the university; together with the academic staff who taught the course under examination.
ii. Examiners for supplementary examinations may all be appointed from within the University.
iii. At the end of each semester, students are required to evaluate the programme and their lecturers. Basing on the students’ response, the University takes the necessary appropriate action.
iv. During the training period, student advisors are appointed to guide individual students, mentoring them, and helping them to solve problems.
 
 
Conduct in Clinical Areas

All staff members and students of clinical studies must observe the following:
i. In all considerations, they must put the patient first.
ii. They must be self-disciplined.
iii. They must be self-respecting.
iv. They must be faithful to the patients, and to the hospital.
v. They must be team spirited.
vi. They must strive to ensure further advancement of the University and teaching hospital survival in line with the vision of the Founder of the University.
vii. They must make sure that KU has a conducive working and learning environment.
viii. They must respect one another, support, and learn from one another.
ix. They must observe that KU is not a place for political manipulation or undermining anybody, or any activity which may destabilise or bring down the good reputation of the University.
x. Every staff member or student has a chance to air constructive criticism, views, advice during the regular official meetings.
xi. Every staff member or student must know and observe the University’s standing orders [staff regulations], code of conduct, agreed upon, and which may be revised from time to time, to ensure protection of the integrity of the University and all its members; being students or staff.
xii. Any staff member or student doing the opposite of the above, is an opponent of the University, and should leave the institution voluntarily or involuntarily.

Other Rules for KU Students

i. Rules and regulations affecting the students may be revised from time to time by the Council or Senate in accordance with provisions in the University Charter/Constitution. In addition to these regulations, each faculty, department, institute, school, library, the Kairuki Hospital or any other unit of the University, may issue its own rules governing the conduct of the students within its premises. However, such rules shall not be inconsistent with the general regulations made by the Senate or Council. Revisions of regulations must be tabled before the Senate or Council.
 
ii. These general regulations shall apply to all students.
 
iii. Copies of all regulations shall be deposited with the Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Dean of Students, Faculty Deans, Chairpersons of Departments and brought to the attention of all students.
 
iv. Ignorance of Regulations or any public notice shall not be accepted as an excuse for any breach of discipline. Every student on enrolment shall be required to obtain a copy of such university regulations as related to his condition and/or the time being in force.
 
v. Students shall conduct themselves in a quiet and orderly manner and shall pursue their studies with all diligence. They must observe statutes and shall conform to all such regulations and orders as may be made for the good governance of the University.
 
vi. The operation of these regulations is without prejudice to the application of the general Laws of the Land, which applies to all persons in the University.

Awards

Best Student Awards

i. To qualify as best student in a course, a student must have the highest numerical score at B grade or above in that course. Such a student will receive an established course specific Prize.
 
ii. To qualify for overall best student award at the end of the academic year, a student must:
 
o Have the highest aggregate score for both semesters combined.
o Have scores at B grade or higher in all courses in both semesters.
o Be among the best in discipline and behaviour at University level.
 
iii. Such students will receive the established overall best student award for each study year (currently MD1–5, BScN1-4, BSW1-3, Diploma1-3 and Certificate).
 
iv. On submission of tentative results for approval by the Senate, Department of Social Work, Faculties, and Institutes must also submit for approval a list of students proposed for best student’s awards.
 
v. A student who sits for special examination, supplements, or re-registers for a course(s) in a semester cannot qualify for the best student award in that/those course(s) or semester.
 
 
Academic Prizes

KU has established 18 academic prizes to outstanding students in the following categories:
 
i. Eighteen awards for the overall best student in each study year (MD1-5, BScN 1-4, BSW1-3 Diploma 1-2 and Certificate). To qualify for overall best student award a student must have scores at grade “B” or higher in all courses. He/she must also be the best student in discipline and behaviour at University level.
ii. Prof. Hubert Kairuki Prize for the best final year student in Obstetrics and Gynaecology
 
iii. Prof. Esther Mwaikambo Prize for the best final year student in Paediatrics and Child Health
 
iv. Internal Medicine Prize for the best final year student in Internal Medicine
 
v. Surgery Prize for the best final year student in Surgery
 
vi. Community Medicine Prize for the best final year student in Community Medicine
 
vii. Psychiatry Prize for the best final year student in Psychiatry
 
viii. Valedictorian Award: Valedictorian Award is an academic award offered by KU to a particular student who has obtained best student year award for all the academic years of study at KU. In case of MD students: The one, who would obtain best student year award consecutively from MD1 to MD5, shall be considered for Valedictorian Award. Likewise, for other degree programmes.
The title is generally awarded based upon various criteria such as an overall academic record of grades and credits (or overall GPA), a student’s grade point average, the academic weight of classes, the level of rigor within a student’s academic program of studies, the level of participation in and dedication to extracurricular activities. Such performance is recognized and encouraged so that other students may also follow in that direction of excellence.