🎓 Rwandan Higher Education System
Understand Rwanda's academic structure, grading system, subject clusters, and how higher education works in Rwanda.
📅Academic Year Structure
Rwanda follows a structured academic calendar with multiple intake periods and consistent semester systems.
Standard Academic Year
September - December
First Semester
January - April
Second Semester
May - August
Summer Break & Exams
Intake Periods
September
Main intake (most programs)
January
Mid-year intake
May (some universities)
📊Grading System
Rwandan universities use a combination of letter grades, GPA, and percentage-based assessment systems.
Letter Grade System
GPA System
Grade Point Average (GPA)
4.0 scale system commonly used
A = 4.0 points
B = 3.0 points
C = 2.0 points
D = 1.0 points
F = 0.0 points
Minimum GPA Requirements
2.0 GPA for graduation
🔬Subject Clusters (MCB, PCB, BCG)
Rwandan higher education uses subject clusters to determine eligibility for different university programs. These combinations are based on high school subjects.
MCB Cluster
Mathematics, Chemistry, Biology
For programs in:
- • Medicine & Health Sciences
- • Pharmacy
- • Biological Sciences
- • Biomedical Engineering
PCB Cluster
Physics, Chemistry, Biology
For programs in:
- • Environmental Science
- • Biotechnology
- • Food Science
- • Agricultural Sciences
BCG Cluster
Biology, Chemistry, Geography
For programs in:
- • Geography & Environmental Studies
- • Geology
- • Environmental Management
- • Natural Resource Management
Note: Many programs accept multiple clusters. For example, Computer Science might accept PCM (Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics) or PEM (Physics, Economics, Mathematics) combinations.
📚Credit System & Course Structure
Rwandan universities follow a credit-based system where students must accumulate a certain number of credits to graduate.
Credit Requirements
Course Types
Core Courses
Required program courses
Electives
Optional courses for specialization
General Education
Liberal arts and basic sciences
🎓Degree Programs & Duration
Bachelor's
3-4 years
Undergraduate degree
Master's
1-2 years
Graduate degree
PhD
3-5 years
Doctoral degree
Diploma
2-3 years
Professional qualification
Note: Program durations may vary by university and field of study. Some professional programs (Medicine, Architecture) may take 5-6 years to complete.