UNESA General Admission Requirements and Policy

SUB-TOPICS IN THIS CHAPTER:
- Admission to the University of East and Southern Africa (UNESA)
- Accommodation
- Meals
- Books
- Equipment for Vocational Practicals and other Coursework Material
- Language of Instruction
- Gender Policy, Quotas and Affirmative Action Admission
- Admission to Undergraduate Programmes
- Specific Entrance Requirements
- Ad Eundem Statum and Admission Exemptions in all Programmes
- Non-Degree Admissions
- Admission to Diploma and Certificate Programmes
- Admission to Postgraduate Programmes

Admission to the University of East and Southern Africa (UNESA)
UNESA will make its education services available on proper terms to such persons equipped to benefit from the use of these services, irrespective of race, gender, ethnicity, or any other potentially discriminatory attributes. The admission procedures of the University are guided by its Admission Policy, which is part of this chapter.

A person wishing to be admitted to UNESA for any undergraduate degree, postgraduate degree, or for a diploma, or certificate programme, should apply in the first instance to the Registrar, University of East and Southern Africa.

Applications should be made on the proper forms which can be obtained from the office of the Registrar at appropriate times when UNESA is accepting applications for relevant programmes. Application forms shall also be made available online on UNESA’s website at unesaonline.org.

In addition advertisements in the national press will state when these forms are available at the office of the Registrar. However the forms needed when applying for admission whether to undergraduate programmes, diploma, certificate or postgraduate programmes shall be made available in the month to be specified preceding the academic year.

Accommodation
UNESA currently does not provide accommodation.  Students must make their own arrangements.

Meals
UNESA currently does not provide food for students. Sponsors should provide meal allowances to their students. A cafeteria will be provided to sell meals to students.

Books
UNESA shall as far as possible ensure that required books are available for sale in the Bookshop. The list of required books will be provided by the relevant academic Schools. The pricing can be obtained from the Bookshop. Names of other bookshops will be given in case the Bookshop and UNESA does not stock or runs out of needed course material. It is recommended that every student budgets enough funds for required textbooks.

Equipment for Vocational Practicals and other Coursework Material
Certain courses require that students possess special equipment or do field work, research or vocational practicals. The estimated cost varies according to different Schools. Please note that each student is expected to possess whatever required learning material and this requires to be paid for at one’s own expense outside tuition and fees.

Language of Instruction
The language of instruction at the University shall be English.

Gender Policy, Quotas and Affirmative Action Admission
UNESA in recognising the gender imbalances in the education sector in the country and sub-region, will follow the admissions Gender Policy, where thirty per cent of places would be reserved for the girl-child, while the remaining seventy per cent would be competed for equally between male and female students.

Quotas and Affirmative Action for Selection of Candidates
(a) Apportionment of Quotas:
(i)five per cent of places to be reserved for staff/spouses’ children of members of staff;
(ii)ten per cent of the places to be reserved for the affirmative action admission from government schools in rural areas;
(iii)eighty per cent for the general admission;
(iv)five per cent for non-Zambian applicants.
In the event that any one or a combination of quotas in (i), (ii), (iv) is not filled or has no applicants, the places revert to the general admission quota.

(b) Admissions by Gender:
In all the quotas indicated in (a) above, the following shall apply:
(i)seventy per cent of the places to be competed for between females and males;
(ii)thirty per cent of the places to be reserved for female applicants.
These quotas are guidelines of objectives for establishing minimum standards that will help to facilitate correcting gender imbalances in the education sector in the country and in the sub-region. UNESA shall strive to exceed these minimum standards.

General Admission Requirements to Undergraduate Programmes
For any person to be eligible for admission to any programme leading to a first degree at UNESA, he/she must satisfy the General Admission Requirements of the University and compete favourably with other applicants.

General Admission Requirements to Undergraduate Programmes
Passes at Credit level or better in at least five relevant subjects which should include English Language in the Zambian School Certificate, General Certificate of Education ‘O’ level or ‘O’ level Cambridge Overseas School Certificate.

Alternative Qualifications to Undergraduate Programmes
a. Qualifications equivalent to the Zambian School Certificate or General Certificate of Education or ‘O’ level Cambridge Overseas School Certificate may be accepted.
b. Passes in the General Certificate of Education Advanced level Examination (a) total of five subjects should be passed and this may include credits obtained at ‘O’ level).
c. A person holding at least a two year Diploma of the University or equivalent at Credit level or better may be regarded as having the General Admission requirements provided they possess a full School certificate.

Specific Entrance Requirements
Specific entrance requirements for admission to programmes of study leading to degrees, diplomas and certificates in the various Schools shall be given in the particular by each individual School. It is important to check with one’s respective School for a chosen or desired programme.

Ad Eundem Statum and Admission Exemptions in all Programmes
Subject to the provisions of these regulations, the Senate may admit any person ad eundem statum to any course of study for a degree, diploma or certificate. Ad eundem statum is admission to the University with university entrance qualifications other than the official Zambian qualifications needed for each academic programme. Admission ad eundem statum means admission ‘at an equivalent level.’

Every applicant for admission ad eundem statum and every person seeking admission to the University after previous admission to another university or tertiary educational institution shall note that the University may obtain such information as it deems fit from such other university or tertiary educational institution about that person‘s record therein.

There are four categories of admission ad eundem statum:
1)Admission at Entrance Level (secondary (high) school level)
2)Admission on the basis of credit obtained from a foreign institution or from a non-university institution in Zambia
3)Admission on the basis of two year Diploma obtained at this University
4)Admission at Postgraduate level

1) Admission at Entrance Level (secondary (high) school level)
Ad Eundem Statum and admission exemptions at entrance level are for applicants who have completed secondary or high school outside the Zambian secondary or high school certificate. This is for students applying on the basis of one of the following:
a. ‘O’ Level Cambridge Overseas School Certificate.
b. Passes in the General Certificate of Education Advanced level (‘A’ level) Examination. A total of five subjects should be passed and this may include credits obtained at ‘O’ level.
c. other overseas entrance qualifications.

Students seeking ad eundem statum admission at undergraduate level for the applicable undergraduate programmes should contact the University’s admission office for information about their eligibility for ad eundem statum admission or applicable exemption. There is an administration fee for each application that ends up being submitted to the University

2) Admission on the basis of credit obtained from a foreign institution or from a non-university institution in Zambia
Where a student admitted to the University produces satisfactory evidence that he/she has completed one or more courses or subjects of a course of study for a degree or other higher educational qualification in any university, college of a university, or other institution recognised by Senate on the recommendation of the appropriate School, the Board of Studies may allow such a student credit therefore, to any extent it thinks fit and shall define the work to be performed by the student to complete the course of study for the degree in the University; provided that no student shall under this section be granted exemptions with or without credit in more than eight course units for a degree which is normally awarded after four years of full-time study or in more than eight units in the case of a degree normally awarded after five years or more of full-time study.

Students seeking ad eundem statum admission at undergraduate level for the applicable undergraduate programmes should contact the University’s admission office for information about their eligibility for ad eundem statum admission or applicable exemption. There is an administration fee for each application that ends up being submitted to the University.

3) Admission on the basis of two year Diploma obtained at this University
A two year Diploma of the University or equivalent at Credit level or better may be regarded as having the General Admission requirements provided they possess a full School certificate.

Students seeking ad eundem statum admission at undergraduate level for the applicable undergraduate programmes should contact the University’s admission office for information about their eligibility for ad eundem statum admission or applicable exemption. There is an administration fee for each application that ends up being submitted to the University.

4) Admission Exemptions at Postgraduate Level
This is for students who have completed an undergraduate degree or equivalent qualification:
a)foreign institution, or
b)at a non-university tertiary institution in Zambia.
Students seeking ad eundem statum admission at postgraduate level for the applicable programmes should contact the University’s admission office for information about their eligibility for ad eundem statum admission or applicable exemption. There is an administration fee for each application that ends up being submitted to the University.

Every person seeking admission to the University after previous admission to another university or tertiary educational institution in respect of whom there has been any disciplinary decision by such university or tertiary educational institution, if that decision is still operative or unsatisfied or suspended or any sentence, bond or other decision of any court of law, made in the exercise of criminal jurisdiction in respect of that person (if that decision arose out of an act committed in a university or tertiary educational institution) shall not be admitted to the University unless the Senate decides to admit such a person notwithstanding the record.

Non-Degree Admissions
To the extent that resources allow some academic schools at UNESA allow enrolling for courses without pursuing a degree programme. This will allow you to get a UNESA transcript with the grade obtained in the enrolled course(s) for purposes of credit transfer into a full time degree program at either UNESA or any other university in the world which will accept UNESA credits.

However to apply a student must still meet the minimum entrance grade requirements into any of UNESA undergraduate or postgraduate programmes. A student has two main options to pursue this option of enrolling for courses without pursuing a degree programme:

1) Special Status Student
Although the primary mission of UNESA is to conduct academic programmes of instruction leading to comprehensive academic training, the University allows some academic schools to admit qualified non-degree students as Special Status Students to enrol in one or more available courses. This gives such students the opportunity to learn a set of desired courses without pursuing a degree programme or with the intention of later pursuing a degree programme. As long as resources allow each academic school can exercise this discretion on any course.

However priority of course registration goes to students who are already admitted to degree programmes. Special Status Students can only be allowed to take courses which are open after all the admitted degree students have registered, depending on the criteria that each School has set to start taking registrations for Special Status Students.

2) Visiting Status Student
A student who is admitted in another university who wishes to enrol at UNESA and who intends to return to the university in which he or she is admitted, may enrol for a course or more as a Visiting Status Student.

Both categories of Special Status Students and Visiting Status Students are conditional on space availability basis. Both categories may use the library and other University facilities during the time they are enrolled in courses. They are also subject to abide to all general requirements and regulations of UNESA.

Admission to Diploma and Certificate Programmes
The regulations governing admission to diploma and certificate programmes are given in the chapters dealing with the individual Schools that offer such programmes.

Admission to Postgraduate Programmes
The general regulations governing admission to postgraduate programmes are given in the chapters dealing with such studies. The specific regulations are given in the chapters dealing with the individual Schools that offer postgraduate programmes.

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