KIU Marketing Team Gains Insight into New and Specialised Academic Programmes

KIU, Western Campus – The Marketing Team at Kampala International University, Western Campus (KIU-WC) on Tuesday, September 29th, 2026, was trained on new and specialised academic programmes in the Faculty of Science and Technology (FST) and the School of Pharmacy (SoP), with emphasis on programme knowledge, admission requirements and career opportunities.

Held at the Staff Common Room, the training equipped members of the Marketing Team with practical information to enable them to effectively explain the University’s programmes to prospective students and parents, and also guide them towards academic choices suited to their qualifications and career aspirations.

The first session was led by Assoc. Prof. Ibrahim Yale Danjuma, Dean, FST, who introduced the faculty’s three departments: Computing, Basic Science (Multi Professional Training Programme), and Agriculture.

Assoc. Prof. Danjuma highlighted the practical nature of Agriculture, including hands-on farming at the University’s school farm in Bwegiragye, located behind the student accommodation. He also noted significant growth in enrolment, with about 87 students recorded in the current semester and the number expected to approach 90 as registration continues.

He also outlined the range of Computing programmes offered at diploma, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral levels. He highlighted the need for increased marketing of five Bachelor’s programmes at the WC: Data Science, Library and Information Science, Computer Graphics and Design, Computer Forensics and Criminal Investigation, and Digital Media and Animation. While these programmes are already offered at the Main Campus, they require greater awareness among prospective students at the WC.

Particular attention was given to the Bachelor of Data Science, which prepares students to analyse, interpret and visualise data, with applications across research, business, healthcare, government and other sectors. Career pathways include data science, data analysis, business intelligence and data engineering.

Building on this, Paul Akampurira, Teaching and Learning Coordinator (TLC) and Research Coordinator, Computing, urged marketers to make technical programmes easier for prospective students and parents to understand.

He explained that computing skills are relevant across virtually every sector, including hospitals, law firms, schools, factories, government and businesses. He also emphasised that graduates can pursue entrepreneurship and consultancy alongside formal employment.

Akampurira noted that fields such as graphic design and data science have broad applications, with data skills useful in areas including medicine, law, business and other sectors. He encouraged the Marketing Team to focus on what graduates can become and where they can work, rather than simply presenting technical programme names.

Assoc. Prof. Venkatesh Warlu Maninti, Head of Department (HoD), Computing, further highlighted the opportunities emerging from the University’s computing programmes.

He pointed to Software Engineering, Cybersecurity, Computer Forensics, Data Analytics, Computer Graphics and Multimedia as areas with diverse career possibilities.

“Graduates can work in fields such as film, animation, television, social media content creation, graphic design and photography, while cybersecurity and forensic skills can open opportunities beyond Uganda,” Assoc. Prof. Maninti noted.

He also emphasised progression pathways for diploma holders seeking to upgrade to bachelor’s degree programmes.

The need for comprehensive programme knowledge was reinforced by Dr. Bot Yakubu Sunday, Assistant Deputy Vice Chancellor, Finance and Administration (ADVC – F&A), who challenged the Marketing Team to remain fully conversant with the University’s programmes.

He urged marketers to know programme names, faculties, entry requirements and career prospects and to continuously refresh this knowledge. “Many prospective students, particularly fresh secondary school leavers from rural and interior areas, may not have clear career directions and therefore need informed guidance based on their academic profiles,” he noted.

Dr. Sunday also encouraged the team to consider market trends and employability when guiding students, noting that popular programmes should not be the only options presented. He highlighted emerging areas such as Computer Forensics and Criminal Investigation and Data Analytics, while also pointing to alternative health-related fields including Physiotherapy, Radiography, Medical Laboratory Science, Nursing and Pharmacy.

The training then moved into specialised pharmaceutical education, with Dr. Hussain Yahoya Ungokore, HoD, Pharmaceutics, presenting under the theme “Shape the Future of Pharmaceutical Science.”

Dr. Ungokore introduced seven new programmes in the SoP: Veterinary Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Microbiology, Pharmaceutical Business and Management, Pharmaceutical Engineering, Pharmaceutical Economics, Clinical Pharmacy and Practice, and Integrated Master’s of Pharmacy.

He explained that Veterinary Pharmacy focuses on the safe and effective use of medicines in animals, while Pharmaceutical Microbiology covers areas such as vaccines, biologics, biotechnology and pharmaceutical research.

Pharmaceutical Business and Management addresses pharmaceutical marketing, sales, procurement, distribution and health administration, while Pharmaceutical Engineering focuses on scaling up drug production, manufacturing, quality assurance and plant design.

Pharmaceutical Economics covers the efficient use of resources in healthcare and pharmaceuticals, including pharmacoeconomics, health policy and medicine pricing. Clinical Pharmacy and Practice focuses on drug therapy outcomes, drug-related problems, pharmacovigilance, clinical care, community pharmacy and quality improvement.

“The Integrated Master’s of Pharmacy is a six-year pathway in which students spend four and a half years on the Bachelor of Pharmacy component before proceeding directly into one and a half years of specialisation,” Dr. Ungokore explained, contrasting this with the conventional pathway, where a graduate completes the bachelor’s degree before undertaking internship, professional examinations and a separate Master’s programme.

He described pharmaceutical sciences as a growing field with opportunities in industrial and manufacturing industries, clinical practice, public health, regulatory bodies, research and academia.

Rounding off the training, Allan Mugisha, Admissions Officer, clarified key admission requirements and progression pathways.

For Nursing, Allan noted that applicants with Higher Education Certificate (HEC) do not qualify for the Diploma in Nursing because the programme requires direct entry from Advanced Level or Certificate.

For Pharmacy, he explained that applicants seeking the Bachelor of Pharmacy must have obtained a principal pass in Chemistry before undertaking HEC, while those with subsidiary passes who subsequently undertake HEC may qualify for the Diploma in Pharmacy. He further noted that HEC entrants must have attained a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 2.8 and above.

“Bachelor’s degree holders with a CGPA below 2.8 should first undertake a Postgraduate Diploma before enrolling for a Master’s programme,” Mugisha explained.

For Agriculture-related programmes, he emphasised that an A-Level principal pass in Agriculture is an essential admission requirement.

He further urged marketers to attach all required supporting documents to the application forms and to carefully complete the forms to minimise errors during the admissions process.

The training reinforced the Marketing Team’s role as a key link between the University and those seeking to understand its academic opportunities. With KIU continuing to expand opportunities across science, technology, agriculture, computing and specialised pharmaceutical fields, the session equipped marketers to communicate these programmes more effectively and provide accurate, practical guidance on academic and career pathways.