MUBS Unveils ‘Degree Plus One’ to Equip Graduates with Practical Skills

Makerere University Business School (MUBS) has unveiled a new academic model dubbed “Degree Plus One”, under which every student will graduate with both a university degree and a practical vocational skill, as the institution positions itself for Uganda’s transition to competence-based higher education.

The initiative, announced by MUBS Principal Professor Moses Muhwezi, is part of the university’s broader curriculum reforms aimed at ensuring graduates are equipped not only with academic knowledge but also with practical skills that enable them to secure employment or create their own jobs.

“We have also put in place a new degree setup called Degree Plus One, where the plus one is a practical skill that a student can learn, such as plumbing, electrical installation and repair. We want every child to study for a degree but leave with a skill that can enable them to start a business,” Muhweezi said.

He was speaking during the MUBS top management curriculum review boot camp held at Imperial Golf View Hotel in Entebbe.

The announcement comes as universities across Uganda prepare to implement the competence-based curriculum, which the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) requires all institutions to adopt beginning with the 2027/2028 academic year.

Unlike the traditional content-based approach, the competence-based model focuses on what graduates can do with the knowledge they acquire through practical learning, workplace exposure, projects, internships and performance-based assessment. The reforms are intended to produce graduates whose skills match the needs of employers and the evolving labour market.

Muhwezi said MUBS has already invested more than Shs1 billion in reviewing its academic programmes to comply with the new standards and is prepared to commit additional resources to complete the transition.

“As MUBS, we ensure that the courses we offer match public demand and the needs of the market. We are going to invest even more to ensure the university meets competence-based education standards,” he said.

The principal revealed that the university has also introduced new academic programmes focusing on cooperative management to respond to growing opportunities within Uganda’s parish development structures.

“We have over 5,000 parishes in Uganda, and all of them have Savings and Credit Cooperative Organisations (SACCOs). We are looking at cooperative-related courses as highly marketable programmes that will enable university students to easily get jobs,” he said.

Muhweezi noted that while MUBS has long incorporated practical learning through case studies, guest lectures and industrial training, the university has undertaken a comprehensive review of its curricula, teaching methods, contact hours and assessment strategies to fully align them with competence-based education.

“We have reviewed the course content, the teaching methods and the contact hours to ensure students acquire the competencies required in business programmes. We also want our lecturers to move from being classroom instructors to mentors who guide students through practical learning,” he said.

He added that the revised programmes will be submitted to Makerere University and the National Council for Higher Education for approval before implementation.

Muhweezi also announced plans to conduct graduate tracer studies during the 2026/2027 financial year to establish how former students are performing in the labour market and whether the university’s programmes are meeting industry expectations.

“Every year, between 6,000 and 7,000 students graduate from MUBS, but we do not adequately know where they go, the jobs they get or how they perform. That information is important because it helps us improve what and how we teach,” he said.

He observed that previous studies indicated that about 40 per cent of MUBS graduates secured employment within one year of completing their studies, although the university intends to establish whether that figure has changed.

Muhweezi urged lecturers to embrace the new teaching philosophy by encouraging students to actively participate in the learning process rather than relying solely on lectures.

“This is no longer an era where the lecturer is simply the most knowledgeable person in the classroom. Our role is to mentor students, allow them to ask questions, share experiences and develop solutions to real-world challenges,” he said.

The competence-based curriculum reforms are expected to transform higher education by shifting emphasis from memorisation to the acquisition of practical, technical and professional skills, a move government believes will improve graduate employability, support entrepreneurship and enhance the relevance of university education to Uganda’s socio-economic development.

With the introduction of the Degree Plus One model, MUBS is positioning itself at the forefront of the reforms, seeking to produce graduates who leave university with both academic qualifications and marketable skills capable of generating income in an increasingly competitive job market.

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