Summer Undergraduate Research Experience at the University of Cape Coast, Ghana.
Overview of the University of Cape Coast
The University of Cape Coast is named after the former capital city of Ghana. Cape Coast is the capital city of the Central Region and it is a growing tourist town with a rich history and several monuments depicting the recent past history of the country as a result of the arrival of Europeans. Therefore, the establishment of the university was a befitting tribute to this historic town and the cradle of education in Ghana. The university, which is located five kilometers west of Cape Coast, was established in 1962 out of a dire need for highly qualified and skilled manpower in education to provide leadership and enlightenment. The campus is located on a hill overlooking the Atlantic Ocean and it is made up of the southern campus (Old Site) and northern campus (New Site). The institution was established to train graduate teachers for secondary schools, teacher training colleges and technical institutions, a mission that the two universities existing then were unequipped to fulfill. Since then, UCC has added to its functions the training of educational planners, administrators and research scientists. The university is, therefore, playing a role that is unique and vital to the educational enterprise of the nation. In pursuance of its mission, UCC has been responding fully to the changing needs of the entire educational system of the country.
For the 2000-2001 academic year, the student population was made up of approximately 4000 undergraduates and 300 graduate students. The university has five major academic units, comprising of four faculties (equivalent to colleges) and one school, and several institutions and centers. The faculties are Faculty of Arts, Faculty of Education, Faculty of Science and Faculty of Social Sciences. The School of Agriculture trains highly skilled scientists and practitioners who support the mainstay of the Ghanaian economy. There are a total of 28 academic departments and nine institutes and centers on campus. The Faculty of Science is made up of the departments of Botany, Chemistry, Mathematics, Physics and Zoology. This faculty, which will house the student participants, is currently developing a program in biotechnology.
UCC has the visiting studentship program. This studentship program operates under the principle of Academic Credit Transfer, requiring the recognition of one's higher educational institutions courses, study periods and examinations, which have been completed by another high educational institution. Under this scheme, students who have completed two years of higher education at their overseas Universities are admitted to spend a third year of study at the University of Cape Coast under close supervision of the host institution, after which they return to complete their final year at their home university. Acceptance is normally based on the applicant's previous academic record and his/her proposed program. Applicants must have an academic record that is above average. Credits earned under this special study program are transferable. In the future, efforts will be made to establish a relationship with UCC that would allow UF students to take part in the Academic Credit Transfer program.
