Agriculture is the backbone of the economy of Ghana and is at the forefront of job creation, income generation, food security and foreign exchange earnings. In furtherance of the objectives for the establishment of the University of Cape Coast in 1962, the Government of Ghana with financial assistance from the UNESCO set up the School of Agriculture in 1975 as part of the then Faculty of Science. The School was initially entrusted with the important role of training graduates to teach agriculture at the pre-university level in the educational system of the country. The School attained full Faculty status within the administration of the University in 1989. Its initial mandate has over the years evolved and widened into the production of graduates versatile enough to be job-creators.

The B.Sc. (Agriculture) programme has existed with the inception of the School. It has been reviewed twice in response to changing needs of consumer demand and world market situations. Since the last review in 2003, the agricultural sector worldwide has seen even more technological changes driven primarily by the ICT revolution and the advent of challenges such as Climate Change, Biotechnology, Organic Farming, Post-harvest losses, Food Safety and Quality Standards, Value Chain Agriculture, Animal Welfare and Precision Agriculture. To make the School’s products stay competitive, there is the need to once again review the existing curriculum to take care of these current, as well as other emerging trends and threats to agricultural production. This will at the same time help to keep our graduates knowledgeable and therefore more marketable after school. The School of Agriculture seeks to address the challenge to revive and modernize agriculture in Ghana through offering leadership in manpower training and development at the research, extension and production levels. This review will provide an innovative, competitive, exciting and enhanced new curriculum that emphasizes practical-based training and skills development in the agricultural sciences, entrepreneurship and agribusiness management, and effective communication for all its graduates.

Goals and Objectives of the Programme 

Goals of the Programme The main goal of the B.Sc. (Agriculture) programme is to produce graduates who are academically skilled, professionally competent and innovative enough to respond to emerging challenges in agriculture and related sectors, and therefore be more marketable.

Objectives of ProgrammeThe programme offers students the opportunity to:

• acquire requisite knowledge, skills and attitudes to effectively deal with existing and emerging challenges of the agricultural sector
• deepen students’ appreciation of current market/consumer demands and standards, and how these impact on production principles
• obtain solid grounding in scientific/technical principles and the practical experience in agriculture
• develop strong leadership, interpersonal, team-building and entrepreneurial skills needed to identify and utilize opportunities in the sector, and
• get committed to implementation of Ghana’s vision for sustainable utilization of its agricultural and natural resources.

WASSCE and SSCE Holders The School of Agriculture offers a 4-year general B.Sc. Agriculture programme for applicants coming in with a WASSCE or SSCE background. To qualify for admission into the programme: Candidates must possess Credit passes (C6 for WASSCE and D for SSCE) in the 3 Core subjects (English Language, Mathematics and Integrated Science/Social Studies) and 3 Elective subjects; In addition, candidates must have Credit passes in three (3) Elective Subjects under any of the options listed below:

OPTION ONE: General Agriculture, Chemistry and any one other Science/Agriculture subject OPTION TWO: Chemistry, Biology and Physics/Elective Mathematics OPTION THREE: Any three subjects from the following Agricultural Science Electives – General Agriculture, Crop Husbandry and Horticulture, Animal Husbandry, Fisheries and Forestry.

Candidates applying under Option Three will, as a School requirement, be considered for admission only after they pass a 6-week Remedial Science Programme organized by the University of Cape Coast during the long vacation period preceding the start of the academic year. The overall aggregate for 6 subjects, under all the options, must not exceed 36 (WASSCE) or 24 (SSCE).Post-Diploma Applicants The School of Agriculture also offers a 3-year Post-Diploma programme leading to the award of a B.Sc. (Agriculture) degree. Successful applicants join the regular B.Sc. (Agriculture) class at Level 200. To qualify for admission into the programme, candidates must satisfy all of the following requirements: Possess a Diploma in Agriculture or a related field, from a recognized University or Polytechnic Must have Credit passes (WASSCE or SSCE) in English Language and Mathematics; OR should have passed the Mature Entrance Examinations organized by the University of Cape Coast.

In addition, candidates are expected to pass a selection interview.Candidates must include with their completed Application Forms, certified copies of all certificates and academic transcripts relevant to their application for verification purposes.

Information is central to our lives especially in our contemporary world, as advances in technology have made it most accessible and available in various forms and through various media. Its acquisition, design, manipulation, retrieval, transmission, storage, management and preservation have therefore been given maximum attention by governments, organisations, and centres of authority. Our B.Sc Information Technology programme introduces students to the complex world of information management using modern technological methods and techniques. It combines a wide range of courses that are interdisciplinary, critical, deeply thought provoking, and unleashes the creativity of students. 

• To train students in information management using modern technology, instilling in them the capacity to apply it to solving problems and improving the activities of organisation and institutions.
• To prepare students for advanced studies in Information Technology and/oe it's related field.
• To produce experts in IT who will be charged with the responsibility for selecting hardware and software products appropriate for an organisation, integrating those products with organisational needs and infrastructure.

In our rapidly changing world today, requisite (albeit real time) information is key in critical decision making in all sectors of society. Our programme will prepare students to meet the IT needs of business, government, healthcare, educational institutions, and other kinds of organisations.    Graduate of the programme can find job as: 

•  Applications developer
•  Database administrator 
•  Games developer
•  Geographical information systems officer
•  Information systems manager
•  IT consultant
•  IT sales professional
•  IT technical support officer
•  Multimedia programmer
•  Multimedia specialist
•  Network engineer
•  Systems analyst
•  Systems developer 

Post-Senior Secondary School Candidates

The entry requirements are the same as for the School of Physical Sciences.

However, In the case of INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY: (i) Candidates must have passes in Core English, Core Mathematics and Core Science. (ii) In addition to the above, candidates must have obtained aggregate 10 or better in Elective Mathematics and any other two (2) elective subjects with grades not lower than D.

The health sector remains the largest sector of operation for laboratory technicians. They work mainly as medical laboratory technicians in hospitals and private medical research laboratories. In other sectors like agriculture, biochemistry, and food processing, laboratory technicians play roles in running laboratories in which research work is done. Fields of biotechnology and bioremediation also use the services of laboratory technicians. In the mining sector, state of the art laboratories are operated where metals that are mined from the earth are analysed to test their quality. In the pharmaceutical and manufacturing industry, laboratory technicians are also employed to run labs where the efficacies of drugs are tested before they are released onto the market.

A laboratory is a structure in which scientific experiments are performed under conditions the scientist is capable of manipulating. B.Sc Laboratory Technology is a science-based programme, which trains students in the techniques needed to run laboratories. The students are trained in minute measurements and analysis of cells of living things, as well as analysis of elements, atoms and molecules. They are also trained to validate the quality of equipment used in the laboratory, calibration of these equipment, and how to properly record research results in the laboratory. Students are taught how to control conditions like temperature, humidity, and pressure, among others in the laboratory to suit the experiment or research work being undertaken. Students are trained in how to ensure aseptic and microorganism free environments in the laboratory, and how to ensure that there is no contamination of materials being analysed. This is a very critical aspect of the programme because contamination could result in wrong results after analysis, which is particularly dangerous in the field of medical laboratory technology. Safety techniques are also covered in the programme so scientists do not endanger their lives in undertaking any laboratory procedure. 

The main objectives of the programme are: i. to train high caliber laboratory technologists to manage laboratories of educational institutions, industries and research establishments in line with objectives of the current educational reforms, ii. to produce graduates with technical skills who with further training could function as teachers in technical education.

(i) Candidates must have passes in Core English, Core Mathematics and Core Science. (ii) In addition to the above, candidates must have obtained aggregate 10 or better in Physics, Mathematics, and either Chemistry or Biology at grades not lower than D in three (3) of the following elective subjects:     Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry and Physics with grades not lower than D in Biology and one (1) other Science subject.

The revised graduate curriculum of the Sociology Department reflects the changing nature of the academic world as well as the demands of the job market. The revised curriculum has been organised around concentrations, which allow students to concentrate in specific areas. This was not the case in the old curriculum. The new curriculum will equip students with in-depth knowledge and skills to face the challenges of increasingly global demands in the field of Sociology. The Department takes note that the new curriculum is subject to change as and when necessary.

The target group is individuals who have acquired BA degree in Sociology and or related fields from accredited Institutions. They should also fulfill the University’s General requirements for graduate studies.