HEA Gazettes 1,145 Accredited Learning Programmes
The Higher Education Authority (HEA) has gazetted 1,145 accredited learning programmes from both private and public Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Zambia.
Of the gazetted learning programmes, 644 or 56.2% of the accredited learning programmes are from 56 private HEIs, comprising of universities and university colleges. These are further broken down into 51 universities and 5 university colleges.
Zambian Open University is the private university which has the most accredited learning programmes with 48 accredited, followed by ZCAS University with 47, DMI-St. Eugene University with 44 and African Open University with 39.
The private university college with the most accredited learning programmes is University College of Central Africa with 7.
Of the total gazetted accredited learning programmes, 523 learning programmes are from public HEIs, with the Copperbelt University having the most accredited learning programmes with 164. The University of Zambia (UNZA) has 154 accredited learning programmes, whilst Mulungushi University has 106.
The only technical university in Zambia, Zambia University College of Technology, a public HEI located in Ndola, has 2 accredited learning programmes.
The list of accredited learning programmes was gazetted in Gazette Notice No. 734 of 2023, which was published on Friday, 2nd June, 2023, in Lusaka.
Accreditation is a requirement of the Higher Education (Amendment) Act, 2021, Part IVA Section 23A. Further, the Amendment Act in Part IVA Section 23B states that an HEI shall not offer a learning programme which is not accredited.
The accreditation of learning by HEA is a continuous multi-stage process that involves engaging a team of experts in the evaluation of learning programmes submitted by the HEI.
Furthermore, some HEIs have submitted to HEA learning programmes for accreditation and, as such, these learning programmes are still undergoing evaluation.
It is the responsibility of all HEIs in the country to ensure that all the learning programmes that they offer are submitted to HEA for accreditation so that the graduates of these learning programmes can have qualifications that are recognised by Zambia Qualifications Authority (ZAQA).
HEA continues to warn the general public not to enrol at any private institution that is not registered with the Authority and neither should they enrol in any learning programme, from both private and public HEIs, that have not been accredited by the Authority as their qualifications will not be recognised.
HEA’s list of accredited learning programmes is a dynamic list. It should be cited with verification from HEA’s official website, www.hea.org.zm, or emailing info@hea.org.zm, or calling +260 211 227 084.