The University of Cape Coast (UCC) is a public collegiate university located in the historic town of Cape Coast in the central region of Ghana. The campus has a rare seafront view and sits on a hill overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. It operates on two campuses: the Southern Campus (Old Site) and the Northern Campus (New Site). Two of the most important historical sites in Ghana, Elmina and Cape Coast Castle, are a few kilometres away from its campus.
The University of Cape Coast was established in October 1962 as a university college in response to the country's dire need for highly qualified and skilled manpower in the education sector. Its original mandate was therefore to train graduate teachers for second cycle institutions, teacher training colleges and technical institutions, a mission that the two existing public universities at the time were unequipped to fulfil.
In 1972, the college attained the status of a full and independent university, with the authority to confer its own degrees, diplomas and certificates by an Act of Parliament. Today, with the expansion of some of its faculties/schools and the diversification of programmes, the university has the capacity to meet the manpower needs of other ministries and industries in the country, besides that of the Ministry of Education. The university has since added to its functions the training of doctors and health care professionals, business professionals, administrators, legal professionals, and agriculturalists such as agricultural extension agents. UCC graduates include Ministers of State, High Commissioners, CEOs, Members of Parliament, and Ghana's first female vice president.
History The University of Cape Coast was established in October 1962 as a university college and placed in a special relationship with the University of Ghana, Legon. On 1 October 1971, the college attained the status of a full and independent University, with the authority to confer its own degrees, diplomas and certificates by an Act of Parliament.
The university was established out of a dire need for highly qualified and skilled manpower in education. Its original mandate was, therefore, to train graduate professional teachers for Ghana's second cycle institutions and the Ministry of Education in order to meet the manpower needs of the country's accelerated education programme at the time.
Today, with the expansion of some of its Faculties/Schools and the diversification of programmes, the university has the capacity to meet the manpower needs of other ministries and industries in the country, besides that of the Ministry of Education. From an initial student enrollment of 155 in 1963, the University of Cape Coast now has a total student population of about 80,000.
The university started with two departments, namely: Arts and Science. These departments developed into Faculties in 1963. In order to achieve the set objectives, in 1964, the university created two more Faculties, namely: Education and Economics & Social Studies [now Faculty of Social Sciences]. The fifth faculty [School of Agriculture] was established in 1975. The Faculty of Science was split into the Schools of Physical and Biological Sciences during the 2002←/2003 academic year while the Department of Business Studies was also elevated to the School of Business with effect from the 2003/2004 academic year. The Medical School and faculty of Law among others have been added.
The university now trains doctors and health care professionals, as well as education planners, administrators, agriculturalists, Accountants, lawyers etc. The University of Cape Coast (UCC) graduates include Ministers of State, High Commissioners, CEO's, and Members of Parliament.
Campuses UCC has a satellite campus at Agona Nyakrom.
Old Site Campus The Old Site Campus also known as the Southern Campus is located on high grounds, above the sea level, within the Apewosika and Kokoado communities in the Cape Coast metropolis. The strategic setting of the Old Site Campus within these two communities had increased socio-economic activities.
The Campus houses the university's Old Central Administration, the only female hall of residence, the Adehye Hall, the Atlantic Hall, Oguaa Hall, and University Hospital, which provides quality health service to the student population and the general public is located in here. The Department of Vocational and Technical Educational (VOTEC) is located at the old site campus.
New Site Campus New Site Campus or Northern Campus, popularly known as "Science" is within a kilometer distance from Old Site is located near the Kwaprow and Amamoma communities. The Northern Campus came into being as a result of the growing number of students admitted into the university.
The Campus houses the only male hall of the university, Casley Hayford Hall. While other halls with both girls and boys include Kwame Nkrumah Hall, Valco Hall. there is also a Campus Broadcasting Center. It is the location of the Science Complex Building therefore the popular name "Science".
University Garden and the University Zoo are also located in the New Site Campus of the university.
Student population From an initial student enrolment of 155 in 1963, the University of Cape Coast now has a total student population of 74,720. The breakdown is as follows: 18,949 regular undergraduate students, 1445 sandwich undergraduate students, 1014 regular postgraduate students, 2773 sandwich postgraduate students, 48,989 distance undergraduate students, and 1540 postgraduate distance students. The university admitted a total of 24,723 students into its various programs for the 2016/2017 academic year.
From 2016/2017 academic year till date, the population of the university keeps on increasing each year. Currently, the school has a student population of 78,485 with 41,165 (52.40%) male and 37,320 (47.60%) female student population, which in total is exactly 2,765 more than what they had in the 2016/2017 academic year. The breakdown of the student population in the 2022/2023 academic year is as follows: there have 9 sandwich students who are the only ones offering certificate in their various programs with 2 of them being males and 7 females. 11,539 diploma offering students with 11,234 being distance students (5,271 males and 5,963 females) and 305 sandwich students (132 males and 173 females). 60,406 undergraduates which entails of 23,537 regular students (13,072 males and 10,465 females), 16,260 distance students (8,324 males and 7,936 females), 1,241 sandwich students (561 males and 686 females) and 19,362 IOE sandwich students (9,937 males and 9,425 females). The population consists of 578 PhD students who are all regular students, with 372 males and 206 females. 305 PGDE students consisting of 71 distance students (29 males and 42 females) and 234 sandwich students (148 males and 86 females). 5,648 students doing their masters currently with 1,148 students being regular students (709 males and 439 females), 2,239 distance students (1,287 males and 952 females) and 2,261 sandwich students (1,321 males and 940 females).
Governance system The University of Cape Coast is currently governed by a Council made of elected members from the university community and State appointees.
Members of Council The governing body is known as the University Council and they consist of a Chairperson/Pro-Chancellor, Representative of Post-Graduate Students, Vice-Chancellor, three (3) Government Nominees, two (2) Representatives of Convocation, Representative of UTAG - UCC Branch, Representative of CHASS, Representative of TEWU of TUC, Representative of Alumni Association, Representative of Undergraduate Students, Representative of Post-Graduate Students, Representative of GTEC, Registrar, Pro-Vice Chancellor, Director of Finance and Council Secretariat, Office of the Registrar.
Principal officers According to the statues of the university, principal officers of the university include the chancellor, pro-chancellor/chairperson, Vice-Chancellor, registrar and pro-vice-chancellor. +The list of past and current Principals/Vice-Chancellor of UCCName of Principal or Vice-ChancellorPositionDuration of tenureDr C. A. AckahPrincipal1962 to 1964Dr N. G. BakhoomPrincipal1964 to 1966Dr C. A. AckahPrincipal1966 to 1968Prof. K. A. NyarkoActing Principal1968 to 1969Prof. E. A. BoatengPrincipal1969 to 1972Prof. E. A. BoatengVice-Chancellor 1972 to 1973Prof. Yanney-EwusieVice-Chancellor 1973 to 1978Prof. S. K. OdamttenActing Vice-Chancellor 1978 to 1980Prof. K. B. DicksonVice-Chancellor 1980 to 1988Prof. K. N. EyesonActing Vice-Chancellor 1988 to 1989Prof. K. B. DicksonVice-Chancellor 1989 to 1990Prof. Austin Tetteh Prof. R. K. G. Assoku Prof. Martha TamakloeInterim Administrative Council1990 to 1991Rev. Prof. S. K. AdjepongVice-Chancellor 1991 to 2001Rev. Prof. Emmanuel Addow-ObengVice-Chancellor 2001 to 2008Prof. Naana Jane Opoku-AgyemangVice-Chancellor 2008 to 2012Prof. D. D. KuupoleVice-Chancellor 2012 to 2016Rev. Prof. Joseph Ghartey-AmpiahVice-Chancellor 2016 to 2020Prof. Johnson Nyarko BoampongVice-Chancellor 2020 to 2025Prof. Denis Worlanyo AhetoVice-Chancellor 2025 to date
Academics The University of Cape Coast is today organized into six colleges. Each college has different faculties, schools and departments under them as elaborated below;
College of Agriculture & Natural Sciences School of Physical Sciences Source:
Department of Physics Department of Mathematics Department of Statistics Department of Laboratory Technology Department of Computer Science & Information Technology Department of Chemistry Laser & Fibre Optics Centre Industrial Chemistry Programme
School of Biological Sciences Source:
Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology Department of Fisheries & Aquatic Sciences Department of Environmental Sciences Department of Entomology & Wildlife Department of Forensic Sciences Department of Biochemistry
School of Agriculture Source:
Department of Soil Science Department of Crop Science Department of Animal Science Department of Agricultural Engineering Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension Technology Village Supervise Enterprise Projects (SEPs) Meat Processing Unit (MPU)
College of Distance Education Department of Business studies Department of Education Department of Mathematics and Science
College of Education Studies Faculty of Educational Foundations Source:
Centre for Child Development Research and Referral Counselling Centre Department of Basic Education Department of Education & Psychology Department of Guidance and Counseling
Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences Education Source:
Department of Arts Education Department of Business and Social Sciences Education
Faculty of Science & Technology Education Source:
Department of Health Science Education Department of Health, Physical Education & Recreation Department of Mathematics & ICT Education Department of Science Education Department of Vocational & Technical Education
School of Educational Development & Outreach Source:
Centre for Educational Research, Evaluation and Development Centre for Teacher Professional Development Centre for Teaching Support Institute of Education
College of Humanities and Legal Studies
Faculty of Social Sciences Source:
Institute for Oil and Gas Studies School for Development Studies (IDS) Department of Sociology & Anthropology Department of Population & Health Department of Hospitality & Tourism Management Department of Geography & Regional Planning Department of Economics Centre for Gender, Research, Advocacy and Documentation (CEGRAD) Micro-finance Unit Centre for Data Archiving, Management, Analysis and Advocacy (C-DAMAA)
Faculty of Arts Source:
Information & Literacy Skills Department of Theatre & Film Studies Department of Religion and Human Values