University of Douala
The state university of Cameroon's economic capital, the University of Douala grew out of the university centre created in 1977 around a business school, ESSEC, and a technical teacher-training school, ENSET. A full university since 1993, it has expanded into professional fields — engineering, technology, management, fisheries science and fine arts — on top of five faculties. Its campuses stretch from Douala to Yabassi and Nkongsamba.
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At a glance
- City and campuses
- Douala (Bassa-Ange Raphaël, Ndogbong, Akwa, Logbessou), Yabassi, Nkongsamba
- Founded
- University centre on 28 April 1977; university by Decree No. 93/030 of 19 January 1993
- Status
- State university, bilingual, predominantly French-speaking
- Rector
- Prof. Magloire Ondoa (in office in August 2025)
- Students
- About 40,000 in 2009 (Wikipedia); no recent figure published online
- Budget
- CFA francs 18.13 billion (2023)
- Official website
- www.univ-douala.cm
History
The Douala university centre was created on 28 April 1977, under the University of Yaoundé. It brought together the Advanced School of Economics and Commerce (ESSEC), opened in 1977, and the Advanced Technical Teacher Training College (ENSET), opened in 1979. The 1993 reform made it a full university: its official website cites a first decree of 13 April 1992 (No. 92/74) and Decree No. 93/030 of 19 January 1993. It has since added a polytechnic (ENSPD), a university institute of technology (IUT), a fine arts institute and a fisheries science institute in Yabassi.
Faculties, schools and institutes
| School | Acronym | Fields | Admission |
|---|---|---|---|
| Faculty of Science | FS | Pure and applied sciences | Pre-registration |
| Faculty of Letters and Social Sciences | FLSH | Literature, languages, social sciences | Pre-registration |
| Faculty of Law and Political Science | FSJP | Law, political science | Pre-registration |
| Faculty of Economics and Applied Management | FSEGA | Economics, management | Pre-registration |
| Faculty of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences | FMSP | Medicine, pharmacy | Selective: see the year's MINESUP notice |
| National Higher Polytechnic School of Douala | ENSPD | Engineering | Entrance exam (engineering cycle) |
| Advanced Technical Teacher Training College | ENSET | Training of technical-education teachers | Selective, see the becoming-a-teacher page |
| Advanced School of Economics and Commerce | ESSEC | Business, management; ESC and EPA programmes; bachelor approved in 2025 | Entrance exam (ESC, EPA) |
| University Institute of Technology | IUT | Short technology programmes | Entrance exam (year 1) |
| Institute of Fisheries Sciences, becoming ENSAHV | ISH / ENSAHV | Fisheries, aquaculture, oceanography, fish processing, agronomy (Yabassi) | Entrance exam (bachelor's and master's) |
| Institute of Fine Arts | IBA | Visual and performing arts | Not stated online |
Strengths
- ESSEC, a public business school founded in 1977, is the university's historic core; in August 2025 its board approved a bachelor's programme.
- Its focus on professional training: polytechnic, IUT, ENSET, and a professionalisation complex partly financed by a CFA 2 billion loan from UBA, according to Cameroon Tribune (2023).
- Fisheries science and aquaculture, rare in Cameroon, taught in Yabassi with a tropical aquaculture centre.
- It provides academic oversight to private institutes in the Littoral, such as IUGET and INUBIL.
Student life and finances
Students are spread across several Douala campuses. In February 2023 the rector called the budget a “debt repayment budget”: nearly CFA 1 billion was still owed to building contractors and CFA 1.8 billion in electricity arrears to Eneo had built up since 2008, according to Cameroon Tribune. The SYNES strike launched on 5 January 2026 also affects the university.
Admission and registration
Pre-registration is online, on the SYSTHAG-Online platform linked from the university website; for 2025-2026 the site said it was open on a rolling basis. Faculties admit Baccalauréat and GCE A Level holders by application; ENSPD, ESSEC, the IUT and ISH recruit by entrance exam, usually between July and September (2024 sessions: IUT on 9 July, ENSPD on 28 July, ESSEC on 27 and 28 August, ISH in September). The basic university fee is CFA 50,000: see the cost of higher education page.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the University of Douala?
In Douala, with a main campus at Bassa (Ange Raphaël) and others at Ndogbong, Akwa and Logbessou, plus sites in Yabassi and Nkongsamba.
What can you study at the University of Douala?
Science, humanities, law, economics and medicine-pharmacy in five faculties, plus engineering (ENSPD), business (ESSEC), technical teacher training (ENSET), technology (IUT), fisheries science and fine arts.
How do you get into ESSEC Douala?
By entrance exam, held for the ESC and EPA programmes (on 27 and 28 August in the 2024 session).
How do I apply to the University of Douala?
Pre-register online on the SYSTHAG-Online platform, linked from univ-douala.cm, then submit your file; the schools hold their own entrance exams.
Who is the rector of the University of Douala?
Prof. Magloire Ondoa, who was still chairing university sessions in August 2025.
Handle with care
No recent enrolment figure is published: the 40,000 figure dates from 2009, and the official site only mentions “more than 20,000 students trained”. The site cites two founding texts (1992 and 1993). The location of the Institute of Fine Arts in Nkongsamba was not confirmed by an official source. We found no confirmation of the rector later than August 2025.