University in Ghana
Wa, Ghana
University profile
The Simon Diedong Dombo University of Business and Integrated Development Studies (SDD-UBIDS, commonly UBIDS) is a public university in Wa, the capital of Ghana's Upper West Region. It was established by an Act of Parliament in 2019 (Act 1001) and came into being in May 2020. The Act mandates it to be an applied-research and practice-oriented institution dedicated to the development of business and integrated development studies. Its vision is to be an internationally acclaimed centre of excellence in higher education, and its mission stresses quality teaching, development-oriented problem-solving research and practical training supported by ICT.
The main campus is at Bamahu, on the Wa-Bole-Kumasi road about 10 km from the main Wa vehicle station. The School of Business has an older campus on the Wa-Mase road, five minutes from the Wa main market, and the main University Library sits in the 36-unit block office complex with an annex at Bamahu. The university operates a trimester system.
Academic work is organised into eight faculties and schools with 28 departments: the Faculty of Integrated Development Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences and Arts, Faculty of Planning and Land Management, Faculty of Public Policy and Governance, School of Business, School of Education and Life-Long Learning, Faculty of Information and Communication Technology and the School of Law. There is also a Centre for Migration and Security Studies, a School of Graduate Studies and Research, and the Institute of Distance Education and Learning (IDEL), set up in 2024 to coordinate distance and weekend programmes. Programmes range from certificates and two-year diplomas to four-year bachelors, the LLB (four years after WASSCE or three years post-degree), MA, MSc, MPhil, MBA, MPA and PhD degrees.
The university has four halls of residence (Cardinal Dery Hall, Jubilee Hall, Royal Hall and Limann Hall) with room for about 620 students; most students live in privately owned hostels around the Wa Municipality. A polyclinic-status Medical Centre, accredited by HeFRA and NHIS, runs round the clock and serves students, staff, dependants and the surrounding community. The Directorate of International Collaborations handles exchange arrangements, including Erasmus+, and the university admits international applicants to all undergraduate and graduate programmes. About 1,500 freshmen are admitted each year.
Programmes were accredited by the former National Accreditation Board, and new programmes such as Law, ICT, and Hospitality and Tourism have been submitted to the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), some already approved.
UBIDS supports needy and brilliant students through scholarships and bursaries. Each scheme has its own criteria and application window.
Applicants are generally expected to be enrolled full time, demonstrate financial need or strong academic performance, and provide supporting documents.
These schemes support tuition and living costs for needy students. Consult student affairs notices and the admissions pages for the current call, deadlines and documents.
Browse the scholarships listed for Simon Diedong Dombo University of Business and Integrated Development Studies and check each award’s eligibility.
View scholarships for Simon Diedong Dombo University of Business and Integrated Development Studies →Applicants need credit passes (A1-C6) in six WASSCE subjects: three core subjects including English Language and Mathematics, and three relevant elective subjects. SSSCE candidates need passes (A-D) in the same six subjects. Candidates with D7 in the core or elective subjects are advised not to apply for degree programmes. For non-science programmes, Social Studies may replace Integrated Science in the aggregate if the grade is better and the candidate has D7 or E8 in Integrated Science; for science programmes it may not. WASSCE grades score from A1 = 1 to C6 = 6 points. TVET candidates need credit passes in three core subjects including English and Mathematics plus three relevant electives.
Three credit passes in the area of specialisation (elective subjects) and passes (D7 or better) in English Language and Mathematics in WASSCE/SSSCE, or an equivalent certificate recognised in Ghana.
Working professionals in the public or private sector, or holders of five passes including English Language and Mathematics in WASSCE, O-Level, A-Level or equivalent.
Open to all undergraduate programmes except the LLB. Applicants must be at least 25 years old with documentary evidence, and hold at least a pass in WASSCE/SSSCE English and Mathematics or an equivalent nationally recognised high-school examination. The mature entrance examination is on 17 August 2026 and interviews on 18 August 2026.
Holders with Second Class Lower or better in a related programme may be admitted to Level 200 or 300 case by case; Third Class or pass holders are considered for Level 100.
The three-year LLB requires a good first degree with at least Second Class (Lower Division) from a recognised university.
Masters (MSc, MPhil, MA, MPA, MPH): at least Second Class Lower in a relevant field from a recognised institution, official transcript, a short research proposal and a selection interview. PhD: an MPhil/MSc or equivalent in the relevant field, transcript, a research proposal and a selection interview. MBA/MSc/MA/MPA/MPH and postgraduate diplomas through IDEL: at least Second Class Lower in a relevant field (Third Class considered case by case), certificate and transcript, and a short research proposal.
Foreign qualifications are referred to GTEC (Accreditation Division) for equivalence and eligibility. Non-Ghanaian applicants create an account on the admissions portal (admissions.ubids.edu.gh) and need no e-voucher. Admission queries and certificate equivalence advice: [email protected].
Ghanaian applicants buy an application e-voucher (serial number and PIN) at ADB, GCB, CBG, NIB, Stanbic or Fidelity bank branches, or by mobile money via *887*9# using the alias UBIDS, then complete the form at admissions.ubids.edu.gh, uploading a white-background passport photograph and certificates. A submitted form cannot be edited. Hard copies of application documents are posted to The Registrar, SD-Dombo University of Business and Integrated Development Studies, P.O. Box WA 64, Wa, UW/R. Application fees: undergraduate GHS 120; postgraduate regular GHS 180; postgraduate weekend GHS 205. Applications for IDEL programmes close on 31 August 2026 with classes starting on 5 September 2026. Admissions: 0392097256 / 0392097257, [email protected], WhatsApp 0550918837; IDEL: 0208381013, [email protected].
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