Cameroon Reopens PhDs After Two-Year Pause with Stricter Rules
By Synthia Lateu
Cameroon’s Ministry of Higher Education has announced the reopening of doctoral studies across the country’s 11 state universities for the 2025/2026 academic year, introducing stricter admission and supervision rules.
In a statement dated January 15, the ministry said the decision follows instructions from President Paul Biya, who had earlier confirmed the reopening during his 2025 end-of-year address. PhD admissions had been suspended for the past two academic years.
Under the new framework, the government has approved 600 PhD admission slots nationwide. Bamenda, Buea, Douala, Dschang, Ngaoundéré and Yaoundé I will each admit 60 candidates, while Maroua and Yaoundé II will take 75 each. Bertoua, Ebolowa and Garoua have been allocated 30 slots each. Supervisors may admit up to three Cameroonian students and two foreign candidates, with students paying 50,000 FCFA in annual fees. Supervision and thesis defence costs will be covered by the state.
According to the release signed by Higher Education Minister Jacques Fame Ndongo, admission will be through competitive selection and limited to holders of a Research Master’s degree, excluding professional master’s programmes. Candidates must obtain a minimum average of 12/20, with limited exceptions allowed on grounds of merit, gender balance or disability inclusion.
University heads have been instructed to launch calls for applications by January 23, 2026, complete the selection process by February 16, and submit the final list of successful candidates to the National Commission for Doctoral Training by February 20, 2026.
The reopening follows the circulation of a 38-page doctoral framework document drafted by the Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF) in collaboration with the Ministry of Higher Education. Distributed to vice-chancellors and rectors, the document outlines eligibility criteria and quality assurance measures aimed at aligning Cameroon’s PhD training with international academic standards.
Doctoral admissions were suspended during the 2023/2024 academic year after the ministry raised concerns over inadequate supervision and weak research output. University heads were then asked to submit detailed reports on the academic and financial capacity of departments offering doctoral programmes, amid concerns that some PhD graduates were insufficiently prepared.
