University of Ghana UG Legon

University of Ghana UG Legon is the oldest and largest of the thirteen Ghanaian universities and tertiary institutions. It was founded in 1948 as the University College of the Gold Coast, and was originally an affiliate college of the University of London, which supervised its academic programmes and awarded degrees. It gained full university status in 1961, and now has nearly 40,000 students.
The original emphasis was on the liberal arts, social sciences, basic science, agriculture, and medicine, but (partly as the result of a national educational reform programme) the curriculum was expanded to provide more technology-based and vocational courses and postgraduate training.
The university is mainly based at Legon, about 12 kilometres northeast of the centre of Accra. The medical school is in Korle Bu, with a teaching hospital and secondary campus in the city of Accra. It also has a graduate school of nuclear and allied sciences at the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission, making it one of the few universities on the Africa continent offering programmes in nuclear physics and nuclear engineering.
History of University of Ghana
The formation of the West African Commission of the Asquith Commission on Higher Education in the Colonies under the chairmanship of Rt. Hon. Walter Elliot was the birth of this notable institution in 1948. The commission recommended the setting up of university colleges in association with the University of London, thus the University College of the Gold Coast was founded by Ordinance on 11 August 1948 for the purpose of providing for and promoting university education, learning and research. This was made possible by the rejection of the first recommendation which stated that only one University College was feasible for the whole of British West Africa, which would be located in Nigeria by the people of Gold Coast led by the scholar and politician, the late Dr. J. B. Danquah.

The Balme Library

The library is located on the main campus of the University.
College of Health Sciences
There are four faculties, one school and one research institute under this college.

School of Medicine and Dentistry
School of Biomedical and Allied Health Sciences
School of Nursing Located on the Legon campus though its students receive practical training at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.
School of Pharmacy

Collegiate system of University of Ghana

Starting from the 2014/2015 Academic year, the University of Ghana adopted the collegiate system and thus categorised all schools and departments under four colleges, which are:

College of Basic and Applied Sciences
College of Humanities
College of Education
College of Health Sciences

Other faculties of University of Ghana

There are six faculties outside the above colleges.

Faculty of Arts British
Faculty of Social Studies
Faculty of Science
Faculty of Law The Faculty of Law was first established as a department of the Faculty of Social Studies in the 1958/59 academic year and became a full-fledged faculty in the 1960/61 academic year. From the 2012/2013 academic year, the university will admit fresh SHS students into the LLB first-degree programme but will retain the post-first degree programme. Thus the university will have two entry means to the Faculty of Law.
Faculty of Engineering Sciences

Research and Learning Centres of University of Ghana

Centre of Excellence for Global Environmental Change Research.
Centre for Social Policy Analysis
Centre for Remote Sensing and Geographic Information System
Legon Centre for International Affairs and Diplomacy
Centre for Migration
International Centre for African Music and Dance
Centre for Tropical Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics
Centre for Biotechnology Research
Centre for African Wetlands
Language Centre
West African Centre for Crop Improvement
West African Centre for Cell Biology and Infectious Pathogens
The United Nations University for Natural Resources in Africa
Centre for Gender Studies and Advocacy(CEGENSA)
Regional Training Centre for Archivists
Ecological laboratory
Legon Botanical Gardens
The Ghana Herbarium
Centre for African Foods
Centre for West African foods
Centre for International foods
Centre for Ghana foods
African Regional centre for training in postgraduate insect science

Kade Agricultural Research Center of University of Ghana

Kade Agricultural Research Station or Center is an agricultural research center located at Kade, in the Eastern Region of Ghana is part of the University of Ghana Centers of Research and Learning.^[9] It is one of the three agricultural research centers of Ghana’s university. The center at Kade was established in the year 1957. It covers an area of 99.3 hectares and it is mainly concerned with research into production of forest zone crops such as citrus, plantain, cocoyam, oil palm and rubber, with a special interest in agronomy of perennial crop plants.

Workers’ colleges

The university has these facilities in the various regions where it runs a variety of programmes, including degree courses. Awudome College has residential facilities that enable short courses over weekends and other durations to be run there.

Accra Workers’ College, (now Accra City campus) Accra
Awudome Residential Workers’ College, Tsito
Bolgatanga Workers’ College, Bolgatanga
Cape Coast Workers’ College, Cape Coast
Ho Workers’ College, Ho
Koforidua Workers’ College, Koforidua
Kumasi Workers’ College, Kumasi
Takoradi Workers’ College, Sekondi-Takoradi
Tamale Workers’ College, Tamale
Tema Workers’ College, Tema
Sunyani Workers’ College, Sunyani
Wa Workers’ College, Wa

Halls of Residence of University of Ghana

Commonwealth Hall
Legon Hall
Mensah Sarbah Hall
Volta Hall
Akuafo Hall
Jubilee Hall

The university has eight residence halls of which were commissioned in 2011. They are:

Alexander Kwapong Hall, one of the newly created halls named after Professor Alexander Kwapong a former Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Chairman of Council of State.
Jean Nelson Hall, another of the newly created halls, it was named after the first Ghanaian Vice-Chancellor, Jean Nelson Aka. It was inaugurated in July. Its emblem shows a candle, a book and a pen to symbolize perseverance. It was designed by a final year Physics-Computer Science major student, Raymond Sung-Seh Harrison. The motto of the hall, “Lux In Tenebris” which is Latin for “Light In Darkness” was suggested by Raymond’s mate at the time, a lady by the name Muna Twerefour”. The emblem was officially adopted on Tuesday, April 2, 2013.
Hilla Limann Hall, the first of the University of Ghana Enterprise Limited (UGEL) Hostels to be completed. It was inaugurated in July 2010 during which the Vice-Chancellor announced the decision to name it after Hilla Limann, a former President of the Republic of Ghana. Senior Members of the University may be assigned as Fellows of the Hall by the Vice Chancellor, Students assigned/affiliated to the Hall form the Junior members. The Head of Hall, Senior Tutor and fellow tutors as a body helps with the governing of the Hall.
Elizabeth Sey Hall, the second of the newer halls built by University of Ghana Enterprise Limited (UGEL) Hostels to be completed. It was inaugurated in July 2010 and was named after the first female graduate of the university, Elizabeth Frances Baaba Sey.
Africa Union Hall, formerly called Pentagon built by SSNIT
James Topp Nelson Yankah Hall, formerly known as TF Hostel.
Bani Hall, initially a private hostel which was later turned into a hall after the tenancy agreement with the University had elapsed.
Evandy Hall, formerly Evandy Hostel and this was turned into a hall after the tenancy agreement with the University elapsed and ownership transferred to University authorities,
Commonwealth Hall, it is the only male hall in the University.

Hostels Of University Of Ghana

There are three university hostels, the International Students’ Hostels (I and II) and the Valco Trust Hostel. There are also private hostels, SSNIT Hostels (Ghana Hostels also known as Pentagon)