Liberia

An entrance examination provides the means to access higher education in Liberia. In 1995 the gross enrollment rate for higher education in Liberia was only 2.5 percent overall—3.7 percent of males and 1.2 percent of females of higher education age attended tertiary level schools. Nearly 5,000 students were enrolled in tertiary studies in the mid-1990s. Of the Liberian population older than 25 years of age, just 2 percent in 1995 had completed their tertiary education. Liberia has just one publicly supported university, the University of Liberia at Monrovia. In addition, Cuttington University College (a private institution associated with the Episcopalian Church) and William V.S. Tubman College of Technology provide education at the postsecondary level. The national legislative charters all degree-granting institutions of higher education in Liberia, and each educational institution has its own appointed board of trustees or directors whose tasks are specified in the charter for that institution. In the case of the University of Liberia, the Ministry of Education and the Board of Trustees are in charge of setting and implementing policy. Non-university postsecondary education also is provided in Liberia through two year courses in junior colleges that provide students with instructional programming leading to an Associate's degree. Some non-university programs also provide mid-level technical training and education in the liberal arts.

Bachelor's degree programs are the principal form of education offered at universities in Liberia, where the length of study is generally four years: two years of basic and general courses followed by two years of specialization in a particular, chosen area of study. (A plurality of students graduating at the Bachelor's level from the University of Liberia in February 2000 opted for a specialization in business—no doubt anticipating this would provide them with the practical training needed to become at least somewhat better off financially in Liberia's decidedly difficult economic climate at the time.) To obtain a Bachelor of Laws degree, students follow a course of study that includes at least two years of higher education followed by three years of specialization. Master's degree programs in regional planning, offered at the University of Liberia, culminate in the Master of Science degree after two years of graduate study beyond the Bachelor's. Medical degrees are awarded after seven years of study at the university level: three in the natural sciences followed by three in medical studies.

Teacher training is provided through three-year courses of study for students planning to pursue careers as primary school teachers. Successfully completing these programs allows graduates to teach in Liberia's elementary and junior high schools. Secondary school teachers are trained at the Teachers' College of the University of Liberia and through Cuttington University College's Department of Education. If prospective teachers already hold a higher education degree and wish to teach in another subject area, they can qualify by following a two-year study program that leads to a Grade A Teaching Certificate. Otherwise, training for a secondary level teaching career requires four years of study, after which the Bachelor's degree in Education is awarded.