By Damali Mukhaye
Makerere University has commenced the issuance of academic transcripts to students due to graduate later this month at the institution’s main campus, marking a shift from its long-standing practice of releasing transcripts only after graduation ceremonies.
According to a circular issued by the University Academic Registrar, Prof. Buyinza Mukadasi, all transcripts for the 76th graduation are now ready for collection at the respective colleges. He explained that the move is intended to enable graduands to pursue employment and other opportunities even before the official graduation ceremony.
“The 76th graduation transcripts are ready for collection at the respective colleges,” Prof. Mukadasi said.
The university’s Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, reaffirmed the institution’s commitment to timely service delivery, noting that management had worked diligently to ensure that academic documents were processed ahead of schedule.
“I wish to announce that the transcripts have been finalised and are ready for pickup. They can be collected from the respective colleges even before the graduation ceremony,” Prof. Nawangwe said during a press conference last week.
Makerere University is set to hold its 76th graduation ceremony from 24 to 27 February 2026 at Freedom Square. Over the four-day event, the university will confer degrees and award certificates to a total of 8,432 graduands, comprising 4,030 females and 4,402 males.
The graduating class includes 185 Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) holders, 2,034 Master’s degree graduates, 6,043 Bachelor’s degree recipients, 137 postgraduate certificate holders, and 33 postgraduate diploma graduates, according to Prof. Buyinza.
In preparation for the ceremony, the university has also begun issuing graduation gowns to all eligible graduands. Prof. Mukadasi announced that gown collection is already underway, with designated collection points based on colleges.
Master’s and PhD graduands are to collect their gowns from Block A (basement) at the College of Computing and Information Sciences, while Bachelor’s degree students will collect theirs from Mitchell Dining Hall. Graduands from Makerere University Business School (MUBS) will collect their gowns from Mitchell Hall (Dining Hall) and the Frank Kalimuzo Central Teaching Facility reception area.
All graduands are required to present a valid student identification card or National Identity Card, a gown payment slip, and confirmation that their names appear on the official Senate Graduation List before gowns are issued.
Graduation proceedings will begin on the first day with students from the School of Law, College of Education and External Studies, College of Computing and Information Sciences, and the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.
On the second day, graduands from the College of Natural Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity, College of Health Sciences, and the School of Public Health will be conferred.
Students from Makerere University Business School and the College of Business and Management Sciences will graduate on the third day, while the final day will see graduands from the College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, the Institute of Gender and Development Studies, and the Makerere Institute of Social Research.
Traditionally, Makerere University holds its graduation ceremonies in January. However, the 76th graduation was postponed to February following the general elections held last month.