The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) has directed the University for Development Studies (UDS) to immediately stop delivering its accredited Bachelor of Laws (LLB) programme as a weekend programme.
According to GTEC, the LLB programme was accredited specifically for evening delivery, but the university had been offering it as a weekend programme.
The directive, contained in a letter dated October 5, 2026, was addressed to the Vice-Chancellor of UDS in Tamale and signed by GTEC Deputy Director-General, Professor Augustine Ocloo, on behalf of the Director-General.
GTEC orders UDS to restore evening LLB programme
GTEC has instructed UDS to cease, with immediate effect, the delivery of the accredited evening LLB programme in the weekend format and restore it to its approved evening mode.
The Commission has also directed the university to discontinue any arrangement requiring students who were admitted to the evening programme to transfer to weekend delivery.
UDS has further been instructed to ensure that all affected students are returned to the approved mode of delivery without academic or financial disadvantage.
The university must also formally communicate the directive to all affected students as well as the relevant academic and administrative units.
UDS given seven days to comply
GTEC has given UDS seven days to submit documentary evidence demonstrating full compliance with the directive.
The Commission warned that failure to comply within the stipulated period could trigger regulatory action against the programme.
Among the possible sanctions are the suspension or withdrawal/revocation of the programme’s accreditation, a directive preventing further admissions into the programme, and other regulatory measures available under the applicable legal framework.
GTEC stressed that it would not recognise the continued delivery of the LLB programme in a mode that has not been approved.
Why GTEC objected to the change
GTEC explained that accreditation is granted based on specific academic, staffing, infrastructure and programme-delivery arrangements submitted by an institution and assessed by the Commission.
The mode of delivery is therefore considered an integral part of the conditions attached to accreditation.
According to the Commission, a university cannot independently change the approved mode of delivery of an accredited programme without obtaining prior written approval from GTEC.
The Commission considers the conversion of UDS’s accredited evening LLB programme into a weekend programme without prior approval to be a material departure from the conditions of accreditation and a regulatory non-compliance issue.
Impact on students and academic standards
GTEC said the change in delivery mode has potential implications for several aspects of the programme, including academic contact hours, faculty availability, access to teaching and learning facilities and quality assurance arrangements.
The Commission also highlighted the importance of protecting students who accepted admission based on the approved mode of delivery.
The directive therefore requires UDS to restore affected students to the approved evening arrangement without causing them academic or financial disadvantage.
GTEC strengthens regulation of tertiary education
The action against UDS comes amid increased regulatory attention from GTEC on accreditation, quality assurance and the delivery of tertiary education programmes in Ghana.
The Commission has repeatedly urged prospective students to verify the accreditation status of institutions and programmes before enrolling. GTEC has also published lists of unaccredited learning centres and institutions to help protect students and the public from programmes that do not meet approved standards.
For UDS, the immediate priority is now to comply with GTEC’s directive, restore the LLB programme to its approved evening mode and provide the Commission with evidence of compliance within the seven-day deadline.
The development is expected to be closely watched by current and prospective UDS law students as the university responds to the regulator’s directive.
