Higher Diploma at KMTC Equivalent to Bachelors Degree, Says Qualifications Authority
The Kenya Medical Training College’s higher diploma is now the same as a bachelor’s degree, says the Qualifications Authority.
The Kenya National Qualifications Authority’s decision breathes fresh life into higher national certificates that were on the verge of being eliminated because students thought they spent too much time and money in school without receiving anything in return.
Friday, KNQA announced that KMTC’s higher national diploma has been elevated to KNQA level 7, making it comparable to a bachelor’s degree, Certified Public Accountant (CPA) III, Certified Public Secretary (CPS), or Master Craft Person I.
The authority stated that its decision was based on an evaluation of the competency of college students who graduate from KMTC with a higher national diploma.
When delivering the accreditation certificate to KMTC on Friday, Dr. Juma Mukhwana, the head of KNQA, stated, “In the past, we just considered the amount of credits acquired by a student, but today we also consider their level of proficiency.”
This indicates that college graduates with this credential are qualified to teach in tertiary institutions.
The college stated that it was receiving audit inquiries for employing individuals with advanced degrees as instructors for courses with few qualified individuals.
Universities are also free to admit master’s degree holders straight for studies.
However, only two-year programs qualify for the degree level.
In 2018, former KNQA administrator Bonventure Kere advocated for the abolition of higher national diplomas on the grounds that the system was unfair to students.
“A diploma takes three years, higher diploma two years. That means that someone is in school for five years and when he joins university for a degree programme, he or she starts in third year, that is unfair to the student,” Kere said.
Dr. Lucy Waweru, academic registrar at KMTC, stated that the institution was on the verge of discontinuing some upper national diploma programs because students felt shortchanged. Ultimately, the programs were not acknowledged.
This course is specialized. The students specialize for two years. We are glad now it has been equated to a degree,” she said.
KNQA was established in 2015 to assist in the harmonization and evaluation of the quality of all credentials given in the country, with the goal of enhancing quality and worldwide comparability.
The lowest level of qualification is a primary school diploma, while the greatest level is a doctorate.
KMTC board chairperson Zachary Muburi-Muita stated that the decision to register qualifications and learners with KNQA builds confidence in their programs and has therefore created new opportunities to attract and enroll more foreign students while positioning KMTC as the premier Middle-Level Medical Training College in Kenya and beyond.
His message was read by Dr. Naomi Mutea, director of the KMTC board and chair of the academics, standards, and ethics committee.
On the KNQF portal, 42 KMTC qualifications have been registered.
Dr. Kelly Oluoch, the chief executive officer of KMTC, stated that a team is working to ensure that the remaining qualifications are registered by the end of the year.
“This accreditation assures that our programmes are recognized worldwide and in return, their comparability with qualifications of institutions of higher learning enhances the employability of our graduates,” he said.
Dr. Nyawira Mwangi, deputy director of academics at KMTC, stated that the institution currently provides 93 courses designed in accordance with local and international health training requirements and market factors.
The institution has registered with KNQA 57,268 graduates who finished their program between 2016 and 2021.
Additional 16,000 students who will graduate on December 1 are expected to register.
