# Mbarara University of Science and Technology Faculty of Medicine

> Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST) Faculty of Medicine runs a direct-entry, five-year, English-medium Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) programme built around a distinctive community-based education model. The university is listed in the WHO World Directory of Medical Schools with ECFMG-certification eligibility, and is on the Uganda Medical and Dental Practitioners Council's official list of approved medical schools.

- Canonical page: https://www.studentstraffic.com/university/mbarara-university-of-science-and-technology-faculty-of-medicine
- Last reviewed: 2026-07-12
- Publisher: Students Traffic (https://www.studentstraffic.com/)

## Key facts

- Location: Mbarara, [Uganda](https://www.studentstraffic.com/countries/uganda)
- Type: Public
- Established: 1989
- Official website: https://www.must.ac.ug/
- Published programmes on Students Traffic: 1

## Recognition and approvals

- World Directory of Medical Schools (WDOMS/FAIMER) -- listed, School ID F0000068
- ECFMG Certification -- graduates eligible to apply, graduation years 1989-present
- Uganda Medical and Dental Practitioners Council (UMDPC) -- listed as an approved East African medical school
- Verify: [World Directory of Medical Schools -- Mbarara University listing](https://search.wdoms.org/home/SchoolDetail/F0000068)
- Verify: [Uganda Medical and Dental Practitioners Council -- approved medical schools](https://www.umdpc.go.ug/)

## Programmes

| Programme | Course | Duration | Medium | Tuition per year |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB)](https://www.studentstraffic.com/mbarara-university-of-science-and-technology-mbchb) | MBBS | 5 years | English | UGX 53,76,000 (2026-2027) |

## Why students choose it

- Listed in the WHO World Directory of Medical Schools (FAIMER School ID F0000068), with graduates (1989-current) eligible to apply for ECFMG Certification and no entrance exam required for the standard direct-entry route.
- On the Uganda Medical and Dental Practitioners Council's own official list of approved East African medical schools.
- A distinctive Community Based Education, Research and Services (COBERS) model giving students early, structured community-health exposure throughout the curriculum.

## Things to consider

- The published international tuition figure (roughly USD 1,700-1,750/year at recent exchange rates) is notably lower than typical MBBS-abroad international pricing elsewhere; confirm this figure directly with MUST admissions before committing, since no separate international-fee-schedule document exists to cross-verify it.
- MUST's official 2026/27 admissions announcement confirms an August 2026 intake but does not publish an exact day-level application deadline in machine-readable form; confirm the precise deadline directly with the university.
- The specific international application fee amount could not be confirmed from an official MUST document during research; only the payment mechanism (international wire transfer to a Uganda Revenue Authority account) is confirmed.

## Best fit for

- Students seeking a WHO-listed, ECFMG-eligible, English-medium direct-entry medical degree at a notably lower cost point than most MBBS-abroad destinations.
- Applicants drawn to a community-health-integrated curriculum with hands-on interdisciplinary healthcare exposure from early in the programme.
- Students able to confirm exact deadline, application-fee and accommodation-cost details directly with the university given some figures were not machine-extractable from official documents.

## Campus and city

International students join the MBChB cohort across MUST's Kihumuro Main Campus and City Campus in Mbarara, with an International Relations Office supporting pre-arrival guidance, visa/student-pass steps and accommodation options.

Mbarara is a regional city in southwestern Uganda, home to MUST's campuses and a growing international-student community, with typical off-campus rents notably lower than East Africa's larger capital cities.

The five-year MBChB programme runs preclinical basic sciences in Years 1-2 (anatomy, histology, physiology, biochemistry, microbiology, pharmacology), transitions through pathology and clinical-methods modules, and moves into full clinical training in Years 4-5 (emergency medicine, surgery, family medicine, psychiatry, and specialty rotations), integrated throughout with MUST's Community Based Education, Research and Services (COBERS) model, in which students engage directly in interdisciplinary community healthcare delivery as part of the standard curriculum.


## Hostel, food and safety

On-campus residence accommodation is available at both MUST campuses on a first-come, first-served basis, though no specific rate is published; short-stay Expatriate Quarters are available at USD 5/night for occasional or elective visitors. Typical off-campus rents in Mbarara range from roughly USD 82-125/month for a 1-bedroom apartment to USD 191-246/month for a 2-bedroom apartment in the city centre, per the university's own International Office cost guide.

An average campus meal costs roughly USD 1-2 per the university's own cost-of-living guide; no separate university-run meal-plan cost is published.

No university-published campus-safety statistics were found during research.

International applicants apply through MUST's own online portal, pay application fees via international wire transfer to a Uganda Revenue Authority account, and are supported by a dedicated International Relations Office with a published pre-arrival guide.


## Frequently asked questions

### Is the MBChB programme direct-entry after high school?

Yes. Direct entry requires two principal passes in Biology and Chemistry plus at least a subsidiary pass in Physics or Mathematics at the secondary-school (A-Level or equivalent) stage; no prior university degree is required, and no entrance exam applies to this standard route.

### What qualification is awarded on graduation?

Graduates receive the Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) degree after five years of study.

### How are foreign secondary-school qualifications evaluated?

Foreign qualifications equivalent to Uganda's UCE/UACE certificates are equated through the Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB); no Indian-curriculum-specific conversion table is published, so applicants should confirm the equating process directly with the university.

### What is the current tuition fee?

The official programme page publishes a dual fee schedule: international students pay double the domestic rate, working out to roughly USD 1,700-1,750/year combined tuition and functional fees at recent exchange rates -- notably lower than many other MBBS-abroad destinations, so confirm this figure directly with MUST admissions before committing.

### Is there a written entrance exam?

No. The WHO World Directory of Medical Schools confirms no entrance exam is required for the standard direct-entry MBChB route (a separate entrance exam applies only to the university's alternative Diploma-Entry pathway).

### When does the academic year start and when can I apply?

The intake is in August. MUST's official 2026/27 admissions announcement confirms this cycle is active, though an exact day-level application deadline could not be confirmed from the available official documents -- confirm directly with the university.

### Is university accommodation available?

On-campus residence accommodation is available at both MUST campuses on a first-come, first-served basis, though no specific rate is published; short-stay Expatriate Quarters are available at USD 5/night. Off-campus 1-bedroom apartments in Mbarara typically run USD 82-125/month.

### Do Indian students need NEET to join this programme?

The university's own admissions criteria do not reference NEET. Separately, India's National Medical Commission requires Indian citizens who obtain a primary medical qualification abroad to have qualified NEET-UG and, on return, to clear its Foreign Medical Graduate licensure pathway; this general framework was not independently verified against an NMC source for this specific programme.


## Sources

- [World Directory of Medical Schools -- Mbarara University listing](https://search.wdoms.org/home/SchoolDetail/F0000068) (checked 2026-07-25)
- [Uganda Medical and Dental Practitioners Council -- approved medical schools](https://www.umdpc.go.ug/) (checked 2026-07-25)
- [Mbarara University -- official MBChB programme page](https://www.must.ac.ug/programme/bachelor-of-medicine-and-bachelor-of-surgery/) (checked 2026-07-25)
- [Mbarara University -- International Office pre-arrival guide](https://www.must.ac.ug/university_unit/international-office/) (checked 2026-07-25)
- [Mbarara University -- call for direct entry undergraduate applications 2026-2027](https://www.must.ac.ug/announcement/call-for-direct-entry-undergraduate-applications-2026-2027/) (checked 2026-07-25)
- [Mbarara University -- Faculty of Medicine / Community Based Education](https://www.must.ac.ug/university_unit/faculty-of-medicine/) (checked 2026-07-25)

## Free counselling

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