Best 6 Professional Schools and Universities to Study Fisheries Sciences, Maritime Sciences and Ocean sciences in Cameroon

Choosing a good school is the desire of every aspiring student. Making a good choice from a handful of schools offering similar programmes in a particular subject field is another challenging issue. For the choice made doesn’t just end in the classroom, but will go a long way to influence the student’s professional career. Thus, choosing a good higher institution in Cameroon will equally entail a good mastery of the various higher institutions available.

To choose the best school of fisheries science, maritime science or ocean sciences in Cameroon, you will do yourself a lot of good and save much of your time and resources if you keenly choose the right school from the list of available fisheries schools in Cameroon.  Below is a list of the best fisheries colleges in Cameroon carefully chosen by our team of experts, technicians and students, on the basis of overall assessments made on major academic, geographical and infrastructural criteria.

1. Institute of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences (ISH)

The Institute of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences (ISH) is one of the best colleges offering training in fisheries science in Cameroon as well as in the CEMAC region. ISH is under the tutorship of the University of Douala.

Campuses of the Institute of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences (ISH)

ISH’s two main campuses are located in Yabassi, Nkam division, Littoral region of Cameroon.

Programmes offered by ISH

ISH offers seven fisheries specialities at both the Bachelor’s and Master’s levels in fisheries and aquatic sciences, with the sixth being a recently introduced agronomy speciality.

1. 1. Aquaculture
   2. Fisheries Management
   3. Aquatic Ecosystems Management
   4. Oceanography and Limnology
   5. Processing and Quality Control of Fisheries Products
   6. Agronomy
   7. Department of Basic Sciences

Entry criteria into ISH Yabassi

Students wishing to study at ISH in Yabassi have to write a competitive entrance examination launched yearly by the Ministry of Higher Education (MINESUP). Four competitive entrance examinations are launched every year into various training levels namely:

1. Year one;
2. Year three
3. year four
4. Regional Masters

Certificate issued upon completing training at ISH Yabassi

 Upon completing the undergraduate or postgraduate programme, students are issued a Bachelor’s of Engineering Degree or Master’s of Engineering in Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences respectively, in the student’s speciality.

For more information about ISH in Yabassi, visit their affiliated websites below

ISH     University of DSCHANG     MINESUP

 

 

2. Faculty of Agronomy and Agricultural Sciences (FASA)

 

 

 

 

 

Faculty of Agronomy and Agricultural Sciences (FASA) of the University of Dschang is one of the technical faculties of the University of Dschang that offers undergraduate and post-graduate programmes in Agronomy and Agricultural Sciences.

Departments and Campuses of FASA in Dschang

The faculty comprises a dozen of departments with lectures being given in four campuses according to the departments. These campuses include :

1. the main campus, located in Dschang, in Cameroon’s West region ( departments include: Animal production; Plant production; Soil Sciences, Agriculture; etc.)  ;
2. the Bafia annex campus ( departments include: Crop Production; Animal Production; Rural economics and Sociology; etc.) ;
3. the Ebolowa annexe campus ( departments include: Aquaculture and Management of Aquatic Resources; Wood, Water and the Environment; Portable Water and Hygiene, Wood processing; etc.) ;
4. the Yaounde annex campus ( departments include: Environment and Conservatory measures; Development and Management of Natural Resources; Quality Control and Standards for Agricultural and Food Products)

Amongst its Departments at the  Ebolowa annexe campus is the Department of Aquaculture and Management of Fisheries Resources, which is our focus in this article. It offers undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in fisheries science, and aspiring undergraduate fisheries students can enrol.

Entry criteria into FASA in Dschang

Students wishing to study in FASA Dschang have to write a competitive entrance examination launched yearly by the Ministry of Higher Education (MINESUP), into the undergraduate (year 1) and Master’s (year 4) cycles.

1. Undergraduate cycle: The undergraduate competitive entrance examination into FASA is open to holders of at least a GCE A Level, ‘Baccalaureat’, or an equivalent certificate.
2. Master’s cycle: 
3. The undergraduate competitive entrance examination into FASA is open to holders of at least a Bachelor of Science degree.

The application form can be filled out and downloaded on FASA’s online application platform:

Visit FASA’s online application platform

Certificate issued upon completing training at FASA

 Upon completing the undergraduate or postgraduate programme, students are issued a Bachelor’s Degree or Master’s Degree respectively, in the student’s specialty.

 

For more information, visit their affiliated websites below

FASA     University of DSCHANG     MINESUP

3. Faculty of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine of the University of Buea

 

 

 

University of Buea (UB) is located in Molyko, Buea, in the Southwest region of Cameroon. Founded as a university centre in 1985, it became a full-fledged university in 1992, following a government decree that re-organised state universities in the country.

Of the 11 state universities, it is generally regarded as the best university in the country, and one of the two English-speaking universities in Cameroon, alongside the University of Bamenda, The University of Buea is organised into several faculties, offering undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate programmes in various fields of study, which offer advanced degrees in various disciplines.

Fisheries courses are currently being offered at UB’s Faculty of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine. Below is a table, which breaks down the admission modalities, course details, and programme duration of the Fisheries and Aquaculture discipline:

Criteria	First-year	Second year
Admission	Through a competitive entrance examination	Through a competitive entrance examination
Minimum academic qualification	General Certificate of Education Ordinary Level in at least five subjects including English Language, Mathematics, Biology and Chemistry; and General Certificate of Education Advanced Level in at least two subjects which must include two of the following Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics and Food Science, or Baccalaureat C or D; Any other certificates recognised as equivalent by the Ministry of Higher Education;	Agricultural Technician; High National Diploma (HND) in the Field of Agropastoral and Rural Production; Any other certificates recognised as equivalent by the Ministry of Higher Education
Candidate gender	open to males and females	open to both males and females
Candidate nationality	Cameroonians and to foreign candidates resident in Cameroon	Cameroonians and to foreign candidates resident in Cameroon
Number of candidates often admitted	30	20 – 30
Entrance examination centres	Buea, Bamenda, Douala and Yaounde. The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Buea ultimately indicates the exam venue and writing modalities when the writing date is near.	Buea, Bamenda, Douala and Yaounde
Identification Documents	National identity card	National identity card
Nature of examination papers	Biology (3 hours) ; Chemistry (3 hours)/.	Technical test (Crop Production or Animal Production) (3 hours); General knowledge test in Agriculture (3 hours).
Annual tuition fee	1.    Cameroonians pay an annual tuition fee of 50k; 2.    Candidates outside the CEMAC zone will pay an annual tuition fee of 1,000,000 (One million) CFA francs.
Official website	www.ubuea.cm
Programmes offered	Undergraduate and graduate programmes in fisheries and aquaculture
Programme duration	Four years for a Bachelor’s degree, two-years graduate programme.
Teaching language	Mainly Anglo-Saxon

 

4. National Advanced School of Maritime and Ocean Science and Technology (NASMOST)

 

 

One of the newest multi-discipline government maritime and ocean science and technology training schools in Cameroon is NASMOST . It was created by Decree No. 2022/009 of 6 January 2022, shortly after the creation of Cameroon’s University of Ebolowa (Ueb). NASMOST is under the supervision of the Ueb, managed by a director (currently Prof. Achille NJOMOUE PANDONG), and is located in the coastal town of Kribi, South Region, Cameroon. This very new prestigious maritime school has been running about nine sub-specialties under maritime and ocean science and technology since its creation. Some of which include maritime navigation, marine energy engineering, marine mechanical engineering, maritime and port management, naval architecture and construction, etc.

Procedure for admission into NASMOST

Began to operate recently in 2022, NASMOST has seen hundreds of Cameroonians and foreigners flooding into its admission office to get admitted into its maritime specialties. Due to this mammoth crowd of candidates which exceeds its space and facility capacity, resorting to a competitive entrance examination (just like most state professional schools in Cameroon) is inevitable, as a means to shortlist some candidates. This is reflected in its 2023 entrance exam result provisional list. The written exam is done in four writing centres namely Douala, Yaounde, Kribi and Ebolowa. The provisional list contained the names of successful candidates per writing centre with Douala having more than 214 candidates, 618 for Yaounde, 297 for Ebolowa, and 773 for Kribi.

The exam date varies from year to year and is set through an order signed by the minister of higher education, slating the academic calendar for all state universities in Cameroon. This order is often made public in April. In Cameroon, the launch of competitive entrance exams and admission procedures into all state universities and professional schools only begin after this minister’s order was released. The admission procedure is detailed on NASMOST’s official website registration page.

To date, NASMOST it is the only higher education establishment in Cameroon to provide training for engineers and senior managers in maritime and para-maritime professions. NASMOST will be a good choice for those candidates aspiring to be trained in maritime and ocean science and technology. Below is a tabular summary of NASMOST essentials for undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in maritime and ocean science.

 

Criteria	Info
Admission	Through a competitive entrance exam
Minimum academic qualification required	According to the launching communique, the following minimum certificates are required. For Maritime and Oceanographic Sciences: General Certificate of Education Advanced Level (GCE A/L) in Sciences and Technology, or Baccalaureat C, D, E, F, BT, IT; For Sciences of Maritime and Port Management (SMPM): * All types of Baccalaureate; * All GCE AL in three papers, excluding Religious studies
Candidate gender	open to males and females
Candidate nationality	Cameroonians and foreign candidates resident in Cameroon who their government has endorsed for this training programme.
Number of candidates often admitted	Sciences of Maritime and Port Management (SMPM): 150 candidates; Maritime and Oceanographic Sciences: 150 candidates; Total:300 candidates.
Entrance examination centres	Douala, Yaounde, Kribi and Ebolowa. An annual Order from the Minister of Higher Education ultimately indicates the exam venue and writing modalities when the writing date is near.
Identification Documents	National identity card
Nature of examination	Written questions shall be set on Lower and Upper Sixth science subjects for Anglophones and Première and Terminale for francophone candidates. There is usually no oral exam session.
Exam subjects	Three (03) written papers acounting for 75%; School marks counting for 25%: this school mark is determined based on the candidate’s age, his academic performance and the number of years spent to obtain the required certificate. MOST ( Mathematics, general knowledge and bilingualism, physics) ; SMPM ( Mathematics, general knowledge, and French and English) ;
Annual tuition fee	1.    Cameroonians pay an annual tuition fee of 50k; 2.    Candidates outside the CEMAC zone may likely pay an annual tuition fee of about 1,000,000 (One million) CFA francs.
Official website	www.enstmo-ueb.cm
Programmes offered	Undergraduate and graduate programmes in nine sub-specialties of maritime and ocean science and technology
Programme duration	Entering into the first year will take three years for a Bachelor’s of Engineering (Ingenieur des travaux in French) degree and five years for a Master’s of Engineering (Ingenieur de conception in French) graduate programme.
Teaching language	Greatly Franco-Saxon

 

 

5. Limbe Nautical Arts And Fisheries Institute (LINAFI)

 

LINAFI is a fisheries and maritime institute created by presidential decree No. 2015/374 of 12 August 2015 under the tutorship of Cameroon’s Ministry of Higher Education and Ministry of Livestock, Fisheries and Animal Industries.

Programmes and Campuses of LINAFI

Campuses of LINAFI

LINAFI’s main campus is located in Limbe, Fako division, Cameroon’s South-west region

Programmes offered by LINAFI

LINAFI offers a two-year undergraduate programme in four specialties :

DEPARTMENTS	SPECIALTIES	Number of students often admitted
Industrial Fishing	Fishing-Navigation And Vessel Equipment	25
Marine Engineering	Maintenance Of Ships, Nautical And Industrial Equipment	25
Aquaculture	Aquaculture	25
Fisheries Technology	Industrial Fishing And Quality Control	25

 

Entry criteria into LINAFI

Students wishing to study in LINAFI, in Limbe, have to write a competitive entrance examination launched yearly by the Ministry of Higher Education (MINESUP). The competitive entrance examination is opened to Cameroonians of both sexes who are holders of the following certificates: GCE Advanced Level in at least two (2) papers in sciences; Baccalauréat C, D, L, F;  an HND in sciences or any other equivalent certificates recognised by the Ministry of Higher Education. 

Age limit for LINAFI’s entrance exam

One added advantage with LINAFI is that candidates awaiting results are eligible to apply for the entrance examination, with candidates’ age between  18 and 35 years for Industrial Fishing and Marine Engineering,  18 and 40 years for Aquaculture and Fisheries Technology

Certificate issued upon completing training at LINAFI

 Upon completing the training, students are issued a University Technology Diploma as they coin, an equivalent to Higher National Diploma, in the students specialty.

For more information, visit their affiliated websites below

LINAFI      MINEPIA     MINESUP

 

6. National Zootechnical and Veterinary Training Centres (CNFZVH)

National Zootechnical, Veterinary and Fisheries Training Centres (CNFZV) are the 3 undergraduate vocational training centres placed under the tutorship of Cameroon’s Ministry of  Livestock, Fisheries and Animal Industries.

Programmes and Campuses of the National Zootechnical, Veterinary and Fisheries Training Centres (CNFZVH)

Campuses

These centres give lectures at three main campuses namely:

1. The Maroua Campus: located in Maroua, capital of the Cameroon’s North region;
2. The Jakiri Campus: located in Jakiri, in Cameroon’s North-west region;
3. The Foumban Campus: located in Foumban, in Cameroon’s West region.

Programmes

These National Zootechnical, Veterinary and Fisheries Training Centres currently offer fisheries programmes under three cycles:

Cycle I (at least GCE O level)

1. Veterinary Assistant Nurse;
2. Livestock Assistant Technician;
3. Aquaculture Assistant Technician.

Cycle II (at least A-Level + 2 papers in GCE O level excluding Religious studies)

1. Veterinary Nurse;
2. Livestock Technician;
3. Aquaculture Technician;
4. Fisheries Technician.

Cycle III (at least G.C.E A- Level)

Agro-pastoral Counselling (CAP) (lectures for this programme are given at the National Zootechnical, Veterinary and Fisheries Training Centres of Maroua and Jakiri);

Agro-pastoral Entrepreneurship (EAP) (lectures for this programme are given at the National Zootechnical and Veterinary Training Centre of Foumban.)

For more information on the National Zootechnical, Veterinary and Fisheries Training Centres, visit their affiliated websites below

CFZVH  University of DSCHANG     MINESUP