Study in Djibouti

The Université de Djibouti (UD) is the dominant national provider, with more than 11,000 students, about 35 fields and seven teaching components. Its structures include faculties for law, economics and management, letters and humanities, sciences, medicine and engineering, as well as technology institutes. The Institute for Health Sciences (ISSS) provides higher education in health fields. The Centre d’Études et de Recherche de Djibouti (CERD) is a research institution and does not function as a general degree provider. The Ministry responsible for higher education and research (MENSUR) oversees policy, access, quality, scholarships, equivalence decisions and public and private provision. The private sector is established but smaller. UNESCO’s 2025 profile reported about four private providers and about 1,000 students, roughly 10% of the national higher-education population, with many programmes in management, commerce, finance and services. An authorisation to open an institution does not by itself give a programme the right to award a university or State-recognised diploma. Only an accredited filière can issue a State-recognised diploma; a non-accredited filière may issue an institutional certificate. The institution must display the accredited filière, its duration and the expiry of its accreditation, and accreditation can later be withdrawn. First-cycle admission normally requires the Baccalauréat général or technologique, and exceptionally a Baccalauréat professionnel. A programme may additionally require a particular diploma, grade or distinction, application date, prior knowledge, test or competitive examination. UD publishes its criteria and calendar before the academic year. The latest located official notice for 2025/26 set pre-registration from 25 May to 3 July 2025 through eCampus, using the Baccalauréat number and lycée matricule. Current admission dates and fee schedules should be checked in the latest institutional or ministry notice because 2026 dates were not established in the reviewed material. The Faculty of Engineering selects candidates through a competitive examination, generally among strong scientific Baccalauréat holders, followed by a first-year preparatory period. The Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) also uses an annual competitive examination. Foreign applicants receive an individual review, while exchange or convention applicants may receive priority subject to available places. The DUT lasts two years and four semesters and corresponds to 120 ECTS credits. It can lead to employment or to a professional or applied Licence. A general, professional or applied Licence normally takes three years after the Baccalauréat, six semesters and 180 credits. A Master adds two years and 120 credits, usually reaching Bac+5, and can lead to employment or doctoral study. A Doctorat normally takes three to four years after a Master or equivalent and involves an École doctorale, review by the CSADRI and authorisation by the President of the university. The main fields include languages and culture, communication, legal and economic sciences, humanities, sciences, technology and health. Medicine takes seven years and normally requires a scientific Baccalauréat. The programme combines lectures, tutorials, practical work and placements, followed by cycle examinations, clinical examinations, an internat and a thesis. Engineering study at the Faculté d’Ingénieurs lasts five years, with three years of preparation and two years of specialisation; after the first preparatory year, teaching is conducted entirely in English. The current official page lists Civil Engineering and Electrical Engineering. French and Arabic form the official language framework for programmes, but the teaching language depends on the programme. A doctoral thesis is written in an official language or another language accepted by the École doctorale. Students validate teaching units and semesters under the applicable study regulations. If a teaching unit is not validated and the annual average remains below 10/20 after two semesters, a resit opportunity applies under those rules. Attendance may be compulsory in a particular component, and an absence that requires justification must generally be explained within 48 hours. Examinations can include semester or final examinations and continuous assessment. Students elect delegates and can submit requests or proposals through departments, deans and the university President. Foreign student files follow an equal-treatment principle. Disciplinary proceedings must be adversarial: the student can access the file seven days before the hearing and submit a defence, while notification of the sanction should occur within a maximum of ten days. Fraud, violence and falsification are disciplinary offences. Students must meet enrolment deadlines, follow attendance and absence rules, acknowledge internal regulations, respect academic integrity and comply with research ethics and data requirements. Doctoral students also undergo annual progress and renewal reviews. The reviewed material did not establish a current public UD fee schedule. The UD Conseil d’administration gives an opinion on fees, while doctoral registration fees are set by ministerial order. UNESCO’s 2025 profile reported private higher-education costs of about USD 1,500 per year. The latest located scholarship rule provided 75,000 FDJ per month for Djiboutian students enrolled at UD and a 50,000 FDJ equipment allowance; these amounts and eligibility conditions require annual verification. MENSUR is the sole authority for equivalence and recognition of higher-education diplomas. A recognition file can require the diploma, transcripts, yearly success records, internships, thesis or research documents and proof of lawful stay. Documents not in French or Arabic require a complete translation into French or Arabic, and originals are required. A review request after rejection must be submitted within 30 days, and the superior commission has up to 60 days to decide. A Licence can lead to a Master or employment, a Master can lead to work or a doctoral thesis, and a DUT can lead to employment or a professional or applied Licence. A foreign diploma generally needs MENSUR equivalence before it can be used for regulated work or public-service purposes. The LMD structure is intended to support international recognition and mobility, but UNESCO’s 2025 profile did not report a formally adopted national qualifications framework. Comparisons should therefore rely on the exact diploma, credits, institution, accreditation status and any applicable recognition decision.