Study programmes at UPNG

 THE University of Papua New Guinea is prominently located in the heart of Port Moresby, the nation’s capital.

The university’s central administration and four of the five schools (business administration, humanities and social sciences, law and natural and physical sciences) are situated at Waigani.

The School of Medicine and  Health Sciences is at the Taurama Campus adjacent to the Port Moresby General Hospital and is about 7km from Waigani.

UPNG operates an Open College, providing focus for the distance education programmes.

The six national Open Campuses are located at Buka, Kokopo, Madang, Mt Hagen and Port Moresby.

The first international campus was opened in Honiara in the Solomon Islands in 2009.

There are 10 provincial centres located in Enga, Manus, Milne Bay, New Ireland, Chimbu, West New Britain, Morobe, Northern, East Sepik and the Southern Highlands.

In 2011, a new centre was established in Western.

An increasing number of franchise study centres have been set up in other tertiary institutions and mining companies.

UPNG has a 19-hectare multi-disciplinary marine research station on Motupore, an island off Port Moresby.

Major programmes offered

UPNG offers programmes of study which provide for courses leading to a general degree in humanities and social sciences and natural and physical sciences.

Specialised degrees are offered in law, business and medicine and health sciences. 

Academic reforms now permit a multi-disciplinary approach to tuition giving students unlimited career choices.

One can now choose courses to suit particular needs and interests.

UPNG offers undergraduate and graduate degrees, and diploma and certificate programmes in more than 30 majors in the five schools of study.

These programmes include :

• School of Natural and Physical Sciences: biological sciences, chemistry, earth sciences, environmental science and geography, mathematics, statistics and computing science,  and physics;
• School of Medicine and Health Sciences: medicine, dental surgery, medical imaging science, medical laboratory science, pharmacy, community health, nursing, clinical nursing and anaesthetic science;
• School of Business Administration: accounting, banking and finance, business management, public policy management, strategic management and tourism and hospitality management;
• School of Humanities and Social Sciences: anthropology and sociology, creative arts, english communication and literature, history, gender studies and philosophy, information and communication science, journalism and public relations, linguistics and modern language, political science, psychology and social work;
• School of Law: law and diploma in law (prosecutions).

The degree study programmes at UPNG normally run for four years and a cumulative total of 96 points must be scored to obtain a degree.

Only medicine and health sciences students study for five years because they have to do the qualifying science courses with the School of Natural and Physical Sciences during their first year.

Many of these programmes are offered in the external mode through the open campuses, university centres or accredited to other institutions.

Postgraduate programmes are available at diploma, masters and doctorate levels.

Postgraduate diploma programmes can be completed in one academic year. Course work master’s programme can be completed in one to two years.

Research degrees run for a minimum of two years for masters and three years for doctorates.

Grade Point Average (GPA)

UPNG introduced the grade point average (GPA) system in 2002.

This was primarily to complement the PNG Government’s new scholarship scheme for national students.

But it is appreciated by many others (private fee paying and international students).

The university has developed a new student records system capable of calculating GPAs quicker.

The maximum GPA is 5.0. Students must score a GPA of 1.75 to progress from first year and 2.0 for all other years.

A very pleasing feature of this system has been the increased standard of the new student intake.