The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) has withdrawn the accreditation of two postgraduate programmes run by the University of Cape Coast (UCC), the Master of Science (MSc) in Customs Administration and the Master of Philosophy (M.Phil.) in Customs Administration effective immediately.

The decision, announced in a letter dated October 6, 2025, and signed by Prof. Ahmed Jinapor Abdulai, Director-General of GTEC, was addressed to the Acting Vice Chancellor of UCC. The Commission said the University had violated accreditation conditions by changing the approved mode of delivery for the programmes without authorisation.

According to GTEC, both the MSc and M.Phil. programmes were accredited to be conducted in-person and on a regular basis. However, UCC had independently begun offering the courses in sandwich and fully online formats without first seeking the Commission’s approval.

“The decision is informed by the fact that accreditation for these programmes was granted to be taught in regular and in-person mode. However, the University of Cape Coast, without recourse to GTEC, has commenced delivering these programmes as sandwich and 100% online,” the Commission’s letter stated.

GTEC clarified that the University may reapply for accreditation if it intends to continue running the programmes through the alternative delivery methods.

In addition, the Commission copied the Commissioner of Customs of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) to notify that certificates issued under the de-accredited programmes will not be recognised.

GTEC has further directed the University to cancel all admissions made under the affected programmes and to submit proof of compliance by October 31, 2025.

The withdrawal underscores GTEC’s ongoing efforts to enforce academic quality assurance and ensure that all tertiary institutions in Ghana adhere strictly to approved instructional standards and accreditation requirements.