The University of Livingstonia (UNILIA) has announced that holders of ABMA diplomas in public health who wish to upgrade to a Bachelor’s degree in public health will start from the first year.
According to UNILIA’s September 2026 undergraduate admission advert, applicants with ABMA diplomas in Public Health will be enrolled in Year 1 of the Bachelor of Science in Public Health programme.
The decision means ABMA Public Health diploma holders seeking to further their studies at UNILIA will not receive advanced placement and will have to begin the degree programme from the first year.
Speaking with one of the ABMA Public Health diploma holders, whose name has been withheld, the individual expressed disappointment with the requirement, saying starting from the first year would be costly.
“Better use that money to start a business than go back to first year,” the diploma holder said.
The individual questioned the financial implications of restarting a degree programme, saying the requirement is discouraging for diploma holders hoping to upgrade their qualifications.
UNILIA has not indicated the reasons behind the placement arrangement in its admission notice.
The university is currently inviting applications for its September 2026 intake across degree, diploma, and certificate programmes offered at its Livingstonia, Ekwendeni, and Kaning’ina campuses.
