College of Agriculture, Veterinary Medicine & Environmental Studies
February 10, 2023 2025-05-04 15:50College of Agriculture, Veterinary Medicine & Environmental Studies
Background
The College of Agriculture, Veterinary Medicine, and Environmental Studies at the University of Hargeisa comprises three major academic streams:
Veterinary Medicine
Agriculture
Environmental Studies
The Faculty of Agriculture and the Faculty of Environmental Studies were both established in 2009, while the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine was launched later in 2012 in response to the growing need for skilled professionals in animal health and livestock development in Somaliland.
The Veterinary Medicine program is a 5-year degree, whereas the Agriculture and Environmental Studies programs are each structured as 4-year undergraduate degrees. These programs are tailored to meet the socio-economic and environmental needs of Somaliland and the wider region.
The curricula for all three faculties were most recently revised and updated in 2025, ensuring alignment with international academic standards and the specific context of a developing country like Somaliland. The programs incorporate modern, laboratory-based courses to ensure students gain hands-on technical skills essential in the fields of animal health, sustainable agriculture, and environmental management.
Why Study at Our College?
Food security, animal health, and environmental sustainability are among the most pressing challenges facing Somaliland and the world today. Our College addresses all three through integrated programs in Agriculture, Veterinary Medicine, and Environmental Studies, preparing graduates to lead in sectors that are critical to national development and regional resilience.
In Somaliland, agriculture and livestock are vital economic pillars—providing food, employment, and revenue through local production and livestock exports. Simultaneously, environmental degradation, climate change, and resource scarcity are growing concerns that require informed, science-based solutions. Our Environmental Studies program equips students to address these challenges by promoting sustainable natural resource management, environmental policy, and conservation practices.
By choosing to study at our College, you will:
Acquire technical and practical skills through modern, lab-based, and field-oriented training.
Gain a deep understanding of sustainable agriculture, animal health, and environmental stewardship.
Be prepared to contribute to food security, public health, and climate resilience.
Learn from experienced faculty committed to the development needs of Somaliland and the Horn of Africa.
Become a change-maker who can lead in government, NGOs, research institutions, or private enterprise.
Whether you aspire to be an agronomist, veterinary doctor, environmental specialist, or policy advisor, our College provides the foundation to build a meaningful and impactful career.
With UoH’s Bachelor of Agriculture, you will gain practical, production-oriented, specialist skills. You will have the paddock-ready skills and knowledge to solve problems and adapt to future challenges as a professional.
With a Bachelor of Agriculture from UoH, you will be well positioned to gain employment across a range of agricultural industries, and fit for the future.
Why study the Bachelor of Agriculture at UoH?
UoH’’s four-year Bachelor of Agriculture will equip you with the sought-after knowledge and practical skillset that agricultural industries need in a rapidly changing world. You will develop a solid understanding of science-based agricultural systems and essential practical skills to manage farm enterprises towards success within the industry.
The Bachelor of Agriculture is designed to produce graduates who through extension, teaching, research, or consultancy will provide technical services in agribusiness, agricultural policy formulation, crop and land management, and environmental protection.
Studying an agriculture-based course at UoH offers you the opportunity to:
- Develop the technical skills and expert knowledge to work in agriculture now and in the future
- Anticipate in an international exchange program or complete a short-term overseas study experience and count it towards your degree.
- Improve people’s health by growing organic crops.
- Complete your course in four years (Part Time) with more 30 major courses.
This 5-years program of veterinary medicine aims at producing qualified and practically competent veterinary doctors to develop livestock industry, public health sector, and biomedical research and improve living standards of the people in Somaliland and the region. Vet doctors will be designed here to perform accurate clinical signs, diagnosis and provide treatment of the common diseases and disorders that occur in the common domestic species. The students will be to become doctors that are also entrepreneurs, technical advisors, veterinary clinical officers and animal surgeons. The program also ensures that the graduates are equipped with the highest ethical and conduct manners.
A candidate graduating from UoH with a degree in Veterinary Medicine is expected to:
- Describe the aetiology, pathogenesis, clinical signs, diagnosis and treatment of the common diseases and disorders that occur in the common domestic species:
- Collect, preserves and transport samples, perform standard laboratory tests, and interpret the results generated in house and laboratories:
- Explain the biological and welfare needs of animals and how management systems meet those needs;
- Integrate and apply the knowledge of anatomy and physiology of the health animal in its normal environment:
- Analyse concepts and principle regarding public health issues and prevent zoonotic diseases:
- Interpret regulations and guidelines:
- Analyse the economic and emotional climate in which the veterinary surgeon operates, and respond appropriately to the influence of such pressures:
- Conduct oneself in a professional and legal responsibilities.
- Prepare to become an expert in animal health and Bio-medical sciences
This 4-year program in Environmental Studies aims to produce environmentally conscious and technically competent graduates who can address the environmental challenges facing Somaliland and the Horn of Africa. The program is designed to equip students with scientific knowledge, practical skills, and ethical values necessary for sustainable environmental management, policy development, research, and community engagement. Graduates will be prepared to work in government agencies, NGOs, environmental consultancy, education, and research institutions to promote ecological health, biodiversity, and climate resilience.
The Environmental Studies program emphasizes the importance of local and global perspectives in environmental issues, with a focus on sustainable development, conservation, climate change mitigation, and environmental justice. The curriculum combines fieldwork, laboratory techniques, GIS and remote sensing, environmental law, and community-based project development.
A candidate graduating from UoH with a degree in Environmental Studies is expected to:
Identify and evaluate key environmental challenges including climate change, deforestation, water scarcity, pollution, and biodiversity loss.
Conduct environmental impact assessments, develop mitigation strategies, and provide policy recommendations.
Apply ecological principles to assess the health of ecosystems and design conservation strategies.
Use tools such as GIS, remote sensing, and statistical analysis to collect, analyze, and interpret environmental data.
Communicate environmental issues effectively to policymakers, stakeholders, and communities.
Understand and apply environmental laws, regulations, and international agreements relevant to Somaliland and the region.
Develop and implement sustainable resource management plans for water, land, and energy systems.
Promote environmental education and engage communities in conservation and sustainability initiatives.
Demonstrate ethical and professional conduct in all aspects of environmental work.
Prepare to become environmental scientists, sustainability advisors, climate change analysts, educators, and researchers.
