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Universities in Grenada

Universities in Grenada by City:

Grenada

About universities in Grenada

Grenada is a small country of three islands, Grenada, Carriacou and Petit Martinique, which together comprise a geographic area of 133 square miles.  The country has experienced economic dependency from imperialism to post-colonialism, a factor that, with the reliance on the limitations of tourism and agriculture, has historically created a hierarchy of privileged and underprivileged citizens.  This uneven distribution of wealth and privilege has heavily influenced the rate of progress towards democratizing higher education over the years, but the system of higher education in general has expanded considerably over the last several decades, affording access to an unprecedented number of students.  Today Grenada has a population of just over 100,000 and a literacy rate of 95 percent—a testament to their excellent system of education.
 
Higher education in Grenada has evolved gradually over the years.  During colonial rule, or from the years 1932-1951, only the highest achieving students had access to higher education, and in it came in the form of Island Scholarships, which allowed students to study overseas at British universities.  In the years that followed there was an increasing demand for primary and secondary education among the Grenadian people, and because of this, teacher training became the primary focus of higher education institutions in the country.  Today there are three institutions of higher learning on the islands, two universities and one community college, with the latter providing most of the vocational education.
 
Higher Education in Grenada
 
The junior college in Grenada is a community based institution, which offers full and part-time programs leading to four-year Bachelor degrees and two-year Associates degrees, along with certificates and diplomas.  It provides courses in professional, vocational and occupational fields:  applied arts, advanced secondary, technical and vocational, along with teacher training.  The college contains two schools:  School of Applied Technology and School of Arts, Science and Professional Studies.  It also conducts outreach programs and is structured with a college council as the governing body.
 
Of the two universities in Grenada, one is public—a type of community-based institution—and the other is private.  Once modeled after the old British system of education, the universities in Grenada now offer a credit and degree structure that is similar to the new structure that has been implemented in universities throughout the European Union.  University students can now pursue a three-year or four-year Bachelor degree, followed by a two-year Master’s Degree, in a wide array of academic and professional fields.  Graduate or PhD programs, which are offered at both universities in a select number of academic disciplines, are also available for high-achieving students. 
 
Advanced studies, leading to degrees in Medicine, Pharmacy and Veterinary Medicine, are offered at Grenada’s private university only.  As an international facility, this university conducts its four-year programs in over 50 affiliated hospitals and clinics in the United States and the United Kingdom.  It also features two teaching hospitals in the Caribbean, one in Grenada and the other in St. Vincent.
 
Admission into any of the institutions of higher learning in Grenada requires a high school diploma from an accredited secondary school.  Additionally, some programs at the university level also conduct entrance exams prior to admittance.