Doctor of Business Administration, PhD issued by Swiss Management Centre and Universidad Central de Nicaragua not recognised — GTEC
The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) has announced that it does not recognise Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) certificates issued by the Swiss Management Centre (SMC) University in Switzerland.
The Commission has also ruled that the Top-up Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree awarded by Universidad Central de Nicaragua (UCN) is not valid for academic or professional purposes in Ghana.
In a public notice dated October 21, 2025, and signed by GTEC’s Director-General, Professor Ahmed Jinapor Abdulai, the Commission stated that this directive supersedes all previous communications issued by both the former National Accreditation Board (NAB) and GTEC regarding these qualifications.
The clarification follows the Commission’s publication of a list of 50 foreign tertiary institutions whose operations and qualifications are not recognised in Ghana due to accreditation and quality assurance violations. GTEC has cautioned heads of tertiary institutions, employers, and the general public against accepting academic credentials from such unaccredited institutions.
According to the statement, GTEC received numerous inquiries after releasing the list, prompting it to reaffirm its position on the DBA degrees from SMC University and the Top-up PhDs from UCN. The Commission reiterated that these qualifications do not meet the standards required for recognition within Ghana’s tertiary education framework.
GTEC further emphasised that its action is part of a broader effort to protect the integrity of Ghana’s higher education system and ensure that only qualifications from accredited institutions are accepted for academic or professional use in the country.
Read full notice below:
NON-RECOGNITION OF DOCTOR OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION (DBA) FROM SWISS MANAGEMENT CENTRE (SMC) UNIVERSITY AND DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY (PHD) FROM UNIVERSIDAD CENTRAL DE NICARAGUA (UCN)
Further to our letter dated 20th October 2025, concerning the non-recognition of certain tertiary education institutions by the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), the Commission has received numerous enquiries regarding the recognition status of the following qualifications:
- Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) awarded by Swiss Management Centre (SMC)
University; and
- Top-up Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) awarded by Universidad Central de Nicaragua (UCN).
The Commission wishes to inform all Heads of Tertiary Institutions that it does not recognize the following qualifications:
- The Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) awarded by Swiss Management Centre (SMC) University; and
- The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) jointly awarded by Universidad Central de Nicaragua (UCN) and Swiss Management Centre (SMC) University.
Accordingly, any such qualifications obtained from the above-mentioned institutions are not recognized by the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission for academic or professional purposes.