College of Science Basic Information

The College of Science of Bahir Dar University (BDU) is located at southeast of the Bahir Dar city within the main campus of the university along with other colleges, faculties and academies. It is located three kilometers southeast of the center of the city and Lake Tana. The college is bounded by the Blue Nile River in the east and surrounded by dense trees with suitable weather condition and aesthetic view.

The college has evolved as a national teaching and research wing of BDU in October 2008. Formerly, the Departments such as Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics were under the umbrella of the Education Faculty which was established in 1972 with the objective of training primary school teachers. Later, in 1996 these diplomas offering Science Departments were further upgraded to degree level and have been training teachers for secondary schools in BEd (Bachelor of Education) degree. Based on the national transformation and growth plan of the country, the Science Departments that were under the Faculty of Education are separated and organized as a College of Science in 2008. To accomplish its mission, currently the College offers seven undergraduate B.Sc. Programs in Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, Industrial Chemistry, Statistics and MSE. And several Master Programs in various streams in Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, Industrial Chemistry, Statistics, MSE Departments. Furthermore, the college currently is offering PhD study in five departments’ viz. Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics and Statistics with different specialization. In addition to these the college is recently running BEd programs in four departments (Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Mathematics) since 2017, after BDU getting recognition of excellence in education together with Hawassa, Jimma and Mekele university in the country level.

In summer, to satisfy the needs for upgrading in-service trainers in government program and to create chance of learning for individuals in private, the college has been providing both undergraduate and master degree in different specialization in four departments (Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Mathematics).

In general, currently the college is running 52 academic programs in regular and summer of which 15 are PhD, 26 are MSc and 11 are undergraduate programs. Besides, the College has planned to expand its undergraduate and postgraduate programs in the near future, based on the demands of the country to produce qualified manpower. In this regard, the PhD curriculum in Entomology from Biology Department and PhD in (Organic, Inorganic and Physical) Chemistry from Chemistry Department and BSc curriculum in Data Science from Statistics Department are underway to launch soon. 

The college has a total of 157 teaching staff on duty of which 97 have PhD degree, 57 MSc and 3 BSc degrees. Among 157 teaching staff with their academic status 4 Full professors, 33 Associate professors, 66 Assistant professors, 51 Lecturers and 3 Graduate assistants. Moreover, it has 37 teaching staff on study leave; 32 for PhD, 2 for MSc degrees and 3 for postdoctoral research. There are also 28 laboratory technical assistants 18 of them having MSc degree in their fields, and 252 administrative staff. 

There are total of 1727 students of which 1083 undergraduates, 490 graduate (MSc) and 111 doctoral degree students coming from different parts of the country attending their study in regular, summer, and distance programs in the college.

The college is thus acting as a live national/international museum where different languages, views and understandings are aired, discussed and appreciated. In addition to teaching, the college teaching staffs are actively involving in different research, consultancy and community service activities addressing social, environmental and natural resource management issues. Taking the last three successive years’ data in to account, more than 67 research projects and 30 community service projects have been carried out successfully. Furthermore, 631 research works have been published in peer reviewed national and international journals. Currently, new mega project proposals and Community service proposals are undergoing for 2022/23. 

In general, the college is working to maintain an academic atmosphere conducive to excellence in teaching, research and community service activities. In addition, the college enforces high standards of performance to faculty and students in order to achieve the vision of the university in particular and the country in general.