Fourah Bay College offers a range of innovative undergraduate and graduate programs tailored to meet the needs of today's students. Our Continuous General Civil Engineering program leads to a Bachelor of Engineering (B. Eng.) degree, paving the way for professional recognition and the opportunity to pursue a Master of Engineering (M. Eng.) degree.
In addition to engineering, we focus on critical areas such as Water and Sanitation. Our research assesses the role of NGOs in providing essential water and sanitation facilities for rural communities in Sierra Leone. This program, titled 'Water for Survival,' emphasizes practical solutions to pressing local challenges.
Our Arts Department is committed to fostering creativity and cultural expression. We are in the process of establishing a comprehensive Theater Arts Program, which aims to enrich the artistic landscape of our campus and the wider community. Our strategic planning includes initiatives to enhance aesthetic activities and ensure a vibrant cultural presence at Fourah Bay College.
Join us at Fourah Bay College, where academic excellence meets a supportive campus environment, preparing you for a successful future.
How Engineering, Water Research and the Arts Fit Together
The programmes described above can look unrelated at first: civil engineering, rural water and sanitation, and theatre. In practice they share a common thread. Each asks how ideas, designs and services can be made appealing and usable for the people they are meant to serve. A well-built borehole that a village does not trust or maintain will fall out of use. A public health message that nobody remembers will not change habits. This is where the idea of an "attractive" technology becomes practical: it is something people want to adopt, understand and keep using.
Design that people choose to use
For engineering students, this means thinking beyond structural calculations. Roads, drainage channels, latrines and water points in Sierra Leone have to cope with heavy rainy-season flooding, limited maintenance budgets and varied terrain. Designs that rely on locally available materials and skills tend to last longer than imported solutions that need specialist parts. Students who study water supply alongside community needs learn to ask simple but important questions: Who will repair this? Who controls access? Is it safe and convenient for women and children, who often carry most of the water?
Why community voices matter
Research into the role of NGOs in rural water provision often shows that projects succeed when communities are involved from the start, through committees, user fees agreed locally or training of local caretakers. Field work of this kind teaches skills that are useful in any career: interviewing, careful observation, recording data honestly and reporting findings clearly.
The arts as a bridge
Theatre has a long history in West Africa as a way of sharing information and discussing social issues. Drama, song and storytelling can explain hygiene practices or encourage care of shared facilities in a way that leaflets cannot. A growing Theatre Arts programme can therefore support, rather than compete with, technical study, giving engineers and researchers new ways to communicate with the public.
If you are weighing up these options, compare course structures on our Programs page and review entry requirements under Admissions. Always confirm current details directly with the college before applying.
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