Intelligence is the capacity to understand the world, think rationally, and use resources effectively when faced with challenges. (Swanepoel & Britz, 2017) or as Sternberg put it, mental activity directed toward purposive adaptation to, and selection and shaping of, real-world environments relevant to ones life. According to Mayer, Caruso, & Saloveys book ( Haslam, 2007), using the traditional criteria for considering something as an intelligence, the proponents of emotional intelligence (EI) maintain that EI is a form of intelligence since it meets the criteria. This Study explores the relationship between EI and academic performance. Academic performance, according to Narad and Abdullah (as cited in Abaidoos thesis, 2018) is: “the knowledge gained which is assessed by marks, by a teacher and/or educational goals set by the students and teachers to be achieved over a specific period of time.” The study was done with the objectives to determine the level of emotional intelligence, assess the academic performance of these students and then to establish the relationship between the level of emotional intelligence and academic performance of medical students at the University of Lusaka. This was done using a self-administered online questionnaire and a voluntary response sampling technique. The data was then analysed using SPSS program and by calculating the Pearson Product Moment Correlational Coefficient. A total of 387 students registered in the MBChB Program at the University Of Lusaka, responded to the online self-administered questionnaire. However, only 373 respondents submitted a complete questionnaire. Among the 373 respondents, 280 (75.1%) were female who were the highest number of respondents, and only 93 (24.9%) were male. Most of the respondents (69.7%) were of the aged 21-25. Table 5, shows that the maximum EI score was 64, and the minimum EI score was 37. The highest possible score for EI as 75, while the lowest possible score was 15. 82% of the respondents had an above average score for EI. And Majority of students have an average score between 60-70% in any given test. The study also revealed that there is no significant difference between the academic performance of females and males. The study also reflects that the EI scores of students are strongly and positively associated with the academic performance of students this finding is similar to the findings of most of the related literature (Yahaya et. al 2011, Fallazaheh 2011, Chew et. al 2013, Roy 2013).

academic performance

emotional intelligence

university

medical students