FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQS)
1. Who is Eligible for the Master’s Program at UoEm?
The following shall be eligible for registration for aMaster’s degrees atthe University:
a) Aholder of a Bachelor’s degree of the University;
b) Aholder of a Bachelor’s degree or an equivalent qualification from aninstitutions recognized by Senate or the Academic Board.
In addition,a candidate mustmeet therequirements of theSchool, Department and Programmechosen.
2. What is the duration of the Master’s Program?
The Master’s program in all Schools/Institutes shall normally extend fora period of two (2) academic years from the date of registration.
(a)Minimum Duration
A candidate registered for the degree of Master of Science shall carry out a program of original study or research over a minimum period of one (1) academic year after the date of registration or after completion of any required coursework and examination and shall submit a thesis or project based on the study or research done provided that for part-time candidates the minimum period shall be two (2) academic years .
(b)Maximum Duration
No candidate for the degree of Master of Science shall be registered as a full-time student for more than four (4) academic years or as a part-time student for more than five (5) academic years without submitting his thesis, except withpermission from theAcademic Board.
3. Who is Eligible for a PhD Program?
The following shall be eligible to apply for registration for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the University:
a) Aholder of Master’s degree from the University;
b) A holder of a Master’s degree or equivalent academic qualifications of another institution recognized by Senate or the University Academic Board
In addition an applicant must meet the requirements of the School, Department and programme chosen.
4. What is the duration of PhD Programmes?
(a) Minimum Duration
A candidate registered for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy shall carry out a program of original study or research over a minimum period of three (3) academic years after the date of registration or after completion of any required coursework and examination and shall submit a thesis based on the study of research done. Provided that for part-time candidates the minimum period shall be five (5) academic years.
(b) Maximum Duration
No candidate for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy shall be registered as a full-time student for more than five (5) academic years or as a part-time student for more than seven (7) academic years without submitting his/her thesis, except withpermission from theAcademic Board.
5. Can a part time student change to full time and vice versa?
On the recommendation of the School/Institute Board concerned and within the first one year , the Academic Board may permit a candidate to change his registration status from part-time student or vice versa once only.
6. How does one apply for Master or PhD program?
Applications for postgraduate courses can be made by filling the Application Form for Admission to Postgraduate Studies, which can be obtained from University Website, the Admissions Office, Departments or The Customer Help Desk.
7. What is the difference between provisional and substantive registration?
- Any person intending to pursue a Master’s Degree or Doctor of Philosophy by research work only, shall apply in the first instance for provisional registration as a research student.
- The candidate is substantively admitted to the program upon successful defense of the research proposal at the school level (within three months ) and approval of the proposal by the University BPS .
- The research proposal should not exceed twenty (20) double spaced typed pages and should conform to the guidelines of the respective school.
8. How and when is a research proposal submitted to BPS?
All students should submit a dully signed research proposal to the Department which forwards to BPS through theSchool.
Where a candidate is to take coursework, the proposal shall be submitted after successful completion of course work .
Research and thesis candidates submit proposal when seeking change from provisional to substantive registration.
9. Can a student choose a supervisor(s)?
A supervisor plays a key role in postgraduate studies.
• Students are encouraged to identify a potential supervisor and mentor before they commence the research phase of their studies.
• They must make known their wish to the Department before submitting a research proposal for consideration.
• The Department will then consider the proposed supervisor(s) and make a recommendation to the School.
• The School evaluates the departmental proposal on supervision and makes a recommendation to the BPS .
10. Who appoints supervisors and how many supervisors should a candidate have?
• Supervisors are recommended by the Department to the University BPS throughthe School.
• Supervisors are considered, approved and appointed by the University BPS on behalf of the Academic Board.
• Normally, two (2) supervisors will be appointed for each postgraduate candidate of which one should be a fulltime UoEm staff member and one must be a subject expert.
• However, additional supervisor(s) may be appointed when necessary on a case by case basis.
11. What are the obligations of a Research Student?
a) To fully apply himself/herself to his/her research work.
b) To observe timeliness.
c) To consult with the supervisor(s) at least once a month.
d) To submit a progress report every 3 months for Masters and 6 months for PhD.
e) To give at least 2 seminars for Masters and at least 4 seminars for PhD at the Department or School.
f) To submit 6 copies of proposal and 6 copies of thesis.
g) To give notice of intent to submit thesis at least 3 months tothe submission date.
h) To follow the rules, regulations and guidelines that will be provided from time to time.
12. What is the pass mark for postgraduate students?
The pass mark for taught courses in all Schools/Institutes is50%.
13. What is expected of a thesis submitted for examination?
- Must be adequate in form and content.
- Must include full bibliography of the materials used in its preparation whether published or otherwise.
- Must conform to the regulations for the submission of thesis of the University.
- Must not contain plagiarized work.
14. What is a thesis defense?
• A thesis defense is an oral examination of the thesis in which a candidate shall be required to present themselves for oral examination.
• The Dean/Director of School/Institute shall inform them of the time and place of the meeting with the Board of Examiners .
• Provisional results shall be released to the candidate after the meeting only where the recommendation of the Board of Examiners is unanimous.
• When the thesis is unsatisfactory, the Academic Board may, on the advice of the Board of Examiners and the BPS, invite a candidate to correct and re-submit a thesis for a fresh examination.
15. How do I know which journal to publish in?
One of the most important decisions you have to make as a postgraduate student is choosing the appropriate journal for your work.
With effect from 2021, the journal you choose must be indexed in Scimago.
To check if a journal is indexed journal in Scimago, follow this link https://www.scimagojr.com/journalsearch.php and enter the journal name in the search box. One can also search for a journal using the ISSN number or publisher.
Ensure the indexing is current, as journals that do not adhere to publishing ethics can be blacklisted and removed after some time.
Important considerations in choosing a journal are rigor, editorial quality, peer review process, ethics, editorial board members, journal reputation/impact factor, indexing status and copyright matters.
Additional resources to help you find a journal are:
1. Elsevier journal finder https://journalfinder.elsevier.com/
2. How to choose a target journal https://www.springer.com/gp/authors-editors/journal-author/how-to-choose-a-target-journal/1396