PhD Programmes

PhD PROGRAMMES

The degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) is awarded upon completion of the appropriate course work and research project in which a candidate has made an original and significant contribution to knowledge.

Entry Requirements

• A candidate shall hold a Master’s degree or its equivalent from a recognised institution and shall submit evidence of adequate training and ability to undertake the proposed programme.
• A candidate who does not hold a Master’s degree shall first register for a Master’s degree. If he proves himself/herself to be of sufficient calibre by the end of the first year of the programme, he/she may be permitted by the Board on the recommendation of the Department to register for the PhD degree. This registration shall be deemed retrospective from the date of the original registration of the Master’s degree.
• A candidate who does not satisfy the requirements stated above but is otherwise adjudged suitable may be admitted. For the purpose of assessing his suitability, such a candidate may either be interviewed or be required to take an entrance examination, or both, as directed by the Board on the recommendation of the appropriate Faculty Postgraduate Committee and Departmental Board.
• A candidate may be required, on the recommendation of the Supervisor concerned, to audit appropriate number of courses.

In all cases an interview may be required at the discretion of the Department.

Duration of Programme

Subsequent to registration, the candidate shall pursue a full-time programme of study and research for at least two academic years, except that:

• A candidate fully engaged in advanced study and research for his/her degree, who before registration, was engaged in research to the satisfaction of the Department concerned, may be exempted from not more than one academic year.
• In special circumstances, the Department may recommend, that a candidate be allowed to spend not more than one academic year of his/her programme in advanced study and research at another institution, provided that this work can be supervised in a manner satisfactory to the Department and the Board.
• A member of the full-time academic staff of the University may be accepted as a part-time candidate. Where the Board is satisfied that a Senior Member has been engaged in research evidenced by publications, he/she may submit a thesis at any time without previous registration.
• In special circumstances, the Board on the recommendation of the Departmental Board concerned may accept as a part-time candidate a person who is not a member of the full-time staff of the University but is engaged in an occupation which, in its opinion, affords the candidate the opportunity to pursue his/her programme. In such a case the Board, on the recommendation of the Departmental Board, shall prescribe a minimum period for his/her programme, which in its opinion, having regard to the time he/she is able to devote to the programme prescribed by the appropriate Department, is equivalent to two academic years of full-time study.

A full-time candidate shall complete his/her programme not later than thirty-six months from the date of registration. A part-time candidate shall complete his/her programme not later than forty-eight months from the date of registration.

Course Work

• Course work may be required at the PhD level. A PhD student is required to make a total of 36 credits, a part of which may be credits earned at the Master’s level. A minimum of 24 months shall be spent on the research project.
• All examination results for the course work shall be considered by the Departmental Board, which in turn, shall make its recommendations to the Board not later than three months after the examination.
• The Dean of Postgraduate Studies shall call a meeting of the Board, at least once a semester, for the exclusive purpose of approving examination results of coursework, subject to the approval of the Academic Board.

Thesis
The thesis shall comply with the following conditions:

• The greater portion of the work submitted must have been done subsequent to the registration of the student as a candidate for the degree.
• The thesis shall be written in English.
• The thesis shall consist of the candidate's own account of his/her research, and be certified. It may describe work done in conjunction with the candidate's Supervisor, provided the candidate states clearly his/her share in the investigation, and that the Supervisor certifies this statement.
• Under no circumstances shall a paper written or published in the joint names of two or more persons be accepted as a thesis. Work done conjointly with persons other than the candidate's Supervisor shall be accepted as a thesis in special cases only. In such cases the approval of the Departmental Board and the Board shall be given.
• A candidate shall not be permitted to submit a thesis which has been submitted elsewhere. Nonetheless, a candidate shall not be precluded, at the discretion of his/her Supervisor, from incorporating work which he/she has already submitted for a degree in this University or elsewhere, provided that he/she indicates in his/her thesis any work which has been so incorporated.
• Not later than six months before the date when he/she proposes to enter for the examination a candidate shall submit the title of his/her thesis to the appropriate Departmental Board for approval and submission to the Board. After the final title of the thesis has been approved it may not be changed except with the express permission of the Board on the recommendation of the Departmental Board.
• The thesis shall be submitted, accompanied by the prescribed form (obtainable from the School of Postgraduate Studies), not later than thirty-six months after the beginning of the programme. In the case of part-time students, this period shall be forty-eight months. These maximum times may be extended by the Board, on the recommendation of the Supervisor through the Departmental Board, by periods of not more than six months, to a maximum of forty-eight months for full-time students and sixty-months for part-time students.
• FIVE typed or printed comb-bound copies of the thesis shall be submitted to the Board through the Head of Department. The paper size shall be A4 except for drawings and maps, on which no restriction shall be placed. Only one side of the paper shall be used with a margin of 3.05 cm on the left-hand side of the page. Top/Bottom/Right margins shall be 2.54 cm. The thesis shall be typed in either one and half or double line spacing with a maximum of 200 pages excluding appendices.
  After the thesis has been approved it must be bound in a standard form as follows:
  art vellum or cloth; overcast; edges uncut; lettered boldly up spine in gold (0.625 cm - 1.255 cm) degree, date, name. Black cover.
• One copy each of the thesis that has been accepted for the award of a PhD degree shall be deposited at the University Library, the Department and the School of Postgraduate Studies.

Seminar
All PhD students are required to present at least two seminars having direct relationship to their thesis.

Publications
All PhD students are encouraged to publish at least a technical paper arising out of their work before graduation.

Progress Report

• Students’ progress on thesis should be monitored through the use of progress report forms. The forms shall be completed by each Supervisor and each Supervisor shall submit a copy to the Dean of Postgraduate Studies and the Head of Department.
• After the first year, students are required to be on campus to work on their thesis during the 10-day periods allotted to the thesis module.
• A student who is unable to be present on campus during the 10-day period should write to the Department concerned with justification and show evidence of progress in his/her thesis.
• A student who fails to turn up for any of the 10–day periods or show evidence of progress in his/her thesis will be deemed not to have made academic progress on his/her programme for the semester.
• A student who fails to make progress for a semester will be put on probation.
• A student who fails to make progress on his/her programme for one academic year will be withdrawn from the programme.
• Under no circumstances should a PhD programme extend beyond five years.

Supervision Committee

• For the supervision of a PhD thesis, a team of a minimum of two (2) Supervisors is recommended to serve as Supervision Committee. The principal Supervisor should be a Senior Lecturer (with a PhD) or above. A Lecturer with a PhD may serve on the committee.
• Supervisors shall submit reports on the work of each student at the end of each semester on prescribed forms to the Dean of Postgraduate Studies through the Head of the Department.
• On the basis of work done in the course of the year, the Departmental Board may recommend for approval by the Board that a candidate continue or terminate his studies.

Assessment
The examination for the award of a PhD degree shall comprise:
Written examination (where appropriate)
Assessment of thesis, and Oral examination

• Two External Examiner s and at least three Internal Examiners shall be appointed to examine the thesis. A panel of not less than five Examiners including the two External Examiner s shall conduct the oral examination. Only Senior Lecturers (with PhD) and above may be appointed as Internal Examiners except where a Lecturer with PhD is a member of the Supervision Committee. The oral examination shall be public.
• The panel for the oral examination shall be made up of the following:
• Dean of Postgraduate Studies or his/her representative - Chairman
• The Head of Department or his/her representative - Member
• Two External Examiners and at least three Internal Examiners - Members
• In recommending the appointment of an External Examiner for the purpose stated above, the Departmental Board shall submit to the Board an outline curriculum vitae of the proposed examiner based on a format obtainable from the School of Postgraduate Studies. The External Examiner should show significant contribution in the area concerned.
• The Examiners may recommend to the School of Postgraduate Studies that the candidate whose thesis is not up to the required standard be permitted to re-submit his/her thesis in a revised form within a specified period up to a maximum of twelve (12) months, or recommended for the award of MPhil degree if the candidate so deserves.
• A candidate who does not satisfy the Examiners at the oral examination shall not be recommended for the award of a degree, the standard of the thesis notwithstanding.
• Where a candidate fails the oral examination, he/she shall present himself/herself for re-examination within six months of the initial oral examination. Where a candidate fails a third time, he/she is deemed to have failed the entire examination.
• The panel shall submit its recommendations to the Head of Department concerned in the form of a joint report signed by both Internal and External Examiner s with respect to the oral examination, and separate reports with regard to the thesis on the basis of prescribed criteria. These reports together with appropriate copies of the approved thesis (with the necessary corrections) shall be submitted to the School of Postgraduate Studies through the Departmental Board.
• A maximum period of 90 days shall be allowed for any corrections to the thesis.
• The fee for re-entry shall be half the normal entry fee.

Procedure for Award of a Degree

• After an oral examination, extracts from the Examiners’ report shall be submitted to the Department concerned to enable the student make the necessary corrections in the thesis.
• The recommendation of the Board shall be submitted to the Academic Board for approval.
• Each successful candidate shall thereafter be awarded a certificate under the seal of the University at a congregation of the University for that purpose, or failing that, the certificate shall be sent to him/her by registered post.

MASTER'S PROGRAMMES
There are two levels of Masters programmes in the University: MSc and MPhil.
Designation

• Master of Philosophy (MPhil) based on research with limited taught courses.
• Master of Science (MSc) based on a combination of taught courses and research.

Entry Requirements

• A candidate shall hold a First Class or Second Class (Upper Division) honours degree, or its equivalent, in an appropriate field of study, from a recognized University.
• A candidate who does not satisfy the requirement stated in (a) but is otherwise adjudged suitable by the Departmental Board, shall, where practicable, be interviewed and in addition may be required to take an entrance examination as determined by the Departmental Board concerned. A candidate who has satisfactorily completed a Postgraduate Diploma course may be considered for admission on the recommendation of the Departmental Board concerned.
• A candidate registered for the MPhil degree may be required to pass all Faculty core courses and may be required to audit appropriate courses on the recommendation of the Departmental Board concerned.

Duration of Programme
A full-time programme leading to a Master's degree shall be not less than one academic year except that:

• In special circumstances, the Department may recommend that a candidate be allowed to spend not more than six months of his programme in advanced study and research at another institution provided that his work can be supervised in a manner satisfactory to the Department and the Board.
• A member of the full-time academic staff of the University may be accepted as a part-time candidate. Where the Board is satisfied that a Senior Member has been engaged in research evidenced by publications and/or presentations, he/she may register and submit a thesis at any time.
• In special circumstances, the Board, on the recommendation of the Departmental Board concerned, may accept as a part-time candidate for the degree a person who is not a member of the full-time staff of the University but is engaged in an occupation, which in its opinion, affords the candidate the opportunity to pursue his/her programme. In such a case the Board on the recommendation of the Departmental Board shall prescribe a minimum period for the duration of his/her programme which in its opinion, having regard to the proportion of his/her time which he/she is a able to devote to the programme prescribed by the appropriate Department, is equivalent to twelve months full-time study.
• A full time candidate shall complete his/her programme not later than twenty-four months from the date of registration. A part-time candidate shall complete his/her programme not later than thirty-six months from the date of his/her registration.

Course Work

• Course work is required of all Postgraduate programmes at the Master’s level. A Master’s student is required to make a minimum of 24 credits.
• All examination results for the coursework shall be considered by the Departmental Board, which in turn, shall make recommendations to the Board not later than three months after the examination.
• The Dean of Postgraduate Studies shall call a meeting of the Board, at least once a semester, for the exclusive purpose of approving examination results of coursework, subject to the approval of the Academic Board.

Thesis

• The thesis shall normally be written in English.
• The thesis shall consist of the candidate's own account of his research and be so certified. It may describe work done in conjunction with the candidate's Supervisor, provided the candidate states clearly his/her share in the investigation, and that his/her statement is certified by the Supervisor. In no circumstances shall a paper written or published in the joint names of two or more persons be accepted as a thesis. Work done conjointly with persons other than the candidate's Supervisor may be accepted as a thesis provided his/ her contribution is at least 60%. In such cases the approval of the Departmental Board and the Board shall be given.
• A candidate shall not be permitted to submit a thesis, which has been submitted elsewhere, but a candidate shall not be precluded, at the discretion of his Supervisor, from incorporating work, which he/she has already submitted for a degree in this university or elsewhere, provided that he/she indicates in his/her thesis any work which has been so incorporated.
• The candidate may submit subsidiary matter in support of his/her candidature any printed contributions to the advancement of his/her subject which he/she may have published independently or conjointly or any other supporting material. In the event of a candidate submitting subsidiary matter of a conjoint nature, he/she shall be required to state fully his/her share of such conjoint work.
• A provisional thesis topic shall be submitted through the Departmental Board within the first six months and the final topic before the last six months of the course. Within the last six months of the course any significant change in the thesis topic shall be submitted to the Board for approval.
• The thesis shall be submitted, accompanied by the prescribed form obtainable from the School of Postgraduate Studies, not later than the maximum duration for the programme. These maximum times may be extended by the Board, on recommendation of the Supervisor through the Departmental Board, by periods of not more that six months to a maximum of twelve months.
• Three typed or printed comb-bound copies of the thesis shall be submitted through the Head of Department to the Board. The paper size shall be A4 except for drawings and maps on which no restrictions are placed. Only one side of the paper shall be used with a margin of 3.05 cm on the left-hand side of the page. Top/Bottom and Right margins shall be 2.54 cm. The thesis shall be typed in either double or one and half line spacing and a maximum of 100 pages excluding appendices.
  • A thesis, which consists of a collection of excerpts or pamphlets, shall be bound in a similar cover. After the thesis has been approved, it must be bound in a standard form as follows:
    
    art vellum or cloth; overcast; edges uncut;
    lettered boldly up spine in gold (0.625 cm - 1.255 cm)
    degree, date, name. Dark blue cover.

• One copy each of the thesis that has been accepted for the award of a Master’s degree shall be deposited at the University Library, the Department and the School of Postgraduate Studies.

Seminar
Every MSc/MPhil student is required to present at least one seminar having direct relationship to his/her thesis. This must be done before submission of the final thesis.

Publications
All MSc/MPhil students are encouraged to publish at least one paper having relationship to their theses.

Progress Report

• Students’ progress on thesis should be monitored through the use of progress report forms. The forms shall be completed by each Supervisor and each Supervisor shall submit a copy to the Dean of Postgraduate Studies and the Head of Department.
• After the first year, students are required to be on campus to work on their thesis during the 10-day periods allotted to the thesis module.
• A student who is unable to be present on campus during the 10–day period should write to the Department concerned with justification and show evidence of progress in his/her thesis.
• A student who fails to turn up for any of the 10–day periods or show evidence of progress in his/her thesis will be deemed not to have made academic progress on his/her programme for the semester.
• A student who fails to make progress for a semester in his/her thesis or fails to achieve a CWA of at least 55% after two semesters will be put on probation.
• A student who fails to make progress in his/her thesis for one academic year will be withdrawn from the programme.
• Under no circumstances should a Master’s programme extend beyond four years.

Supervision

• A Senior Member of the rank of Senior Lecturer and above is eligible to supervise an MSc/MPhil candidate, though more than one person is preferred.
• Supervisors shall submit reports on the work of each student at the end of each semester on prescribed forms to the Dean of Postgraduate Studies through the Head of the Department concerned.
• On the basis of work done in the course of the year, the Departmental Board may recommend for approval by the Board that a candidate continue or terminate his studies.

Assessment
The examination for the award of MSc and MPhil shall include:

1. Written examination (where appropriate)
2. Assessment of thesis
3. Oral examination

• Not less than three Examiners, of whom at least, one shall be an External Examiner appointed by the Board, on the recommendation of the Departmental Board, shall examine the thesis. A panel of not less than three Examiners, including at least one External Examiner, shall conduct the oral examination.
• The panel for the oral examination shall be made up of the following:
• Dean of Postgraduate Studies or his/her representative - Chairman
• The Head of Department or his/her representative - Member
• One External Examiner and at least two Internal Examiners- Members
• The Examiners may recommend to the Board that the candidate whose thesis is not up to the required standard be permitted to re-submit his thesis in a revised form within a specified period of up to six months and the fee for re-entry be half the normal entry fee. This re-submission should be done only once. A candidate shall be awarded the degree after all outstanding fees have been paid.
• When recommending the appointment of an External Examiner, the Departmental Board shall submit an outline curriculum vitae of the proposed examiner based on a format obtainable from the Board.
• The panel shall submit its recommendations to the Departmental Board in the form of a joint report signed by both Internal and External Examiners with respect to the oral examination and separate reports with respect to the thesis, on the basis of prescribed criteria approved by the Board. These reports together with appropriate copies of approved thesis with the necessary corrections shall be submitted to the School of Postgraduate Studies through the Departmental Board.
• In the case of the MSc degree, the components of the examination shall be coursework, thesis and oral examination. Candidates shall be required to pass in each component and the candidate’s performance shall determine his/her success or failure. Fifty percent shall be pass for all courses, with fifty-five percent being the CWA for success or failure. A candidate who does not satisfy the Examiners at the oral examination shall not be recommended for the award of a degree, the standard of the thesis notwithstanding.
• In the case of MPhil degree a candidate who does not pass the oral examination shall not be recommended for the award of a degree irrespective of the standard of his/her thesis. A candidate may re-submit himself for oral examination only once more within a period of twelve months. The student shall pass the Departmental core courses.
• The Examiners may recommend to the School of Postgraduate Studies that the candidate whose thesis is not up to the required standard be permitted to re-submit his/her thesis in a revised form within a specified period up to a maximum of twelve (12) months, or recommended for the award of Postgraduate Diploma if the candidate so deserves.

Procedure for the Award of a Degree

• All examination results for the coursework shall be considered by the Departmental Board, which in turn, shall make their recommendations to the Board.
• After the oral examinations, extracts from the Examiners reports, shall be submitted to the Department concerned to enable the students make the necessary corrections in the thesis.
• The Departmental Board would, in turn, submit its recommendations together with three certified copies of the corrected thesis to the School of Postgraduate Studies for consideration. The submission to the Board shall include the pertinent extract from the Board's minutes.
• The recommendations of the Board shall be submitted to the Academic Board for approval.
• Each successful candidate shall thereafter be presented with a certificate, under the seal of the University at a congregation of the University assembled for that purpose, or failing that, the certificate shall be sent to him/her by registered post.

POSTGRADUATE DIPLOMA PROGRAMMES
A Postgraduate Diploma is awarded on the basis of a programme of taught courses and a project work.
6.1. Qualification for Admission
The entry requirement shall be a Bachelor's degree or its recognised equivalent. In addition, candidates must satisfy the appropriate Departmental requirements.

Duration of Programme
A programme leading to a Postgraduate Diploma shall be for a period of one academic year.

Examinations
There shall be written and oral examinations. Practical examinations may also be given where appropriate.

Registration
Candidates shall register in their Department and at the School of Postgraduate Studies at the beginning of each semester for courses in which they are to be examined.

Examiners

• A panel comprising not less than three Examiners, of whom at least one shall be an External Examiner, shall be appointed by the Board of Postgraduate Studies on the recommendation of the Departmental Board to assess the project work. When recommending the appointment of an External Examiner, the Departmental Board shall submit an outline curriculum vitae of the proposed examiner based on a format obtainable from the School of Postgraduate Studies.
• A panel comprising not less than three members of whom at least one shall be an External Examiner shall be appointed by the Board on the recommendation of the Departmental Board to conduct the oral examination.

Assessment
Candidates shall be assessed in accordance with current university regulations. Results of the examinations shall be submitted by the Departmental Board to the School of Postgraduate Studies for approval, in the first instance, before being forwarded to the Academic Board for final approval.

Procedure for the Award of a Postgraduate Diploma
Each successful candidate shall be awarded the appropriate Postgraduate Diploma of the University, at a congregation of the University assembled for that purpose.

GENERAL INFORMATION
Social and Sporting Facilities
The following facilities exist for the convenience of students:

• Community Service (Halls of Residence)
• Sports and Recreation
• Chaplaincies
• Health and Counseling Services
• Students' Union

Further information on all the above must be addressed to the Registrar.

The Association of Graduate Students (GRASAG)

• The Association, which embraces all Postgraduate students of the University, provides both social and academic facilities for its members. Membership is open to Postgraduate students pursuing approved courses of study and registered with the School of Postgraduate Studies.
• Further enquiries should be addressed to:

The President, GRASAG,
c/o School of Postgraduate Studies,
University of Mines and Technology (UMaT),
Tarkwa, Ghana.

Cost/Fees

• Academic Facility User Fee as determined by Government.
• Module Fees shall be GH¢250.00 (or its dollar equivalent) per module for Ghanaian students and $500 for foreign students (module fees are subject to changes without notice).
• Internet Connectivity Fee shall be GH¢75.00 (or its dollar equivalent) per student per year. This fee is subject to change without notice.
• The examination fees shall be as determined from time to time by the University. Fees shall not be refunded, but in the case of justifiable unforeseen circumstances acceptable to the Board, fees may be transferred from one examination to the next.
• All fees must be paid into any of the following Account:

Account Name — University of Mines and Technology, Tarkwa
Bank (Ghana Cedis) — Ghana Commercial Bank
Account Number — 4051130000531

Account Name — University of Mines and Technology, Tarkwa
Bank (US$) — Ecobank Ghana Limited
Account Number — 1901254490211
Swift Code — ECOCGHAC

Payment of fees by cash is not acceptable by the University.
All information pertaining to fees and other expenses may be obtained from:
The Registrar
University of Mines and Technology
P. O. Box 237
Tarkwa, Ghana