DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY (PHD)

Overview

The Ph.D. is the highest academic degree offered by our partner universities and colleges. Those who earn it must demonstrate significant intellectual achievement, high scholarly ability and great breadth of knowledge. The nature of the degree programme varies greatly depending on the discipline involved. In addition, doctoral work requires heavy participation in research or other kinds of creative activity. Particular projects may assume any of an almost infinite number of forms.

Objectives:

The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) programme is designed to achieve the following objectives:

• To prepare students for academic careers in higher education and management careers in both profit and nonprofit organizations. Success in the programme is judged by the student’s understanding of the issues and methodologies essential to the advancement of knowledge. Doctoral work is based on the achievement of academic and research competencies. A student who participates in a doctoral programme of study is expected to strive for the knowledge and skills necessary to develop excellence in teaching, to conduct quality research, and should at all times maintain the highest ideals of academic integrity and scholarship.
• To train high level research workers who will be able to expand the frontiers of knowledge as it applies to the solution of pressing human problems.
• To produce high level applied administrators who will provide the much required manpower for Africa and the world at large.
• To provide consultation to profit and non-profit organisations, institutions, corporate bodies, and individuals.

Admission Requirements/Application Procedure

Priority to the Ph.D. programme is given to graduates of accredited master’s degree programmes in related discipline of choice. Individuals admitted with a bachelor’s degree are required to complete a programme of master’s courses at accredited national or international universities or colleges as a requisite to entry into doctoral courses. Applicants must provide evidence of the following:

• Submit official transcripts from the previous colleges and/or universities.
  A statement of educational objectives, specific focus of research, and programme and career goals.
• Optional: It is recommended that applicants submit course descriptions of Masters Degree courses to assist the Admissions Committee in determining if prerequisites have been met.

Written Examination

The exam is taken immediately after completing the coursework sequence and covers the material in those seminars. The exam consists of a paper and a two-day written test, and is usually administered during the month following the end of the student’s third year.

Oral Qualifying Examination

Students submit and defend their thesis proposals in the oral qualifying examination no later than in the fall of their 3rd year. The objective is to determine whether students have the intellectual capacity and academic preparation to complete the programme. Successful completion of prior phases of the programme and a well-defined research proposal are required.

Thesis

A thesis is the formulation and completion of a major research project and its written presentation. It is the last step in the programme. Our national and international partner universities have specific guidelines for completing the thesis. A faculty committee reviews the thesis as an ongoing process. The committee is chosen by the student and must consist of three or more faculty members, one of whom must be from a department outside of our partner universities or colleges. When all members are satisfied, they sign off on the thesis to signify their approval. Then, the student files the work with partner University or College he/she is studying.

Thesis Courses:

PHD 896: Thesis Mentoring:

The purpose of this course is to assist doctoral students to receive mentoring for initiating and continuing steady progress toward their Ph.D. degree. Students will prepare quarterly progress plans, engage in regular scholarly discussion with their faculty mentor and fellow doctoral students, and submit a personal progress report at the end of each quarter.

PHD 897: Developing a Prospectus:

This course provides an opportunity to design a thesis prospectus in collaboration with programme colleagues, and most especially with mentorship from a course instructor. In addition to reading about developing a prospectus in general, students may analyze examples of the University doctoral prospectuses covering a wide range of projects. Students refine their thesis questions and further explore the research methods or project types that they may incorporate into their own thesis. Finally, students engage in the iterative process of writing their own prospectus, incorporating feedback from peers and the course instructor. Ultimately, the prospectus is offered by the student as a document for review for consideration by potential mentors for the student’s thesis.

PHD 898: Writing a Proposal:

This course integrates all of the previous work throughout the programme, providing an opportunity to design a thesis proposal in collaboration with programme colleagues and course instructor. The development of a proposal may feed the final thesis, allowing the student to incorporate feedback from the course in the completion of the thesis.

PHD 899: Thesis:

The final thesis demonstrates a student’s scholarly ability to examine, critique, and synthesize knowledge, theory, and experience, so that new ideas can be tested; best practices identified, established, and verified; and theoretical, practice or policy constructs evaluated and advanced. In all cases, the thesis is a rigorous inquiry that results in new knowledge, insight, or practice, demonstrating its efficacy in the world of management. Ultimately, every thesis should make a fresh contribution to the field of practice in the management environment.

PhD Seminar Workshop

Seminar Workshop 1: Emphasis on the Substantive Matter of the Thesis:

Student must present the subject matter of their thesis, indicating the background and significance of the dissertation topics, the objectives of the thesis, the conceptual framework, source of data and expected contributions of the findings, conclusions and recommendations. They are required to exchange ideas with the seminar participants and experts from various private and public agencies related to the students’ research problems.

Seminar Workshop 2: Emphasis on Research Methodology:

Student must present the review of the literature on data collection, and the development and testing of the research tools to be used for the thesis, in accordance with the thesis objectives. They are required to exchange ideas with the seminar participants and experts from various private and public agencies related to the students’ research problems.

Seminar Workshop 5: Emphasis on the Research Finding and Holistic Presentation of the Thesis:

Student must present the finding and totality of the thesis at a seminar, respond to questions raised by the participants, exchange ideas with the seminar participants and experts from various private and public agencies related to the student’s research problem, and make any necessary corrections within the scope of the approved thesis proposal.

Thesis Examination and Presentation to Public Academic Seminar:

Students must present their thesis to the thesis examiner committee. The committee consists of (1) lecturers/academics from university, (2) experts/specialists from an organization or institute related to the thesis topic, and (3) thesis advisory committee. The thesis advisory committee is present as an observer only, not to answer questions/comments from the examiner committee or offer any explanations.

The committee, (1) and (2), has the duty to evaluate the thesis while a representative from the administration is requested for re-submission for reconsideration, the student and supervisors must correct it before presenting it to the public academic seminar.

The thesis that needs to be corrected must go through reading by external members of the dissertation examiner committee (at least 3 committee members).