Repositioning Postgraduate Studies at University of Nigeria, Nsukka

PRESENTED AT THE ORIENTATION OF THE 2018/2019 FRESH POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS ON 16TH OCTOBER, 2019 BY T. UGWUEZE DEPUTY REGISTRAR AND SECRETARY, SCHOOL OF POSTGRADUATE STUDIES UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA, NSUKKA

THE UNIVERSITY: STATUS First generation university Admission: undergraduate enrolment. 60:40 ratio for postgraduate and Research is top priority of the University Postgraduate studies are being repositioned by the University to achieve global international cooperation in research. competitiveness and

Before the establishment of the School of Postgraduate Studies in 1979, Postgraduate Studies was managed by the Senate Postgraduate Studies Committee. A semi-autonomous Unit. Coordinates and facilitate the prosecution of postgraduate studies and research in the University. As quality control unit, the school ensures strict adherence to postgraduate regulations. Monitors implementation of the Events of the School by key players: Academic Department and Units, Faculties and students. Ensures that postgraduate programmes of departments and other academic units are prepared and implemented in accordance with senate approved guidelines. The School ensures strict adherence to postgraduate regulations to facilitate the realization of her vision and mission.

Vision Statement through research and innovation to become a globally reputed first rate School of Postgraduate Studies . Mission Statement To attract educate and transform qualified persons to high-level manpower that are thoroughly equipped with adequate and update knowledge and specialized skills in research and innovation, and deployable for first rate national development and improvement in all fields of human endeavour .

Orientation is an annual event of the School organised for fresh postgraduate students. It is an enlightenment effort of the School designed to achieve the following objectives: i. To guide and motivate fresh postgraduate students to perform at the expected highest level in learning and research. ii. To minimize cases of delay in graduation, failures and mistakes due to lack of information and proper mentoring. iii.To acquaint fresh postgraduate students with the Postgraduate Studies Regulations, Time-Table of Events of the School, and the roles of all who have parts to play in Postgraduate Studies the stakeholders, including the students, lecturers, departments, faculties, institutes, centres and the School of Postgraduate Studies.

A systematic documentation of senate approved guidelines for running the approved postgraduate programmes. The regulations specify the general guidelines for handling all issues of postgraduate studies and the role of every key player in the implementation of these guidelines. The first edition of the postgraduate regulation of the University was published in 1992/93 academic session. Second Edition 2015 and Third Edition 2018.

The Objectives of the Regulations are: To guide postgraduate students toward programmes in record time. completing their i. ii. To increase the scope of knowledge and research skills of postgraduate students in line with the national research policy. iii. To ensure the implementation of NUC Benchmark Academic standards (BMAS) for Postgraduate Studies in Nigerian Universities. It is instructive that every postgraduate student should be familiar with the Postgraduate Regulations. Each student should therefore have copy of the Regulations.

Postgraduate Regulations contains the following information among others: Membership of the Board Functions of the School Qualifications for admission Registration process Examination matters Others include: Attendance at lectures and seminars Changes in postgraduate programme

Channel of communication Preparation of copies of Project Report/Thesis Guidelines for Evaluating Departmental Preparedness to mount postgraduate programme Guidelines for Assessment of Project/Thesis Constitution of panel of Examiners for oral examination Grading system Nullification of Examination Withdrawal from Programme Appointment of Internal and External Examiners Regulation for the Award of Higher Doctorate Degrees: D.Sc., D.Litt., etc.

The Benchmark Academic Standard introduced changes in the Postgraduate Regulation which affected items such as entry requirements, passing grades, etc. National Universities Commission (NUC) Ph.D Admission: Master s degree with minimum GPA of 3.50 or 4.0 on 5 point scale is required depending on the Department and Faculty.

Masters Admission: First degree with minimum GPA of 2.50 on 5-point scale or PGD Upper Credit and above, or any other qualification approved by the Board of the School and Senate is required for Master s degree admission. Postgraduate Diploma Admission: a minimum of Third class honours degree (with 2.0 GPAor HND Upper Credit is required for PGD admission

Provisional Admission: Provisional admission shall be withdrawn any time it is discovered that the student does not possess the qualification which formed the basis for the admission. Mode of Registration: Full-Time, Part-Time or Sandwich. For PhD, candidate can only register for full-time or part-time programme, there is no Part-Time PGD programme in the University. Candidates who have full-time employment must register part-time. Mode of Study: PGD and Master s programme are prosecuted by coursework and project report. Ph.D programme is by coursework and thesis. Master s project and Doctoral thesis shall be orally defended with the External Examiner participating.

Renewal of Registration: At the beginning of every session, and involves payment of session fees. End of session Report: To be submitted by every student at the beginning of the new session. Duration of Programme: There are minimum and maximum duration for every postgraduate programme. The minimum duration is the residential requirement.

Firm Ph.D registration: A candidate who registered for Master s/Ph.D. Programmes may apply for firm Ph.D registration if he makes a minimum of 3.50 GPAor 4.00 GPAin the coursework depending on the Department or Faculty. Lapsing of Programme: Postgraduate registration lapses after the maximum duration and the candidate ceases to be a student. Extension of period of Study: In a truly exceptional case senate may approve extension of period of study.

Registration of Courses: All courses shall be registered within the first four weeks at the beginning of the beginning of the session. A course must be registered before the student can take examination in that course. Nomenclature for Postgraduate Research Work: i. Doctoral Research Report is Thesis ii. Master s and PGD, Research Reports are known as project report. iii. No postgraduate Research Report is called dissertation in university

PGC 601 and PGC 701 are compulsory courses for and Ph.D students 2015/2016 session. The courses are based in the faculty. The Faculty is required to arrange the teaching of the course to their postgraduate students and submit the grades awarded to the Department. The Department shall include the scores in the result sheets to be forwarded to the School of Postgraduate Studies. admitted from the Master s

PGC courses are made compulsory by the National Universities Commission. The grades for the courses are used in calculating the GPA of Master s students. It is also a condition for graduation by Master s and Ph.D Students. The course involves workshop and issuance of certificates to participate. Possession of the certificate is also a condition for graduation.

o Masters oral defence shall be fixed within the last month of the last semester of the programme. o Doctorate oral defence can take place anytime of the year. o Examination Fee is now paid at the point of entry into oral examination, as Project Report or Thesis is being submitted to the School for transmission to the External Examiner. o Passing Grade: The minimum pass grade for postgraduate course and project report is 50% or C grade. o The GPArequired for the award of Master s Degree is 3.00 o Ph.D thesis oral examination is on pass or fail basis. o A Ph.D student is expected to score at least an average of 60% in the Ph.D Coursework. o Ph.D thesis that scores less than 60% is deemed to have failed o Vice Chancellor s Faculty Prize and Vice Chancellors Postgraduate prizes are awarded every session to the best Ph.D thesis in the Faculty and in the university respectively.

o When a student is ready for examination , the department shall submit the following to the School of Postgraduate Studies: Fee Clearance Certificate i. Approval of Title of Thesis (for Ph.D) ii. Letter ofAppointment of the External Examiner iii. Duly completed Form for Entry into Examination (SPGS FORM 6) otherwise called completion form. iv. o A Ph.D student admitted from 2015/2016 session shall be required to have attended at least one National or International Conference and Published in at least one national or International Journal before graduation. o Also for a Ph.D thesis to be approved for examination, at least an acceptance letter in any impact factor indexed Journal approved by the University for Promotion is required (Regulation 39 (iii))

o For a student who has registered for taught courses attendance at lecture (70%) and seminar is mandatory. o Missed Examination: A student who misses coursework examination shall re-register the course and take the examination at the next opportunity as first attempt. o A student who misses project report oral examination shall wait and take the examination at the next opportunity or bear the full cost of the examination. o Supplementary examination: There is no Supplementary examination for postgraduate students (Regulation 45) o A Student referred in a course/project report/thesis examination shall re-register it, run it for at least one semester, and repeat the examination as the second and last attempt.

o Correction of Project Report/Thesis: Correction of Project Report/Thesis shall be effected within 90 days of the Oral examination (Regulation 43). Where the student fails effect the corrections within this period, he/she will be required to pay fees for one sessions and present his/her work again for oral examination. o Delayed Examination: Where the examination of project report or thesis is delayed the provision of Section 34 of the Regulation shall apply. o Review of Script/Project aggrieved about the grading script/project report/thesis shall petition the Dean, School of Postgraduate Studies as provided in Section 54 of the Postgraduate Regulation for appropriate action. Report/Thesis: of A student his/her examination

o Plagiarism plagiarism test on all project reports and thesis. Accordingly, every completed project report/thesis shall be submitted to the School of Postgraduate Studies with a printed copy of TURNITIN Report duly certified by the supervisor and Head of Department of the candidate. Test: The university shall run

OTHER ISSUES Chances of Passing Examination: A Postgraduate student has only two chances of passing examination of coursework, project report or thesis Withdrawal from postgraduate programme: A student may withdraw or be compelled to withdraw from postgraduate programme for any of the following reasons: Academic reasons i. Disciplinary reasons ii. Voluntary withdrawal iii. Health Reason iv. Nomination of Internal External Examiners: This shall be done by the Department within one month of resumption of academic activities for the session in which the student is admitted.

Repetition of Course Passed with Low Grades: This is not allowed. Re- registration and Repetition of Programme: A Master s student who makes a GPA below 3.00 may, on application, be allowed to re-register and repeat the programme

Channel of communication to the School of Postgraduate Studies: All applications from student on matters relating to postgraduate studies, including applications for changes in postgraduate programme, shall be addressed to the Dean, School of Postgraduate Studies, and passed through the Head of Department and Dean of Faculty who should present them to the Departmental and Faculty Postgraduate Studies Committees, respectively as appropriate.

Time-Table of Events is produced annually to give guidance to the activities of the School of Postgraduate Studies during the session. It facilitates the implementation of the events by the School, the Department, Faculty, the academic units and students The events in the Time-Table may include: Time registration starts and end. Time lecturer start and end Time for revision Dates examination start and ends i. ii. iii. iv.

Dates of other activities of the School such as Admission Screening Examination, Postgraduate Courses (PGC) workshop, etc. i. Dates of Founders Day, Matriculation and Convocation ceremonies. ii. Board Meetings iii. Period of Sale ofApplication Form iv. Period of Sandwich Programme v. Time-Table of Events is published in the SPGS portal. Wishing you a successful postgraduate programme. vi. Time-Table of Events of the School is posted on the Postgraduate portal and on the University website.

Also available on the Postgraduate portal are the following official forms of the school: External Examiners Claim Form Course Registration Form End of Session Report From Completion Form/Form for Entry into Examination Instructions to Examiners Masters/Ph.D Form School fees Waiver Form for Staff Form for Forwarding Examination for the Degree of of Thesis to External

WISHING YOU SUCCESS THE END