Every applicant must have passed English Language at Ordinary Level or an approved equivalent.
Master of Philosophy Degree
- Normally, applicants must have obtained an appropriate Honours degree in the First or Upper Second Division.
- Applicants who have obtained an appropriate Honours degree in the Lower Second or Third Divisions may be considered provided that they achieved First or Upper Second-Class performance in their intended specialist field of study.
- Applicants who have obtained a general degree or approved equivalent qualification and have relevant experience may be considered by Senate on the recommendation of the Department and the Dean. Such applicants may be required to pass a qualifying examination set and organized by the Department who shall inform Senate, through the Faculty Higher Degrees Committee of the results of the examination. The candidate must satisfy the examiners in the qualifying prior to Senate’s decision on their acceptability for admission.
Doctor of Philosophy Degree
- Applicants must have obtained an appropriate Masters degree or have satisfied the requirements for transfer of registration from the MPhil Degree.
Submission of applications for admission
- A prospective applicant should first discuss his/her proposed Programme with the Chairman of the Department, to establish in general terms, whether this is viable.
- Applications must be submitted on the official forms provided through https://www.buse.ac.zw/research/forms/. The applicant must also submit, with these forms, an outline of the proposed research not exceeding 1 200 words in length.
- There are no deadlines for the submission of applications.
Registration
- Students are required to submit an acceptable Research Proposal within six months of initial registration on the programme.
- If after six months of initial registration the student does not submit a Research Proposal of an acceptable standard, his/her registration on the Programme shall be cancelled forthwith. In appropriate circumstances, retrospective registration may be allowed.
- Except with the special permission of Senate, a student may not register concurrently for more than one programme of study.
- A student may be in receipt of a grant, scholarship or fellowship from an outside body or person, provided that, except with the agreement of the Senate, no restriction is placed by that body or person upon presentation of a thesis resulting from the student’s work, or upon its deposit in the University Library for public reference.
- A person to carry out the major part, or the whole, of the course of study for the degree of MPhil or DPhil at an approved institution outside the University shall be eligible to apply for registration as a student for MPhil or DPhil degree provided that:
(i) the institution at which the research is conducted is so located as to make practicable a genuine contact with the University and the facilities are suitable for the work proposed; and
(ii) except with the agreement of the Senate, no restriction is placed by the authorities of the institution or laboratory concerned upon presentation of a thesis resulting from the candidate’s work, or upon its deposit in the University Library for public reference.
(iii) the student complies with the other provisions relating to MPhil and DPhil degrees in these Regulations.
4. PROGRAMME OF STUDY
4.1 Each student is required to pursue a prescribed programme of study under the direction of a Supervisor, who shall be a member of the academic staff of the University in the appropriate discipline. Normally, one or more Associate Supervisors, either from within or from outside the University, will also be appointed. If the major part of the student’s research programme is being conducted at an institution outside the University, an Associate Supervisor at the institution shall, where possible, be appointed.
4.2 The appointment of all supervisors shall be made by the Senate on the recommendations of the appropriate Faculty Higher Degrees Committee.
4.3 The supervisors shall report on each student’s progress at least twice a year to the Department Board and/or to the Faculty Higher Degrees Committee.
4.4 Students must maintain regular contact with the Department and may be required to attend for certain periods at the University as directed by their approved supervisor(s).
4.5 A full-time student may be engaged in teaching at the University, provided that the total demand made by teaching duties does not exceed six hours of work, per week, including preparation and marking.
4.6 A student who is employed outside the University, or is a staff member employed in the University for more than 6 hours per week, other than on the research programme for which he/she proposes to be registered, may normally be accepted for registration only on part-time basis.
4.7 If a student does not begin studies for MPhil or DPhil within one calendar year from the date of approval of the application for registration, such approval shall lapse, and such a student must re-apply to the University for re-admission.
4.8 Students may be required, as part of their Programme, to complete elements of coursework to enhance their research studies, provided that such coursework shall amount to not more than 25% of the minimum period allowed for the full Programme. The prescription of any coursework element shall require the approval of the Academic Committee on the recommendation of the Departmental Board through the Higher Degrees Committee. Where such coursework is prescribed, the Department shall ensure that the student is informed in writing of the precise requirements for satisfactory completion of the coursework and it shall maintain written records of each student’s performance in such coursework for report in due course to the Board of Examiners.
5. TRANSFER FROM MPHIL TO DPHIL
A student registered for the MPhil degree may apply, after completion of not less than nine months, if the Supervisor so recommends, for permission to transfer his registration and to proceed to the DPhil. The application must be supported by a statement by the Supervisor describing the student’s progress and giving details of how it is proposed that the study be developed. The application shall be submitted through the Faculty Higher Degrees Committee to the Academic Committee. Retrospective registration may be permitted.
6. TRANSFER FROM DPHIL TO MPHIL
A student registered for the DPhil, who wishes to proceed instead to the MPhil, may, if the Supervisor so recommends, apply for permission to transfer registration and to proceed to the MPhil. The application shall be accompanied by a written recommendation from the Supervisor and shall be submitted through the Faculty Higher Degrees Committee to the Academic Committee. The length of further study, the student will be required to pursue for the MPhil, if any, will be prescribed.
7. TITLE OF THESIS
The student must submit, through the Supervisor and the Faculty Higher Degrees Committee, the title for his thesis for approval by Senate before final submission of the thesis. After the title has been approved, it may not be changed except with the permission of the Senate.
8. ENTRY TO EXAMINATION AND SUBMISSION OF THESIS
8.1 A student must apply for entry to the examination on the appropriate form obtainable from https://www.buse.ac.zw/research/forms/ . The examination entry form must be endorsed by the Supervisor and by the Chairman of the Faculty Higher Degrees Committee, who shall first satisfy themselves that the thesis is in a form suitable for submission for examination and that, where items of coursework have been set, the candidate has satisfactorily completed these items. The form must be returned, duly completed, with the prescribed fee upon submission of four copies of the thesis, in loose bound form, to the Deputy Registrar (Academic).
9. THESIS
9.1 After completing the study, a student must submit a thesis, which must comply with the following conditions.
9.1.1 The greater portion of the work submitted must have been done by the student after registration for the degree.
9.1.2 The presentation of the thesis must be of an acceptably high standard.
9.1.3 An acceptable MPhil thesis needs not constitute an original contribution to knowledge, but it must provide evidence that the candidate has mastered relevant research techniques, has shown scholarship, has developed a capacity for criticism of his own and other work, and has widened his knowledge and understanding of literature of his field of study.
9.1.4 A DPhil thesis must constitute an original and substantial contribution to the advancement of knowledge in the Subject chosen, and should evidence a greater depth of scholarship than that required for the MPhil degree described above.
9.1.5 The length of the thesis will normally be established in consultation with the Supervisor and the Faculty Higher Degrees Committee.
9.1.6 The thesis must be written in English, except in the case of students in a particular language discipline taught at the University, where such students may apply for permission to write a thesis in the medium of the particular language studied. In all cases where this procedure is followed, it shall be a requirement that the candidate gives a summary of the thesis in English. Such a summary must be between 300 and 500 words in length. In each case, a pre-requisite will be that a suitable External Examiner in that language can be found.
9.1.7 The literary form of the thesis must be satisfactory.
9.1.8 The thesis must consist of the candidate’s own account of his research.
9.1.9 The thesis may describe work done in conjunction with the candidate’s Supervisor(s), and include material obtained or produced with technical or other assistance provided that the candidate states clearly his personal share in the investigation and specifically acknowledges all such assistance. This statement is to be certified by the Supervisor and bound as part of the preface of the thesis. Work done jointly with persons other than the candidate’s Supervisor(s) may be accepted as a thesis, or part of a thesis, in certain circumstances, provided the candidate’s share is clearly certified.
9.1.10 Work already published including that published in joint names may be included only if it forms an integral part of the thesis. A series of publications alone is not acceptable as a thesis.
9.1.11 An abstract of the thesis, in single spacing form, not exceeding one page, is to be incorporated as part of the preface to the thesis.
9.2 A student will not be permitted to submit as his/her thesis, a thesis which has been submitted to another University. However, a candidate shall not be precluded from incorporating work already submitted for a degree in this or any other University, provided that he/she shall indicate on the entry form to the examination and also in the thesis, any work which has been so incorporated.
9.3 The format of thesis submitted for examination shall be as follows:-
9.3.1 Typed, or printed double-spacing form or reproduced therefrom, (except for the abstract which shall be in single-spacing form).
9.3.2 Size of paper: International A4: (210mm x 297mm).
9.3.3 No restriction is placed on the drawing of maps.
9.3.4 There must be a margin of 40mm on the left-hand side of the page, to allow for binding, a margin of 10mm on the right-hand side and a margin of 20mm at the top and at the bottom of the page.
9.4 A candidate may submit as subsidiary matter in support of his/her candidature, any publications or contributions to the advancement of the Subject which may have been published independently or conjointly. In the event of a candidate submitting such subsidiary matter, he/she will be required to state fully his/her own share in any conjoint work. Where there is a substantial computing content in the thesis, a machine-readable copy of the source Programme shall be submitted together with the copies of the thesis.
9.5 The format, lodgement, and distribution of dissertations shall be as follows: –
9.5.1 A candidate will be required to submit, for examination, four copies of the dissertation in loose bound form within a suitable cover, in the format in 9:3.
9.5.2 After the thesis has been examined and amended in accordance with the direction of the Panel of Examiners, the candidate shall have three copies bound in accordance with the following specifications:
Art vellum or cloth; overcast; edges uncut; lettered boldly up the back in gold letters indicating Degree, DATE, NAME (letters should be between 5mm and 10mm in size).
9.5.3 A candidate will be required to lodge with the Deputy Registrar (Academic) three bound copies of the approved thesis. One bound copy will be sent to the relevant Department, and two bound copies will be deposited in the University Library. Unless Senate has agreed to the contrary the Library copies shall be open to public reference.
10. ASSESSMENT OF CANDIDATES
10.1 Candidates will be assessed principally on the merits of their thesis but, where elements of coursework have been prescribed, they must also satisfy the examiners that this has been satisfactorily completed. Exclusion from any formal examination shall require the authority of the Senate.
10.2 When a candidate is ready to submit the dissertation for examination, the Departmental Board shall recommend to Senate through the Faculty Higher Degrees Committee, the appointment of Examiners, one being an External Examiner and one or two being members of the staff of the University who are specialists in the field of study concerned. These Examiners shall assess the dissertation and submit written reports with comments and recommendations to the Dean of the Faculty concerned. A member of staff who has been appointed as Supervisor for the dissertation may not be appointed as one of these Examiners but shall be a member of the Board of Examiners.
10.3 On receipt of the reports of the Examiners, the Dean of the Faculty shall refer these reports to the Board of Examiners.
11. EXAMINATION AND DETERMINATION OF CANDIDATES’ RESULTS
11.1 The Board of Examiners for the degree of MPhil/DPhil consisting of not less than three persons, will be constituted as follows:
The Dean or Deputy Dean of the Faculty, the Chairman of the Faculty Higher Degrees Committee, the Chairman of the Department concerned, the Supervisor(s) for the dissertation, the Examiners appointed in terms of Regulation 10.2.
Where appropriate, as determined by the Dean after consultation with the Chairman of the Department concerned, other suitably qualified members of the academic staff may also be assigned as members of the Board of Examiners. The External Examiner shall be members of the Board of Examiners but shall attend only if deemed essential by the Board.
11.2 After the Board of Examiners has considered the written reports of the Examiners appointed in terms of section 10.2, it will pass its recommendations to Senate.
11.3 The Board of Examiners shall examine the candidate orally, exceptionally, if an oral examination is impracticable, a written examination. The Board of Examiners may require further examination through written papers, or practical examination, or both, on the subject of the thesis and, if they see fit, on subjects relevant thereto.
11.4 If the thesis is adequate, but the candidate fails to satisfy the Examiners at the oral or other examination, the Board of Examiners may recommend to the Senate that the candidate be permitted to re-present the same thesis and submit to further oral or other examination within a period of one calendar year.
11.5 The candidate may be required to make editorial amendments to the thesis to the satisfaction of the Chairman of the Board of Examiners, after consultation with the Chairman of the Department concerned before lodgement of the final bound copies of dissertation.
11.6 If the thesis, though inadequate, shall seem of sufficient merit to justify such action, the Board of Examiners may recommend to the Senate that the candidate be permitted to re-present the thesis in a revised form within one calendar year from the decision, Senate would have made with regard thereto. The Board of Examiners shall not, however, make such recommendations without submitting the candidate to an oral examination.
11.7 If the Examiners are of the opinion that a candidate for the DPhil degree does not justify a recommendation for the award of a DPhil degree, or for the re-presentation of the thesis in a revised form for that degree, they may, at their discretion, recommend that the candidate be awarded an MPhil degree.
11.8 For the purpose of the oral, practical or written examination held in connection with the thesis, the candidate will be required to present himself/herself at such place as the University may direct and upon such day or days, as shall be notified by the Deputy Registrar (Academic).
11.9 The MPhil and DPhil degrees shall not be classified.
12. NOTIFICATION OF RESULTS AND AWARD OF DEGREE
12.1 Each candidate will be notified of the results of his examination by the Deputy Registrar (Academic), after the report from the Board of Examiners and the issue of a Pass List have been approved by the Senate.
12.2 A Diploma, under the Seal of the University, shall be delivered to each successful candidate, after the award of the degree has been approved by the Council.
Master of Philosophy Degree
The normal duration of the MPhil Degree Programme shall be as follows: –
- Minimum: 2 years on a full-time basis and 3 years on a part-time basis.
- Maximum: 4 years on a full-time basis and 6 years on a part-time basis.
Doctor of Philosophy Degree
The normal duration of the DPhil Degree shall be as follows: –
- Minimum: 3 years on full-time basis and 4 years on a part-time basis.
- Maximum: 5 years on a full-time basis and 8 years on a part-time basis.
If an extension of registration beyond the normal maximum period is required, the student must submit written application through his Supervisor in the first instance. The Dean of the Faculty may grant an extension of up to 6 months if the Supervisor and the Faculty Higher Degrees Committee so recommend. Any further extension may be approved only with the authority of Senate. Students granted such extension may be required to transfer to Regulations current at the time of granting of the extension.