1. PhD program in Agronomy

3.1. Program Goal

To contribute to the national food and nutrition security and sustained domestic production for

enhancing industrialization in the country through training of professionals that would bring about

increased efficiency and skill for quality food and the creation of enabling environment that supports the

commercialization of agriculture.

3.2. Program Objective

The major objectives of opening PhD level training in Agronomy are to:

Produce highly qualified graduates with the knowledge, attitude and skills necessary for

promoting agronomic crops production.

Generate and/or adopt appropriate technologies through client oriented, demand driven and

problem solving research activities in the areas of agronomic crops, production and processing.

Produce highly qualified graduates with the knowledge, attitude and skills in

Agronomy who can work independently in research, teaching and consultancy at national and

international level

Actively involve in the dissemination of appropriate technologies to ultimate users through the

college’s well cherished community outreach programs, workshops, net working and

consultancy/advisory services.

3.3. Professional Profile

The training in Agronomy at PhD level will produce professionals that are:

- Highly qualified in terms of their profession for both practical and scientific aspects of Agronomy

- Subject matter experts on production, management, processing, marketing and value addition

of food, beverage and feed crops

- Primary resourceful persons to serve for consultation on investment in Agronomy and policy

issue pertaining to their specific field.

- Agronomic researchers who are capable of planning and conducting of research to bring about

changes yield and quality.

3.4. Graduate Profile

Students who complete their PhD study in the field of Agronomy will be equipped with the knowledge

and practical skills that will enable them to work competently within three broad job sectors:

Increase production (food, feed, fuels, fiber and pharmaceutical plants) by using improved

technology packages (improved seeds, soil, and weed and pest management

recommendations), while conserving the natural resource base and improving environmental

quality;

Analyze short and long-term climatic data bases, run simulation models, validate results, and

recommend site and season specific crop management practices;

Conduct research in the scientific and practical aspects of soil, crop, soil-water-plant relations,

and management practices;

Develop new cropping systems which are resilient to changed climate conditions;

Plan, develop, lead and manage agronomic projects;

Plan, conduct, monitor, and evaluate agronomic trainings;

Increase water productivity through improved water management;

Work in team and involve interdisciplinary approaches;

Contribute to post-production value addition.

3.5. Admission Requirements

Students seeking admission to PhD in Agronomy program must have M.Sc degree in Agronomy,

Irrigation agronomy, Forage Agronomy, Crop sciences, Horticulture, Plant breeding, Plant protection,

Seed science, Weed science, climatology, Agricultural economics, Soil science, or related agricultural

sciences supported with a research thesis. MSc or PhD holders from other related fields would be

admitted with bridging courses to bring the candidate to minimum level of proficiency in Agronomy. All

graduate students must have adequate background in Agronomy, plant physiology, agricultural statistics

(biometry), plant protection, genetics and plant breeding. All applicants should have to develop a

concept note of their PhD research and should present sponsorship evidences and must produce two

recommendation letters from academic referees. In addition, applicants should fulfill admission

requirements set by the university.

3.5.1. Administration of Graduate Standards in the Department

- Graduate Committee Appointment – The Graduate Committee is appointed by the department head

each academic year and is composed of staff actively engaged in advising graduate students. The

Graduate Committee chairperson will serve as liaison with the Graduate School. Final decisions on

acceptance/rejection of applicants and award of departmental assistantships are made by the

department head.

- Graduate Committee Duties – During review of the applicants for admission, the Graduate Committee

should ensure that established criteria are met. This includes assurance that a suitable advisor is

available for any potential graduate student.

- Admission Appeals – Appeals of admission are made to the Graduate Committee chairperson.

3.5.2. Advisory Committee

- Appointing advisory committee – Members of the Advisory Committee may be suggested by the

student and approved by the major advisor. Committee members should be selected for their

background in the area of specialization and their potential contributions as consultants or active

participators in the student’s research. The committee should consist of a minimum of three or a

maximum of five staff members, including at least one from outside the student’s major department or

outside of JU. Membership on advisory committees is a major responsibility that teaching staff should

not enter into unless they are prepared to make a commitment to fulfill the responsibilities of a

committee member. These responsibilities include careful review of the research proposal with

suggestions for improvement, providing technical expertise that complement the skills of the major

advisor such that the student has at his/her disposal a wide array of technical skills required to complete

a current research problem in Agronomy and a willingness to teach such techniques to the student,

thesis/dissertation review to ensure that the research is completed and presented in a manner that

facilitates publication, a keen eye to the possibility of ethical breaches, and fair-minded participation on

the student’s oral and written examinations.

- Changing committee memberships- Changes in a student’s committee will be granted only upon

approval of all committee members, new and old. A form will be available at the Graduate School for

change in committee composition.

3.5.3. Approving Dissertations

The focus of a plan of PhD degree is an original research project, culminating in a dissertation. The

research project is supervised, and the dissertation is evaluated and approved by a committee of three

teaching staff members, chaired by the student’s major advisor.

Research proposal– The proposal is expected to be specific and detailed, including the following

components:

a. Introduction a statement as to why the work is important.

b. Review of literature this should be sufficiently detailed to show that the student is

familiar with the current state of the literature in the specific area.

c. Objectives one or more short factual statements indicating the nature of the study.

d. Procedures described in sufficient detail for the committee to assess whether or not

they are suitable for attaining the stated objectives.

This proposal need not be lengthy, but should clearly define what the student plans to do. The proposal

may change as the results of preliminary experiments are learned. Radical changes to the proposed

research should be discussed in subsequent committee meetings. Once the student, with the counsel

and guidance of the advisor, has selected a thesis problem, a proposal as outlined above will be

prepared for review and approval by the Advisory Committee.

A dissertation that contributes knowledge of importance sufficient to warrant its publication will be

offered by the PhD candidate. Once a student has become familiar with the resources and ongoing

research within the department, the student and major advisor select an area of research and then

proceed to develop a specific proposal. The research proposal must be approved by the student’s major

advisor, and then submitted to the Advisory Committee for final review and approval.

Dissertation submission- All theses/ dissertations must be submitted electronically and in hard copies

checked by the department Graduate committee. Four hard copies of the final copy of the thesis/

dissertation are generally prepared.

- The PhD degree examination requires submission of dissertation by the candidate, based on the

results of his/her research.

- At least three months before the dissertation is submitted, the candidate shall, through his/her

advisor, give notice of his/her intention to submit the thesis. He/She shall do this in writing to the

Chairperson, Postgraduate Studies Committee, submitting at the same time, the proposed title and

general scope of the work.

- Every dissertation for the PhD degree must be accompanied by declaration by neither the

candidate stating that it is the candidate’s own original work and that it has neither been submitted nor

concurrently being submitted in any other institution. The dissertation for examination must be

submitted in four copies, one for the library, one for the department, one for the major adviser, and one

for the student.

- The dissertation shall contain a statement of copyright by the author.

- Every dissertation submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy must be satisfactory with

respect to its format and Literary presentation.

The dissertation must contain an abstract of not more than 350 words, and this shall concisely indicate

the problem investigated, the procedures and research methods employed, the general results and new

contributions made, and the major conclusions reached.

- A PhD candidate may also submit in support of his/her dissertation any relevant publications of

which he/she is the sole or joint author. In case of joint authorship, he/she will be required to state

his/her own contribution to the publication.

3.5.4. Examinations and degree award

The examination process shall comprise two parts, namely (1) Examination of thesis, and (2) Oral

Examination.

– For every PhD candidate, Postgraduate Studies Committee shall appoint, on recommendation

of the relevant Department Graduate Committee, at least three qualified examiners of whom

one shall be external to Jimma University.

– The Internal examiners shall be required to submit their report about the thesis within a

maximum period of one month and external examiners a maximum of two months from the

date of receipt. If reports are not received within two months for internal examiners and three

months for external examiners, new examiners shall be appointed. Mailing time and other

constrains will however be taken into account before new examiners are appointed.

– Each examiner shall summarize his/her report about the dissertation with a definite

recommendation for one of the following action.

– The thesis submitted is of an acceptable standard, and that the candidate is allowed to sit for a

viva voice examination before incorporating comments and typographical errors suggested by

examiners.

– The Thesis be rejected but may be re-submitted after a further period of research and/or study

ranging from 6-9 month.

– The thesis is rejected outright.

– A thesis recommended by examiners for re-writing and re-examination after one re-submission

and re-examination will be rejected.

– Candidates allowed to sit for Viva Voce shall be examined to ascertain that:

– The dissertation presented is the original work of the candidate.

– The broader subject in which the study is based is fully grasped by the candidate; and.

– The weaknesses in the dissertation (if any) can be adequately clarified by the candidate.

The Viva Voce examination panel

At the end of viva voce examination which shall normally not exceed three hours, the panel

members shall sign an examination results form, giving specific recommendation for one of the

following actions:

The PhD degree is awarded to the candidate subject to making minor corrections and revisions in

the thesis as detailed in the viva voce proceeding and in the thesis by examiners.

The PhD degree not to be awarded due to failure by the candidate to defend the thesis successfully.

The candidate is allowed to re-write and resubmit the thesis for re-examination.

Candidate fails outright (reasons detailed in viva voce proceedings).

The Chairperson of the viva voce panel shall submit to Postgraduate Studies committee the

recommendation of the panel and a comprehensive report approved by the oral panelists detailing all

the questions addressed to the candidate and the answers given to those questions.

The candidate shall be required to submit four corrected hard bound copies and one soft copy of

the thesis within two months after viva voce, upon submission and error free certificate will be issued by

the Postgraduate Studies Committee. Failure to submit the corrected copies within two months without

compelling reasons will mean discontinuation from studies.

The Final decision on the award of the PhD degree shall be made by Postgraduate Studies

Committee.

3.6. Assessment and Evaluation Methods

Teaching and learning methods are based on the competence based education approach. The

instructors will look for the optimal combination of methods in order for students to acquire the

necessary competencies. This can include class room lectures, group discussions, field and laboratory

practical activities, field visits, project assignments/term papers, seminar/presentations, self-study etc.

Course assessment – Course assessment consists of continuous and final assessment; the students will

be assessed using a variety of assessment methods, ranging from presentations, theory tests, practical

reports, reflection reports, and case studies. The combination of methods will assess whether the

students gained the competencies required in the labor market. Grading of students’ performances will

be through the scaling system and student’s academic standing in each course is graded as A, B, and C

according to his/her performance while all non-credited courses will be evaluated as

satisfactory/unsatisfactory.

Thesis assessment – Research work, compiled into thesis at the end, will be supervised by an advisor

and co-advisor. Progress in research and thesis work will be evaluated at the end of each semester. At

the end of his/her study, the student must defend his/her thesis in an oral examination administered by

appointed thesis defense examination committee. The open thesis defense shall be held at JUCAVM in

the presence of well reputed external and examiners in the field of the research undertaken.

Program Evaluation- The curriculum and the PhD program in particular shall be critically evaluated and

refined at regular intervals with the active involvement of the major stakeholders vis-à-vis alumni,

students, employers, staff, Higher Education Relevance and Quality Agency (HERQA) and the different

segments of the society at large.

3.7. Graduation Requirements

The student must obtain at least a “B” grade in all courses. A publication of one article or a paper

accepted for publication in peer reviewed journals shall be a requirement before defense. The

prospective graduate must fully satisfy the academic rules and regulations of the University set for

graduation.

3.8. Duration of the Study

The PhD training in Agronomy is a four years study that consists of course work and thesis research. The

minimum residential requirement for the PhD program shall be two years. However, the maximum

period within which the student will have to finish his or her study with no justifiable reasons will not be

more than five years from the date of admission. The date on which the thesis is submitted shall be

taken as the date for the purpose of calculating the maximum time limit prescribed. However, for

reasons beyond the capacity of the student, an extension of an additional specified time can be allowed

by approval of the academic commission. All requests for extension should be received in written

through the PG school three months in advance of the last date from submission of thesis.

3.9. Degree Naming

Doctor of Philosophy in Agronomy

Amharic version፡ በ አግሮኖሚ የዶክትሬት ዲግሪ

3.10. Quality Assurance and Program Evaluation

Quality assurance entails the systematic, structured and continuous attention given to the maintenance

and improvement of the quality of the program. It is a measure of the value of what we do and the

system of benchmarks that we use to make sure those standards are maintained and improved where

possible on a continuous basis. Quality assurance aims to meet and keep to accepted standards of

excellence, and is essential to maintain the reputation of the institution in general and the department

in particular.

Generally, quality is assured through various mechanisms including having well qualified teaching staff in

terms of the mix of qualifications and experience. In addition, the quality of teaching can be assured

through making available suitable reference books and text books, teaching materials, laboratory

manuals, better laboratory facilities, access to internet and computer services. The department will

employ appropriate teaching, learning and assessment methods to ensure effective implementation of

its programs.

The college also has internal quality audit team, which monitors the standards of the exams. Open thesis

defense is examined by examination board composed of an external examiner, internal examiner and

chair person appointed by the graduate program council. Regular evaluation takes place to evaluate the

quality of the course content and the teaching staff and to see what needs to be revised or improved.

Involved in this evaluation are students and teaching staff. In the near future alumni and stakeholders

from the labor market will participate as well.

3.11. List of Courses

The Ph.D. curriculum requires that all students take a series of lecture, seminar, and laboratory courses

that develop a breadth of understanding of basic principles within their area of emphasis.

3.11.1. Required Courses by Semester

Year-I sem-I

Course Code Course Title Cr. Hrs Remarks

Agrn 711 Applied Crop Ecology and Cropping Systems 3(2+1)

Agrn 712 Crop Nutrient Management and Soil Microbial Interactions 2(2+1)

Agrn 713 Stress Physiology and Physiological Aspects of Crop Yield 3(2+1)

Agrn 714 Biostatistics for Agriculture 3(2+1)

Agrn 715 Seminar in Agronomy 1(0+1)

Agrn 716 Integrated Crop Pest Management (E) 2(1+1)

Agrn 717 Advanced Crop Improvement (E) 2(1+1)

Total 12 + 2

Year-I sem-II

Course Code Course Title Cr. Hrs Remarks

Agrn 721 Systems Analysis and Crop Modeling 3(2+1)

Agrn 722 GIS and Geospatial Analysis 2 (1+1)

Agrn 723 Sustainable Intensification of cropping systems 2(1+1)

Agrn 724 Irrigation Agronomy 3(2+1)

Agrn 727 Agroclimatic Analysis and Risk Management in Crop Production 2(1+1)

Agrn 725 Research and Scientific writing 1(0+1)

Agrn 726 Advanced seed science and technology (E) 2(1+1)

Total 13+2

Year-II sem-I

Course Code Course Title Cr. Hrs Remarks

Agrn 728 Thesis 30 (0+30)

2. PhD in Horticulture

2. Details of the Revised PhD Program

2.1. Program Goal

To contribute to the national food security and sustained development through training of competent

professions that would bring about increased availability of quality food and the creation of enabling

environment that supports the commercialization of agriculture.

2.2. Program Objective

The major objectives of the currently running PhD level training in horticulture are to:

Produce highly qualified graduates with the knowledge, attitude and skills necessary for

promoting horticultural crops production, processing and marketing.

Generate and/or adopt appropriate technologies through client oriented, demand driven and

problem solving research activities in the areas of horticultural crops, production and

processing.

Actively involve in the dissemination of appropriate technologies to ultimate users through the

college’s well cherished community outreach programs, workshops, net working and

consultancy/advisory services.

2.3. Professional Profile

The training in Horticulture at PhD level will produce professionals that are:

- Highly qualified in terms of their profession for both practical and scientific aspects of

horticulture.

- Subject matter experts on production, management, processing, marketing and value addition

of horticultural crops.

- Primary resourceful persons to serve for consultation on investment in horticulture industry and

policy issue pertaining to their specific field.

- Horticultural researchers who are capable of planning and conducting of research to bring about

changes in yield and quality of various horticultural crops.

2.4. Graduate Profile

Students who complete their PhD study in the field of horticulture will be equipped with the knowledge

and practical skills that will enable them to work capably within three broad job sectors:

As researchers, they can engage in research institutes, universities, and other higher education

institutes to actively involve in research activities in horticulture and related fields;

As teachers or trainers, they will have a broad range of opportunities, varying from teaching in

universities, development worker for an NGO or a governmental body, as a consultant for private

enterprises/ companies, as an extension worker for farmers and regional communities and so

forth.

As policy makers, involve in policy formulation and implementation in the field of horticulture and

related disciplines

PhD graduates might also opt to take up their own business as private investors or entrepreneurs

or mangers within a commercial farm or business

And of course there are still different job sectors where they might be engaged in.

• Supervisors and managers in different organizations,

• Team members in innovation, production and propagation of feasible and appropriate post-

harvest technology tools and methods.

The potential employers for PhD graduates

It is presumed that most of the candidates for the existing (revised) PhD program are already affiliated

to their sponsoring institutions, however, graduates may opt for new job opportunities and the

followings are identified as their potential employers:

– Federal and regional agricultural and related offices,

– National, regional and international research centers,

– Higher learning institutions,

– NGOs,

– Unions/Cooperatives,

– Private horticultural farms,

– Spices, herbs and medicinal plants processing industries,

– Coffee and tea processing industries,

– Fruits and vegetables processing industries,

– Quality standardization agency,

– Food safety and quality analysis laboratories,

– Exporting agencies of agricultural products.

2.5. Admission Requirements

Students seeking admission into PhD in Horticulture program must have M.Sc degree in Horticulture,

Plant/Crop Science, Biology, or related agricultural sciences supported with a research thesis. All

graduate students must have adequate background in horticulture, plant/crop physiology, agricultural

statistics (biometry), plant protection, genetics and plant breeding.

PhD students (candidates) are advanced level trainees, and they should not be required to

take/pass written and oral entrance exams. Rather, it is recommended a mandate to be given to

the Graduate Council of the host department to verify the relevance (eligibility) of the applicant

for the PhD program, taking into account mainly the applicant’s training background and the

overall admission requirements of the University. Inclusion of research fund agreement

(sponsorship) should also be considered as one of the admission criteria.

2.5.1. Administration of Graduate Standards in the Department

- Graduate Committee Appointment - The Graduate Committee is appointed by the department head

each academic year and is composed of staff actively engaged in advising graduate students. The

Graduate Committee chairperson will serve as liaison with the Graduate School. Final decisions on

acceptance/rejection of applicants and award of departmental assistantships are made by the

department head.

- Graduate Committee (Council) Duties - During review of the applicants for admission, the Graduate

Committee should ensure that established criteria are met. This includes assurance that a suitable

advisor is available for any potential graduate student.

- Admission Appeals - Appeals of admission are made to the Graduate Committee chairperson.

2.5.2. Advisory Committee

- Appointing advisory committee - Members of the Advisory Committee may be suggested by the

student and approved by the major advisor. Committee members should be selected for their

background in the area of specialization and their potential contributions as consultants or active

participators in the student's research. The committee should consist of a minimum of three or a

maximum of five staff members, including at least one from outside the student's major department.

Membership on advisory committees is a major responsibility that teaching staff should not enter into

unless they are prepared to make a commitment to fulfill the responsibilities of a committee member.

These responsibilities include careful review of the research proposal with suggestions for improvement,

providing technical expertise that complement the skills of the major advisor such that the student has

at his/her disposal a wide array of technical skills required to complete a current research problem in

horticulture and a willingness to teach such techniques to the student, thesis/dissertation review to

ensure that the research is completed and presented in a manner that facilitates publication, a keen eye

to the possibility of ethical breaches, and fair-minded participation on the student's oral and written

examinations.

- Changing committee memberships- Changes in a student's committee will be granted only upon

approval of all committee members, new and old. A form will be available at the Graduate School for

change in committee composition.

2.5.3. Approving Dissertations

The focus of a plan of PhD degree is an original research project, culminating in a dissertation. The

research project is supervised, and the dissertation is evaluated and approved by a committee of three

teaching staff members, chaired by the student's major advisor.

Research proposal - The proposal is expected to be specific and detailed, including the following

components:

a) Introduction - a statement as to why the work is important.

b) Review of literature this should be sufficiently detailed to show that the student is familiar with

the current state of the literature in the specific area.

c) Objectives one or more short factual statement/s indicating the nature of the study.

d) Procedures described in sufficient detail for the committee to assess whether or not they are

suitable for attaining the stated objectives.

This proposal need not be lengthy, but should clearly define what the student plans to do. The proposal

may change as the results of preliminary experiments are learned. Radical changes to the proposed

research should be discussed in subsequent committee meetings. Once the student, with the counsel

and guidance of the advisor, has selected a thesis problem, a proposal as outlined above will be

prepared for review and approval by the Advisory Committee.

A dissertation that contributes knowledge of importance sufficient to warrant its publication will be

offered by the PhD candidate. Once a student has become familiar with the resources and ongoing

research within the department, the student and major advisor select an area of research and then

proceed to develop a specific proposal. The research proposal must be approved by the student's major

advisor, and then submitted to the Advisory Committee for final review and approval.

Dissertation submission- All theses/ dissertations must be submitted electronically and in hard copies

checked by the Graduate School. Five hard copies of the final copy of the thesis/ dissertation are

generally prepared.

- The PhD degree examination requires submission of dissertation by the candidate, based on the

results of his/her research.

- At list three months before the dissertation is submitted, the candidate shall, through his/her

advisor, give notice of his/her intention to submit the thesis. He/She shall do this in writing to

the Chairperson, Postgraduate Studies Committee, submitting at the same time, the proposed

title and general scope of the work.

- Every dissertation for the PhD degree must be accompanied by declaration by the candidate

stating that it is the candidate’s own original work and that it has neither been submitted nor

concurrently being submitted in any other institution. The dissertation for examination must be

submitted in five copies, one for the graduate program/school, one for the department, one for

the library, one for the major adviser, and one for the student.

- The dissertation shall contain a statement of copyright by the author.

- Every dissertation submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy must be satisfactory with

respect to its format and Literary presentation.

The dissertation must contain an abstract of not more than 350 words, and this shall concisely

indicate the problem investigated, the procedures and research methods employed, the general

results and new contributions made, and the major conclusions reached.

- A PhD candidate may also submit in support of his/her dissertation any relevant publications of

which he/she is the sole or joint author. In case of joint authorship, he/she will be required to

state his/her own contribution to the publication.

2.5.4. Examinations and degree award

The examination process shall comprise two parts, namely (1) Examination of thesis, and (2) Oral

Examination.

- For every PhD candidate, Postgraduate Studies Committee shall appoint, on recommendation

of the relevant Department/Departmental Graduate Committee, at least three qualified examiners

of whom one shall be external to Jimma University College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine.

- The Internal examiners shall be required to submit their report about the thesis within a

maximum period of one month and external examiners a maximum of two months from the

date of receipt. If reports are not received within two months for internal examiners and three

months for external examiners, new examiners shall be appointed. Mailing time and other

constrains will however be taken into account before new examiners are appointed.

- Each examiner shall summarize his/her report about the dissertation with a definite

recommendation for one of the following actions:

The thesis submitted is of an acceptable standard, and that the candidate be allowed to

sit for a viva voice examination before incorporating comments and typographical errors

suggested by examiners.

The Thesis be rejected but may be re-submitted after a further period of research

and/or study ranging from 6-9 months.

The thesis be rejected outright.

- A thesis recommended by examiners for re-writing and re-examination after one re-submission

and re-examination will be rejected.

- Candidates allowed to sit for Viva Voce shall be examined to ascertain that:

The dissertation presented is the original work of the candidate.

The broader subject in which the study is based is fully grasped by the candidate; and.

The weaknesses in the dissertation (if any) can be adequately clarified by the candidate.

The Viva Voce examination panel

A. At the end of viva voce examination which shall normally not exceed three hours, the panel

members shall sign an examination results form, giving specific recommendation for one of the

following actions:

The PhD degree be awarded to the candidate subject to making minor corrections and revisions

in the thesis as detailed in the viva voce proceeding and in the thesis by examiners.

The PhD degree not be awarded due to failure by the candidate to defend the thesis

successfully. The candidate be allowed to re-write and resubmit the thesis for re-examination.

Candidate fails outright (reasons detailed in viva voce proceedings).

B. The Chairperson of the viva voce panel shall submit to Postgraduate Studies committee the

recommendation of the panel and a comprehensive report approved by the oral panelists detailing

all the questions addressed to the candidate and the answers given to those questions.

C. The candidate shall be required to submit five corrected hard bound copies of the thesis within two

months after viva voce, upon submission and error free certificate will be issued by the

Postgraduate Studies Committee. Failure to submit the corrected copies within two months

without compelling reasons will mean discontinuation from studies.

D. The Final decision on the award of the PhD degree shall be made by Postgraduate Studies

Committee.

2.6. Assessment and Evaluation Methods

Teaching and learning methods are based on the competence based education approach. The

instructors will look for the optimal combination of methods in order for students to acquire the

necessary competencies. This can include class room lectures, group discussions, field and laboratory

practical activities, field visits, project assignments/term papers, seminar/presentations, self-study etc.

Course assessment - Course assessment consists of continuous and final assessment; the students will

be assessed using a variety of assessment methods, ranging from presentations, theory tests, practical

reports, reflection reports, and case studies. The combination of methods will assess whether the

students gained the competencies required in the labor market. Grading of students’ performances will

be through the scaling system and student’s academic standing in each course is graded as A, B, and C

according to his/her performance while all non-credited courses will be evaluated as

satisfactory/unsatisfactory.

Thesis assessment - Research work, compiled into thesis at the end, will be supervised by an advisor and

co-advisor. Progress in research and thesis work will be evaluated at the end of each semester. At the

end of his/her study, the student must defend his/her thesis in an oral examination administered by

appointed thesis defense examination committee. The open thesis defense shall be held at JUCAVM in

the presence of well reputed external and internal examiners in the field of the research undertaken.

Program Evaluation- The curriculum and the PhD program in particular shall be critically evaluated and

refined at regular intervals with the active involvement of the major stakeholders vis-à-vis alumni,

students, employers, staff, Higher Education Relevance and Quality Agency (HERQA) and the different

segments of the society at large.

2.7. Graduation Requirements

A student is required to take a minimum of 13 credit hours of which the major courses should cover a

minimum of nine (9) credits while the rest can be from minor/elective courses. The student must obtain

at least a “B” grade in all courses. A student has to produce also a copy of at least one published paper

or accepted research article from the doctoral thesis research on a reputable journal. A student,

however, should complete his/her PhD thesis research work and defend successfully. The prospective

graduate must fully satisfy the academic rules and regulations of the University set for graduation of

graduate students.

2.8. Duration of the Study

The PhD training in Horticulture is a three years study that consists of course work and thesis research.

The minimum residential requirement for the PhD program shall be two years. However, the maximum

period within which the student will have to finish his or her study will not be more than five years from

the date of admission. The date on which the thesis is submitted shall be taken as the date for the

purpose of calculating the maximum time limit prescribed. However, for reasons beyond the capacity of

the student, an extension of up to one semester can be allowed after approval of the academic

commission. All requests for extension should be received in written through the PG school three

months in advance of the last date from submission of thesis.

2.9. Degree Naming

Doctoral Degree in Horticulture

Amharic version “Ê¡ƒ_ƒ Ç=Ó] uJ`+"M†`”

2.10. Quality Assurance and Program Evaluation Quality assurance entails the systematic, structured and continuous attention given to the maintenance

and improvement of the quality of the program. It is a measure of the value of what we do and the

system of benchmarks that we use to make sure those standards are maintained and improved where

possible on a continuous basis. Quality assurance aims to meet and keep to accepted standards of

excellence, and is essential to maintain the reputation of the institution in general and the department

in particular.

Generally quality is assured through various mechanisms including having well qualified teaching staff in

terms of the mix of qualifications and experience. In addition, the quality of teaching can be assured

through making available suitable reference books and text books, teaching materials, laboratory

manuals, better laboratory facilities, access to internet and computer services. The department will

employ appropriate teaching, learning and assessment methods to ensure effective implementation of

its programs.

The college also has internal quality audit team, which monitors the standards of the exams. Open thesis

defense is examined by examination board composed of an external examiner, internal examiner and

chair person appointed by the graduate program council. Regular evaluation takes place to evaluate the

quality of the course content and the teaching staff and to see what needs to be revised or improved.

Involved in this evaluation are students and teaching staff. In the near future alumni and stakeholders

from the labor market will participate as well.

2.11. List of Courses

The Ph.D. curriculum requires that all students take a series of lecture, seminar, and laboratory courses

that develop a breadth of understanding of basic principles within their area of emphasis. The students

will be required to take a minimum of 13 credit hours of course work (including core courses and

elective courses).

2.11.1. Required Courses

Course Code Course Title Cr. hrs

HORT 701 Biometrical Tools for Data Analysis 3 (2+1)

HORT 702 Advanced Physiology of Horticultural Crops 3 (2+1)

HORT 711 Scientific Paper Writing 2 (1+1)

HORT 712 Graduate Seminar on Current Topics in Horticulture 1 (1+0)

Total 9 (6+3)

2.11.2. Elective Courses

Elective courses will carry a minimum load of four credit hours. Based on the students’ training

background and the PhD research to be handled, most of the time students experience difficulties

to find the right (relevant) course/s among those given in the PhD curriculum. To alleviate such

problem, it is suggested the students to be allowed to choose and take courses from graduate

study programs (MSc and / or PhD courses) within the host department, and sister departments

such as Postharvest Management and others (i.e., in addition to the ones indicated under the

elective courses list in this document). To avoid unforeseen communication gaps among the

various offices (responsible bodies), a recommendation/approval (in written form) for the

selection of such course/s has to be made by the Advisory Committee of the student, and

communicated to the Graduate Council of the department and Head of the host department

(HOD). The approved elective course/s list has to also be formally communicated (through

HOD) to the College registrar as this will ease registration process.

Elective Courses*

Course Code Course Title Cr. hrs

PLAG 731 Soil-Water-Plant Relationships (E) 2 (1+1)

HORT 721 Applied Plant Biotechnology (E) 2 (1+1)

HORT 722 Integrated Pest Management of Horticultural Crops (E) 2 (1+1)

HORT 732 Advanced Processing of fruits and vegetables (E) 2 (1+1)

Total 4(2+2)

* In consultation with their advisers, students may also be allowed to choose relevant elective course/s

from the graduate programs (MSc and/or PhD) of related disciplines within the host department and or

sister departments within JUCAVM.

2.11.3. Bridging Courses

With a recommendation of the Advisory Committee (and the Graduate Council of the

department), the student may be required to take a bridging course/s to fill his/her knowledge and

skill gaps. Any deficiencies identified by the Advisory Committee in the student’s background

course work, should therefore be detailed and communicated (in writing) to the Graduate

Council, and Head of the host department, and must be made up (deficiencies filled) before the

student is allowed to start his/her PhD research.

Students with non-horticulture training background should take bridging courses (which would

include Plant/Crop Physiology, and production courses of the major horticultural crops:

Vegetables, Fruits, Coffee, Tea and Spices, and Floriculture) so as to fill knowledge and skill

gaps in the areas of basic horticulture. The student therefore needs to clear/take the identified

bridging course/s before he or she enrolls for the core and elective courses recommended for

those joining the PhD in Horticulture program. Such course/s should be taken through strict class

attendance and assessment.

2.12. Semesterial Course Distribution

Year I Semester I

Course Code Course Title Cr. hrs

HORT 701 Biometrical Tools for Data Analysis 3 (2+1)

HORT 711 Scientific Paper Writing 2 (1+1)

PLAG 731 Soil-Water-Plant Relationships (E) 2 (1+1)

HORT 721 Applied Plant Biotechnology (E) 2 (1+1)

Semester Total 7 (4+3)

Year I Semester II

Course Code Course Title Cr. hrs

HORT 702 Advanced Physiology of Horticultural Crops 3 (2+1)

HORT 712 Graduate Seminar on Current Topics in Horticulture 1 (1+0)

HORT 722 Integrated Pest Management of Horticultural Crops (E) 2 (1+1)

HORT 732 Advanced Processing of fruits and vegetables (E) 2(1+1)

HORT 742 Thesis Work ((Doctoral Dissertation – proposal writing) 3(0+3)

Semester Total 9 (4+5)

Year II (Semester I and II)

Course No. Course Title Cr. Hrs

HORT 742 Thesis Work (Doctoral Dissertation) 12

Total 12

Year III (Semester I and II)

Course No. Course Title Cr. Hrs

HORT 742 Thesis Work (Doctoral Dissertation) 15

Total 15