1. SCHOOL OF POSTGRADUATE STUDIES, UNIVERSITYOF NIGERIA, NSUKKA
IMPORTANCE OF ADHERENCE TO THE POSTGRADUATE STUDIES REGULATIONS AND TIME-TABLE OF EVENTS OF THE SCHOOL OF POSTGRADUATE STUDIES
BEING A PAPER PRESENTED AT THE ORIENTATION FOR POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS ADMITTED IN THE 2016/2017 ACADEMIC SESSION BY
MR. T. UGWUEZE,
DEPUTY REGISTRAR AND SECRETARY,
SCHOOL OF POSTGRADUATE STUDIES, UNIVERSITYOF NIGERIA, NSUKKA

2. INTRODUCTION
The University of Nigeria ranks among the first generation universities in the country that are required to enrol postgraduate and undergraduate students at the ratio of 60:40, respectively, and has been designated a research university. This presupposes that postgraduate studies should be top priority of the university, and that research should focus on national development. The University Administration is taking steps to reposition the postgraduate programmes of the University for Global Competitiveness. In pursuit of this objective, the School of Postgraduate Studies considered it needful and appropriate to organise orientation for all postgraduate students admitted in the 2016/2017 academic session. It is also planned that the orientation will be a regular annual event of the School of Postgraduate Studies.

3. Orientation is an enlightenment effort which is expected to guide and motivate fresh postgraduate students to perform at the expected highest level in learning and research. The purpose being, among others, to minimize cases of delays in graduation, failures and mistakes due to lack of information and proper mentoring.
The School also draws up Time-Table of Events which specifies her activities for the session and dates of the events. The Time-Table of Events is meant to ensure that all who have roles to play in postgraduate studies have enough information on the activities of the School of Postgraduate Studies.

4. THE ROLE OF THE SCHOOL OF POSTGRADUATE STUDIES
The proposal of the Senate Postgraduate Studies Committee for the establishment of the School of Postgraduate Studies in the University of Nigeria was approved by Senate at its 104th meeting held on May 27, The School was established to assume the traditional role of superintending over research activities in the university, and to co- ordinate and facilitate the prosecution of the postgraduate programmes of the University. Among other functions, the School as a quality control unit, monitors the implementation of the postgraduate regulations of the University by the faculties, Departments and other academic units and individuals involved in the running of postgraduate programmes in order to ensure the output of highly qualified manpower for other tertiary institutions, research institutes and industries within and outside Nigeria.

5. VISSION AND MISSION STATEMENTS
From the time postgraduate studies in the University were run by the Postgraduate Committee of senate, and since the inception of the School of Postgraduate Studies as a semi-autonomous unit, Senate has approved several postgraduate studies regulations as recommended by the Board of the School. The regulations are meant to help in facilitating the realisation of the Vision and Mission Statements of the School of Postgraduate Studies.
Vision Statement: ‘Through research and innovation to become a globally reputed first rate School of Postgraduate Studies’.
Mission Statement: ‘To attract, educate, train 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’.

6. POSTGRADUATE STUDIES REGULATIONS
The Postgraduate Studies Regulations of the University of Nigeria is a book which contains a systematic documentation of all the senate approved guidelines for running the approved postgraduate programmes of the University. Faculties, Departments, Institutes and Centres in the University offer a wide range of postgraduate programmes leading to the award of Postgraduate Diplomas, Master’s degrees and Doctorate degrees. The Regulations also contain the guidelines for the award of higher doctorate degrees such as D.Sc., D.Litt., etc. The provisions of the Regulations specify the general guidelines for handling all issues of postgraduate studies and the role of every key player in the implementation of the Regulations, namely Faculties, Departments, Institutes/Centres, Supervisors, External Examiners, School of Postgraduate Studies, students, etc.

7. THE REVISED POSTGRADUATE STUDIES REGULATIONS 2015
The first edition of the Postgraduate Studies Regulations was published in the 1992/93 academic session. Attempts made to revise the regulations since that time were not realised until 2015 when the Second edition was put into circulation. The revised regulations provide guidelines to all who are involved in the running of postgraduate programmes to ensure that students complete their programmes satisfactorily in the shortest time possible. The regulations aim at increasing the scope of the research skills of students and their research output in line with the national research policy. The revised Postgraduate Studies Regulations also contains the National Universities Commission’s Benchmark Academic Standards (BMAS) for Postgraduate Studies in Nigerian Universities.

8. CONTENTS OF POSTGRADUATE REGULATIONS
Postgraduate Regulations contain, among others, matters relating to the following:
Membership of the Board and Functions of the School
Method of Application for Postgraduate Admission
Registration Process
Examination Process
Others including: Attendance at Seminars and Lectures, Change in Postgraduate Programme, Channel of Communication, Preparation of Copies of Project/Thesis, Guidelines for Evaluation of Departmental Preparedness to Mount Postgraduate Programmes, General Guidelines for Assessment of Project/Thesis, Grading System for Programmes, Nullification of Examination, Nomination and Appointment of Internal and External Examiners, etc.

9. ISSUES IN POSTGRADUATE STUDIES
ADMISSION AND REGISTRATION
Entry Requirements: These are clearly stated in the Regulations and in the advertisement for postgraduate admissions.
Provisional Admission: Postgraduate admission is provisional because the University shall withdraw admission if it is found any time in the programme that the student do not possess any of the qualifications on the basis of which the admission was offered.
Ph.D. admission: In the new NUC guideline, Master’s degree with GPA or 60% average is required for admission into the Ph.D. programme of the following Faculties and Departments: Faculties of Education, Medical Sciences and Business Administration, and Departments of Music, Economics, Public Administration and Local Government and Psychology. For other Faculties/Departments the requirement for Ph.D. admission remains Master’s degree GPA of 3.50 on 5 point scale or 3.00 on 4-point scale.

10. Modes of Registration: Students can register for full-time, part-time or sandwich programme. Note that for PGD, a student can only register for full-time or sandwich programme.
Mode of Study: For PGD and Master’s degree it is coursework and project, and for Ph.D. it is coursework and thesis. Project and thesis shall be orally defended with External Examiner participating.
Renewal of Registration: Every postgraduate student shall continue to renew his/her registration at the beginning of every academic session until he/she graduates. Hence, a student is required to pay the fees for every new session.
Duration of Programme and Minimum Residential Requirement: There are minimum and maximum duration for each postgraduate programme. The minimum duration is the Minimum Residential Requirement.

11. EXAMINATIONS
Examination Fees: The examination fees to be paid by Master’s and Ph.D. students have been removed from the session fees. The examination fee is now to be paid at the point of entry into examination.
Minimum Pass Grade: The minimum pass grade for all postgraduate courses and project is 50% or “C” grade. In all postgraduate courses and project, grades D, E. And F are fail grades.
The GPA required for the award of Master’s degree is 3.00.
PhD thesis oral examination remains either pass or fail. However, the examiners usually assign grade to a thesis after PhD oral examination, and this is used to determine those to be awarded prizes. A PhD student is expected to make at least an average of 50% in the PhD coursework.
Completion Form or Form for Entry into Examination: Three months to the end of the programme, the student shall complete and submit form for Entry into Examination (SPGS Form 6).

12. The Supervisor and the Head of Department shall certify that the candidate has completed the required coursework and project/thesis. In the case of PhD, with effect from 2015/2016 session, the candidate shall also be required to have attended at least one national or international conference, published in at least one national or international journal and has completed the minimum period of study. The Bursar shall certify that the candidate has fulfilled the financial regulation of the University. Submission of duly completed completion form signifies the end of the programme and end of payment of fees.

13. Attendance at Lecture and Seminar: For all postgraduate students, attendance at seminars and lectures is mandatory. 70% attendance at lecture is also mandatory for students who have registered for taught courses.
Approval of Title of Thesis: Before oral PhD examination is conducted, the title of thesis must have been approved by Senate.
Oral Examination of PhD Thesis: Regulation 39 (iii) provides, among others conditions, that for a PhD thesis to be approved, at least an acceptance letter in any Impact Factor Indexed Journal approved by the University for promotion is required. In addition, the student shall show evidence of attendance and presentation of a paper in a national or international conference in his/her field.
Missing Examination: Any student who misses coursework examination shall re-register the course and retake the examination at the next opportunity. If a student misses project report examination he or she shall wait till the next opportunity, or bear the full cost of the examination.

14. Postgraduate Diploma Programme: The classes of pass in Postgraduate Diploma are – Distinction, Credit and Merit. Ordinary ‘PASS’ in Postgraduate Diploma is no longer being awarded.
Correction of Project/Thesis: This shall be done within 90 days from the dated of the examination (p. 51) without which the student will be required to pay fees for the session and re-present his or her work for oral examination.
Resit Examination: There is no supplementary examination. Any student who fails a course/project/thesis examination shall re-register it, run it for at least one semester, and thereafter be examined in it again.
Delayed Examination of Research work (Section 34)
Review of Examination Script/Project/Thesis: A student aggrieved about the grading of his/her examination script, project or thesis may petition the Dean, School of Postgraduate Studies for appropriate action (Section 54).
Plagiarism Test: Plagiarism test shall be run on the project or thesis before approval.

15. OTHER ISSUES
Repetition of Courses Passed with low Grade: This is not allowed.
Re-registration and Repetition of Programme: A Master’s student who makes a GPA below 3.0 may be allowed, on application, to re-register and repeat the programme.
Withdrawal from Programme:
Academic reason.
Disciplinary withdrawal.
Voluntary withdrawal.
Health ground.
Channel of Communication to the School of Postgraduate Studies: All matters of postgraduate studies, including applications for change in postgraduate programme coming from a postgraduate student 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 their respective Departmental and Faculty Postgraduate Studies Committees for appropriate action.

16. REVISED TIME TABLE OF EVENTS OF THE SCHOOL OF POSTGRADUATE STUDIES 2016/2017
The Time-Table of Events is produced every session by the Time-Table of Events Committee of the School of Postgraduate Studies to give guidance to the activities of the School for the period. The date of every event is stated in the Time-Table of Events to facilitate their implementation by the students, Departments, Faculties and other University functional concerned.
The events listed in the Time-Table of Events includes among others the following:
Time registration starts and ends.
Time lectures begin and end.
Time for revision.
Dates semester Examinations start and end.

17. Also indicated in the Time-Table of Events:
Dates of Founders Day Ceremonies, Matriculation and Convocation ceremonies.
Date of the meetings of the Board of the School of Postgraduate Studies.
Period of sale of Application forms for Postgraduate Admissions.
Time of Admission Screening Test.
Period of sandwich programme.
Copies of the Time-Table of Events were sent to the Departments, Faculties, Institutes and Centres. It is also uploaded in the University Website where it can be viewed by all students and other members of the University Community.

18. REFERENCES Onyegegbu, S. O
REFERENCES Onyegegbu, S.O. “Remarks on the concept of the 2006 School of Postgraduate Studies Distinguish Lecture” June 27,2006. Revised Postgraduate Studies Regulations, School of Postgraduate Studies 2015, University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Onyegegbu, S.O. & Otagburuagu , E.J. “Research and National Development”, in Proceedings of the 2004 Distinguished Lecture of the School of Postgraduate Studies, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, April 27.

19. THANK YOU