Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University

Postgraduate work in the University began in the 1990/91 session. Admission and administrative aspects of postgraduate studies were handled by a Postgraduate Committee constituted by the University Senate. After the third Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Abubakar Sani Sambo, has vigorously pursued the matter with the National Universities Commission and obtained a formal approval for its establishment, the Postgraduate School was established in September 1996. The Postgraduate School offers a wide range of advanced postgraduate courses and opportunities for research in various fields of science and technology. Both full-time and part-time courses are offered by either course-work and research or research alone. The University offers an opportunity for postgraduate students to put their scientific and technological training into practice. With the establishment of the Postgraduate School , the scope and quality of students' these and project reports have been tremendously augmented and enriched. Postgraduate courses are reviewed and developed continually to ensure that the University responds to the changing needs of the world in which we live. The objective of the Postgraduate School is, therefore, to provide teaching, research and community services rendered through a University that is internationally competitive, locally sensitive and overall excellent.

•  ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

The following are eligible to apply for admission into the various postgraduate programmes of the University.

•  Postgraduate Diploma (PGD)

•  Graduates of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University or other recognized Universities with at least Second Class Honours Degree.

•  Holders of any other qualifications together with relevant field experience as deemed acceptable to the University.

•  Master Degree

(i) Graduates of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University who have obtained the approved first degree with at least Second Class Honours or its equivalent; or candidates with University Honours Degree and appropriate Postgraduate Diploma of the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University or other recognized Universities with at least a credit level pass.

(ii) Candidates whose degrees are unclassified with an average of C or above

•  Candidates who possess Higher National Diploma with at least a credit pass from recognized institutions and at least a credit pass of Postgraduate Diploma of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University in the relevant areas.

•  Candidates may be required to sit for a qualifying examination either before approval of registration or at an appropriate stage of their course work or research.

•  Master of Philosophy (M.Phil) and Masters by Research Degrees

•  Graduates of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University or other recognized Institutions who have obtained the approved first degree with at least Second Class Honors (Upper Division)
•  A god Second Class Honors Degree plus a considerable relevant industrial experience.

•  Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) Degree

•  Graduates of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University who hold Masters Degree appropriate for the proposed areas of study

•  Graduates of other recognized Universities who hold higher degrees conducted by the University to be equivalent to 9 (d) (i).

•  Candidates for the Ph.D programme may be required to pass a qualifying examination and/or undergo a probationary period not exceeding 12 calendar months.

•  METHOD OF APPLICATION

•  The Postgraduate School at Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University is interested in educating individuals who have shown by their past academic accomplishments, a high level of intellectual development. To protect its scholarship and character standards, the University reserves the right to deny admission to any candidate at any time for any reason deemed sufficient by the University to warrant such action

•  Applicants for admission into postgraduate programmes should follow the following method of application:

•  Application forms for admission into programmes leading to higher degrees or postgraduate diploma should be obtained from the Secretary, Postgraduate School on payment of the prescribed application fee. Completed application forms, together with copies of relevant certificates, should be returned to the Secretary, Postgraduate School . It is the responsibility of the candidate to ensure that the 3 referees and his/her former institution send the confidential reports and academic transcripts respectively directly to the Secretary, Postgraduate School . The Postgraduate School will then forward the application form of each candidate to the Dean of the relevant School for consideration and recommendation to the Board of Postgraduate School.

•  Candidates for regular Postgraduate Diploma and Masters Degree Programmes will be considered for admission once in an academic session (normally in October or the beginning of the first semester), while Ph.D and research candidates will be considered twice in a session (at the beginning of the first and second semesters; normally October and April respectively).

•  Applications for the first semester postgraduate admission should reach the Postgraduate School not later than 30 th July of the same year. Applications for Ph.D and research admissions received between August and December will be processed against the second semester admission.

•  The Board of Postgraduate School will normally meet twice in a session to solely consider admissions, while other meetings of the Board would normally be for consideration of other matters connected with the Postgraduate Programmes.

•  Any request by candidates for change of programme of study, degree in view field of study, etc, must reach the Secretary, Postgraduate School before the last date for submission of completed forms.

•  QUALIFYING EXAMINATIONS AND REMEDIAL COURSES

•  Whenever necessary, a candidate may be required to sit for a qualifying examination either before approval of his/her registration or at an appropriate stage of the course work or research. Similarly, remedial courses designed to make up the background of the candidate towards the proper study of a higher degree may be organized for the candidate.

•  The total workload for remedial courses to be offered by a postgraduate student should not exceed 20 credit units. Candidates requiring remedial courses exceeding 20 credit units shall not be admitted into the respective postgraduate programme of study. Rather, the School concerned shall draw up an appropriate postgraduate diploma to take care of the remedial work (non-credit courses) required before admitting such candidates. The candidate's admission shall remain provisional unit he/she passes the prescribed qualifying/remedial examinations with at least a C grade.

•  Candidates shall register for the remedial courses at the beginning of the first year of their admission. The results of the remedial examination shall be submitted to the Postgraduate School for inclusion in the candidate's transcripts but not for computing his/her CGPA

•  A candidate who fails to obtain a grade of C or above in a remedial course shall be required to withdraw from the programme if on a second attempt he/she fails to obtain the required pass grade.

•  REGISTRATION

•  Upon acceptance of the offer of provisional admission, each candidate must register for courses during the official registration period, normally at the beginning of the session. Candidates who register late shall pay the approved late registration fee

•  Candidates offered admission may register on payment of appropriate fees and production of the originals of the certificates claimed in their applications. Payment of fees and certificate clearance involve all candidates irrespective of their employers and which institution they had graduated from, respectively. If it is discovered at any point of the course of studies that the candidate does not possess either the entry qualification for the course of study or the qualifications claimed in the application form, the candidate will be withdrawn.

•  The candidate's broad field of research shall be required for the purpose of registration in the first instance. The specific title of research shall, however, be made available to the Postgraduate School and Senate by the candidate's Programme during or after course work

•  The Secretary of Postgraduate School will distribute registration materials to both new and returning students during the registration period.

•  Students entering the University for the first time and those returning after an absence of one or more semesters must complete the medical forms after undergoing a medical examination. Failure to submit the forms on time may result in the student registering during the late registration period thereby paying the prescribed late registration fee.

•  The University reserves the right to deny registration to any prospective student who in the judgement of the officials of the Medical Centre, is suffering from a condition of illness that would be inimical to the health of others.

•  A postgraduate student may register for and prosecute only one postgraduate programme of the University at any one given time.

•  New Postgraduate Diploma and Masters candidates shall register not later than one month from the commencement of the first semester of the academic session. The offer will lapse if the candidate fails to register by this deadline.

•  Only new Ph.D and research candidates may be allowed to register at the commencement of either semesters but in any case not later than one month from the beginning of the semester.

•  A candidate may register on either a full-time basis or part-time basis

•  A full-time candidate engaged in any work other than an advanced study must submit the details of such work through the Programme and School's Postgraduate Committees to the Board of Postgraduate School which shall recommend to Senate the minimum period to be prescribed for the candidate's study. Where a candidate is engaged in work other than advanced study for more than 18 hours in a week, or is engaged in full employment, he/she shall register as a part-time candidate.