Programme purpose
The purpose of the PhD in Plant Breeding and Biotechnology programme is to produce scientists who meet the human resource crop improvement and related discipline needs of the public and private sector. The graduates of this programme will provide training as well as lead scientific development agenda of their countries. This purpose will be fulfilled through research and educational programmes that link advances in fundamental and applied biological sciences to contemporary agricultural development challenges.
Program Outcomes
- Graduates of the PhD PBB program will function within the region in leadership positions in public and private crop improvement programs and universities.
- Graduates will participate in and promote multi-country, multi-disciplinary research teams focused on generating solutions to barriers in agricultural development.
- New varieties and other innovations will be produced which meet the preferences and needs of farmers, consumers, and other value-chain actors, leading to strong adoption and greater food, nutrition and income security, thus stimulating rural and national prosperity.
- National capacities to train own scientists and development practitioners will be enhanced in the short term at the MSc level and in the mid-to-long term at the PhD level
- The region’s capacity to use advances in science for development will be enhanced, including emerging knowledge areas there by permitting the region to benefit and be part of the new knowledge-based economy.
Employment Prospects
In order to achieve the potential of improved varieties to enhance food security and spur general economic development in SSA, there is need for many more plant breeders than are currently present in the region (Bythe, 2005). For many major crops in many countries in SSA, there is only one plant breeder, often below the PhD level. In many cases, one breeder is responsible for two or more crops. For each major crop, the minimum desirable level would be at least two PhD breeders, four MSc breeders, and several BSc assistants. Regarding the potential for employment, those graduates from the PhD PBB program who have not been in continuing employment with study leave have almost all been employed within a short period after completion, if not before. Major employers have been national research programs, universities, international agricultural research institutes, and seed companies. National and international investment in public institutions to promote agricultural development is expected to continue at a significant level because both national governments and the international community recognize that agricultural development in SSA is essential for food production to supply the world population, and to avoid political and social instability in SSA that would have significant negative repercussions throughout the world. In addition, seed companies are expanding rapidly in SSA, creating employment in the commercial sector.
Core competencies for PhD plant breeding graduates Most Critical Scientific and Technical Competencies
- Strong knowledge of plant breeding processes and methods
- Able to set product targets and breeding objectives
- Strong knowledge of plant genetics to enable assembly of useful genetic diversity
- Strong knowledge of reproductive biology
- Able to examine/evaluate propagation systems for major African crops
- Can apply quantitative reasoning, selection theory, breeding methods, and computational skills to design, evaluate and optimize breeding pipelines
- Able to design, conduct, and analyze experiments to obtain quality phenotypic data
- Strong data collection skills
- Strong data management skills
- Can apply key applications of molecular markers
Key Knowledge Areas
Knowledge areas and course(s)to provide the knowledgeSN
Knowledge Area
Description
Course Implemented
Semester 1
Semester 2
1.
KA-1
Cultivar Development
CRS 9104 Advanced Plant Breeding CRS 9108 Plant Genetic Resources and Development
CRS 9204 Molecular Plant Breeding
2.
KA-2
Practical Skills
CRS 9104 Advanced Plant Breeding
CRS 9209 Molecular Plant Breeding
3.
KA-3
Genetics
CRS 9201 Quantitative Genetics
4.
KA-4
Biotechnology, Bioinformatics; Genomics
CRS 9102 Advanced Molecular Biology and Biotechnology
CRS 9203 Bioinformatics and Functional Genomics
5.
KA-5
Agronomy, Physiology
CRS 9109 Agronomy & Crop Physiology
6.
KA-6
Plant Protection
CRS 9105 Plant Protection
CRS 9204 Advanced Insect Pest Management System
7.
KA-7
Quantitative Methods
CRS 9103 Applied Agricultural Statistics &Research Methods
8.
KA-8
Social Research Methods
9.
KA-9
Scientific Writing & Presentation
CRS 9208 Graduates Seminars & Scientific Writing
10.
KA-10
Seed Science & Technology
CRS 9210 Seed Science and Seed Systems
11.
KA-11
Regulations & Intellectual Property
CRS 9212 Legal and Regulatory Issues in Agriculture
12.
KA-12
Planning/Leadership
ARI 9102 Programme Development and Evaluation
ABM 9202 Agricultural Food Marketing & Management ARI 9205 Personal Mastery & Soft Skills
Total Credit Units
65 (including 20 research credit units)
23
22
CONDUCT OF THE PROGRAM
The programme will be hosted in the Department of Agricultural Production which is located in the School of Agricultural Sciences building.
Nature of the programme
Full Time (day)
The PhD in Plant Breeding and Biotechnology shall be constituted by course work and research leading to writing a thesis and will be implemented over minimum of three years covering a total of 6 semesters.Target group
Individuals wanting PhD level training in plant breeding who have a MSc in appropriate discipline from a recognized credible institution in a relevant subject area
Admission into the program is competitive. Makerere University being a research-led university focuses on the quality of its output. Based on the human, physical and other resources, the PhD in Plant Breeding and Biotechnology will enroll at least 15 students per intake.Duration of program
The PhD degree program follows Plan A system over a minimum period of THREE YEAR (3) and a Maximum of FIVE (5) YEARS
Designation of the Award: PhD in Plant Breeding and Biotechnology
Designation of the Award
PhD in Plant Breeding and Biotechnology
Tuition fees
The tuition fees anticipated based on an intake of 15 students made up of 10 from the East African Community and 5 international students is in Table 3 below
REGULATIONS (PLEASE REFER TO THE GRADUATE STUDIES HANDBOOK)
The general regulations for Makerere University and for the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences will apply.
Admission Requirements
The general regulations for Makerere University and also for the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences will apply where appropriate. An MSc in Plant Breeding or reverent Msc degree in plant sciences or closely aligned subject area from a recognized university is required. Admission into the program is competitive. Makerere University being a research-led university focuses on the quality of its output. Based on the human, physical and other resources, the PhD in Plant Breeding and Biotechnology will typically be limited to 15 students per intake.
Course categorization
Coursework
Candidates will be required to take all core courses for PBB and electives recommended by the student’s doctoral committee as established under the Makerere University School of Graduate Studies Guidelines for Doctoral Committees. The courses required of a specific student will depend on their theoretical background, but must meet the graduation requirements. These graduation requirements for PhD PBB students include:
1. Satisfactory completion of a minimum of 65 Credit Units of which some are compulsoryand some are chosen from the approved list of PhD PBB elective courses.
2. Course work should generally be completed during the first year. Year 2-4 are reserved forresearch and thesis writing.
3. All students will be required to attend CAES seminars and scientific activities.3.2.2 Assessment of courses
(a) Each course shall be assessed on the basis of 100% total marks with proportions as follows: Course work – 40%, written examination – 60%.
(b)Course work shall consist of laboratory work and progressive assessment (assignments/tests) each component assessed at 20%.
(c) For a course without laboratory work, progressive assessment shall carry 40% (d) A minimum of four coursework assignments shall be required per course.
(e) A grade point system (Table 1) below will be used to grade courses.All coursework is graded out of 40% while the end-of-semester examinations account for 60% of the overall mark.
Grading system for the programme
Marks
Letter Grade
Grade point
90-100
A+
5.0
80-89.9
A
5.0
75-79.9
B+
4.5
70-74.9
B
4.0
65-69.9
C+
3.5
60-64.9
C
3.0
Below 60
Fail
0
(b) These additional letters shall be used where appropriate W- Withdrawn from course
I – Incomplete
(c) The pass grade point per course is 3.0
(d) No credit unit shall be awarded for any course in which a student fails.Progression
Progression through the course shall be assessed in one of three categories
Normal Progression
This occurs when a student passes all courses taken
Probationary
This is a warning and occurs if:
a) A student fails a core/compulsory course, or
b) A student who obtains a grade point average (GPA) or a cumulative grade pointaverage (CGPA) of less than 3.0
Discontinuation
A student shall be discontinued from the programme for one of the following reasons: a) Receiving two probations on the same core/compulsory course
b) Receiving two consecutive probations based on GPA or CGPARetaking a course
There shall be no supplementary examination in any course of the programme. However, a student may retake any course when it is offered again in order to:
(a) Pass if the student had failed it before.
(b) Improve the grade if the first pass grade was low.
(c) A student who does not wish to retake a failed course shall be allowed to take asubstitute elective.
Graduation requirements
The degree of Doctor of philosophy in Plant Breeding and Biotechnology shall be awarded to a candidate who satisfies both conditions below
(a) An accumulated minimum of 65 courses credit units (b) A successful defence of a thesis.
ROGRAMME STRUCTURE
Course Structure for PhD Plant Breeding and BiotechnologyCOURSE CODES
COURSE NAME
LH
PH
CH
CU
YEAR 1 SEM 1
CORE
CRS 9102
Advanced Molecular Biology and Genetics II
45
30
60
4
CRS 9103
Applied Agricultural Statistics and Research Methods
60
30
75
5
CRS 9104
Advanced Plant Breeding
60
30
75
5
CRS 9106
Molecular Plant Microbe Interactions II
30
30
45
3
Year 1 Sem 1 Core Credits
17
Elective (at least 2)
6
ARI 9102
Program Development and Evaluation
30
30
45
3
CRS 9108
Plant Genetic Resources and Development
30
30
45
3
CRS 9109
Agronomy and Crop Physiology
30
30
45
3
CRS 9105
Plant Protection
30
30
45
3
Year 1 Sem 1 Total Credits
23
YEAR 1 SEM 2
CORE
CRS 9201
Quantitative Genetics
60
30
75
5
CRS 9208
Graduate Seminars and Scientific Writing
30
30
45
3
CRS 9203
Bioinformatics and Functional Genomics
45
30
60
4
CRS 9209
Molecular Plant Breeding
45
30
60
4
CRS 9210
Seed Science and Seed Systems
30
30
45
3
Year 1 Sem 2 Core Credits
19
Elective (at least 1)
3
ABM 9202
Agricultural Food Marketing & Management
30
30
45
3
ARI 9205
Personal Mastery and Soft Skills
40
10
45
3
CRS 9204
Advanced Insect Pest Management Systems
30
30
45
3
CRS 9211
Legal and Regulatory Issues in Agriculture
30
30
45
3
Year 1 Sem 2 Credits
22
Year 1 Course Credits
45
YEAR 2 – onwards
CRS 9207 Semester I
Dissertation (Research)
10
Proposal Writing 20 80
4
Seminar Series 1 10 40
2
Thesis and Independent Study 1 0 120
4
Semester II
Dissertation (Research)
10
Thesis Writing 20 80
4
Seminar Series 1I 10 40
2
Thesis and Independent Study II 0 120
4
Total Minimum Credit Units Required
65