About Programme: 

The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) programme involves a 3 –year thesis/ research work into a problem in the area of specialisation. There is no course work for PhD students but where necessary, a student may be required to take some prescribed courses at the masters’ level.  Students at this level start the thesis/ research work from the first year and are expected to complete after 3 years before the  award of a PhD Degree.

Rationale

Fisheries play a very important role in the economy of Ghana. Currently, it employs about three million people and contributes 2.6% of gross domestic product. Recent monitoring information indicates that the fisheries are in a state of decline which calls for urgent management actions to reverse the trend. National institutions mandated to oversee development and management of the sector are constrained by a shortfall in high level personnel to direct and undertake research on the multispecies fishery of the country. The PhD programme in fisheries science is therefore meant to enhance the research and analytical skills of the students through long term studies on selected fish and shellfish species to generate information for sustainable management of the fishery. 

PhD Programme Structure

Candidates admitted with Bachelor’s degree and/or a taught Master’s degree (e.g., MSc) will pursue a 4-year PhD programme; candidates admitted with research-based Master’s degree (e.g. MPhil) will pursue a 3-year PhD programme.

PhD programmes are offered only in full-time mode. The periods of study are as follows:

*This applies only to candidates admitted with Bachelor’s degree for 4-year PhD programme; they will be required to take courses on discipline-specific knowledge and research skills. Candidates admitted with a taught Master’s degree will undertake 4-year research.

Supervisors may recommend appropriate courses to equip students for their research work and thesis writing. Candidates for 3-year PhD programme may be recommended to audit requisite courses.

The total credit load for each PhD programme is as follows:

*Total credit for candidates admitted with MPhil (3-year PhD) will be 90.

Entry Requirements: 

Candidates applying for admission into the PhD Fisheries Science programme must hold a good research-based Master’s degree in Fisheries Science, Biology or any related field of study

Target Group

• Master’s degree holders in Fisheries Science, Biology and related fields
• Professionals  in the fishing industry: both government and private 

Expected Output

• Trained high-level manpower for teaching, research and extension in tertiary and other research institutions.
• High-level personnel with managerial capacities in the fishing industry and related fields produced.

Progression Requirements

• Students pursuing 4-year PhD must pass all required course work (grade C minimum)
• All students should present their research proposals successfully in a seminar  
• All students must make good progress on the research activities and submit biannual progress report to the Department and UCC School of Graduate Studies (SGS)
• All students must participate in at least 75% of the regular seminars organized by Department and SGS.

Graduation Requirements

A candidate will be considered successful if his/her PhD thesis:

• Passes both internal and external assessment (60% minimum score)
• Is successfully defended in a viva voce (60% minimum score).

In addition, candidates must satisfy all SGS and UCC requirements for graduation.

Goal / Aim / Objectives: 

The goal of the PhD Fisheries Science programme is to produce high-level human resource for the fisheries sector.

The specific objectives are to:

1. produce highly-skilled personnel to address issues in the fisheries sector;
2. produce high-level personnel capable of creating and disseminating relevant knowledge to promote the sector; and
3. train personnel capable of facilitating policy formulation to support growth of the sector.

Career Opportunities: 

You can find jobs in the following areas:

1. Government agencies like Fisheries Ministry
2. NGOs engaged in aquatic environmental campaign
3. Industries in fish processing and canning
4. Firms engaged in commercial fishing.