Introduction
The Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness is proud to announce the launch of a new PhD degree program in Agribusiness. This is a four-year program by coursework and dissertation that is rich in technical and management knowledge pivotal to successful agribusiness operations in the modern world. The Department’s venture into agribusiness studies at PhD level addresses the needs of policy makers and agribusiness leaders to optimize their understanding of key issues in agribusiness worth of high quality research.
This program is expected to produce graduates capable of undertaking high quality research and applying the same in bridging the gaps between policy and practice in agribusiness; agribusiness operations and technology and maintain a competitive advantage in public and private agribusiness activities siloed in Tanzania, Africa and beyond.
The PhD – Agribusiness curriculum was developed in partnership with the Consortium of Danish Universities (CDU) through the BSU program and it was approved by the Tanzania Commission for Universities (TCU) in November 2019. The program development process involved agribusiness stakeholders from Tanzania, Africa and beyond. The stakeholder concerns were centred on addressing the gaps in today’s agricultural workforce proficiencies and preparation of the next generation of agribusiness researchers and professionals for the tomorrow’s anticipated challenges.
On successful completion of the PhD – Agribusiness studies, students will expectedly demonstrate mastery of the following:
- Skills related to development, implementation and management strategies in agribusinesses.
- Techniques for solving complex problems related to contemporary economic, industrial and business analyses.
- Approaches to undertaking research and comprehensive industrial analysis of agribusiness micro and macro variables affecting economic development.
- Techniques and skills related to characterization, monitoring, and predicting changes in the agribusiness value chains/agricultural sector and use the changes to design responsive strategies, policies and forecast market structures, conducts and performance.
In terms of structure, the program will consist of one year of coursework followed by three years of independent research (under supervision) culminating in preparation of PhD dissertation. Embarkation on PhD research is subject to successfully passing courses taken in year one. Candidates can be enrolled as either full or part time students. Fulltime students can be allowed to extend the study period to a maximum of 6 years provided there are compelling reasons for extension. Part time students will also be admitted to the programme for a duration of five (5) years which can be extended to a maximum seven (7) years. Students admitted on part time basis must complete the coursework prior to assuming the part time status. The PhD agribusiness program structure can be accessed through the following link: https://www.coebs.sua.ac.tz/agribusiness/images/programmes/phd-agribusiness-program-structure.pdf
General guidelines on examination moderation, practical assessment, weights of components in the final assessment and continuation and discontinuation of students pursuing the PhD Agribusiness shall follow all rules and regulations as stipulated in “Regulations and Guidelines for Higher Degrees” and “Guidelines for Preparing Dissertations/Thesis and other Publications” of Sokoine University of Agriculture.
Application and Admission Requirements
Application and entry into this programme shall be channeled through the Directorate of Postgraduate Studies, Research, Technology Transfer and Consultancy (DPRTC) of Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA) and shall follow the general procedures and requirements as detailed in the DPRTC webpage (http://www.dprtc.sua.ac.tz/) and the SUA Regulations and Guidelines for Higher Degrees, Fifth Edition, 2011. An online application can also be made through http://suasis.sua.ac.tz:9092/index.php/welcome. Assessment for eligibility is based on candidates’ having the minimum entry requirements as described below:
- Master degree in the areas of agricultural economics, agribusiness, agricultural and natural resource economics and other relevant master degrees with GPA of not less than 3.0 in a 5-point system, or B grade and above in case of the unclassified degrees.
- Candidates with Master degrees and qualifications in fields/disciplines that are considered not to be directly relevant to and compatible with PhD in Agribusiness shall be required to take and pass relevant remedial courses as shall be deemed appropriate by the Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness.
Contacts
For more information about the programme, please contact the Director of Postgraduate Studies, Research, Technology Transfer and Consultancy at drpgs@sua.ac.tz; you can also contact the Head of Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness at daea@sua.ac.tz (+255 754 284 455)
