1. Program Objectives
The aim of the postgraduate programs in chemistry is to train experts that will fill a variety of positions in industries, government and non-government organizations, academic and research institutions and other related areas. Accordingly, the objectives of the programs are to:
- Train chemists at advanced level who can achieve a certain set of competence that would enable them to work in industries and other sectors as quality control, research, industry product development, sales and services, management or company leadership, teaching, environmental protection and information sciences;
- Develop chemical science experts who are knowledgeable in planning and executing research in chemical problems related to industrial, agricultural, health and environmental development or knowledge generation in the country;
- Produce experts who can understand the profound effects, both positive and negative, that chemicals have on our lives and environment, and who can solve the problems related to them;
- Produce qualified and skilled professionals who could be able to teach in the secondary & tertiary levels of education, if provided with a little methodological training in teaching the subject.
2. Program Graduate Profile
The parallel postgraduate curricula in Chemistry are designed on a sound basis of institutional interest and the commitment for contributing to the manpower development need of the country and in responding to the well-articulated policy guidelines set by the Ethiopian Government to the effect that the higher education institutions such as the Haramaya University, to establish various postgraduate programs and train well qualified graduates that would meet the minimum quality standards set for higher education as well as contribute their share in overcoming the huge manpower demand of the nation for a high level of expertise.
The Department has set out certain levels of professional competency and graduate profile of candidates upon completion of their postgraduate studies in chemistry.
Thus, the graduates who complete their postgraduate studies in the various areas of specialization in chemistry via the Thesis-based (OPTION 1) or the Project-based (OPTION 2) M.Sc. Program would be expected to have the following professional profile:
- Will have the competency for working as quality controllers, product developers, sales and service promoters and as manager or company director in industries or chemical processing plants;
- Will be competent as research chemists in many other sectors of the economy such as in agricultural production & research stations, in power generation plants, and in environmental development & protection units;
- Will have the expertise knowledge to operate many medical diagnostic instruments in health institutions or to work as forensic chemists;
- Will have the practical knowledge & skills relevant for undertaking teaching & research assignments in higher learning institutions and preparatory schools;
- Will have the capacity to work in metrological & environmental monitoring stations as researchers and information scientists.
- Will be competent enough in understanding the profound effects, both positive and negative, that chemicals have on our lives and environment, and who can solve the problems related to them.
3. Duration of Study
For candidates joining the Regular M.Sc. programs in Chemistry the time allocated for completing most of the course works shall be the whole Year 1 of their admission to the program and they are expected to undertake their thesis research work and complete during Semester I& Semester II of their second year. The average total duration of study in the Regular Program will be two academic years.
4. Graduation Requirements
Eligibility of candidates for the Master of Science degree in Chemistry is subject to the fulfillment of all graduation requirements of the Program and the Postgraduate Program Directorate of
the University. Generally, however, the following constitute the requirements for graduation from the program:
- Successful completion of all required courses & a minimum of 29 total Cr. Hrs. including credit hours of electives,
- Cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 3.00 & above considering all graduate courses taken
- No “F” and no *D” grade in any course taken.
- No “C” grade in more than one of the courses
- Successfully defended M.Sc. Thesis and/or Research Project Open Defense and positively evaluated M.Sc. Thesis manuscript and
- Fulfillment of all other graduation requirements of the CGS and/or the PGPD of HrU.