Admission Period
Admission to a Doctoral program can take place twice (first or second semester) in an Ethiopian academic calendar.
Admission requirements
- The applicant must possess a relevant master’s degree with a minimum CGPA of 3.0 or equivalent in plant breeding, plant genetics, agronomy, horticulture, plant biotechnology, or related fields.
- In addition, applicants must pass written entrance examination and must meet other admission requirements of School of Graduate Studies (SGS) the Jimma University.
- Candidates requesting for admission from fields other than plant breeding may be required to take additional courses to compensate for the deficiencies.
- provide a signed sponsorship letter if sponsored by an organization or provide proof of financial capability (minimum of 75,000.00 ETB) for the educational payments if self-sponsored
- A maximum age limit of 45 years
- Applicants who’s medium of instruction in previous studies was not in English are required to provide evidence of English language proficiency.
Selection criteria for doctoral admission
| S/N | Selection criteria | Weight (%) | Remark |
| 1 | CGPA (Master’s Degree, Specialty Certificate) | 30 | Can be calculated using CGPA*7.5 |
| 2 | Master’s Degree/Specialty certificate thesis grade | 15 | Excellent (A=4) = 15%, others calculated proportionally |
| 3 | Entrance Examination | 20 | |
| 4 | Concept note presentation and interview | 20 | Average value from multiple examiners |
| 5 | Publication in reputable journal* | 10 | One publication 5%; and two and above number of publications 10% |
| 6 | Recommendation letter | 5 | |
| 7 | Affirmative action: (For female applicant, people from underdeveloped regions and people with disabilities) | 5% | 5% of the total point the candidate acquire from serial number (1-6) |
Admission Procedure
- Announcement for applicant will be made through advertisement by the university registrar two months ahead of date of admission.
- The applications along with the necessary documents shall be submitted to the university registrar office.
- The assessment of the applications for admission to the program shall be made by the (DGC) and must ensure the assignment of a doctoral supervisor for successful candidates.
- The admission of successful candidates will be endorsed by academic commission of the respective college/institute/and the university registrar or its delegate shall grant the student an admission letter (Appendix 1)
- The candidate must have a Doctoral supervisor before registering formally by following the university registration procedures on date specified by the university registrar.
- Registration period of students from other doctoral program modalities such as joint/dual degree programs, sandwich programs and GKEN may be flexibly entertained depending on the candidate’s visit to the partner Institution and other unforeseen administrative difficulties
Special considerations for students in the region and marginalized groups
- The program aims to assist students from the region and underrepresented communities, including refugees, with a tailored application process and support services in place.
- Flexibility in application deadlines and additional guidance will be provided to ensure equal access to the program.
Organizational structure:
- The program spans four years (eight semesters), with a justifiable reason and the recommendation of the supervisors), extension can be allowed for an additional two years, but a delay beyond six years shall be entertained if the reason produced gets approved by the UGC.
- The curriculum includes core and elective courses, followed by a research project that is integral to the completion of the degree.
- The mode of delivery combines lectures, tutorials, laboratory practices, and research work, ensuring a well-rounded educational experience.
Graduation requirement
To be eligible for graduation all the PhD candidates must fulfill the following requirements:
- Twenty-one credit hours of course work, with a minimum CGPA of 3.0, with no ‘C’ grade in any courses. In addition, the student must complete and defend his/her PhD dissertation work successfully.
- Twelve credit hours of research on which a dissertation must be written.
- Successful defense of thesis
- Publication of at least two original articles arising from the Doctoral dissertation in a reputable journal indexed in Scopus, Web of Science, or PubMed for a candidate in a Doctoral program without coursework and one conference presentation (oral or poster) in either an international or national forum
For further details about the admission process, please refer to: JU-Doctoral-Guideline