Research MPhil Programmes

 

The MPhil programme is one year of taught courses and one year of research leading to a thesis (24 months). There are modules to be taken during these 12 months with each module lasting between three weeks and four weeks. Each module has between two and three courses.

RWESCK offers admission for applicants every year from Ghana and all African Countries to pursue 24 months full-time MPhil programme in the following specializations:

• MPhil in Water Resources Engineering and Management
• MPhil in Water Supply and Environmental Sanitation

 

The MPhil programme covers one year of taught courses and 6 months of research leading to the MPhil thesis (18 months) and will cover the following programmes:

MPhil Water Resources Engineering and Management Programme (Taught Courses)

Module	Module Name	Course  Name
1	Introduction to Environmental Sanitation	Integrated Water Resources Management
		Water and Sanitation Infrastructure Planning
		Applied Hydraulics in soil and water systems
		Urban Hydrology and Urban Drainage
2	Mathematics and Research Methods	Applied Statistics, Operations  Research & Systems Analysis
		Data management, GIS, and Spatial Planning
		Research Methods &  Scientific Communication
3	Advanced Hydrology and Modeling	Applied Hydrology
		Hydrogeology
		Water Systems Modeling
4	Environmental Quality	Environmental Impact and Risks Assessment
		Water Quality Management and Public Health
5	Water Resources Engineering	Reservoir Development & Operation
		Small Hydraulic Structures
		Irrigation Engineering
		Water Resources Planning
6	Water Resources Management	Water and Environmental Law
		River Basin Management
		Hydro-Power Development
7	Management and Institutions	Community Participation and Institutional Development
		Project Management
		Engineering Economy and Financial Management
8	Project Design	Group Project
		One month internship
9	MPhil Thesis	Individual Research Thesis

 

MPhil Water Supply and Environmental Sanitation (Taught Courses)

Module	Module Name	Course  Name
1	Introduction to Environmental Sanitation	Integrated Water Resources Management
		Water and Sanitation Infrastructure Planning
		Applied Hydraulics in soil and water systems
		Urban Hydrology and Urban Drainage
2	Mathematics and Research Methods	Applied Statistics, Operations  Research & Systems Analysis
		Data management, GIS, and Spatial Planning
		Research Methods &  Scientific Communication
3	Environmental Science  and Process Technology	Environmental Microbiology
		Environmental Chemistry
		Unit Processes and Operations
4	Environmental Quality	Environmental Impact and Risks Assessment
		Water Quality Management and Public Health
5	Sanitation and Waste Management	Wastewater  Management
		Solid Waste Management
		On-Site Sanitation technologies
		Industrial and Hazardous Waste Management
6	Water Supply	Source Water Development
		Advance Water Treatment
		Water Distribution Modeling
7	Management and Institutions	Community Participation and Institutional Development
		Project Management
		Engineering Economy and Financial Management
8	Project Designs	Group Project
		One month internship
9	MPhil Thesis	Individual Research Thesis

 

MPhil IN WATER RESOURCES ENGINEERING AND MANAGEMENT

PROGRAMMES OBJECTIVE

The programme aims to produce water engineers and managers with expertise in the field of Water Resources, Hydrology, Hydraulics, and Environmental Management. Participants will have a clear understanding of Integrated Water Resources Management to play essential roles in Government institutions and in the private sector in the integrated management of water resources. The participants after completion will be equipped to plan, design, operate, and manage water resources projects.

 

TARGET GROUPS AND EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

The course targets young and mid-career professionals in the water sector. It is expected to benefit individuals working and seeking to work with organizations dealing with

• Hydrological and meteorological data;
• Design and operation of water resources projects, e.g., irrigation, hydropower, water resources development, etc;
• Management of water resources systems;
• Planning and implementation of water policies and dealing with transboundary issues;
• Research institutes, tertiary institutions, and NGOs.

 

MPhil ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

The basic entry requirements are those specified by the University as detailed below.

1. First or Second Class (Upper Division) degree or its equivalent in Civil Engineering, Geological Engineering and other programmes relevant to water resources, or any field of specialization relevant to the water resources industry, from a recognized University;
2. Applicants with qualifications other than those specified in (1) above shall be interviewed and if necessary, may be required to take a written examination before admission;
3. Applicants whose working language is not English must show that they have a good command of both spoken and written English. Wherever necessary, arrangements will be made with the Department of Languages for the acquisition of the necessary English language skills prior to embarking on the course; Relevant office or field experience will be an advantage.

 

MPhil IN WATER SUPPLY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SANITATION

Programmes Objective

The programme in water supply and Environmental Sanitation aims at training participants with diverse backgrounds from Ghana and other African countries for careers in sanitation and waste management. This is to enable them to play essential roles in government institutions and the private sector for sustained water supply and sanitation delivery. The participants after completion will be equipped to plan, design, operate, and manage water supply and sanitation delivery.

The objective of this course is to train the technical personnel of the Metropolitan, Municipal authorities and graduates who want to pursue a career in municipal engineering to acquire skills and knowledge on integrated sanitation, environmental quality, waste treatment planning, and designs, operation, and maintenance.  At the end of the programme the students would be able to achieve the following learning objectives:

• Develop and manage training programme to retain and improve human resources for sanitation and waste management,
• Develop skills for technical assessment, evaluation, and communication
• Plan and manage projects in the relevant field of expertise,
• Make managerial decisions based on analytical methods and tools for sanitation and waste management,
• Have a good appreciation and understanding of the relevant environmental laws, policies, and professional ethics,
• Develop in-depth technical knowledge in the area of practice in order to improve operational efficiencies,

 

Target Groups and Employment Opportunities

The course targets young and mid-career professionals in sanitation and waste management, and environmental quality. It is expected to benefit individuals working and seeking to work with organizations such as:

• Metropolitan and Municipal authorities
• Community Water and Sanitation organization
• Water companies
• Consulting firms, manufacturing, and mining industries;
• Ministerial departments (especially the Ministry of Local Government
• Research institutes, tertiary institutions, and NGOs.

 

Entry Requirements

The basic entry requirements into the programme are those specified by the University as detailed below:

1. First Class or Second Class (Upper Division) degree or its equivalent from a recognized University in Civil or Chemical Engineering, Water and Sanitation, Chemistry, or any field of specialization relevant to the water and sanitation industry.
2. Applicants with qualifications other than those specified in (1) above shall be interviewed and if found necessary, would be required to take a written examination before admission.
3. Applicants whose working language is not English must show that they have a good command of both spoken and written English. Wherever necessary, arrangements will be made with the Department of Languages (KNUST) for the acquisition of the necessary English language skills prior to the commencement of the course.
4. Relevant office or field experience will be an advantage.

 

MPhil ENTRY REQUIREMENTS (SCIENCE PROGRAMMES)

In conformity with the entry requirement of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, the successful candidate will have a minimum of:

• First and Second Class (Upper Division) in their first degree in Water and Sanitation, Environmental Engineering, Agricultural Engineering (Soil and Water Engineering option), Civil Engineering (Water Resources/Hydrology option), Geomatic Engineering, Natural Resources, Mathematics, Geology, Chemical Engineering, and other relevant disciplines,
• Candidates from non-Anglophone countries must have an internationally recognized Certificate of Proficiency in the English Language (TOEFL or British Council, IELTS) with an above-average score.

 

LANGUAGE SUPPORT AND UPGRADE

The lack of proficiency in English would not constitute a determinant criterion against a selection of a candidate. Prior to arriving in KNUST, the RWESCK office will facilitate the attendance of three months intensive English language training programme at the University for French-speaking participants accepted. English language classes would be arranged for French-speaking applicants with inadequate English skills. The Language Course is to offer participants a comprehensive and practical understanding of the English language.

 

LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS

The Programme is an English-speaking graduate programme that will involve the best minds of the regional partner universities to cover the curriculum. Therefore the following are the language requirements:

• Credit passes in the English language at O/L, WAEC/SSSCE West African School Certificate Examinations or at the baccalaureate, or
• Candidates from non-Anglophone countries must have an internationally recognized Certificate of Proficiency in the English Language (TOEFL or British Council, IELTS) with above-average scores. TOEFL (75% or above).
• Candidates without this qualification will take a two-month university programme before the programme commences each year.