General guidelines for PhD degree

 

Supervision committee 

 The faculty council nominates –based on departmental council suggestion- thesis supervision committee from specialized professors and assistant professors, it is also possible for a lecturer to be included in the supervision committee. In all cases, a committee should not exceed three and not be less than two members, a fourth supervision could be included if he is from an international university.

·         Main supervisor should be nominated based on departmental council suggestion and approval of Faculty council.

·         The approval of supervision committee by the faculty council should be then transferred to the University council of higher graduates and research.

·         The Faculty council can-based on supervisor recommendation- allow the student to carry out their research in another scientific institution or any other scientific entity certified by the University of Kafrelsheikh. If this is the case, the faculty council can approve that a qualified supervisor from this institution is included in supervision committee with consideration of first point.

·         Up to fourth degree relatives of University staff are not allowed to be included neither in supervision nor examination committee in Master’s or Ph.D.

·         If one of the supervisors is loaned to another institution inside or outside the county, they must present a report before travelling about the progress of the student, which the department uses to suggest another staff member to substitute them. If they spent more than one year in supervision, the Faculty should protect their scientific and financial rights during this period.

·         By the end of each academic year, supervisors should present a report about student progress in their research, which is attached to the student’s file after approved by faculty council. The council can approve the cancellation of the student registration is the reports indicated that they are unsatisfactory; the student must be informed of the cancellation possibility after first unsatisfactory report.

·         Thesis under preparation should be evaluated by satisfactory (S) or unsatisfactory (U), an extension could be allowed after approval of supervision committee and faculty council.

 

Thesis examination committee

·         Thesis should be written according to University guidelines certified by Faculty council.

·         The supervisor presents a spiral bound copy of the thesis signed by supervision committee, and a report signed by supervision committee indicating the suitability of the thesis to be presented to the judgment and examination committee. The report should be attached with a suggestion of forming the committee, if there is a dispute about thesis suitability for examination (or any other case) only the main supervisor’s report should be taken into consideration. In addition, the opinion of a supervisor who did not present an annual report will not be taken into consideration.

·         The faculty council –based on department suggestion- should form the thesis judgement committee of three members, one is the main supervisor and two professors or assistant professors. The head of the committee should the oldest professor (there should be at least one professor or equivalent as an external examiner in the judgement committee or from international university), all supervision committee should be presented only by one member. Once faculty council approved forming judgement committee, the suggestion should be presented to the vice university president for graduates and research for approval.

·         The examination committee is valid for six months of the vice university president for graduates and research approval which the student must defend their thesis during. The supervisor is authorized- based on departmental council and Faculty council approval- to request a renewal for the committee validation period as long as it does not exceed the legal study period and if exceeded, the case should be reviewed by the departmental council to decide the possible procedure.

·         If one or more members excused from participation in the examination committee, they should present a written form explaining the reasons to the departmental council, then suitable procedures will be decided to choose one or more examiners to substitute the excused members. The newly assigned examiners should be informed to the vice university president for graduates and research of the faculty knowledge, and examination could be held after at least one week of the deputy of the University chancellor for higher graduates and research approval.

·         Generally, during the formation of supervision, qualifying and examination committees and all written and oral examinations membership, it should be considered not to include two brothers, man and wife, father and son in the same committee. In addition, up to forth degree relatives of the students should not be included.

Thesis examination

·         Once approved by the examination committee and the vice university president for graduates and research, the faculty vice dean for graduates and research should present the thesis to the judgement and examination committee members.

·         The student should carry out any requested changes and send it back to examiners before sending individual reports.

·         Once individual reports are received by the deputy of faculty, examination date should be set with the main supervisor.

·         Date of examination should be announced by the administration of graduates of the faculty at least one week before examination time, time and venue should be announced in both department and faculty.

·         Head of the committee should invite members to meet for reviewing individual reports and should approve thesis for examination. The examination should be in public and in the topic of research and relative sciences, it should be held in official workdays.

·         After examination, the committee should present a report to the vice university president for graduates and research indicating the examination result, thesis evaluation and committee decision if the thesis is accepted and the degree should be awarded or not. Then the report is transferred to the departmental council attached with individual reports.

·         Supervisors and departmental council should be responsible for applying the requested changed to the thesis; the degree should be awarded only after applying all requested changes.

·         An external examiner can present a report to the examination committee, which should be considered if the examiner is not able to attend the examination.

·         The department should be informed with the reports of the examination committee, and the departmental council should recommend awarding the degree or not. The reports, departmental decision and thesis summaries are then transferred to the higher graduates committee of the faculty. Once received, it should be transferred to the faculty council, then to the vice university president for graduates and research after with it should be reviewed by the university chancellor in the university council which decides if the degree should be awarded or not.

·         In the case of failing the examination, the student should be granted a final chance to retake the exam by the same examination committee unless changed by the faculty council based on departmental suggestion. If the student fails for the second time, they should receive a formal demission of the study program.

Degree awarding process

·         The administration of graduates in the faculty prepares a form of suggestion of awarding the degree certified by the dean of the faculty and attached with:

·         The individual reports of the examiners, the final report, two copies of thesis signed by head supervisor and judgement and examination committee, two Arabic abstracts, two English abstracts, one Arabic summary and one English summary. Then it is presented to the vice university president for graduates and research to request degree awarding by the University Chancellor and university council.

·         The university of Kafrelsheikh awards- based on Faculty council suggestion- the degree of Master’s or Doctor of Philosophy (PHD) in Agricultural sciences in one of the offered specialization. The minor specialization is determined according to thesis research approved by departmental council after suggestion by the judgement committee. The date of degree awarding is the date of University council approval on awarding the degree.        

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