Where is ACE-PUTOR Located?

The Centre is located within the University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria which is about 15 Kilometers North-West of Port Harcourt.

What programmes titles are offered at the Centre?

They are:

• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Environmental health
• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Environmental toxicology
• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Nutritional Biochemistry/ Toxicology
• MSC Midwifery/Child Health Nursing

How do I submit my application?

Applications may either be submitted online via www.aceputoruniport.edu.ng or offline at the administrative office of the Centre.

What are the application deadlines?

Application deadline for the current session is March 13, 2020.

Can I undertake a Part Time study at the Centre?

Yes. For PhD Programmes, options available are: Full time – three years (minimum), Part-time – Five years (minimum). Nevertheless, Full-time admission is offered only to candidates who can satisfy PUTOR and the School of Graduate Studies that they are not in any employment, or that they have been relieved by their employers to undertake full-time studies.

What are the programme requirements?

Candidates admitted into any of the PhD programme should have:

• Successfully completed a relevant Masters’ degree with a CGPA of not less than 4.0 on 5.0-point scale
• Presented a statement of purpose which should also contain the proposal for the research he or she is intending to undertake
• Provide two letters of recommendation, one of which must be from an employer or supervisor and the other from the university where the candidate obtained the master’s degree
• Be found suitable for admission after an interview by the Postgraduate Degree Committee of the Faculty
• Candidates with master’s degrees in food science and technology, food microbiology and other related courses may apply for the PhD in nutritional biochemistry/ toxicology:
  • Each candidate for the PhD programme shall be assigned at least 2 supervisors who have researched and published extensively in the candidate’s intending area of research. The main supervisor shall take the lead in providing direction for the research
  • The candidate shall be provided a pathway which shows an interactive timeline of his or her key progression milestone specific to the research programme. Candidates who have an interruption, extension or changed their milestones would need to update their new progression milestone deadlines with the Postgraduate Committee in the department.

What are the registration requirements?

The Centre’s registration process would involve filling of necessary forms and submitting relevant documents which would all be contained in the student’s file in the Centre. The students are expected to come along for registration with

• Admission letter
• Copies of their credentials – original and photocopies
• Evidence of payment of all fees and dues.

Can I defer my admission?

Yes. In line with the general regulation and statement of academic policies of the university, a candidate who has been admitted and is found qualified to be registered can defer the admission to the next academic year (for only one year) after payment of acceptance fee. The candidate must however, go through the clearance and deferment procedures at the Centre and the School of Graduate Studies.

Can I get Scholarships?

Yes. Scholarships are provided each year to deserving students who apply for full time study and have no means of meeting up with the cost of their education. This decided through a merit-based screening procedure. These are of two categories – regional and local.

How is the programme run?

The programme is run in modular

Question: How can I access relevant contacts within the center?

There are specific contacts for various purposes within the centre. The website of the Centre and the physical location office location can also serve as source for information. Nevertheless, the following emails can be used for various purposes. Contacts Needs info@aceputoruniport.edu.ng For general information about the centre, programmes and events, linkages admission@aceputoruniport.edu.ng Enquiries on admission into degree programmes and short courses academics@aceputoruniport.edu.ng Information on academic issues, lecture schedules, modules and programmes feedback research@aceputoruniport.edu.ng For support on research and submission of research presentation (research proposal, draft thesis etc) or research outputs such as conference abstract, proceedings, journal articles. support@aceputoruniport.edu.ng Students’ support, complaints, scholarships, accommodation, harassment, theft finance@aceputoruniport.edu.ng Making payments, checking balance due technical@aceputoruniport.edu.ng Use of ICT during modules and other activities, special technical assistance Contact address World Bank Africa Centre of Excellence in Public Health and Toxicological Research, Tetfund building (Opposite the University Senate building), University Park, University of Port Harcourt OR send by email to aceputor@uniport.edu.ng, info@aceputoruniport.org Telephone: +234(0)8136592033; +234(0)8129429447

Question: What happens when a student overstays?

A student is said to have completed his/her programme when s/he had successfully completed all the prescribed courses in the programme, undertaken an internship period and defended his/her thesis, carried out minor or major corrections as directed, have the work certified by the appropriate officers and submitted to the department for submission to the College of Graduate Studies. Master’s Degree students are expected to have at least one (1) article from their work in publishable format before their oral examination and attend a minimum of one (1) scientific conference. All PhD students are expected to have at least two (2) articles from their work in publishable format before their oral examination and attend a minimum of one (1) scientific conference where they would present findings from their research Candidates who stayed more than one year beyond the assigned number of years are deemed to have overstay. For a full-time PhD programme, this is equivalent to staying more than 4 years. According to the university’s Senate, those deemed to have overstayed are meant to re-apply and start afresh if the candidate is still interested in obtaining a certificate at completion of the programme. This process would involve their getting a new form and new registration number as done by new students.

Question: Is there a resit opportunity for any failed course?

Yes. A resit means that a student had failed a course and is required to undertake a second attempt of that course without further teaching input. The programme allows resit of continuous assessment and examination. The resit examinations is completely a different piece of assessment and shall be arranged within three months of seating for the original examination. Scores of examinations undertaken during resit shall be capped at 50%. Students are not allowed to resit courses which they have passed. Consult the programme handbook for futher information.

Question: What are the requirements for graduation?

To qualify for the award of the PhD, the candidate must have successfully completed all the prescribed courses in the programme, completed a dissertation under supervision, published a minimum of two (2) journal articles from their work in a reputable journal before their external defense and must have attended a minimum of one (1) scientific conference.

Question: Must I attend on-site lecture sessions?

Yes. Attendance at all training activities is mandatory and only students that make at least seventy-five percent (75%) attendance and participation in all activities, duly certified by lecturer/supervisor shall be eligible to sit for the examination.

Question: How many credits do I have to take?

Credits is weights attached to a course. One credit is equivalent to 15 hours class contacts (e.g. one hour per week per 15 weeks of lectures or tutorial). In addition to the class contact hours, all students are expected to invest on assigned minimum private study hour to make the best of every course. Credits for doctoral programme are detailed below: • Taught courses and seminar – 21 credits • Dissertation – 12 credits • Total credit – 33 credits

Question: Can I pick modules from any courses or any levels?

No. The School of Graduate Studies has already approved all the course outlines for the PhD programme. Streamlined courses for the programmes are outlined in the academic programme handbook. However, you may decide to do additional elective courses run in the Centre or other collaborating Centres in the University.

Question: How do I apply for accommodation?

The Centre’s students support officer assists students who desire to be accommodated on campus. Regional and international students are provided shared spaces at available international Students hostels located along the East-West Road. Nigerian students are accommodated in the various postgraduate hostels in the University. Applications forms can be collected and submitted at the administrative office.

Question: What training methods are used in the Centre?

The training are modular, flexible and intensive and training methods include didactic lectures; tutorials, discussions; group activities; seminars; self-directed learning/term papers; individual coursework/term papers; research project and practical sessions. The teaching structure has these key elements – blended learning (use of real-world, real-life, up-to-date case studies, examples and scenarios, that enable students appreciate and apply learning to their present and future works); social learning (being a regional Centre, peer learning among students is highly encouraged).

Question: What is the duration of training for postgraduate programme

Fulltime MSc and PhD programmes in the Centre can be completed within a minimum of 1 and 3 years respectively while the parttime option run for 2 and 5 years respectively.

Question: Can I get disability support?

Yes. The Centre has responsibility under the Discrimination against Persons with Disability (Prohibition) Act in 2019 to make reasonable adjustments in all its activities to ensure that candidates with additional support needs are not disadvantaged for reasons related to their long-term medical condition, physical, visual and hearing impairments, specific learning difficulties and/or disability. The Centre management ensures that students with disabilities are given special attention during enrolment, allocation of accommodation spaces, design and construction of lecture halls and provision of essential health services.

Question: Can I get Scholarships?

Yes. Scholarships are provided each year to deserving students who apply for full time study and have no means of meeting up with the cost of their education. This decided through a merit-based screening procedure. These are of two categories – regional and local. Besides scholarships, students are also entitled to other financial support for internship, research and conference attendance. Internship placement is often secured by the Centre in industries, sectors and government agencies relevant to the research work of the students. Consult the programme handbook for details.

Question: Can I defer my admission?

Yes. In line with the general regulation and statement of academic policies of the university, a candidate who has been admitted and is found qualified to be registered can defer the admission to the next academic year (for only one year) after payment of acceptance and other applicable fees. The candidate must however, go through the clearance and deferment procedures at the Centre and the School of Graduate Studies.

Question: What are the registration requirements?

The Centre’s registration process would involve filling of necessary forms and submitting relevant documents which would all be contained in the student’s file in the Centre. The students are expected to come along for registration with • Admission letter • Copies of their credentials – original and photocopies • Evidence of payment of all fees and dues.

Question: What are the programme requirements?

Candidates admitted into any of the PhD programme should have: • Successfully completed a relevant Masters’ degree with a CGPA of not less than 4.0 on 5.0-point scale • Presented a statement of purpose which should also contain the proposal for the research he or she is intending to undertake • Provide two letters of recommendation, one of which must be from an employer or supervisor and the other from the university where the candidate obtained the master’s degree • Be found suitable for admission after an interview by the Postgraduate Degree Committee of the Faculty • Candidates with master’s degrees in food science and technology, food microbiology and other related courses may apply for the PhD in nutritional biochemistry/ toxicology -Each candidate for the PhD programme shall be assigned at least 2 supervisors who have researched and published extensively in the candidate’s intending area of research. The main supervisor shall take the lead in providing direction for the research -The candidate shall be provided a pathway which shows an interactive timeline of his or her key progression milestone specific to the research programme. Candidates who have an interruption, extension or changed their milestones would need to update their new progression milestone deadlines with the Postgraduate Committee in the department

Question: Can I undertake a Part Time study at the Centre?

Yes. For PhD Programmes, options available are: Full time – three years (minimum), Part-time – Five years (minimum). Nevertheless, Full-time admission is offered only to candidates who can satisfy PUTOR and the School of Graduate Studies that they are not in any employment, or that they have been relieved by their employers to undertake full-time studies.

Question: What are the application deadlines?

Application deadline for the current session is March 13, 2020.

Question: Where can I submit my Applications form?

It may either be submitted online via www.aceputoruniport.edu.ng or offline at the administrative office of the Centre.

Question: What is the mission of the Centre?

The mission is be a platform for congregating highly skilled human resource from within and outside the UniPort; build a robust resource of highly skilled and motivated public health professionals who are equipped with current knowledge, skills and competencies required to improve the training and practice in public health & toxicology; produce cutting–edge research projects; undertake consultancy and community services.

Question: What is the vision of the Centre?

The vision is to become a centre of excellence in providing highly sought-after, world-class academic and professional programmes that are recognised for local relevance, international excellence and global impact in public health & toxicology.

Question: What is the aim of ACE-PUTOR?

The Centre aim to increase the quality and relevance of post-graduate education in public health & toxicology in UniPort through regional specialization, applied research, upfront university-industry linkage and better regional and international coordination.

Question: What is the full meaning of ACE-PUTOR?

Answer: ACE-PUTOR is an acronym for the Africa Centre of Excellence for Public Health and Toxicological Research