PhD in Development Management

Programme Rationale

The selection of the study programme is based on a number of factors. Developing countries are continuously challenged by the traditional public sector model in a new age of development paradigms.  The increasing focus is on the new public management that emphasizes the shift towards private sector orientation. This is against the backlog of social and public concerns.

The human resource in and out of government to channel this new realization is lacking. The limited human resources available lack the new era skills and competences. While considerable effort has been made by particular developing countries to provide university education and create a pool of trained personnel, high quality and advanced level training is not available. In Uganda, there are few institutions and conversely graduates with advanced-level training in development management. The proposed doctoral degree in Development Management is a multifaceted response to the individual, institutional, national and international level aspirations for a competent and highly skilled caliber of persons to guide and manage development processes and interventions.

The doctoral degree provides an opportunity to focus on innovative approaches to development management that are presently being developed both in the Developed and in the Third World, with particular attention to the issues of responsiveness, efficiency, self-reliance, sustainability, and poverty alleviation.

Main Goal

The main aim of the Ph.D. in Development Management programme is to produce a high caliber of experts with a solid and holistic management interdisciplinary background for government, National and International development initiatives.

The overall objective is to provide training in development management that enables research candidates to acquire skills for issue identification, innovative and creative issue prognosis, response and publication of outcomes.

Specific Objectives

The programme prepares students:

1. To initiate, design and implement comprehensive research that impacts the socio-economic and political aspects of development interventions
2. To train students to manage processes of change in the direction of increasing prosperity and freedom.
3. To write scholarly and applied materials to guide the processes and systems for effective management of both public and social sector development interventions

Learning Outcomes

The curriculum, follows a coursework thesis-based framework for Development Management and combines professional and hands-on skills with a multi-disciplinary academic understanding.

The output is holders of the Doctorate Degree in Development Management. The holders of the degree are expected to:

1. Design innovative approaches and models for addressing contemporary challenges that have stalled development interventions in the developing world including a reorientation of the public sector operational methodologies
2. Initiate and facilitate effective and sustainable changes towards a results-based orientation in the operation of organisational and programmatic aspects.
3. Participate and contribute to changes in development policy and practice and advocate for participatory and people-centered management methodologies.
4. Develop people’s management capacities in terms of both the skills and knowledge that are critical for organizational success.

The PhD-DM course is for:

• Professionals and practitioners in policy, programme and project management and those who have responsibility for development initiatives in government, non-governmental organisations, international and inter-governmental agencies and public and private enterprises.
• People who intend to work in those areas, or who have an interest in public action for development.
• People with international conceptual and practical knowledge, skills and experience in the field of Development Management

Graduates from this degree programme frequently work in;

• Development Cooperation
• International Organisations
• Non-Governmental Organisations
• Ministries and Central Planning Authorities
• Consultancies

Minimum Admission Requirements

All potential students for the doctorate in Development Management should have an Honors Bachelor’s Degree, a Masters Degree, or its equivalent from a higher institution of learning that is accredited by a country`s designated agency and recognized by NCHE.

Applicants with a ‘Pass” degree are not admitted. Applicants should possess a Masters qualification in a Development Management related discipline including Development Studies, Public Administration, Social Work, and Community Development among others.

Applicants should possess at least a masters in social sciences, humanities and any behavioral science field. They should also prove possession of considerable relevant working experience after the master`s degree.

Applicants to be recruited into the Ph.D. in development studies should be from Chartered universities. Applicants who completed their studies in Ugandan Institutions that are licensed but unchartered are required to produce an additional accompanying letter from the awarding institution.

The letter should specify the particulars of the programme as accredited by NCHE including the name of programme and the date when accredited. The higher degrees committee reserves the right to select candidates from this category. In addition, applicants are required to produce a research concept paper which is reviewed by subject area experts to determine its clarity, relevancy and accuracy. Full entry requirements

Duration

The candidate is expected to spend a minimum period of three years and a maximum of five years. A two-year period is provided for unexpected interruptions. Beyond five years the student is discontinued from the programme.

During the three years, a candidate is expected to file a personal assessment progressive report which is verified by the supervisors. Students deemed not to be making progress in the first two years are advised to withdraw from the programme.

First Year, Semester One – Courses

First Year, Semester Two – Courses

First Year, Second Semester – Electives

First Year, Recess Semester – Courses

Second Year onwards