New Postgraduate students of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi have been formally introduced to the policies, academic requirements, and support systems governing graduate studies during a postgraduate orientation programme held at the KNUST School of Business.
The orientation aimed to equip new postgraduate students with the essential knowledge needed to successfully navigate academic life at the Graduate School, with emphasis on policies, digital systems, and student support services.
The Deputy Examinations Officer of the Graduate School, Dr. Henry Martin, stressed the importance of understanding university policies and administrative procedures from the onset of graduate studies.
“As a graduate student, one of the key things you need is to know your way around the university and to understand the policies that govern the School of Graduate Studies,” he said.
Dr. Martin explained that KNUST has established a clear digital and administrative onboarding process to ensure students can effectively manage their academic journey. He urged students to promptly obtain their student number, username, and password from the University Information Technology Services (UITS) office at the IDL Building, Casely Hayford, upon arrival. These credentials, he noted, are required to access essential systems such as biometric registration and course registration.
He emphasized the critical role of student email accounts, describing them as the official channel for communication from the Graduate School and the Office of the Registrar.
“Most official notifications will be sent through your student email, and it is therefore very important that you check it regularly,” he added.
Dr. Martin also encouraged students to frequently consult the KNUST website and the Graduate School portal, which host policy documents, academic calendars, and other important resources. He advised students to make use of the online postgraduate handbook to fully understand the structure and regulations governing graduate studies.
Professor Godfred Darko, Deputy Director of the Graduate School highlighted important policies including programme deferment, upgrading from MSc/MA to MPhil, upgrading from MPhil to PhD, requests for extensions, and graduation requirements.
He explained that deferment is strictly regulated at KNUST and is permitted only on medical grounds, for a maximum period of one academic year.
“When you are in your first year, you can only defer on medical grounds, and you cannot defer a semester,” he stated, adding that requests for deferment must be submitted within the first four weeks of the semester.
On programme upgrading, Professor Darko indicated that students seeking to upgrade from MSc to MPhil or PhD must obtain a CWA of at least 70 per cent, alongside additional study time. The upgrading process, he explained, requires a formal application routed through the Head of Department, Dean, and Director of the Graduate School.
The Deputy Director of the Directorate of Students’ Affairs (DoSA), Professor Amos Abanyie, introduced students to the various support services available at the University, particularly scholarship and financial assistance opportunities.
He highlighted the role of the Student Support and Financial Services Unit, which mobilises resources from organisations and individual benefactors to support needy students through bursaries, scholarships, work-and-study programmes, and other forms of financial aid.
He reassured students of the university’s commitment to their holistic development.
“We are here to make your journey less stressful, more fulfilling, and truly memorable,” he said.
He encouraged students to balance academic excellence with emotional balance, social engagement, leadership development, and personal growth.
The orientation also featured presentations on intellectual property, e-learning services, campus security and artificial intelligence courses.
By: Abena Serwaa Gyamfi
