HOW THE COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY COLLEGE

PROGRAMME RUNS

•  The student applies by submitting the official application and a comprehensive CV.

•  An Academic Adviser evaluates the application and determines eligibility for admission based on the criteria specified by the university.

•  Upon admission, the candidate receives joining instructions which outline what he or she is expected to do. The Learning Agreement, which each learner prepares, is central to the Commonwealth University College programmes.

•  The candidate prepares the Learning Agreement, based on guidelines issued by the university, which he or she begins to implement after approval.

•  The candidate at this stage knows the course units to be completed for the degree programme and is expected to commence independent study. The University encourages the building of a Library Resource by all students. Apart from consulting libraries in local universities and public libraries, it is important and necessary to have your own library with a good collection of materials for your degree programme for continuing education, and for your life goals. Candidates are continually reminded that they are to Endeavour to demonstrate expertise in their chosen vocation. A Library Resource is a good beginning. Candidates are also required to be computer literate so that they can take advantage of the opportunities of the Internet.

•  After studying for at least three months, the candidate can present himself or herself for the first examination. Candidates can ask to be examined anytime but the University needs a short notice of three to four weeks. Candidates can study and present themselves for examination based on the time at their disposal. This flexibility permits a manager who is very busy in his or her work place to take longer to complete the degree programme.

•  Candidates can develop their Research Proposals at the beginning or in the course of their studies. There is separate guideline for this. When the candidate has developed his proposal fully, he or she is assigned a supervisor to serve as the mentor. The mentor's role is to ensure compliance with university standards and also to help the candidate to achieve or her degree goals.

•  Candidates complete their examinations, essay assignments, internship and dissertation projects before they can graduate

•  Dissertation size varies, depending on the degree. This may be about 10,000 words for the Bachelors degree, 15,000 to 20,000 words for the Masters, 40,000 words for Doctor of Management, which has considerable course work, and 50,000 to 70,000 words for the PhD which has little course work requirement, as it relies heavily on research.

•  Candidates submit their final dissertations and are assessed by scholars and specialists worldwide. They may be expected to defend their dissertations before a panel. The University may waive public defense as it deems.

•  The candidate, upon satisfying all requirements as spelt out in the Learning Agreement, is certified as demonstrating competence acceptable for the degree in question. He or she is granted the degree.

Duration of Programmes
Expectedly, there is considerable flexibility in the duration of programmes of the university since there is a lot of variation and differences among degree candidates. Generally speaking, the following time periods may be taken as a good guide:

Certificate of Professional Studies
This is a certificate of competence granted to candidates who demonstrate ability in a given vocation or field of study. Evidence of studies of between 6 to 12 months required.

Associate Degree/Diploma
Evidence of studies lasting between 12 to 24 months depending on the background of the student.

Bachelors Degree
This is a qualification open only to mature adults who have previously undertaken a two to three year diploma course in a Polytechnic or university. Experienced managers with considerable in-service training may also be accepted. Duration of the programme is 24 months. Transfer candidates from other degree programmes or candidates already holding full professional qualifications in related disciplines are similarly welcome. Candidates who hold degree level qualifications such as chartered accountants, chartered bankers, etc, but who still wish to acquire a Bachelors degree in their discipline may be granted credit for each unit of the degree course previously covered in their professional examinations. The candidate is then required to study the remaining courses and any new optional courses he or she wishes to offer and prepares a dissertation project to demonstrate competence in research methodology and report writing skills. Candidates in this category may take considerably less time to complete the programme.

Masters Degree
The programme is for a duration of 12 months minimum. Admission is open to persons holding a Bachelors degree or HND or a professional qualification acceptable to the Admissions Committee.

Doctor of Philosophy/Doctor of Management
The programme is for a duration of 36 months minimum. Candidates who hold a Masters degree and who wish to extend the frontiers of the research carried out for the Masters programme may take less time to complete the degree. At all times, the end product of the research must result in original contribution to knowledge.

Concurrent Registration

Candidates may be permitted to enroll concurrently for the Bachelor and Master, or for the Master and Doctorate if, in the opinion of the Admissions Committee, such enrollment will serve the needs of candidates and their sponsors, but at all times, the standard of the degree shall not be compromised.