PhD Electrical Engineering

Background information

State the Aims and Objectives of the programme as fit into the mission and plans of the institution and national demand for the programme.

Electrical power systems which play a pivotal role in modern economies are presently experiencing revolutionary changes.  Environmental pressures as well as the sharp rise in demand have necessitated a revision of the portfolio of energy resources. Conventional energy sources are gradually moving away from load centers. This has resulted in a rise in transmission level voltages. Dispersed generations are also being introduced at load centers to reduce demand on main grids and address environmental concerns associated with conventional energy sources. It is expected that an increased amount of dispersed renewable generation units, such as photovoltaic systems, biomass systems and small wind turbines will be connected to the grid at the distribution level. Also, the connection of large solar and wind farms at the transmission level is in focus. Although these may offer economic, environmental and technical benefits, there are technical challenges and uncertainties. Also, the growing need to interconnect various national grids in order to improve the cost, reliability and security of power delivery has brought about high voltage direct current transmission. Furthermore, utilities are anticipating the development of a so-called “smart grid” that promises new opportunities for efficient and reliable use of electric power.

Therefore, there is a growing need for high level research in electrical systems due to increasing grid complexities and the need to meet growing power demand while keeping high level supply reliability considering faults.

Aims and Objectives

The PhD programme aims to

• build human capacity in high level research in subject areas in electric power engineering and
• provided academic breadth in subject areas in electric power engineering along with deep knowledge in various topics.

Upon the completion of the PhD education, the candidate should at the forefront of knowledge in one or several subject areas in electric power engineering and should be able to:

• evaluate the application of different methods in these subject areas and will contribute to the development of new knowledge, new theories and new methods in the subject area(s).
• formulate questions and plan for research.
• conduct research at a high international level with professional and ethical integrity.
• address complex technical questions and challenge established knowledge and practices in the area.
• evaluate the work of others at the same level.
• participate in complex multidisciplinary assignments and projects, provide research and development via recognized national and international channels.
• participate in debates in the field in international forums.
• assess the need to and take initiative to drive innovation.
• acquire new knowledge in the field.

Students’ admission, progression and graduation

General Qualifications

MSc/MEng/MPhil degree in Electrical & Electronic Engineering discipline from a recognised University. Applicants with degrees from closely related disciplines such as MSc/MEng/MPhil in Electronics or Physics could also be considered.

Programme Requirements

In addition to the general qualification, candidates must pass an interview.

Student Enrolment:

A total of 5 students will be admitted in the first year of the programme. This number is expected to grow annually by 5.

Qualifications for retention

A student must register the required courses during each semester and attend lectures in order to continue in the programme.

Requirements for graduation

For the award of the PhD degree, the student must have

1. passed all taught courses.
2. achieved a minimum of 81 credits hours.
3. obtained a minimum pass mark of 50% in any examination.
4. obtained a minimum cumulative weighted average (CWA) of 55.00 (for taught courses and seminars)
5. passed a comprehensive examination in a maximum of two sitting and
6. submitted and successfully defended a Thesis.

Employment:

List the areas in which the students are likely to be employed

Employment opportunities exist for graduates of this programme in the following areas:

1. Electric utility companies including VRA, GRIDCo, ECG and IPPs
2. Teaching and research institutions.
3. Self-employment

MODE OF APPLICATION

1. Applicants (International) must apply online. International applicants who are admitted will be required to pay an application fee of USD 200.00 before registration.
2. Candidates should proceed to online admissions website: KNUST Application Portal and begin the application process.
3. Once the process has been completed, candidates MUST PRINT OUT 2 COPIES of the completed application form from the portal and submit them (by post) to the School of Graduate Studies together with all relevant documents (Photocopies of Certificates, Recommendation Letters, and Transcript for those attending KNUST for the first time) to the following address:

The Secretary

School of Graduate Studies

KNUST

Kumasi-Ghana