AMBO UNIVERSITY

SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES

A GUIDELINE FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS OF AMBO

UNIVERSITY

PREPARED BY:

Tadele Shiberu (Ph.D)

Gudeta Nepir (Ph.D)
Tsegaye Benti (Ass. Professor)
Ararsa Bekele (Civil Engineering)
Ayana Gemechu (Ass. Professor)

AUGUST, 2022
AMBO UNIVERSITY, ETHIOPIA
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Contents Page
Purpose of the guideline 3
I PART ONE 3

1 Writing style of Graduate seminar, Master/PhD Proposal, and Thesis/ 3

Dissertation
1.1 The text body in general 3
1.2 General Layout 4
1.3 General Definitions 4
A SECTION ONE 9

Basic elements of a graduate seminar 9

Example of sample pages 10

B SECTION TWO 12

Basic Elements of a Proposal 12

Example of sample pages 13

C SECTION THREE 15

Basic Elements of a Thesis/Dissertation 15

Example of sample pages 16

II PART TWO

2 Guideline For Graduate Students 19

2.1 MASTER PROGRAMS 19
2.1.1 Application Procedure 19
2.1.2 Admission Criteria 19
2.1.3 Program of Study 21
2.1.4 Duration of Study 21
2.1.5 2.2.5 Duties and Responsibilities of the students 21
2.1.6 Submission, Review and Approval of Thesis Proposal 22
2.1.6.1 Proposal Submission 22

2.1.7 Grading System 23

2.1 Doctoral Programs 23

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2.2.1 Application Procedure 23
2.2.2 Admission Criteria 24
2.2.3 Program of Study 25
2.2.4 Grading System 25
3 Final Documents of Thesis/Dissertation 25
3.1 Accepted Thesis/Dissertation 25
3.2 Non-defendable Thesis/Dissertation 26
3.3 Rejected Thesis/Dissertation 26
3.4 Effect of Rejection 27
3.5 Complaints and Appeals 27
3.6 Publications 27
3.7 Graduation Criteria 27
3.8 Accepted Thesis/Dissertation 28

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PURPOSE OF THE GUIDELINE
The purpose of this guideline is to provide information related to the preparation of
graduate seminars, proposals, and thesis/dissertation writing for graduate students of
Ambo University. This guideline consists of graduate writing style and guidelines for
graduate students. It includes application procedure, admission criteria, the text body in
general, general layout, general definition, and specific format requirements for the
graduate seminar, proposal, and thesis/dissertation as well as information about writing
procedures in chronological order. This guideline ensures uniformity for all Colleges,
Institutes, and Schools on all Campuses of the University.

PART ONE
1. WRITING STYLE OF GRADUATE SEMINAR, THESIS PROPOSAL, AND
THESIS/DISSERTATION
1.1 THE TEXT BODY IN GENERAL
The nature of the seminar, research proposal, thesis, or dissertation determines the
organization of the body or main text into chapters, groups of chapters, or other pertinent
schemes of exposition. These divisions are dictated by the nature of the discipline.
Punctuation, spelling, and general form should be consistent throughout the text.
Moreover, the writing style used by the American Psychological Association (2010, 7 th
edition) except that College of Agriculture, Natural science. Institute of Technology used
the Harvard style. For Medicine and Health Sciences uses Vancouver (numeric) style
and the School of Law uses Bluebooks style 19th edition.

1.2 GENERAL LAYOUT

The School of Graduate Studies recommended you to use the following guidelines:
Margins: 1 inch on top, bottom, and 1.25 inches on the right side, and 1.5 inches on the
left side except on the title page.
Line spacing: 1.5 line spaced and in each chapter, distance before, after, and between
heading and subheading 2 inches.
Fonts: Text font (Times New Roman) and text size should be chosen to ease reading.
Font sizes 12 are recommended. Use consistent font styles for section headings. On the
first page of each chapter, the distance between the heading and subheading
For footnotes or endnotes: 1 line spaced and 10-point font size
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Pagination:
Preliminary pages: Small Roman numerals exclude the first cover page started (ii, iii, iv,
etc.) are placed at the bottom centre of the page, starting with the second title
Page as ii. The first Title Page is counted but is not numbered.
Manuscript proper: Arabic numbers (1, 2, 3, etc.) are placed at the bottom centre of the
page starting from the introduction on all remaining pages, beginning with the
number 1.
The text body of the title is in capital letters, 12 font size, the Subtitle 12 font size initial
capital letter, and the other in a small letter with bold letters. Similarly, the sub-title of
sub-title initial capital letters and the other in small letters but not bold.
Font sizes heading and subsequent sub-headings
First level heading: font size of 12, upper case and bolded and center-aligned;
Second level heading: is aligned left, font size of 12, the first letter of each major word
in upper case letter and bolded;
Third level heading: left aligned, font size of 12, the first letter of each major word in
upper case letter but not bolded;
Fourth level and subsequent headings: left aligned font size of 12, sentence case letter
unless required by grammatical rules.

1.3 GENERAL DEFINITIONS

COVER PAGE
The cover page is placed at the front of the paper and it is the first thing the reader will
see during the Seminar/proposal/thesis/Dissertation. It contains the name of the
University, Campus/ College/Institute/School, Department, Author name, Month, year,
and place. The font size is 14 in a single line with capital letters.
TITLE PAGE
The title should be a concise statement of the topic. It should be a clear indication of what
the seminar/proposal/thesis/dissertation is about. A useful piece of advice usually given is
to mention the dependent and independent variables. In choosing your title, keep the
interests of your reader in mind. Make it persuasive and one that will capture attention.
The font size is 14 and spaced 1.5 between lines with upper case letters.

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APPROVAL SHEET
The approval sheet will be contained the names and signatures of all appropriate persons.

DEDICATION (if any)

The dedication is an optional page that gives the author the opportunity to dedicate the
manuscript to an individual or group. The heading Dedication is centered and placed two
inches from the top of the page.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The acknowledgement/s page is an optional page that gives the author the opportunity to thank
those who have provided assistance during writing a seminar, research proposal, thesis or
dissertation. The heading acknowledgments are centered and placed two inches from the top of
the page.
ABBREVIATIONS/ACRONYMS
The list of abbreviations and acronyms is provided to acquaint the reader with
abbreviations and acronyms that are essential to the work. When used, these lists can take
any form acceptable to the discipline. The heading list of abbreviations and acronyms is
centred and placed 1 inch from the top of the page in alphabetical order.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
The table of contents includes preliminary pages, chapter headings, subdivisions of chapters of
the seminar, research proposal, thesis, or dissertation listed exactly as they appear in the text
along with the starting page number. The heading table is center aligned and placed 1 inch from
the top of the page. The table contents should be automatic.

LIST OF TABLES
The table page includes table titles and a chapter page. The heading list of tables is centered and
placed 1 inch from the top of the page. If the table found in chapters three/ four (Table 3.1, 3.2,
3.3...; Table 4.1, 4.2, 4.3,..)

LIST OF FIGURES
The illustrations page includes illustration or figure titles and chapter page numbers. The
heading list of illustrations or list of figures is centered and placed 1 inch from the top of
the page. If the figure found in chapters three/ four (Fig. 3.1, 3.2, 3.3...; Fig. 4.1, 4.2, 4.3,..)

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ABSTRACT
The abstract should be viewed as a mini-version of the thesis/dissertation. The abstract
should provide a brief summary of each of the main sections of the paper. It consists of
an introduction, objectives, materials and methods/methodology, results, conclusion, and
recommendations. It must include a maximum of one-page abstract for a master’s thesis
and a maximum of two to three pages for Ph.D dissertation in a single line, 11-point font
size, and italic. It consists of keywords three to five at the bottom of the abstract full
write-up. References, quotations, abbreviations, acronyms, jargon, Figures, or Tables are
not to be allowed in the abstract.

SUMMARY
The summary part should summarize the reviewed materials and describes the most
important main points, problem, and its relevance, method used, methodological
procedures, results acquired, and contribution of the paper. The length of the summary
should be about 200-250 words.

INTRODUCTION
The purpose of the introduction should be to supply sufficient background information to
allow the reader to understand and evaluate the result of the present study without
needing to refer to previous publications on the topics. The introduction should address
the background of the problem, the statement of the problem situation, the significance of
the study, the research questions or research hypothesis, the importance of the study, the
scope, and the limitations of the study. Sometimes the objectives of the thesis/dissertation
could be placed at the end of the paragraph or on a separate page depending on the
writing style of the college.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The significance of the study will be stated in the introduction section of the research
paper. It is stated mostly the importance of the research.

LITERATURE REVIEW
The chapter should be sufficiently comprehensive to map out the literature foundation on
which the study is situated. The review should be organized conceptually or thematically,
6
which establishes a framework for the investigation. The purpose of the literature review is
to summarize, evaluate and where appropriate compare those main developments and current
debates in the field which are specifically relevant to the research area, according to the guiding
principle embodied in the thesis statement. It depends on the nature of the research, or part of a
chapter, or a separate literature review chapter may be appropriate.

MATERIALS AND METHODS/METHODOLOGY

The materials and methods include a description of the study areas, test
materials/populations, research design or approach in depth, sampling methods, a data to
be collected/variables. This should be a detailed and clearly written description that
permits a precise replication of the study. Describe and explain data analysis procedures
and/or statistical treatments used. Include descriptions of tests, formulae, computer
programs, and procedures.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

This part presents the results as well as their analysis and interpretations. Students may
also choose to present the results and discussions in separate headings under one chapter.
The discussion presents interpretation and analysis of the results should be followed by
the descriptions of major findings/objectives with appropriate interpretation and
discussion in a single chapter. The discussion of the results should be well argued in
relation to each question or hypothesis.

The results of the investigation are presented in narrative form and may be supplemented
with graphics, and appropriate uses of tables and figures to present the data.

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

This concluding section should summarize the entire research effort. A sufficiently
comprehensive overview should enable the intended audience to understand the entire
study. At this point, it is appropriate to reacquaint the reader with the conceptual
framework, the design of the investigation, the methodology, and the results of the study.
This section should include the implications for future research, and recommendations.

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REFERENCES AND CITATION
Reference list of sources used is required if applicable. Pages should be formatted
according to the style manual or discipline-specific guidelines used. For guidance about
the appropriate way to cite direct sources (both in the main text and in the bibliography)
see how authors cite papers published in journals, books, newsletters, and websites.

Citation and referencing should follow the referencing style used by the American
Psychological Association (2010, 7th edition) except that the College of Medicine and
Health Sciences, uses the Vancouver (numeric) style and the School of Law uses the
Bluebooks style 19th edition. Unpublished results and personal communications are not
recommended in the reference list but may be mentioned in the text.

LIST OF APPENDICES
All materials, which do not easily fit into the mainstream of the proposal, thesis, or
dissertation write-up but are relevant to the work, as a whole should be retained as
appendices. It may include reference materials such as tables, figures, charts, and
illustrations not placed in the text. When there are multiple appendices, the heading
appendix is followed by a capital letter or Arabic number. The heading is centered and
placed 1 inch from the top of the page after the reference list.

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 A. SECTION ONE
BASIC ELEMENTS OF A GRADUATE SEMINAR
a. Cover page
 University, Campus/College/Institute/School, Department
 Seminar Title
 Name of student
 Month, Year, and place (City and Country)
b. Title page
 University, College/Institute/School, Department
 Seminar Title
 Name of student
 Name of advisors
 Month, Year, and place (City and Country)
c. Approval Sheet
d. Table of Contents
e. List of Tables (if any)
f. List of Figures (if any)
g. Abbreviations and Acronyms
h. Summary/Abstract
i. Introduction
j. Materials and Methods used (if any)
k. Text Body (Discussions)
l. Conclusions and Future directions
m. References

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Example of sample pages:
Cover page

Ambo University
School of Graduate Studies

Name of
Campus/college/Institute/School
Name of Department

Title in capital letters (14 Font Size)

___________________________________
_________________

By:
Second
Name title
of Student page

July, 2022
Ambo, Ethiopia

Title page
Ambo University
School of Graduate Studies

Name of Campus/ college/ Institute/ School

Name of Department

Title in capital letters (14 Font Size)

____________________________________
____________________________________

A Graduate Seminar Submitted to

Department of __________ Campus/
College/ Institute/ School, Ambo University
in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements
for the Degree of Master of Science/Art in
________________________

By:
Name of Student

Name of Advisor/s:___________________

July, 2022
ApprovalAmbo,
SheetEthiopia

10
 Ambo University
School of Graduate Studies

M.Sc/MA GRADUATE SEMINAR APPROVAL SHEET

Submitted by:
____________ ________ _________
PG Candidate Signature Date
Approved by
1. Advisor:
________________ Signature_______Date ______

2. Coordinator of the department

______________ Signature_______ Date__________

3. Head, Department
_______________ Signature ________Date__________

11
 B. SECTION TWO
BASIC ELEMENTS OF A PROPOSAL
i. Cover page
 University, Campus/College/Institute/School, Department
 Proposal Title
 Name of student
 Month, Year, and place (City and Country)
ii. Title page
 University, Campus/College/Institute/School, Department
 Proposal Title
 Name of student
 Name of advisors
 Month, Year, and place (City and Country)
iii. Approval Sheet
iv. Table of Contents
v. List of Tables
vi. List of Figures
vii. Abbreviations and Acronyms
viii. Summary (if any)
viii. Introduction
 Background of the study
 Statement of the problem
 Objectives
 General objective
 Specific objectives
ix. Literature Review
x. Materials and Methods
xi. Expected Outcome and Beneficiaries of the Proposal
xii. Work plan
xiii. Budget/Logistics
xiv. References

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Example of Sample pages:
Cover page

Ambo UniversityTitle/
School of Graduate Studies

Name of
Campus/college/Institute/School
Name of Department

Title in capital letters

___________________________________
_________________

By:
Name of Student

July, 2022
Ambo, Ethiopia

Title page

Ambo University
Second
School of Graduate Studies

Name of Campus/ college/ Institute/ School

Name of Department

Title in capital letters

____________________________________
____________________________________

A Thesis/Dissertation proposal Submitted to

Department of __________ Campus/
College/ Institute/ School, Ambo University
in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements
for the Degree of Master of Science/Art in
________________________

By:
Name of Student

Name of Advisor/s:___________________

July, 2022
Ambo, Ethiopia

13
 Approval Sheet

Ambo University
School of Graduate Studies

THESIS/DISSERTATION PROPOSAL APPROVAL SHEET

Submitted by:
____________ ________ _________
1. PG Candidate Signature Date

Approved by:
2. Major advisor:
________________ Signature _______Date ______

3. Evaluator 1 (External)
_______________ Signature ________Date________
4. Evaluator 2 (Internal)
_______________ Signature_________ Date________
5. Coordinator of the department

______________ Signature_______ Date__________

6. Head, Department
_______________ Signature ________Date__________

7. Campus/College/Institute/School, SGS Coordinator

_______________ Signature ________Date__________

Stamp here

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 C. SECTION THREE
BASIC ELEMENTS OF A THESIS/DISSERTATION
ii. Cover page
 University, Campus/College/Institute/School, Department
 Title
 Name of student
 Year and place
iii. Title page
 University, Campus/College/Institute/School, Department
 Title
 Name of student
 Name of advisors
 Year and place
iv. Certification sheet
v. Approval sheet
vi. Dedication (if any)
vii. Statement of the author
viii. Biographical sketch
ix. Acknowledgments
x. Abbreviations and Acronyms
xi. Table of Contents
xii. List of Tables
xiii. List of Figures
xiv. List of Appendices
xv. Abstract
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the study
1.2 Statement of the problem
1.3 Significance of the study
1.4 Objectives
1.4.1 General Objective
1.4.2 Specific objectives
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CHAPTER TWO: MATERIALS AND METHODS
CHAPTER THREE: LITERATURE REVIEW
CHAPTER FOUR: RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS
CHAPTER FIVE: CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
6. REFERENCES
7. Appendices
Example of Sample pages:
Cover page

Ambo University
Title/
School of Graduate Studies

Name of
Campus/college/Institute/School
Name of Department

Title in capital letters

___________________________________
___________________________________

By:
Name of Student

July, 2022
Ambo, Ethiopia

Title page

Ambo University
School of Graduate Studies
Second
Name of Campus/ college/ Institute/ School
Name of Department

Title in capital letters

____________________________________
____________________________________

A Thesis/Dissertation Submitted to
Department of __________ Campus/
College/ Institute/ School, Ambo University
in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements
for the Degree of Master of Science/Art in
________________________

By:
Name of Student

Name of Advisor/s:___________________

July, 2022
16
Ambo, Ethiopia
 Approval Sheet

Ambo University
School of Graduate Studies

CERTIFICATION SHEET
As thesis/Dissertation research advisors, we hereby certify that we have read and
evaluated the thesis prepared by ______________________under our guidance, which
is entitled
“____________________________________________________________________’’
We recommend that the thesis be submitted as it fulfills the requirements for the
Degree of Master of Science/Art in ________________________.
_____________________________ ____________________ ________________
1. Major Advisor Signature Date
___________________________ ___________________ _________________
2. Co-Advisor Signature Date
As members of the Board of Examiners of the Ph.D/M.Sc/MA/MPH/LLM. Thesis-
Open Defense Examination, we certify that we have read and evaluated the thesis
prepared by ______________________and examined the candidate. We recommend
that the thesis be accepted as it fulfills the requirements for the Degree of Master of
Science in crop protection.
____________________________ __________________ ________________
3. Chair Person Signature Date
_____________________________ _________________ ______________
4. Internal Examiner Signature Date
_____________________________ _________________ _____________
5. External Examiner Signature Date

17
 AMBO UNIVERSITY
SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES

THESIS/ DISSERTATION APPROVAL SHEET

Submitted by:
____________ ________ _________
1. PG Candidate Signature Date

Approved by:
2. Major advisor:
________________ Signature _______Date ______

3. Head, Department
_______________ Signature ________Date__________

4. Director/Dean, Campus/College/Institute/School

_______________ Signature ________Date__________

5. Campus/College/Institute/School, SGS Coordinator

_______________ Signature ________Date________

6. Director/Coordinator of SGS
_______________ Signature_________ Date________

Stamp here

PART TWO

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 PART TWO
2. GUIDELINE FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS
2.1 MASTER PROGRAMS
2.1.1 Application Procedure
i. An interested applicants shall get information about the active running
MA/MBA/MSc/MPH/LLM/PhD programs from media and website
(www.ambou.edu.et) so that she/he could identify the appropriate program and
admission criteria prior application
ii. The applicants shall download the application form from AU website or collect it
personally from the registrar’s office and fill in the necessary information before
submission
iii. Once the applicants have identified the admission criteria, s/he shall apply in person
for the program or by entering the application link https://estudent.ambou.edu.et
iv. The applicants shall upload or submit in person the application form, original receipt
of application fee, BA/BSc diploma and transcript, Identity Card (ID, passport for
oversees applicants) and recommendation letter for MA/MSc/MPH/LLM program
applicants

2.1.2 Admission Criteria

A. General Provisions on Admission
i. A candidate who has a high scholastic standing, whose professional experience
has been superior and who has
ii. received good recommendations shall be given priority for admission.
iii. AU Legislation, 2019, Article 103 states that the priorities in admission may be
granted to government sponsors as per the pressing need of the government.
iv. The DGC may include additional requirements in conformity with AU rules and
regulations.
v. Once the department received the completed application form, the DGC assign
two invigilators for entrance examination based on qualification, experiences and
efficiency.
vi. Each department is required to send DGC minutes with clear notification of the
names of instructors involved in administering, correcting and declaring result of

19
 entrance exam to SGS.
vii. For the successful applicants, the admission is tolerable and the minimum
intake capacity of five students for a Master program. However, the optimum
number shall be determined by the DGC
viii. Students admitted to a program from other field of specialization will be required
to take bridging courses which will be audited and determined by the AC.
ix. A student given provisional admission has to complete the prescribed courses before
being formally accepted as a regular graduate student.

B. Academic and Non-academic Requirements for Admission

i. An applicant for admission to a Master’s program must have a Bachelors’ degree
from an accredited institution of higher learning in the same or related area of
application
ii. The applicant must meet satisfactorily the selection criteria such as entrance
examination. Foreign applicants may sit for the entrance exam, submit results of
GRE/TOEFL/IELTS/ equivalent, language proficiency examinations for whose UG
medium of instruction isn’t English
iii. Senior undergraduate (UG) students of accredited universities requesting admission
to master’s program immediately upon graduation may be allowed to apply for
entrance exam administered by departments provided their CGPA at the end of first
semester of their final year is above 2.75
iv. Campus/Colleges/Institutes/Schools/Departments may for pedagogic reasons or
special requirements of the field of study, set appropriate restrictions such as age
limits and work experience subject to the approval of the ASQAC.
v. The candidate must produce a minimum of two letters of recommendation from
BA/BSc instructors, employers or professional Associates.
vi. Campus/Colleges/Institutes/Schools/Departments may take in to consideration of the
affirmative action for female and physically disabled applicants.

C. Registration
i. MA/MSc/MPH/LLM student must register at the beginning of each semester. A
student who fails to maintain continuous registration without officially
withdrawing from a program shall be considered to have dropped out of the

20
 program as indicated in AU Legislation, 2019, Article 104.
ii. Once the students have registered, it is impossible to change the program from either
regular to CEP or vice versa unless with justifiable reason approved by CGS.

2.1.3 Program of Study

i. Master’s programs may be based on thesis/project work and course-work or
course-work alone under special conditions (AU Legislation, 2019, Article 105).
ii. The graduate student shall study under a thesis advisor who may be assisted by co-
advisor if required. At least one member of advisory committee should be nominated
by the department.

2.1.4 Duration of Study

i. The Master's programs shall normally take two academic years for completion in all
departments
ii. No Master candidate may anticipate finishing a program in less than one and a half
academic year (AU Legislation, 2019, Article 107)
iii. A Master candidate may be allowed to continue for up to a maximum of four years if
it can be shown that the extension is required by force majeure and if it is
recommended by the DGC/AC. Such extension of time shall be recommended by the
DGC and approved by AC every semester
iv. A Master candidate taking more than the normal two-year duration for completion of
a program shall fulfill the special conditions set forth by the AC
v. A candidate who couldn’t finish his/her Master’s program in four years shall leave
the campus without any recognition/certificate.
vi. On completion or termination of the study, the student shall return all fixed assets
borrowed from the University, and process clearance within a reasonable time.

2.2.6 Duties and Responsibilities of the students

The PG student shall be:
i. Shall be registered on time schedule and pay necessary fees
ii. Shall attend the class in accordance of the attendance level required by respective
curriculum
iii. Plan, develop and defend thesis research proposal in agreement with his/her advisor

21
iv. Be available to advisor(s) for regular meetings at mutual acceptable times
v. Keep the advisor(s) informed of any changes in personal circumstances which might
affect the progress of the planned study
vi. Regularly provide written progress reports and discuss them with the advisor(s)
vii. Give serious consideration to the advice and criticism received from the advisor(s)
viii. Give feedback and reflect on the supervision and guidance received from the
advisor(s) or supervisory team at formal advisory meetings
ix. Present research findings at campus/college/institute/school/department research
colloquia and
x. Ensure that his/her thesis is submitted within the timeline to the advisor(s) and the
Department and acknowledge the advisor(s) in his/her research publications.

2.1.6 Submission, Review and Approval of Thesis Proposal

2.1.6.1 Proposal Submission
a) The thesis proposal written following the specifications given in this guideline
and shall be submitted to the respective Departments after the approval of the
advisor(s).
b) The proposal has to be submitted in three hard copies signed by the student and
the advisor(s).
c) The thesis proposal shall be submitted to the respective Departments three weeks
ahead of the review date notified by the Department.

2.1.6.2 Submission of Thesis

i) Once the master’s students have started the research work, the students shall present
the progress report to their respective advisor(s) after the completion of data
collection and data analysis and shall have MOCK defense one month prior oral
defense.
ii) The major advisor, after receiving and evaluating the progress report, has to forward
the same to DGC with recommendations as to whether the research can be
completed within the plan or special consideration is required.
iii) When a candidate, after conferring with the advisor, gives notice of readiness to
submit a thesis, the DGC shall appoint an examining Board and select an external
examiner.
22
 iv) Thesis should be submitted to Department and Board of examiners in accordance
with the deadline set by the SGS.
v) No candidate may be permitted to submit a thesis in less than one and half
academic year from the date of the first registration except with a special
permission of the DGC.

2.1.7 Grading System

i. Examinations are graded as specified under Article 80.2 and 82.5 of AU
Legislation, 2019.
ii. A Master student is allowed to graduate with a minimum CGPA of 3.00 and only
one “C”. However, students having two “C+” shall be allowed to graduate as long as
the CGPA is not below 3.00.
iii. Academic Probation and Dismissal as specified under Article 81.1 to 81.3 of AU
Legislation, 2019.
i. Probations are given if a student's CGPA fails below 3.00.
ii. A first-year graduate student is subject to dismissal without first being put on
probation if academic performance falls below 2.50 in the first semester results
iii. Any first-year graduate student who achieves a first SGPA between 2.50 and 3.00
shall be placed on probation by the DGC and any such student who had been
placed on probation shall be subject to dismissal if the student fails to achieve a
semester GPA of 3.00 in the next semester.

2.2 Doctoral Programs

2.2.1 Application Procedure
a. An interested applicants shall get information about the active running PhD
programs from media and AU website so that s/he could identify the appropriate
program and admission criteria prior application
b. The applicants shall download the application form from the website or collect
personally from registrar office and fill the necessary information before
submission
c. Once the applicants have identified the admission criteria, s/he shall apply in
person for program or through entering the application link
https://estudent.ambou.edu.et
23
 d. The applicant shall upload or submit in person the application form, original receipt
of application fee, MA/MSc/MPH diploma and transcript, Identity Card (ID,
passport for oversees applicants), GRE/TOEFL/IELTS/equivalent/language
proficiency examinations for applicants whose previous instruction medium is not
English, CV, any appreciation/award certificate, work experience, title page of any
published article and recommendation letters.

2.2.2 Admission Criteria

a. A candidate who has a high scholastic standing, whose professional experience has
been superior and who has received good recommendations shall be given priority
for admission granted to government sponsors (AU Legislation, 2019, Article 104).
b. An applicant for admission to a PhD program must have a Master’s degree from an
accredited institution of higher learning in same or related area of application
c. The applicant must meet satisfactorily the selection criteria such as entrance
examination and interview to be administered by the concerned academic
department. Foreign applicants may, sit for entrance examination, submit results of
GRE/TOEFL/IELTS or equivalent, language proficiency examinations for whose
undergraduate medium of instruction is not English
d. Campus/Colleges/Institutes/Schools may require PhD applicants to present
preliminary PhD research theme.
e. Campus/Colleges/Institutes/Schools/Departments may, for pedagogic reasons or
special requirements of the field of study, set appropriate restrictions such as age
limits and work experience subject to the approval of the ASQAC
f. The candidate must provide a minimum of two letters of recommendation from
MA/MSc/MPH/LLM instructors, employers or professional Associates.
g. Should have a CGPA of 3.00 or higher and a masters‟ thesis/project rated as
‘g ood‟ or higher or equivalent.
h. Should provide sponsorship letter or pay for his educational fee if self-sponsored.
i. Campus/Colleges/Institutes/Schools/Departments may take in to consideration of
the affirmative action for female and disabled applicants.
j. Once the department/school received the completed application form, the DGC
assign one or more professional staff with Associate Prof. and above based on
qualification, experiences and efficiency for entrance examination preparation and
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 two invigilators. Each department is required to send DGC minutes with clear
notification of the names of instructors involved in administering, correcting and
declaring result of entrance examination to SGS.
k. Once the final result is disclosed, the admission is tolerable and for the minimum
intake capacity of one students. However, the optimum number of students in
different graduate programs shall be determined by the DGC with the recognition of
AC considering the number of staffs, availability of space and demand for training
l. Students admitted to a program from other area of specialization will be required to
take bridging courses which will be audited and determined by the AC.

2.2.3 Program of Study

a. PhD programs may have ‘coursework and research’ or ‘research work only’ as options.
b. PhD candidates shall study under a dissertation advisor who may be assisted by a one
or two co-advisor(s) and/or an advisory committee for the student if required. At least one
member of the committee should be nominated by the department on its behalf.
2.2.4 Grading System
ii. Examinations are graded as specified under Article 72 of AU Legislation, 2019.
iii. To complete a program and graduate, a candidate needs to obtain a minimum CGPA
of 3.00 and no “C” grade as stipulated in Article 108 of AU Legislation, 2019.

iv. All courses with "B-" grades or lower shall be repeated (AU Legislation, 2019,
Article 82).
v. Grades of repeated courses shall be identified by asterisk (*) in front of the grade

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3. Final Documents of Thesis/Dissertation

3.1 Accepted Thesis/Dissertation

Based on the results of the open defense and assessment of the thesis/dissertation by each
member of the Board of Examiners, the defended Thesis/dissertation shall be evaluated
as follows:
a) Accepted with no change
b) Accepted with minor changes to be made to the satisfaction of the advisor or
c) Accepted with major modifications to be made to the satisfaction of the external
examiner and the rest of the Board of Examiners.
d) Under certain circumstances the external examiner may delegate the internal examiner
so that s/he might finally approve the thesis/dissertation if the candidates rectified the
given comments.
e) If a document requires substantial changes, which are to be made to the satisfaction of
members of the examining Board or its designate, the Board's report shall include a brief
outline of the nature of the changes required and indicate the time by which the changes
are to be completed.
3.2 Non-defendable Thesis/Dissertation
a) A thesis/dissertation shall be non-defendable if the work has been already used to
confer a degree from this or another University. This shall not preclude the candidate
from submitting such work, provided enough extra work has been done to expand the
scope and depth of the subject.
b) The examiners’ board shall inform the candidate one week ahead of the defense date
and the DGC shall report to AC which is then reported to SGC within a minute.
c) The last chance shall be given for the candidate to expand the scope seriously based
on the comments provided by the board of examiners in the time not more than one
year if and only the candidate agrees to cover all the intended re-examination
expenses.
3.3 Rejected Thesis/Dissertation
a) A thesis/dissertation shall be rejected if the work is judged as plagiarized by the
examining board once the plagiarism checker read above the standard level
b) The thesis/dissertation is said to be plagiarized if the candidate directly copied textual

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 materials and used others’ ideas/findings without acknowledgments.
c) In order to avoid the random rejection of thesis/dissertation by examiners who simply
consider the student’s work as plagiarized without cross-checking the contents of the
document using Online Plagiarism Software (Premium Grammarly Software or
Turnitin Plagiarism Checker).
d) The maximum tolerance of plagiarism for thesis/dissertation shall be 30% for Masters
and 35% for PhD students.
3.4 Effect of Rejection
a) The CGS may prepare and approve guidelines providing safe exit points by awarding
postgraduate certificate/diploma to Master’s candidates whose thesis has been rejected
or MPhil/is equivalent to PhD candidates whose dissertation has been rejected.
b) The AC shall decide on the dismissal/suspension of a candidate whose thesis/
the dissertation has been rejected due to plagiarism or may impose other disciplinary
measures.
3.5 Complaints and Appeals
Students and advisors have the right to complain. Any complaints that may arise from the
students, advisors, and college will be addressed in line with the AU Senate Legislation
and the appropriate code of conduct. If the student is dissatisfied with any element of a
research degree program, supervision and defense, s/he must discuss any concerns at the
time it occurs, prior/after thesis/dissertation examination. Graduate students who wish to
appeal against the academic decision of these types must submit a formal academic
appeal to his/her department.

3.6 Publications
The Ph.D. graduate should publish three articles in peer-reviewed journals indexed in
Scopus / Web of sciences as per MOSHE guidelines and present at two national/one
international conferences from the result of the dissertation work to be fulfilled the
criteria set out in AU Legislation, 2019, Article 112. However, no Ph.D. candidate shall
graduate without publishing at least one article in a reputable journal and presenting
dissertation work at one national/internal conference.

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3.7 Graduation Criteria
A candidate who fulfills the requirements laid down in the AU Legislation, 2019, Article
115 and whose research, study, and examination results are judged to be of sufficient
merit shall be recommended by the CGS to the Senate, through the Office of the
Registrar for graduation and award of appropriate credentials by the University. In
accordance with the legislation in general, the graduation requirements are as follows:
i. Completion of the minimum credit hours requirement as stipulated by the programs
curricula
i. Pass all courses with a minimum of ‘B’ grade for PhD and 1 “C” or 2 “C+” with
CGS 3:00 and above for M.Sc/MA/MBA/MPH/LLM.
iii. Pass in Comprehensive examination for PhD.
ii. Pass in Dissertation defense examination and approval of the same by the board
of examiners
v. Additional requirement depends on the curriculum of each Campus/college/
institute/school
vi. Submission of 2 hard copies (each for college and Library) of the approved
Thesis/ Dissertation and soft copy of the whole dissertation to the college and
Library.
3.8 Accepted Thesis/Dissertation

Accepted with minor modification: no change or with some minor or slight changes.
changes as submitted or accepted on the condition that additions, changes, or corrections,
are to be completed and the thesis submitted within 15 days.
Accepted with Major Modifications: to be corrected and thesis to be submitted within
45 days to 60 days of the defense date.
A dissertation requires major revisions or substantial changes which are to be made to the
satisfaction of members of the Examining Board or its designate. If changes are required,
these are generally left with the supervisor, department, and concerned college/institute/
school. The Examining Board’s report shall include a brief outline of the nature of the
detailed changes required. The corrected dissertation to be submitted 2 to 3 months

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Table 1: The color of the cover is specific for each Campus/College/Institute/School
S. No. Colleges Color
1 Guder Mamo Mezemir Campus Green
2 College of Business and Economics Brown/chocolate
3 Cooperative Studies and Rural Development Dark Green
4 Institute of Education and Behavioral Science Orange
5 School of Law Light Blue
6 College of Medicine and Health Science Dark Blue
7 College of Natural and Computational Science Pink Red
8 College of Social Science Yellow
9 Hachalu Hundesa Campus Grey
Note: Accepted Thesis/Dissertation may be rated as “Excellent”, and “Very Good” submitted as
three hard copies but if the grade is “Good” or “Satisfactory” submitted two copies not
necessarily to bind in hard cover page.

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