Cocoa Research Centre is pleased to collaborate with the UWI Faculty of Food and Agriculture to deliver two new graduate programmes, as follows.

1. MPhil in Cocoa Science
2. PhD in Cocoa Science

Cocoa Science involves research along the value chain to address productivity increases, postharvest processing and quality issues, risk mitigation, evaluation and utilization of cocoa genetic resources towards developing new breeding technologies or varieties, as well as developing a range of innovative products. The overall goal of the programme is therefore to produce a cadre of professional researchers, who can operate in an interdisciplinary research environment to support the growth and development of the regional fine cocoa industries, while producing value employment opportunities within the new knowledge economy.

CONTACT

Please contact the Director of CRC, Professor Pathmanthan Umaharan, if you wish to join our programme pathmanathan.umaharan@uwi.edu or sta-crc@uwi.edu

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The specific objectives include

1. Creating a cadre of graduates capable of conservation, management and utilization of cocoa genetic resources
2. Developing geneticists capable of applying modern genetic technologies such as genome wide association studies, QTL mapping, functional assays to validate candidate genes, and genomic selection methodologies in crop improvement
3. Training postgraduate students in the area of risk mitigation including cutting edge areas such as mitigation of climate change impact, losses due to pest and disease and other food safety risks
4. Nurturing researchers capable of carrying out multidisciplinary projects dealing with contemporary problems facing the cocoa industry
5. Developing researchers in cocoa postharvest processing and quality management using conventional and novel tools such as proteomics, metagenomics, metabolomics.
6. Developing innovators in product and process design to improve market penetration, and or efficiency.

Read on below for more details on our current research.

About

Cocoa Research Centre is a UWI campus Centre located at St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago. The Cocoa Research Centre (CRC) along with its predecessor organization is the oldest Cocoa Research facility in the world, having been in existence since 1930.
This, along with the International Cocoa Genebank that it curates and the global DNA fingerprinting service it provides, has given it an international stature.

CURRENT RESEARCH AREAS

At present, our research areas include:

The following are some of research projects that we are  currently engaged in:

• Conservation of genetic resources - evaluation for traits of importance within the Genebank
• Molecular marker identification using GWAS or QTL mapping for traits of importance
• Genomic selection in cocoa
• Dwarfing rootstocks for cocoa
• Identifying and characterizing neotropical badnaviruses
• Managing witches’ broom disease and black pod disease of cocoa
• Mitigating Climate change impacts in cocoa
• Designing farms to improve carbon capture
• Carbon sequestration through Biochar
• Mitigation cadmium and aluminum in cocoa
• Improving quality through post harvest processing- fermentation and drying
• Automation of post harvest processing

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

Admission to an MPhil programme:

Holders of undergraduate degrees in Agriculture, Biology or any other related disciplines will be eligible for admission.

Normally, the minimum requirement for admission to the MPhil programme is at least an Upper Second-Class Honours degree (minimum GPA of 3.0 or equivalent).

For entry to the PhD programme, candidates with any of the following qualifications will normally be eligible for admission:

5. Holders of MPhil degrees awarded from recognized Institutions in Agriculture or related disciplines;

6. Applicants with taught MSc degrees in Agriculture or related disciplines with GPA of B+ from recognized Institutions, provided that the MSc programme included a research project worth at least 6 credit hours;

7. Students registered in MPhil programmes of the UWI in Cocoa Science who have met the requirements for upgrade in accordance with stipulated guidelines by the Board for Graduate Studies and Research;

8. Applicants possessing such other qualifications and experience as the Board for Graduate Studies and Research may deem acceptable.

Previous experience in research (e.g. through an undergraduate or MSc project) will be given special consideration in assessing a candidate's suitability for admission. Candidates are expected to develop a research proposal as part of their application, in conjunction with academic staff members in Cocoa Research Centre.

Admission to the MPhil/ PhD programme may be subject to an interview by a panel to include the potential supervisor(s) and the Director of CRC. Only candidates with both the academic ability and appropriate aptitude will be admitted to the programme. Where there is more than one suitable applicant for a particular project, admission will be granted on a competitive basis to the best candidate only.

The codes for registering for the programmes are:

MPhil Cocoa Science – COCS 7000

PhD in Cocoa Science – COCS 8000

COURSE OF STUDY

MPhil students are required to complete a total of at least 6 credits, whereas PhD students should complete at least 9 credits of courses.
Appropriate courses for the intended area of research will be assigned by the Director, in liaison with the supervisory team.

COURSE WORK REQUIREMENT

MPhil. degree

a. M.Phil thesis

b. Graduate courses equivalent to six credits from the recommended list below.

Doctor of Philosophy:

a.  PhD. Thesis

b. Graduate courses or the equivalent to nine credits from the recommended list below.

Students will also be exposed to seminars and workshops geared to enhance their skills in oral, written and poster presentations, working towards the ultimate goal to ensure that the work is disseminated to the public as well as other scientists. They will be encouraged to submit at least one journal article prior to submission of an MPhil thesis, and at least two journal articles prior to submission of the PhD thesis.

RECOMMENDED GRADUATE LEVEL COURSES:

(All the courses in the list are existing courses for which approval has already been obtained by the various departments and Faculties):

BIOL5200 Characteristics of Biodiversity (3 credits)

BIOL5208 Conservation and Management of Biodiversity (3 credits)

AGRI 6620 Statistical Methods (4 credits)

AGBU 6301 Research Methodology (4 credits)

In addition, as per Faculty regulations, all postgraduate research students are required to present at least two seminars at the MPhil level and three seminars at the PhD level before they will be allowed to submit their thesis. These seminars are assessed components of the programme, and candidates are required to formally register. The course codes for such courses are as follows:

MPHIL COURSES

GRSM 7000 Graduate Seminar – MPhil

GRSM 7001 Graduate Research Seminar I (mandatory – no credit)

GSRM 7002 Graduate Research Seminar II (mandatory – no credit)

PhD COURSES

• GRSM 8000 Graduate Seminar – PhD
• GRSM 8001 Graduate Research Seminar I (mandatory – no credit)
• GSRM 8002 Graduate Research Seminar II (mandatory – no credit)
• GSRM 8003 Graduate Research Seminar III (mandatory – no credit)

PROGRESSION FROM MPhil TO PhD

MPhil candidates may be upgraded to PhD under certain conditions. Before being permitted to progress from MPhil to PhD, candidates will be required to submit a report of their research to date, which includes a detailed literature review and a plan of research for the PhD. This report will be reviewed and the candidate examined in accordance with relevant University regulations by a panel comprising of one internal examiner and the candidate’s supervisor(s). Those candidates who do not meet the requirements for progression to PhD will be invited to submit an MPhil thesis for examination.

THESIS

Both the MPhil and PhD degrees are examined by thesis and in the case of the PhD also by public oral examination (thesis defense) as per the University regulations. The appropriate degree will be awarded upon completion of the programme, which includes the successful completion of all the required courses, seminars and the submission and successful defense of the MPhil/ PhD thesis. Candidates must complete the MPhil thesis (COCS 7000) and for the PhD thesis (COCS 8000) of the Faculty of Food and Agriculture and may defend his/her thesis at a public oral examination.