Department of Food Production

Coordinator – Prof. Duraisamy Saravanakumar

OFFERED ONLINE

OBJECTIVE

The Postgraduate Diploma and MSc in Crop Protection offer advanced training in Tropical Crop Protection with emphasis on control of pests and weeds and management of tropical diseases of plants. Special emphasis is given to biological control of tropical pests, diseases and pathogens.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

POSTGRADUATE DIPLOMA AND MSc

Candidates applying for admission to the Postgraduate Diploma and MSc in Tropical Crop Protection are required to satisfy the University’s Regulations governing entry to Master’s degrees, and should normally hold a Bachelor’s degree of at least lower second class Honours (minimum GPA 2.0 or equivalent) in Agriculture or in a related discipline.

COURSE OF STUDY

The course of full-time study covers a ten-month period from September of one year, to June of the following year for successful completion of the Postgraduate Diploma and a twelve-month period from September of one year, to August of the following year for the completion of the MSc. in Tropical Crop Protection.

POSTGRADUATE DIPLOMA

Core Courses

ELECTIVE COURSES
*Students are required to select ONE course from the following list of electives.

MSc DEGREE

Core Courses

Candidates will be allowed to submit the Research Project/Report, only after successful completion of the core and elective courses.

ELECTIVE COURSES
*Students are required to select ONE course from the following list of electives.

Candidates who at the end of two years have not completed the programme of study leading to the Postgraduate Diploma or the MSc in Crop Protection will be required to withdraw from the programme unless they have been granted special permission by the Board for Graduate Studies to continue.

DIPLOMA PROGRAMME: The Diploma programme comprises 30 credits of taught courses. The Diploma will be awarded upon successful completion of all the prescribed courses and an internship. This programme does not include a research project. During the end of the second semester break the internship should be completed.

MSc PROGRAMME: The MSc programme comprises 34 credits of taught courses and a compulsory 8 credit research project and independent study (based on research discipline), for a total of 42 credits. The MSc degree shall be awarded upon successful completion of all the prescribed courses and the compulsory research project, internship and independent disciplinary study in Tropical Crop Protection.

The degree shall be awarded in two categories - Distinction and Pass. For the award of the degree with Distinction, the candidate must have obtained a minimum average mark of 70% or more in all core and elective courses as well as 70% or more in the Research Project.

EXAMINATION

A candidate must attain at least 50% in order to secure a passing grade for each course. For some courses, coursework accounts for 100% of the marks, and there is no final examination.

TIME LIMIT

The course of full-time study covers a twelve-month period from September of one year, to August of the following year.

Candidates will normally be expected to complete all their examinations within one year as full-time students. Part-time students will normally be expected to complete the programme in two (2) years. Candidates must complete all their examinations within two years maximum as full-time students or within four years maximum as part-time students.

AWARD OF THE DEGREE

To qualify for the award of the degree, candidates must have successfully completed six (6) courses (5 credits each) and the research project (7 credits).

The degree shall be awarded in two (2) categories – Distinction and Pass. For the award of the degree with distinction, the candidate must have obtained an average of 70% in all courses and in the research project.

EXAMINATION

A candidate must attain at least 50% in the coursework and 50% in the final examination in order to secure a passing grade for each course.

COURSEWORK

The coursework component is specified for each course. Coursework assessment will consist of all or a combination of the following: preparation of review papers in selected areas, seminar presentations and conduct of and written reports on practical investigations and laboratory sessions.

FINAL EXAMINATION

Candidates will be required to sit final written examinations in each course. The written examination shall consist of one 3- hour paper. The final examination for each course will be held at the end of the semester in which it is offered. The contribution of the final examination to the total course mark is specified for each course. Candidates, who fail no more than two courses in a given semester, will be permitted to rewrite examinations for those courses, at the next available sitting, on the recommendation of the Faculty’s Board of Examiners.

Candidates who fail more than three courses, overall, or who fail any course more than once, will normally be required to withdraw from the programme and may be permitted to continue only on approval of the Board for Graduate Studies and

Research, on recommendation by the Faculty’s Board of Examiners. Normally, a candidate who does not sit a final examination for a course for which he/she is registered shall be deemed to have failed that course.