It is my pleasure to welcome you to the Office of Doctoral Programmes (ODP) at the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA).
Since 2010, University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) has introduced several Master’s degree programmes in areas such as Marketing, Accounting, Finance, Auditing, Global Leadership, Corporate Governance as well as Media and Communication. With the institutional experience gained managing these graduate programmes, the University, with the approval of both the National Council for Tertiary Education (NCTE) and the National Accreditation Board (now Ghana Tertiary Education Commission), has begun offering doctoral programmes.
UPSA doctoral programmes exhibit a strong linkage between theory and practice and offer students an interdisciplinary environment, enabling the review and discovery of creative discipline-specific ideas and the development of analytical skills for the effective and efficient resolution of complex problems. Students enrolling in the programme will benefit from a number of unique and highly desirable programme features.
About the Office of Doctoral Programmes
The Office of Doctoral Programmes oversees the growth of UPSA as a doctoral research institution that responds to the training needs of the nation and the wider international community. The office coordinates admissions, supervision, candidature progression, examination, and graduation across all PhD programmes offered by the University.
Five features define the doctoral experience at UPSA. The first is a diverse and multi-stage assessment regime that evaluates candidates through coursework, written examinations, research proposals, comprehensive examinations, and thesis defence. The second is a practical course-based research and teaching engagement that produces peer-reviewed publications and prepares candidates for academic appointments. The third is an active retention and progression system, which includes a rigorous admission process matched to faculty supervision capacity, a regularly evaluated mentoring system, mandatory faculty tracking of candidate coursework performance, and documented faculty-candidate research collaboration. The fourth is a deliberate blend of UPSA professorial faculty with selected international and local adjuncts, designed to keep instruction internationally informed and locally grounded. The fifth is a research culture that connects candidate work to current journal scholarship from the first year onward.
Vision
To develop and sustain competitive, internationally recognised doctoral programmes in business and the wider social disciplines, designed to address the practical development needs of Ghana and the neighbouring region.
Mission
Building on the University’s established strengths in the professional disciplines, the Office of Doctoral Programmes provides business and social-science doctoral training that is well resourced, financially self-sustaining, and delivered by a diverse academic and administrative team. The student-centred design of the programmes prepares candidates to compete in international research communities and to contribute as lifelong scholars.
Goals
The Office of Doctoral Programmes pursues continuous improvement of programme quality and reputation, working to establish UPSA as a self-sustaining, intellectually active, and scholarly environment for doctoral training.
Objectives
The Office of Doctoral Programmes works to create an environment in which candidates acquire diverse research skills and apply the knowledge they generate. Task-specific objectives include the following:
- Biannual review of candidate progress against agreed milestones.
- Real-time documentation of faculty-candidate contact hours and supervision activities.
- Regular monitoring of faculty and staff satisfaction with programme regulations and procedures.
- Routine logging, review, and refinement of programme regulations and procedures.
- A rolling admissions policy supported by a strong academic refresher component.
- Rigorous faculty-driven, research-based instruction and learning engagement.
- Focused brand awareness activity for the doctoral programmes.
- Clear and consistent image management across the Office’s communications.
Doctoral Programmes on Offer
UPSA offers eight doctoral programmes, organised below into four clusters by disciplinary focus. Each programme leads to the award of a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) from the University of Professional Studies, Accra.
PhD Programmes
- Doctor of Philosophy in Management
- Doctor of Philosophy in Marketing
- Doctor of Philosophy in Accounting
- Doctor of Philosophy in International Security and Intelligence
- Doctor of Philosophy in Interdisciplinary Studies
- Doctor of Philosophy in Finance
- Doctor of Philosophy in Information Systems
- Doctor of Philosophy in Public Policy and Leadership
Programme Coordinator
Dr. Timothy Kwabla Zilevu
Dr. Timothy Kwabla Zilevu is a Lecturer in the Department of Marketing at the University of Professional Studies, Accra, where he coordinates the University’s Doctoral Programmes, He holds a PhD in Marketing and a Masters in Total Quality Management from UPSA, and a Chartered Postgraduate Diploma in Marketing from the Chartered Institute of Marketing, United Kingdom. He is a Full Member of CIM-UK and CIM Ghana, and a member of the American Marketing Association and the American Society for Quality.
His teaching covers Total Quality Management, Digital Marketing, International Marketing, Tourism Marketing, and Digital Optimisation Strategy at undergraduate and postgraduate level, alongside CIM professional marketing programmes. His research interests include quality management, risk and insurance research, digital transformation, sustainability marketing, marketing analytics, and the application of artificial intelligence in research and higher education. He has published widely in peer-reviewed journals and presented at international conferences across Africa and beyond.
Dr. Zilevu supports quality assurance, accreditation, and candidate progression processes within the School of Graduate Studies. He has also led and contributed to applied research and consultancy projects for organisations including the E4Impact Foundation and Enterprise Insurance.
Dr. Timothy Kwabla Zilevu
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