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PhD IN APPLIED MARINE SCIENCES (PhD-AMS) BY COURSEWORK AND DISSERTATION

Type
PhD (ISCED 2011 level 8)
Language

English

Duration 2 semesters
Entry level Master
Cost Tanzanian Nationals = TZs 20,000,000; Non-Tanzanian Nationals = USD 12,615

Fish and fisheries are an essential part of most communities worldwide and they make significant contributions to their protein budget, health, social and economic well-being. Fisheries products are used in a wide variety of ways, ranging from subsistence use to international trade where highly sought-after and highly-valued items are traded. The value of fish traded internationally is over US $130 billion annually, employing over 58.3 million people in 2010. Employment in the fisheries sector during the past 30 years has grown faster than both the world’s population and employment in agricultural sector. However, capture fisheries in Tanzania and worldwide has stagnated for over a decade due to a number of factors including over-harvesting, declining fisheries resources and biodiversity, climate change and non-climate induced environmental degradation. The continued contribution of the fisheries sector to global and national food security calls for a wider ecosystem stewardship and improved governance. Growing at an average annual rate of 8.8% worldwide and 11.7% in Africa, aquaculture has greatest potential in supplementing future demands for fresh fish, eliminating hunger, promoting health and reducing poverty. Issues on food insecurity include post-harvest losses. About one-third of the total world food produced (1.3 billion tonnes) for human consumption is lost annually. With regard to fisheries, post-harvest losses are contributed by unutilized captured/harvested fish(bycatch), damages and spoils that affect their nutritional value, and the price that deteriorates due to fluctuating market forces. During 2001-2010, the average annual growth rate of fisheries subsectors in Tanzania was insignificant (around 4.7%) and the Tanzania Development Vision (TDV) 2025 intends to improve to over 10%. Factors behind the limited contribution of fisheries and aquaculture activities to the overall GDP and food security include insufficient and erratic use of science and technology, minimal fisherfolk participation in the fisheries value addition chain, unsustainable resource management and poor genetic potential of the local stocks for aquaculture development. In addressing the situation, the proposed PhD AMS intends to promote and encourage, among others: (i) livelihood/income/food production diversification into non-fishing activities e.g. mariculture and ecotourism; (ii) establishment of the scientific basis for production of good quality mariculture seeds, feed and improved management; (iii) strengthening ecosystem-based adaptation and mitigation of climate induced episodes; (iv) reducing postharvest losses and promoting value-addition to marine and aquatic product; (v) participatory multi-sectoral approach to fisheries co-management; and (vi) ecosystem approach to sustainable fisheries and mariculture management. Thus, the programme intends to facilitate development of a new generation of entrepreneurs, resource managers and academicians with a multidisciplinary outlook on fisheries and mariculture development bottlenecks and measures to address them.

Programme Structure

The PhD degree programme is designed to run for 48 months (4 years). It offers two specializations, namely mariculture development and marine fisheries management. Both specializations consist of the coursework part and dissertation part. The coursework part, which is conducted during the first year, consists of five (5) and six (6) core courses respectively. For both specializations, three courses will be offered during the first semester and the remaining two (2) and three (3) respectively will be offered during the second semester. In addition to the core courses, the programme consists of four (4) elective courses, and these are offered during the second semester.

Structural components
Thesis/Dissertation

Learning outcomes

The programme is aimed at producing competent and skilled fisheries and mariculture experts and professionals; and contributing to the UDSM role as a reliable national source of high calibre entrepreneurs, resources managers and academicians in fisheries and aquaculture subsectors with the view to improve their growth momentum to reach targets of the much cherished TDV 2025. This is in view of the fact that Tanzania workforce is dominated by low skilled workers (84%), followed by medium skilled (13%) and high skilled workers are insufficient (3%). The TDV 2025 vision of Tanzania with middle-income requires improvements such that low skilled workers are reduced to at least 55%, medium and high skilled ones are improved to at least 33% and 12% respectively. It also aims to generate and transmit the research-based knowledge and innovation relevant to, among others, improvement of outputs from fisheries and mariculture subsectors.

Prerequisites

Entry Requirements

An applicant must hold the MSc degree from any university recognized by TCU, with a background in subjects relevant to marine sciences such as fisheries, aquaculture, biology, zoology, environmental sciences, natural resource management and chemistry. Applicants with equivalent qualifications may also be considered.

ISCED Categories

Biology
Ecology
Physical and chemical oceanography
Aquaculture
Fisheries