What you must do to ensure you're earning PhD of the right quality | Commentary - Standard Digital

It is now a notorious truism that there are good and bad PhDs in Kenya, insist Peter Lewa, The Standard.

PhD graduands before receiving blessings during the 34th Graduation Ceremony of Moi University.
Photo: Peter Ochieng, Standard

In the face of this reality, Kenyans pursuing doctoral studies need to be quite circumspect as be able to spot when they are reclining to a bad PhD.

It all starts with the learner and their choice. So, how is a learner to tell - in good time - that they are about to get a good or bad PhD? Before delving into the answers, it is important to lay down the ground rule. And this is that a PhD process is an intricate scientific investigation of phenomena that requires thorough preparation and adherence to established standards and measures of quality. It engenders rigour and vigour and students are expected to prepare thoroughly. 

The first thing a PhD student ought to do is find out if their university has what it takes to produce quality graduates at PhD or any other level. This points to the issue of quality of education on offer. With the world shrinking into a village with help of technology, the quality of education one obtains matters a lot in a highly competitive environment. To make a quality judgement about a degree, you have to scrutinise the entire quality assurance process in the value chain and how a given university enforces set standards in every important aspect. You must invest your time in this investigation...

These are common challenges in the higher education sector in all countries in today’s globalised world.

The challenges may sometimes lead to hurried and poor preparation of students because of the wish to graduate as many students as possible. The Doctoral students must be in the forefront in demanding quality preparation. Students must demand active involvement. They must have a voice.?
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Source: Standard Digital