The KNUST School of Graduate Studies has announced major policy reforms aimed at improving research quality, supervision standards and graduate outcomes across the university.
Speaking at a workshop for Heads of Departments on January 22, 2026, Director of Graduate Studies Professor Poku-Boansi disclosed that the university has approved a new artificial intelligence policy for postgraduate work. Under the policy, MSc and equivalent programmes may accept up to five percent AI-generated content, while research-based degrees are subject to a zero-tolerance rule. He described violations as academic misconduct with serious consequences.
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| Prof. Michael Poku-Boansi speaking at a Public Lecture |
He also reaffirmed the university’s plagiarism thresholds, stating that overall similarity must not exceed 20 percent and no single source should account for more than five percent of a student’s work.
Addressing supervision challenges, Professor Poku-Boansi acknowledged the uneven supervisory burden across colleges and announced a temporary cap of 30 postgraduate students per supervisor in the social sciences and humanities. He said the Graduate School is exploring support from sister departments, adjunct staff and qualified external professionals to ease the pressure.
Professor Poku-Boansi further reiterated that publication remains a non-negotiable requirement for graduation. PhD students are required to produce at least one peer-reviewed journal article and one peer-reviewed conference paper, while master’s research students must submit at least one peer-reviewed conference or journal paper alongside their thesis.
He announced that oral examinations for postgraduate students will be decentralised to the colleges from the 2025-2026 academic year, with the Graduate School providing chairpersons and administrative support. PhD students will also be required to submit policy briefs with their final theses to enhance the policy relevance of their research.
Additional initiatives highlighted included structured comprehensive examinations, limits on extra coursework, doctoral dialogue recordings and plans to support the commercialisation of postgraduate research.
Professor Poku-Boansi urged Heads of Departments to support the implementation of these reforms, describing them as critical to strengthening academic integrity, supervision quality and the overall standard of postgraduate education at KNUST.
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