Programs and courses

 

The CFGS runs an interdisciplinary MA and PhD Programs in Federalism and Governance Studies. So far, the Center produced over 150 and 20 graduates in MA and PhD, respectively. In addition to students from Ethiopia, applicants to the MA and PhD programs include students from South Sudan and Somalia. CFGS also provides short term trainings and consultative services on federalism, decentralization, democracy and good governance, management of diversity, conflict resolution, intergovernmental relations, fiscal transfers, human and minority rights, gender, local government, and other governance related matters to officials and practitioners in Ethiopia and to those coming from the Horn region including Somalia and South Sudan. The CFGS has recently revised its programs and curricula with the aim of broadening the substantive coverage and to make the programs more apt to address the contemporary challenges confronting Ethiopia’s polity as well as to make it more relevant to an international audience.

 

MA Courses

The overall proposed program consists of both course work and MA theses. The course work, in which all candidates take common/required courses with 30 credit hours, will be conducted during the first two semesters of the first year. Students will then focus on their thesis during the six months of the second year.

Module  No Title of the Module ECTS
I Year/ I Semester
FGS 611 Research Methodology (10 %) 7
FGS 621 Federal Constitutional and Political Systems 7
FGS 631 Inter-Governmental Relations and Policy Process 7
FGS 641 Fiscal Federalism 7
                                                                                       Total 28
I Year/ II Semester
FGS 612 Federal Governance, Human and Gender Rights 7
FGS 622 Federal Governance and Development 7
FGS 632 Multiculturalism, Conflict Management and Peace Building 7
FGS 642 Seminar on Contemporary Federal Frontiers 7
Pedagogy (10 %) 7
                                                                                       Total 35
II Year Thesis (15%) 30
                                                                             Grand Total 93

Admission Policy

Admission to the MA Program in federal studies shall be in accordance with the admission policies, procedures, rules and regulations decided by the School of Graduate Studies of Addis Ababa University. Candidates to the MA program in federal studies must have first degree in either of the following disciplines from a recognized University/College: economics, political science, law, anthropology or public administration. Candidates must also secure two letters of recommendation, at least one from their former professor. Candidates will compete for the limited space available every year. Fifty percent of the competition will be based on their performance in their first degree and the relevant experience they have acquired in practice and fifty percent will depend on their performance in the entrance examination.

PhD Program: Rationale

The rationale for the PhD program in federal studies stems from the need for qualified personnel for teaching and research in the institutions of higher learning in Ethiopia. The program also aims at research-based training for policy analysts and practitioners in governmental and non-governmental organizations. The proposed PhD program also contributes to the staff development efforts of AAU and the newly-established universities in the country.

The launching of the PhD program may have some benefits which transcend the attainment of institutional and national objectives. It may serve the needs of other African countries, particularly countries of the Horn region, as research and expertise on governance, human rights, and peace are sought by these countries to overcome their political and security predicaments.

In terms of curricular development, this program has grown out of an awareness of the need for a rigorous interdisciplinary study on human rights, peace, and federalism in Ethiopia and the wider sub-region. The interrelationship of these subjects is clear in the Ethiopian context, the country suffered from major internal and international conflicts in the past. Even today, there are localized and relatively low-scale conflicts in the country. As already indicated, the country is located in one of the volatile regions of the world – the Horn of Africa – where conflicts are interlinked and form a ‘conflict system’. The federal restructuring of the country since 1991 has also a peace and security element. Federalism was used not only as a system that would ensure a balance between ‘self-rule’ and ‘shared-rule’ for Ethiopia’s diverse population but also as an institution that would help better manage inter-ethnic relations and thereby ensure peace. Similarly, respect for human rights is influenced by the presence or absence of peace and good governance. Hence, the proposed interdisciplinary approach would help bring about an integrated approach to the study and research of these problems.

Objectives

The general objective of the PhD program is to produce scholars/professionals in the area of federal studies with the requisite knowledge, skills and attitudes. By doing this the program aims at translating AAU’s vision of providing centers of excellence in the various areas which are crucial to Ethiopia’s development. The specific objectives of the PhD program are to:

  • Produce researchers and educators in the area of federalism;
  • Promote interdisciplinary research on the contemporary federalism issues ;
  • Create a mechanism through which research findings can be communicated to the stakeholders concerned – policymakers.

Admission Requirements

Admission into the PhD program follows the general guidelines set forth by AAU’s Senate Legislations. Accordingly, candidates who have successfully completed their MA/MSc degrees from accredited universities, preferably in the social sciences, can apply for admission. Admission may be considered on the basis of the soundness of applicants’ PhD research proposal (about 5-10 pages, specifying which issues are being considered, the scientific approach, theory, and methodology); publication and research experience, written and oral examinations. The IPFHR may require doctoral students who are deemed to have deficiency in the fields of Peace, Federalism, and Human Rights to take/audit additional courses from its MA programs and/or other post-graduate programs of AAU.

Compulsory courses for all students in the program 

Year/Semester Course No. Course Title ECTS
I, I PFHR 801 Advanced Research Methodology 7
PFHR 811 Theories and Praxis on Peace, Federalism, and Human Rights 7
PFHR 821 Seminar on Conflict, Governance, and Human Rights in the Horn of Africa 7
I,II FEDS802 Comparative Federal Political System 7
FEDS 812 Federalism and Nation Building in Multi Ethnic Society 7
FEDS 882 Federalism and Decentralization in the Horn of Africa 7
Total 42
II, I – III, II FEDS 999 Dissertation

Programs and the current number of students

Program No. of program No. of students
Undergraduate No none
Graduate one 10
Ph.D one 6