Publishing from Ghana: the KNUST publication rule

We found no national rule in Ghana that requires graduate students to publish. KNUST has its own: from the 2025/2026 academic year a PhD needs a journal article plus a peer-reviewed conference paper, and an MPhil needs one of the two.

Every rule below links to the official document it comes from. Read on 10 October 2026.

What the rules ask

We found no rule from the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission requiring graduate students to publish. The rules below are KNUST's. If you study at another university in Ghana, its School of Graduate Studies sets yours.

• KNUST: PhD candidates must produce at least two publications, one journal article and one peer-reviewed conference paper, as part of thesis submission, starting with the 2025/2026 academic year. (source: Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), read 10 October 2026)
• KNUST: MPhil students must present either one peer-reviewed conference paper or one published article before their thesis is assessed. (source: Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), read 10 October 2026)
• KNUST: PhD candidates also submit a policy brief with the thesis. KNUST says these will go to the National Development Planning Commission and the relevant ministries. (source: Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), read 10 October 2026)
• KNUST: A KNUST thesis may be written as a series of papers, whether published, submitted or ready to submit, with each thematic chapter a complete manuscript. (source: Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), read 10 October 2026)
• KNUST: The candidate should be the principal author of papers that come out of the thesis, and is expected to show evidence of publishing when the thesis is examined. (source: Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), read 10 October 2026)

Your university's handbook is the final word.

Journals in Ghana

37 journals published in Ghana

Getting the paper ready

KNUST's thesis guide says the Harvard style of referencing shall be used, in any adapted form you apply consistently. ORBIT formats a reference list in Harvard. (source: Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST))

1. Format to the journal's template: Upload your .docx and pick the journal or style. ORBIT returns a formatted file.
2. Check it against the journal's rules: Readiness Check reads your file against the author guidelines before you submit.
3. Check the references: Reference Check flags retracted papers, broken DOIs and citations missing from the list.

Questions

Does the KNUST rule apply if I started before 2025/2026?

KNUST's announcement says the requirement starts with the 2025/2026 academic year. Ask the School of Graduate Studies how it applies to your cohort.

Can an MPhil student meet the rule with a conference paper?

Yes. KNUST accepts one peer-reviewed conference paper or one published article for the MPhil.

Which referencing style should a KNUST thesis use?

Harvard. The thesis guide allows adapted forms such as Elsevier Harvard, as long as one is used throughout.

Sources

• Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST). KNUST to make research publication mandatory for MPhil and PhD graduation from 2025/2026. Read 10 October 2026.
• Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST). Guide for Preparation and Evaluation of Higher Degree Research Thesis (June 2016). Read 10 October 2026.

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