The Africa Center of Excellence for Climate Smart Agriculture and Biodiversity Conservation (ACE Climate SABC) at Haramaya University, Ethiopia, was established with financial support from the World Bank and began its operation in October 2017. The Center invites applications from qualified and motivated candidates for its transdisciplinary postgraduate programs for the 2025/26 academic year. These programs, which are delivered by a global faculty, are designed to address complex challenges in climate-smart agriculture, biodiversity, and sustainable development.
Programs Offered
The Center offers the following postgraduate study programs: MSc in Climate Smart Agriculture, MSc in Biodiversity and Ecosystem Management, and PhD in Climate Smart Agriculture and Biodiversity Management with sub-specializations in Crop Production and Management, Livestock Production and Management, Soil and Water Management, Policy, Institutions and Innovations and Biodiversity Conservation.
Admission and Selection Criteria
Admissions will be conducted on a competitive basis. Applicants will be evaluated based on the strength of their academic credentials, alignment of previous studies with the program of interest, and the completeness of their application packages.
Funding and Cost Coverage
ACE Climate SABC will not provide any scholarships or assistantships for this admission cycle. As such, applicants must either self-finance or secure sponsorship from a third party to cover all costs related to tuition, research, and living expenses. However, the Center will assist admitted students in accessing accommodation on Haramaya University’s main campus at a reasonable rent.
Eligibility Criteria
Applicants to the MSc in Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) must hold a BSc Degrees or its equivalent in agricultural and environmental sciences or related fields from a recognized university. Candidates with degrees outside of the agricultural sciences may be required to take remedial or bridging courses to compensate for background deficiencies, as determined by the relevant academic units.
Applicants to the MSc in Biodiversity and Ecosystem Management (BEM) must have a BSc Degrees from a recognized institution in biological and environmental sciences, agricultural sciences, wildlife management and ecotourism, natural resources management, forestry, geography, or related disciplines.
Applicants to the PhD in Climate Smart Agriculture and Biodiversity Management must possess an MSc Degrees or its equivalent in fields related to agriculture areas such as plant sciences, animal sciences, agricultural economics, rural development, and agricultural innovation) or in natural resource management areas such as agroforestry, forest resource management, biodiversity conservation and management, rangeland management, soil and water conservation, land resource management, climatology, climate change, and disaster risk management.
Tuition Fees
Non-Ethiopian MSc candidates are required to pay USD 3,500 per year, while PhD candidates must pay USD 5,000 per year. Ethiopian nationals will pay tuition fees in accordance based on Haramaya University’s postgraduate tuition fee policy.
Application Requirements
Applicants to the MSc programs must submit their motivation letter, authenticated degree certificates and academic transcripts, curriculum vitae (CV), letters of recommendation, support letters from employers, a valid identification card or passport, and the GAT certificate only for Ethiopian applicants. These documents must be compiled and submitted as a single PDF file. If the applicant has any publications, these should be submitted in a separate PDF file.
Applicants to the PhD program must submit a concept note describing their proposed PhD research. Along with this, they must include authenticated copies of their MSc and BSc degrees and transcripts, a curriculum vitae (CV), letters of recommendation, support letters from employers, a valid identification card or passport, and the GAT certificate only for Ethiopian applicants. These documents must submitted after being compiled into a single PDF file. Any publications should be submitted separately in PDF format.
Submission Guidelines
All application documents must be sent via email to ACE Climate SABC Office (Dr. Mulugeta Damie) at aceclimatesabc@haramaya.edu.et, with a copy sent to Dr. Bobe Bedadi, ACE Deputy Leader and Head of the Training and Research Office, at bobedadi2009@gmail.com.
Application Deadline
The deadline for submitting applications is September 15, 2025.