Study the cultural importance of Caribbean biodiversity and investigate the relationships between people, culture and ecosystems.
The MPhil/PhD Programme in Ethnobotany and Ethnobiology is a research-focused graduate degree with a strong community engagement component. Students are committed to exploring patterns of traditional and cultural knowledge, beliefs, and practices—particularly those related to the perception, use, and management of plants, animals, and/or their environment. Students may design their original research around traditional knowledge systems in combination with themes as varied as biodiversity, conservation, ecology, agriculture, linguistics (ethnotaxonomy), cultural heritage, or community health, as long as they find a suitable mentor at CCRIB to support their interests. The programme starts with two core courses required for the MPhil: GRSM6550 – Research Methods for the Sciences and GRSM6560 – Statistics for Research. This educational component is followed by the development of a research proposal in close collaboration with a mentor/supervisor from CCRIB (Caribbean Centre for Research in Bioscience) at the Faculty of Science and Technology, and the implementation of fieldwork in collaboration with local communities. Students are expected to be able to work closely together with their supervisor in a mentorship role, and also to demonstrate independence (in fieldwork, after training, for example in selecting communities they would like to collaborate with). It is essential that students in the programme identify a clear research gap in the academic literature—moving beyond simple documentation of traditional knowledge—and develop focused research questions that address this gap in a meaningful and scholarly way.
Duration: The MPhil programme typically spans 3 years for full-time students and 5 years for part-time students. For the PhD, the duration is typically 5 years for full-time students and 7 years for part-time students.
Identifying a Mentor/Supervisor: As a first step, prospective students should engage with a potential mentor from CCRIB prior to applying. This includes learning about a prospective mentor's current research and whether their research has a connection to ethnobotany or ethnobiology, reviewing their publication record, and exploring how a shared academic research topic can be developed within the mentor’s area of expertise or research interests. Expressions of interest can be submitted to Professor Ina Vandebroek, ina.vandebroek@uwi.edu for advice.
A key component of the graduate studies process is establishing a strong mentor–mentee relationship. Students are expected to be open to guidance on shaping their research topic and to collaborate actively with their mentor in defining objectives, methodologies, and research activities. This is not a programme in which students independently choose a topic of personal interest and seek supervision after the fact, although expressions of interest from students are welcomed as a starting point for discussion.
Timeline of MPHIL: Participation in this programme requires the completion of two graduate courses, totaling 6 credits, and completing an original research project. After the credit courses, students will work closely with their chosen research mentor to develop a research proposal.
Timeline of PHD: Students who successfully completed their MPhil can upgrade to the PhD Programme. They will also have to take an additional 3 credit course. For the PhD, they have the opportunity to continue in the Ethnobotany and Ethnobiology Programme or transferring to the Pharmacognosy Programme, depending on their academic progress, research interests, and continued dialogue with staff at CCRIB, the Caribbean Centre for Research in Bioscience from which these Programmes operate.
Applicants with a First-Class Honours degree or a Second-Class Upper Honours degree (or an equivalent GPA of 3.00 or higher on a 4.00 scale) from UWI or another recognized institution are eligible to apply for the MPhil programme.
Applicants with a lower GPA may also be considered on a case to case basis if they demonstrate strong motivation and potential. In such cases, we encourage early discussions with the prospective supervisor and the graduate programme coordinator. Candidates may be invited to engage in research-related activities or volunteer with the research team prior to submitting a formal application.
Those who already hold an MPhil or MSc degree are welcome to apply for either the MPhil or PhD programme. Admission will be based on the strength of the applicant’s qualifications, proposed research, and alignment with the expertise of the prospective supervisor.
Graduates from The UWI Faculties of Science and Technology and Medical Sciences, as well as from equivalent faculties at other institutions, are eligible to apply. Applications from graduates of the Faculty of Social Sciences will be considered on a case-by-case basis, depending on the fit of their background with the programme’s research focus and their skill set.
Tuition: Visit the UWI Mona website for information on tuition fees. As a reference, the annual tuition fee for graduate programmes in 2024/2025 was JMD $390,000.00 for Jamaican nationals. Part-time students have different fee structures. At present, there are no departmental awards or tuition waivers available for this or any new programme. However, we keep actively exploring opportunities with the university administration and strongly encourage prospective students to identify suitable external scholarships and grants early in the application process. Your prospective mentor will be happy to support you in developing a strong proposal for funding.
Preliminary Research Proposal: If these discussions with a potential mentor/supervisor (and/or a co-supervisor) are productive, students can then proceed to submit their application online, which includes a preliminary research proposal developed with their prospective mentor(s). Upon successful admission, the next step is to register for graduate studies at UWI Mona. For more information about the registration process, including tuition fees, please visit the Office of Graduate Studies and Research website: https://www.mona.uwi.edu/postgrad/
Fieldwork: For the research component which usually will typically begin after the required course credits are obtained (although it can be initiated earlier), students will receive hands-on training to develop an original research proposal and conduct fieldwork aimed at understanding Jamaican or Caribbean traditional knowledge or the community-based use and management of biodiversity or natural resources. This may also extend to related areas of scientific inquiry. A growing thematic focus within ethnobotany and ethnobiology is biocultural diversity, which includes the conservation and sustainable use of culturally significant natural resources, as well as the preservation of biodiversity-based cultural heritage.
Research Topic: Student projects will address fundamental or applied research questions, which ideally can be linked to key global issues, such as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs), including Life on Earth (SDG 15), community health, food sovereignty, sustainable local development, biodiversity conservation, and/or social justice, among others. Other topics may also qualify, depending on conversations with prospective mentors. Students will be introduced to an interdisciplinary approach, and can employ mixed methods from a variety of fields, including but not limited to botany, oral and written history, cultural anthropology, ecology, geography, and/or Geographic Information Systems (GIS).
Mentor/Supervisor: While students are encouraged to develop their specific research interests within Caribbean ethnobotany and ethnobiology, these must align with the research focus or interests of their mentor. During the proposal development phase, students will receive step-by-step guidance from their mentor and are advised to explore synergies between their research ideas and those of their primary mentor/supervisor (or co-supervisor, where applicable).
Our 7 faculties and 12 professional schools offer more than 200 programmes to some 18,000 graduate, undergraduate and continuing studies students.
The UWI, Mona ranks first in Jamaica among accredited tertiary-level programmes. In 2012, the University was again one of Jamaica’s Top 100 Employers.
