The vision of the Graduate Studies Department is to be a centre of excellence in postgraduate studies and greatly contribute to the dissemination of new knowledge in Zambia and globally. The Department is guided in operations by the Senate Board of Graduate Studies which is the highest decision making organ on postgraduate studies of the University. Its core function in postgraduate studies programmes therefore, is to superintend over all programmes starting from admission to graduation of candidates, approval of new programmes and providing policy direction to Schools and Units through the Board of Graduate Studies to which it is a secretariat.

Functions

• Coordinating student applications, admissions and enrolment
• Conducting and monitoring examination processes for courses, theses and
  dissertations
• Marketing and monitoring the running of postgraduate programmes
  culminating into the awarding of:
  • Postgraduate Diploma
  • Master’s Degree
  • Doctor of Philosophy Degree
• Coordinating the approval of new postgraduate programmes
• Facilitating Postgraduate regulations revision
• Training of supervisors of Postgraduate research
• Monitoring progress and completion of programmes

The Directorate of Research and Graduate Studies' (DRGS) vision centres on excellence in research and graduate studies. It is headed by the Director who coordinates, monitors and administers two Departments. The current staffing of DRGS is sixteen including academic, accounting and support staff.

The Graduate Studies Department coordinates all postgraduate activities of the University from admission to graduation. It deals with approval of programmes, advertisement, enrolment, and examinations up to graduation. The Graduate Studies Department works in conjunction with the Chief Executive Officers in Schools (Deans) who are assisted by Assistant Deans (Postgraduate). The Graduate Studies Department is headed by the Director who is assisted by the Assistant Director (Research), Assistant Registrar (Graduate Studies) and Senior Administrative Officer (Graduate Studies).

The Research Department is responsible for the general administration of the research programmes of the University and is guided in its operations by the Research Board. This Department serves as a link between the University of Zambia and other research institutions and industry. The Research Department is headed by the Director (Research), who is assisted by the Assistant Director (Research) and Senior Administrative Officer (Research). The Department facilitates research activities in the University in conjunction with Assistant Deans (Research) in all the twelve Schools of the University.

HENRY M. SICHINGABULA is a Fluvial Geomorphologist by training and teacher by profession, currently holding the positions of Director, Directorate of Research and Graduate Studies (DRGS), University of Zambia (UNZA), and Professor, Department of Geography and Environmental Studies (GES), School of Natural Sciences at UNZA. He holds a PhD (1994) and M. Sc. (1985) in Fluvial Geomorphology from Simon Fraser University, British Columbia, Canada; a B. A. Ed. Degree (Physical Geography) (1981) from the University of Zambia; and a Diploma in International Trade (1991), The Business Management Association, London. He has acted as Deputy Vice-Chancellor  (July 2017; August-October, 2013), and several ocassions as acting Dean (School of Natural Scienes (2008-2009) and as actig Diretor - DRGS (1997-1999).  He is a former Dean of School of Natural Sciences (2011-2013), and former Head of Department of Geography (1999-2000 and 2008-2010). His work experience includes university lecturing and research (1985-date), and has worked as consultant as Study Fund Advisor for two World Bank (IDA) funded government projects, the Environmental Support Programme, Ministry of Tourism, Environment and Natural Resources (2000-2002) and the Zambia Social Investment Fund, Ministry of Finance and National Planning (2003-2006); and also worked as Hydrologist, Department of Water Affairs, Lusaka, 1981. He has initiated, coordinated and participated in a number of collaborative research projects with colleagues at University of Zambia and foreign universities, funded by development partners and donors including, the Organisation for Social Science Research for Eastern and Southern Africa (OSSREA); The British Council,  DfID-DelPHE (UK); African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP Group) Science and Technology Programme;  Southern African Science Service Centre for Climate Change and Adaptive Land Management (SASSCAL) funded by German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). He has  undertaken consultancy and sub-consultancy projects funded by the Government of the Republic of Zambia / UNDP-GEF, WWF-Netherlands/WWF-Zambia, Zambia Wildlife Authority, National Heritage Commission, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), South Africa, National Geographic Society, among others. To his credit are a number of publications in journals, conference proceedings, projects reports and book chapter contributions. He has supervised and continues to supervise M.Sc. and PhD students in the geography and environmental studies, and under the Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) programmme, in the School of Mines, UNZA. As Director, he is currently implementing University of Zambia policies on research and postgraduate studies.