EDUCATION ACT (CAP. 327)

Master of Arts in Economics - M.A. (Econ.) - Degree Course Regulations, 2000

IN exercise of the powers conferred upon him by sections 30(5) and 31(6) of the Education Act (Cap. 327), the Chancellor of the University of Malta has promulgated the following regulations made by the Senate of the University of Malta by virtue of the powers conferred upon it by sections 31 and 35 of the said Act:

Citation and Interpretation

1. (1) These regulations may be cited as the Master of Arts in Economics - M.A. (Econ) - Degree Course Regulations, 2000.

(2) In these regulations, unless the context otherwise requires -

"the Board" means the Board of the Faculty of Economics, Management and Accountancy;

"the Course" means the course of studies leading to the Degree of Master of Arts in Economics - M.A. (Econ.); and

"the Degree" means the Degree of Master of Arts in Economics - M.A. (Econ.).

Applicability

2. These regulations shall apply to courses starting in October 2000 or later.

Qualifications for Admission

3. (1) Applicants for admission to the Course shall be persons in possession of:

(a) a University degree with First or Second Class Honours in Economics or a related subject approved by the Board for this purpose; or

(b) other qualifications considered by the Board as equivalent to a University degree with First or Second Class Honours in Economics.

(2) Applicants who do not satisfy the requirements of paragraph (1) of this regulation, but are in possession of a Bachelor's degree with Economics or a related subject as a major area of study, and with at least Category II of the University of Malta, or an equivalent qualification from another university recognised by the Senate for the purpose, may be admitted to the Course if they successfully complete a preparatory course.

(3) During the preparatory course, students shall be required to obtain not less than 60 credits for study-units at Honours level, as directed by the Board."

Course Duration

4. The Course shall normally extend over twelve months of full-time study or two academic years of part-time study.

5. In exceptional circumstances, applicants may be allowed by the Board to complete the course programme within a maximum period of eighteen months of full-time study or three academic years of part-time study after registration.

Course Structure

6. (1) The Course shall have two components as follows:

(a) a taught component, consisting of a number of core and elective study-units, to which 60 ECTS credits shall be assigned; and

(b) a research component, which shall lead to the submission of a dissertation written under supervision, to which 30 ECTS credits shall be assigned.

(2) Students who successfully complete the taught component of the Course but who, either opt not to proceed with the Course leading to the Degree, or, having proceeded do not successfully complete the Course, shall be eligible for the award of the Postgraduate Diploma in Economics.

7. The core study-units of the taught component shall be in the following areas of study: Microeconomics, Macroeconomics and Econometrics.

Catalogue of Study-Units

8. The Board shall draw up the programme of studies for the Course which shall indicate the code, title, description and type of each study-unit, the credits assigned to each, and the methods of teaching and assessment. The Board shall publish the catalogue for the Course prior to its commencement, following the approval of Senate.

On Campus and Distance Tuition

9. (1) The Course shall have two modes, namely "On Campus Tuition" and "Distance Tuition".

(2) The "On Campus Tuition" mode shall consist of lectures, seminars, tutorials and supervision sessions for which students are expected to attend regularly.

(3) The "Distance Tuition" mode shall consist of tuition and supervision by means of postal deliveries, electronic communication and other means of communication. The taught component will be replaced by a tutored component, with the same number of credits.

(4) A mentor shall be assigned for every student following the Course by the "Distance Tuition" mode and the student concerned is expected to keep regular contact with his/her mentor. The role of the mentor shall be to assist the tutors of the individual study-unit in delivering tuition, to guide the student under his/her charge and to monitor the student's progress.

(5) Students following the Course by "Distance Tuition" mode may be granted the possibility of sitting for the examinations at a recognized educational institution, outside Maltese territory, if adequate arrangements can be made with the office of the Registrar.

(6) Students that intend to follow the Course by "Distance Tuition" are to indicate this in the application form.

Assessment and Progress

10. Results for the assessment of the study-units and the dissertation shall be published as a percentage mark and grade as indicated in the table below:

Mark Range      Grade

80% - 100%           A
70% - 79%             B
55% - 69%             C
45% - 54%             D
0% - 44%               F

Both the percentage mark and the grade shall be recorded in the students' academic record. However, only the percentage mark shall be used for the purpose of calculating the final classification of the Degree.

11. Students who fail to obtain a pass in a written examination or in an assignment or in both may be allowed to sit for a supplementary examination, or to resubmit the assignment or both. Students may be allowed to repeat an examination and to resubmit an assignment for a given study-unit only once.

12. In order to qualify for the Degree, students must obtain the 90 ECTS credits indicated in regulation 6.

13. Students who, after due warning given in writing, persistently fail to attend lectures and/or tutorials or otherwise do not carry out their academic duties without adequate justification, may be debarred by Senate, following a recommendation of the Board, from continuing the Course.

Dissertation

14. The dissertation, to be submitted by the end of the Course, shall be of approximately 25,000 words on an approved subject. The dissertation shall be original work in the sense that it shall be either a record of original research or an ordered and critical expression of existing data with regard to a particular subject approved by the Board. It shall be written, typed and bound in accordance with the criteria established by the Board for this purpose. A viva voce examination on the dissertation may also be held.

15. Students are required to obtain a pass for their dissertation in order to qualify for the award of the Degree.

Final Result

16. The final grade of each student shall take into account all the grades obtained in the assessments of the taught and research components of the Course, which shall be weighted according to the number of credits assigned to each.

17. The names of students who qualify for the award of the Degree shall be published in a list in alphabetical order classified as follows:

Passed with Distinction
Passed.