EDUCATION ACT (CAP. 327)

Master of Business Administration Degree - M.B.A. - Executive Master of Business Administration Degree - Executive M.B.A. - and Executive Master of Business Administration (e-Business) Degree - Executive M.B.A. (e-Business) Course Regulations, 2001

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 Business Administration - M.B.A., Executive Master of Business Administration - Executive M.B.A. and the Executive Master of Business Administration (e-Business) - Executive M.B.A.(e-Business) - Degree Course Regulations, 2001.

(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 Business Administration - M.B.A. - or to the degree of Executive Master of Business Administration - Executive M.B.A. - or to the degree of Executive Master of Business Administration (e-Business) - Executive M.B.A.(e-Business), as appropriate; and

"the Diploma" means the Postgraduate Diploma in Business Administration - P.G. Dip. B.A. - or the Postgraduate Diploma in Business Administration (e-Business) - P.G. Dip. B.A. (e-Business).

Applicability

2. These regulations shall apply to courses starting in October 2001 or later.

Qualifications For Admission

3. (1) Applicants seeking admission to the course leading to the degree of Master of Business Administration shall be in possession of:

(a) a Bachelor's degree in Commerce or in Accountancy with at least second class honours from this University or equivalent qualification; or

(b) a Bachelor's degree from a university recognised for the purpose by the Senate, provided that the applicants:

(i) in the opinion of the Faculty Admissions Committee can follow the course with profit; and

(ii) have successfully completed a Transition Course of a maximum duration of one year before admission to the course.

(2) Applicants seeking admission to the course leading to the degree of Master of Business Administration are not to engage in full-time employment during Part One of the course.

4. (1) Applicants seeking admission to the course leading to the degree of Executive Master of Business Administration or Executive Master of Business Administration (e-Business) shall be:

(a) in possession of Bachelor's degree in a related area with at least Category II from this University or a university recognised for the purpose by the Senate; or

(b) in possession of a Bachelor's degree in Business and Computing with at least Category II or a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) degree with at least second class classification from this University; or

(c) in possession of a degree or a professional qualification recognised for the purpose by the Senate, together with a minimum of four years' experience in an administrative position; or

(d) persons over the age of twenty-six years in possession of a University diploma in a related area and having a minimum of four years' experience in an administrative position, provided they are considered able to follow the Course with profit by the University Admissions Board, on the recommendation of the Faculty Admissions Committee and the Board.

(2) Applicants who are admitted to the course under paragraphs (a), (c) and (d) of regulation 4 and wish to specialise in e-Business must satisfy the Faculty Board that they possess the necessary qualifications and experience to be able to pursue the course with profit.

Transition Course

5. (1) Applicants seeking admission under sub-paragraph (b) of paragraph (1) of regulation 3, and under regulation 4, shall be required to successfully complete a Transition Course before admission to any of the Courses, except when otherwise determined by the Board in those instances when the applicants have followed courses that are similar in content to the Transition Course.

(2) The Transition Course shall be designed so as to ensure that students reach the required standard for admission to any of the courses.

(3) In the case of the Transition Course, the Board may approve the transfer of study-units successfully completed in another course, provided they are similar in content and standard.

(4) Students who after re-assessment fail in one study-unit of the Transition Course shall be allowed provisionally to proceed to Part One of the Course and to follow and be assessed again once only. If unsuccessful, such students shall not be allowed to proceed with the Course.

(5) Students who after re-assessment fail in two or more study-units of the Transition Course shall not be allowed to proceed with the Course.

Course Duration

6. (1) The duration of the Course shall extend over three semesters of full-time study or their equivalent in part-time study.

(2) The Executive Master of Business Administration and Executive Master of Business Administration (e-Business) course shall only be offered on a part-time basis.

(3) Any period spent in part-time study shall normally be equivalent to half the period required for full-time study.

(4) Students may be allowed by the Board to complete the Course within 30 months of full-time study or 48 months of part-time study after registration.

Special Provision for Courses offered at the Link Campus of the University of Malta, established in Rome, Italy

7. (1) The Board may approve that students following the Master of Business Administration course at the Link Campus, Rome, Italy complete the course in a shorter period than that indicated in paragraphs (1) and (3) of regulation 6, provided that adequate provisions are made for the students to cover all the course of studies in the shorter period.

(2) The Board may substitute the requirement of five examination papers as provided in paragraph (2) of regulation 11 by one written comprehensive examination paper and one viva voce examination. In such a case, students who fail in any or both examinations shall be allowed to sit the failed examination and /or retake the viva voce examination in a supplementary session of examinations to be held within three months from the date of the first examination.

Course of Studies

8. (1) The Course shall be divided into two parts: Part One and Part Two. It shall consist of study-units, to which not less than 60 ECTS credits are assigned, and a Research Component, to which 30 ECTS credits are assigned.

(2) A catalogue of the study units offered throughout the Course, indicating the compulsory and pre-requisite study-units, the credits assigned to each and the order in which they are to be taken, shall be approved by Senate, on the recommendation of the Board, and shall be published before the start of each Course.

Part One of the Course

9. (1) Part One of the Course shall extend over the first two semesters, during which students shall follow study-units to which 60 ECTS credits shall be assigned.

(2) In order to complete Part One of the Course and proceed to Part Two, students must:

(a) obtain a minimum of 60 ECTS credits, including credits for the compulsory study-units; and

(b) pass the written examination held at the end of Part One as specified in regulation 11.

Part Two of the Course

10. (1) Part Two shall extend over the third semester during which students shall be required to undertake the Research Component, made up of a Research Methodology study-unit to which 8 ECTS credits are assigned and a dissertation, to which 22 ECTS credits shall be assigned.

(2) Students shall submit the subject of their dissertation for the approval of the Board at least two months before the end of Part One of the Course.

(3) After approval of the subject of the dissertation, the Board shall:

(a) appoint a tutor to direct and supervise the work of the students; and

(b) recommend to Senate Boards of Examiners, composed of three members, to examine the dissertations.

(4) The dissertations must be submitted for examination by the end of the third semester of the Course, unless students are given permission to submit them at a later date as allowed by the provisions of paragraph (4) of regulation 6.

The Examination

11. (1) Students who obtain the number of credits indicated in sub-paragraph (a) of paragraph (2) of regulation 9 shall be eligible to sit for a written examination to be held at the end of Part One of the Course.

(2) The written examination shall consist of five papers.

(3) Students who fail in not more than two papers of the written examination shall be allowed to sit for a supplementary session of examinations in the failed paper/s. The maximum grade that may be awarded in the supplementary session shall be grade D. Students who fail in three or more papers in the first session or fail in any paper in the supplementary session shall not be allowed to proceed to Part Two of the Course.

12. Students who are not eligible to proceed to Part Two of the Course may be awarded the Diploma if they have obtained a minimum of 60 ECTS credits (including those for any compulsory study-units) and provided that they pass a viva voce examination.

Progress

13. (1) The study-units, the examination papers and the dissertation shall be graded in descending order of merit as follows: A, B, C, D and F, where F indicates Fail.

(2) Students who fail to obtain a credit for a study-unit may be allowed to be re-assessed only once. The maximum grade that may be awarded in the re-assessment shall be grade D.

(2) Students must pass in the written examination held at the end of Part One and must obtain a pass grade in the dissertation at the end of Part Two in order to qualify for the award of the Degree.

Final Result

14. (1) The final result shall take into account the students' performance in the study-units, the examination and the dissertation.

(2) The names of students who qualify for the award of the degree of Master of Business Administration or the degree of Executive Master of Business Administration or the degree of Executive Master of Business Administration (e-Business) shall be published in a list in alphabetical order classified as follows:

Pass with Distinction
Pass.

Repeal

15. The Master of Business Administration - M.B.A. - and Executive Master of Business Administration - Executive M.B.A. - Degrees Course Regulations, 2000, published as Legal Notice 41 of 2000, shall be deemed to cease to be in force as from 30th September 2001, provided that students registered for these courses before 1st October 2001 shall continue to be governed by the regulations that were in force at the time of their joining the course.