IN EXERCISE of the powers conferred upon him by articles 74 (5) and 75 (6) of the Education Act (Cap. 327), the Chancellor of the University of Malta has promulgated the following bye-laws made by the Board of the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery in virtue of the powers conferred upon it by article 81 (1) of the said Act and which have been approved by the Senate of the University of Malta as required by article 81 (2) of the said Act:

Citation and Interpretation

1. (1) These bye-laws may be cited as the Bye-Laws of 2010 in terms of the General Regulations for University Postgraduate Awards, 2008 for the degree of Master of Science in Family Medicine under the auspices of the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery.

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

"the Board" means the Board of the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery;

"the Course" means the programme of study leading to the degree of Master of Science in Family Medicine;

"the Degree" means the degree of Master of Science in Family Medicine;

"the Postgraduate Diploma" means the Postgraduate Diploma in Family Medicine; and

"the Principal Regulations" means the General Regulations for University Postgraduate Awards, 2008.

Applicability

2. These bye-laws shall be applicable for courses commencing in October 2009 or later.

Requirements for Admission

3. The Course shall be open to applicants in possession of:

(a) the degree of Doctor of Medicine and Surgery together with a minimum of two years' experience as a medical practitioner post attainment of the said degree;

or

(b) a qualification deemed by Senate, on the recommendation of the Board, to be equivalent to the qualification listed in paragraph (a).

Course Duration

4. The Course shall extend over three semesters of full-time study or the equivalent in part-time study.

Programme of Study

5. (1) The programme of study shall comprise study-units to which a total of 90 credits are assigned, of which 60 credits are assigned to taught study-units and 30 credits assigned to the dissertation study-unit.

(2) Students who obtain the 60 credits assigned to the taught study-units with an average mark of at least 50% and do not proceed with the Course, or having proceeded do not successfully complete the dissertation, shall be eligible for the award of the Postgraduate Diploma.

(3) The programme of study shall be published after approval by Senate, normally not less than eight months prior to the commencement of the Course.

Assessment and Progress

6. (1) The assessment of each taught study-unit shall be completed by the end of the semester in which the teaching of the study-unit is held.

(2) Students who in any academic year fail in the assessment of not more than 20 credits, if following the full-time Course, or not more than 10 credits if following the part-time Course, shall be given the opportunity to re-sit the failed assessments during the September supplementary examination session.

(3) Students who fail in more than the number of credits permitted under paragraph (2) of this bye-law, or students who after re-assessment fail to obtain credit for any study-unit, shall be required to withdraw from the Course.

Dissertation

7. (1) Students shall be required to submit an individual dissertation of approximately 25,000 words in accordance with the guidelines issued by the Board.

(2) Work on the dissertation shall be undertaken during the third semester of the Course. Each student shall be assigned a supervisor by the Board, who shall provide guidance and advice on a regular basis during the period of study.

(3) A provisional title of the dissertation and a detailed research proposal shall be submitted to the Board for approval by the beginning of the second semester.

8. (1) Students shall be required to have regular contact with their supervisor.

(2) Supervisors shall submit to the Board progress reports for each student under their supervision at the end of each semester of studies, whether the student is following the Course on a full-time or a part-time basis. Such reports may include a recommendation to either (a) extend the period of study in order to enable the student to complete the dissertation; or (b) terminate studies prematurely if the supervisor deems this to be proper in the circumstances, provided that:

(i) the extension of the study period referred to in (a) shall be in accordance with the provisions of the Principal Regulations; and

(ii) the Board may not terminate studies prematurely according to (b) until it has first given the student a chance to be heard.

Classification of the Awards

9. The Final Weighted Average Mark for the purpose of the classification of the Postgraduate Diploma and of the Degree shall be based on the results obtained in all the components of the programme of study, all credits being weighted equally.

Special Provisions for Part-Time Courses

10. The provisions of the foregoing bye-laws shall apply mutatis mutandis to courses followed on a part-time basis, and subject to such changes as may reasonably be deemed by the Board as necessary due to the part-time nature of the Course.