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Approved by Senate on 18 September 2008 Amended phrases / paragraphs are shown in bold

EDUCATION ACT (CAP. 327)

General Regulations for University Undergraduate Awards, 2008

IN exercise of the powers conferred upon him by sections 74 (5) and 75 (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 75 and 79 of the said Act:

Citation and Interpretation

1. In these regulations, unless the context otherwise requires, the terms used shall be taken to mean as indicated in the Glossary of Terms listed hereunder:

GLOSSARY OF TERMS

Term	Explanation
Academic Year	An academic year consists of two semesters, each incorporating 14 weeks of teaching, two weeks of recess, and examination periods of two weeks and of four weeks at the end of the first and the second semester respectively.
Add/Drop Period	A pre-announced period of time at the commencement of a semester during which students may withdraw without penalty from a unit previously registered for, or register for a new unit given in that semester. "Adding" or "Dropping" study-units may be subject to restrictions.
Area of Study / Area	A subject or a group of related subjects taken together in an approved Programme of Study.
Board	The Board of the Faculty or Institute or Centre responsible for a particular Course or Programme of Study.
Board of Studies	The Board appointed to administer a Programme of Study in terms of these Regulations.
Bye-Laws	Means the Bye-Laws approved by Senate for each Course.
Catalogue of Study-Units	A catalogue of study-units is the collection of all the studyunits offered by an academic entity. The detailed description of each study-unit shall indicate its type, level, code, title, content and learning outcomes, credit value, method of assessment, including the percentage weighting of each assessment component when applicable. The unit description shall also indicate if other units are pre-requisites or are required to be followed concurrently.
Course / Course Plan	A course of studies leading to a University Undergraduate award. A Course Plan may include one Programme of Study or a number of Programmes of Study in particular Areas of Study.
Credit	Credits are awarded for successful completion of each studyunit. A total of 60 credits are assigned to the study-units that students are expected to complete over one full-time academic year.
Dean	Refers to the Dean of a Faculty or the Director of an Institute or Centre
Faculty / Faculties	Refers to a Faculty/Faculties, Institute/s or Centre/s
Method of Assessment	Assessment of study-units may be through coursework, assignments, written or oral examinations, other methods of assessment as approved by Senate, or combinations of these, to each of which a percentage of the final mark shall be assigned. The method of assessment for each study-unit shall be indicated in the detailed description of the study-units that is published in the catalogue of study-units.
Professional Course	A course that imparts specific professional competencies and leads to an award that gives access to a regulated profession.
Programme of Study	The list of study-units comprising an Area of Study offered as a main or subsidiary Area of Study in a Course. The Programme of Study shall indicate which units are compulsory or elective, the year of study and the semester in which each unit is to be followed.
Referral / Referred Study-Unit /Referred Assessment	A failed study-unit which students are allowed to refer to the following year. Students are required to register for referred study-units and to be assessed, but attendance for lectures is not obligatory.
Study-Unit / Unit	A part of a Programme of Study carried out upon a syllabus approved by Senate, on the recommendation of the Board, to which a specified number of credits at an indicated level is assigned, and which is capable of separate assessment. A study-unit may take the form of a series of lectures, seminars, tutorials, practical or clinical sessions, field placements, projects, research work, dissertation, private study or a combination of such work, or any other method of teaching.
Compensatable / Noncompensatable Study-Unit	All study-units, whether compulsory, elective or optional, are deemed to be compensatable, i.e. may be passed by compensation, except for those compulsory study-units that are declared to be non-compensatable in a Programme of Study and provided all conditions in terms of these regulations are satisfied.
Compulsory Study-Unit	A Study-Unit which must be followed and passed for the purpose of progression or successful completion of the Course.
Concurrent Study-Units	Two or more study-units which must be followed together during the same semester.
Elective Study- Unit	A study-unit in a particular Programme of Study which must be chosen from a designated list of study-units.
Optional Study- Unit	A study-unit chosen from a wide range of study-units designated as such and which cannot be taken from the same area/s of study being followed in the Course.
Pre-requisite Study-Unit	A study-unit which must have been followed in order for a student to be able to follow a subsequent study-unit.
Synoptic Study- Units	Study-units, the teaching of which helps students to integrate knowledge acquired in study-units pursued during the Course. Whenever such study-units are included in a Programme of Study, these study-units are compulsory and are taught during the last year of the Programme of Study.
Study-Unit / Credit System	The allocation of credit to study-units forming part of a Programme of Study follows closely the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) proposed by the European Commission, relevant extract from which is attached as Schedule 2 – ECTS Credits - which shall form part of these regulations for the purpose of interpretation and guidance.
University Undergraduate Award	A University Certificate, a University Diploma, a University Higher Diploma, a Bachelor degree, an Bachelor Honours degree or the degree of doctor of Medicine and Surgery.

Applicability

2. These regulations shall be applicable as from October 2008 for all courses leading to a University Undergraduate Award based on the Study-Unit/Credit System and brought into force as bye-laws of these regulations.

Eligibility for a University Undergraduate Award

3. To be eligible for any University Undergraduate Award, students must:

(1) be registered as regular students in a Course in terms of the Admission Regulations of the University;

(2) complete the Course, and satisfy any other requirements prescribed in these regulations and in the bye-laws for the Course;

(3) satisfy any other requirements prescribed in any other relevant statutes, regulations and bye-laws of the University; and

(4) obtain not less than the number of credits at not below the level as indicated hereunder, including all credits for compulsory and elective study-units as specified in the Programme/s of Study and/or bye-laws relevant to the Course on which the student is registered and subject to regulations 20, 21 and 22 below:

University Undergraduate Award	Requirements
University Certificate	30 credits of which not less than 26 credits not below Level 1.
University Diploma	between 60 and 90 credits, as specified in the bye-laws for the Course, of which not more than 10 Level 0 and not less than 56 Level 1.
University Higher Diploma	between 60 and 90 credits, as specified in the bye-laws for the Course, of which not more than 10 Level 1 and not less than 56 at Level 2.
Bachelor	180 credits of which not more than 4 Level 0, not less than 56 and not more than 68 Level 1, and not less than 108 more or less divided equally between Levels 2 and 3.
Bachelor (Honours in one Area of Study) (three year full-time Course or three year full-time professional Course)	180 credits of which not more than 4 Level 0, not less than 56 and not more than 68 Level 1, and not less than 108 more or less divided equally between Levels 2 and 3 of which not less than 56 Level 3 credits assigned to the area taken at honours.
Bachelor (Honours in two Areas of Study) (4 year full-time Course)	240 credits of which not more than 4 Level 0, not less than 56 and not more than 68 Level 1, and not less than 168 more or less divided equally between Levels 2 and 3 of which not less than 56 Level 3 credits in each of the two areas taken at honours.
Bachelor (Honours) (4 year full-time professional Course)	240 credits of which not more than 4 Level 0, not less than 56 and not more than 68 Level 1, and not less than 168 Levels 2, 3 and 4 of which not less than 100 at Levels 3 and 4.
Bachelor (Honours) and any other undergraduate award following a 5 year professional Course	300 credits of which not more than 4 Level 0, not less than 56 Level 1, 56 Level 2 and a further 168 at Levels 3 and 4.

Provided that:

(i) students may be allowed to offer higher level credits in substitution of the required credits at a specific level; and

(ii) an unclassified pass degree may, at the discretion of the Award Classification Board, be awarded to a student registered in a degree Course, who at the end of the Course lacks not more than 10 credits to complete the credit requirement for the award of the degree. The student shall however have the option to refuse the award and opt to refer the missing units to the following year or repeat the year if so eligible in terms of these regulations.

Registration and Special Course Requirements

4. (1) Applicants shall apply to register for the Course on the prescribed form and within the time specified by the Office of the Registrar.

(2) To be registered as regular students in any undergraduate Course, applicants must satisfy the requirements for registration as regular students in terms of the Admission Regulations of the University and any Special Course Requirements laid down in the bye-laws for the Course.

Course Plan

5. (1) In any Course Plan, full-time students shall be required to register for study-units to which 60 credits are assigned as indicated in the Programme/s of Study for the Course.

(2) In any Course Plan, full-time students shall not be required and may not register for more than 36 credits in any one semester.

(3) Study-units taught and assessed over two consecutive semesters shall be deemed to be divided equally between the two semesters for the purpose of establishing the number of credits that a student may register for in a semester.

6. (1) Students shall select and register for the study-units as prescribed in their Programme of Study as directed by the Office of the Registrar and shall not be considered students on a unit unless they have so registered.

(2) Students shall not be permitted to follow a study-unit and/or be assessed for the award of credit unless they are registered as students on that unit.

(3) Where a particular first semester study-unit is specified as a prerequisite for a study-unit to be taken in the following semester, then the prerequisite will be deemed to have been satisfied if the student has been registered for the former unit, has maintained satisfactory attendance and has completed all requirements associated with the unit.

(4) Where a particular study-unit is specified as concurrent with another, the student must maintain satisfactory attendance at both units.

(5) Students may, subject to timetable and other published restrictions, and subject to any other condition that the University may from time to time impose, change a choice of units during the Add/Drop Period that shall be published by the Registrar with the approval of Senate.

(6) The Registrar, after seeking the advice of the Faculty/Institute concerned may, subject to the same conditions and restrictions as in paragraph (5)(1) of this regulation, allow a student to change a choice of units, or withdraw from or register for a unit after the "add/drop period" has passed, provided that no withdrawal from a unit may be permitted after any of the assessment components of that unit has been completed.

(7) Students are responsible for complying with the procedures at the time in force as published on the "add/drop" form.

Duration of Course

7. The duration of a Course shall be specified in the bye-laws for each Course but shall be not less and not more than the following periods of full-time study:

(a) one semester for courses leading to a University Certificate;

(b) between two and three semesters for courses leading to a University Diploma or University Higher Diploma; and

(c) between six and ten semesters for courses leading to the Bachelor and Bachelor Honours degrees,

provided that students may be allowed to follow a Course on a part-time basis, in which case the time spent in part-time study shall, unless otherwise stated in the Programme of Study approved by Senate, or unless in special circumstances specific arrangements are agreed in writing by the Board with the student, count as half that required in the case of full-time studies.

8. The Board may allow students to extend their studies by up to twelve months of study, irrespective of whether the student is registered on a full-time or part-time basis.

9. In special circumstances and on the recommendation of the Board, Senate may allow a further extension of up to two years of study, irrespective of whether the student is registered on a full-time or part-time basis.

10. The Board may allow students, for a good and sufficient reason, to suspend their studies for a maximum period of twelve months, irrespective of whether the student is registered on a full-time or part-time basis. In such cases, the period of suspension of studies shall not be taken into consideration for calculating the period of registration in the Course in terms of the duration requirement.

Academic Calendar

11. (1) The academic calendar of the University extends from 1 October to 30 September. The academic year consists of two semesters, each incorporating 14 weeks of teaching, two weeks of recess, and two and four weeks of examinations following the first and second semester respectively, followed by the summer recess.

(2) Supplementary examinations are held in September during the summer recess.

(3) Course Plans may, with the approval of Senate, include summer sessions of varying lengths.

12. The calendar for each academic year, indicating the date of the commencement of each semester, the dates reserved for examinations, and the dates of the Christmas, Easter and summer recesses, shall be approved by Senate before the commencement of each academic year, normally a year in advance.

13. Courses shall normally commence at the beginning of a semester unless otherwise approved by Senate.

Language of Instruction

14. The language of instruction shall be English, except that for areas of study involving a language teaching may be in that language. Senate may also approve the delivery of a Study-Unit in Maltese or in any other language.

Courses and Course Plans

15. Any Course shall be proposed by a Board duly authorised to offer undergraduate Courses and approved by Senate through bye-laws for the purpose.

16. Course Plans shall be approved by Senate and may consist of one or more Programmes of Study in particular Areas of Study.

17. The Areas of Study and the combinations of areas that may be taken in a Course shall be indicated in the bye-laws for the Course.

18. A Course leading to an award in more than one Area of Study may include areas that fall under the academic responsibility of different Faculties. Senate shall approve such courses provided there is the concurrence of each of the Faculties concerned.

Programmes of Study

19. There shall be a Programme of Study for each area of study in which a University Undergraduate Award may be given - whether the area is designated as a main honours, as a main or as a subsidiary area.

20. An Area of Study can be designated as a main area in the Course Plan for a Bachelor degree if at least 70 credits at the appropriate level are assigned to it.

21. An Area of Study can be designated as a main area in the Course Plan for a Bachelor honours degree if at least 110 credits at the appropriate level are assigned to it.

22. An Area of Study can be designated as a subsidiary area in a degree Course Plan if at least 35 credits at the appropriate level are assigned to it.

23. Course Plans may allow students to register for optional study-units. When Course Plans require students to choose optional study-units these must be chosen from areas of study other than the student's own main or subsidiary area of study.

24. (1) Each Programme of Study shall be submitted for the approval of Senate by the department or division responsible for the teaching of the Area of Study.

(2) The Programmes of Study shall be approved by Senate after due process of validation and periodic review as indicated by Senate from time to time.

25. Programmes of Study shall normally be approved by Senate not less than eight months before the commencement of the Course, and shall include all the study-units in the area, indicating which of the units are compulsory or electives, and the order in which the units shall be followed.

Study-Units

26. Study-units shall be proposed by the department or division responsible for the teaching of the Area of Study and approved by Senate on the recommendation of the Board.

27. Each study-unit shall be assigned a code by the Office of the Registrar in accordance with the principles listed in Schedule 1 - System of Assigning Codes for Study-Units attached to these regulations.

28. Study-units shall be offered at levels as follows:

Level 0
Pre-tertiary or foundation or proficiency study-units.

Level 1
Study-units normally offered in Year 1 of an undergraduate Course where it is assumed that the students have a general level of education at least meriting the award of the Matriculation Certificate. In Courses where admission is dependant on students being in possession of special course requirements, such as a pass in a subject taken at Advanced Level, lecturers can assume that students possess the pre-required knowledge.

Levels 2 & 3
Study-units offered in Years 2 and 3 of an undergraduate Course. Level 3 credits are also offered in Year 4 of an undergraduate non-professional course. Lecturers can assume that students have the required skills associated with studying at tertiary level.

Level 4
Study-units offered in Years 4 and 5 of a professional Course. Such study-units, normally imparting specific professional competencies although given at a level higher than Level 3, are still considered as being at undergraduate level.

Boards of Studies

29. There shall be a Board of Studies for each Area of Study.

30. Each Board of Studies shall be appointed by Senate and shall be composed of the head of the department responsible for the Area of Study or his delegate as Chairman, at least two other academic members, and two students elected by and from amongst the students enrolled on a Course that includes the Area of Study taken as a main area.

31. Where Senate deems it appropriate, one Board of Studies shall be appointed for a Course consisting of more than one Area of Study offered together as Main areas in that Course. Such Boards shall be composed of theheads of the departments responsible for the Areas of Study concerned, one of whom shall be appointed Chairman, at least one other academic member from each of the two departments and two students elected by and from amongst the students enrolled on the Course.

32. The election for student members shall be held by the departments concerned at the beginning of the second semester of each year.

33. The functions of Boards of Studies shall include the following:

(a) implementing the regulations and bye-laws governing the Programme of Study, subject to the general directions given by the Board concerned;

(b) monitoring and evaluating the Programme/s of Study;

(c) making proposals to the Board for the revision of the Programme/s of Study; and

(d) monitoring the assessments and the procedures used in the assessment of the performance of the students.

Credits

34. A credit value is assigned to each study-unit indicating the total learning time, including time devoted to tuition, private study and assessment, which an average student might be expected to spend in achieving the learning outcomes associated with the unit; one credit nominally represents 25 hours of learning, of which five to seven hours are normally direct teaching when a study-unit is imparted in the standard lecturing mode.

35. Study-units taught and assessed within a single semester shall normally be assigned not less than four credits (except for study-units designated as optional, which may be assigned two credits) and not more than 30 credits.

36. Credits shall be awarded to students who pass the assessment for that unit. The mark/grade and credits for a particular unit cannot be awarded to a student more than once, unless a student is required to follow a compulsory study-unit credit for which had been obtained towards another award, in terms of regulation 38.

37. Study-units credited to a student may not normally be used towards an award after seven years have elapsed from the award of the credit to the student.

38. The same credits cannot be counted towards two separate qualifications unless one qualification is considered by Senate to be an interim qualification in the normal progression to the other, higher level qualification, provided that a Board of Studies may exempt a student from the attendance requirement of a compulsory study-unit credit for which was obtained towards another award, although such a student shall still be required to be assessed in the unit.

39. (1) Subject to regulation 36, students who obtained credit when registered at other recognised institutions of higher education may have their credits accepted by the Board of Studies for transfer towards a specific Programme of Study except to a programme leading to a University Certificate, provided that any award of the University shall be subject to the last 60 credits of the Course being awarded by the University of Malta and, except for students who participate in periods of study abroad approved by the University, the classification of the award is calculated only on the credits obtained from the University of Malta.

(2) The mark, grade and credit value equivalence of the units for which credits are transferred shall be calculated by the Office of the Registrar in consultation with the Board.

Attendance

40. Unless otherwise specified in the bye-laws of a Course, or expressly stated in the description of a study-unit as published in the catalogue of study-units, attendance for lectures, tutorials, seminars, practical or clinical sessions or work placements, fieldwork and any other teaching session in whatever mode is obligatory. A lecturer may bar a student whose attendance in a study-unit is not satisfactory from being assessed in that study-unit. In such cases a 0 mark and an F grade shall be assigned and recorded.

Assessment

(1) Marking and Grading

41. Examiners shall express the student's performance in the assessment of study-units as a percentage mark and as a grade as indicated in the tables below. Both the percentage mark and the letter grade shall be recorded in the student's academic record. The percentage mark only shall be used for the purpose of calculating the student's progress and for the award classification.

Descriptor	Mark Range	Grade
Work of exceptional quality. Exceptional performance showing comprehensive understanding and application of the subject matter. Evidence of extensive additional reading/research/work.	95%- 100%	A+
Work of excellent quality. Superior performance showing a comprehensive understanding of the subject matter. Evidence of considerable additional reading/research/work.	80%- 94%	A
Work of very good quality. Performance is typified by a very good working knowledge of subject matter. Evidence of a fair amount of reading/research/work.	75%- 79%	B+
Work of good quality. Above average performance, with a working knowledge of subject matter. Evidence of some reading/research/work.	70%- 74%	B
Work of average quality. Considerable but incomplete understanding of the matter. Evidence of little reading/research/work.	65%- 69%	C+
Work of fair quality. Basic understanding of the subject matter. No evidence of additional reading/research/work.	55%- 64%	C
Work of rather low quality. Minimal understanding of the subject matter, with no evidence of additional reading/research/work.	50%- 54%	D+
Marginal Pass. Marginal performance, barely sufficient preparation for subsequent courses in the same area.	45%- 49%	D
Pass - when assessment is based on a Pass/Fail basis only for study-units that are used for establishing eligibility to progress or for the award but are not taken in consideration for calculating the student’s progress and for award classification purposes.	Not Applicable	P
Compensated Pass. Performance in the assessment of a study-unit, except a non-compensatable unit, that is deemed to be just below marginal pass but is deemed to be compensatable by good performance in other units. (vide regulation 50. )	35%- 44%	CP
Narrow failure that however is not compensated by good performance in other units.	35%- 44%	F
Unsatisfactory, failing work in any study-unit.	0%- 34%	F
Unsatisfactory, failing work in a non-compensatable study-unit.	0%- 44%	F
Unjustified absence for an assessment, or failure to hand in assigned work in time, or ineligibility to take assessment due to unapproved absence from lectures. Shall be considered as F with 0 marks in the calculation of the average mark.	0%	F

42. The following grades when assigned to study-units shall not be taken into consideration for computation purposes but form part of the student's academic record:

Grade	Descriptor
I	Temporary grade for Incomplete work due to justifiable reasons (illness, approved absence, etc.) for which the assessment date has been postponed or deadline for submission of work has been extended.
W	Approved withdrawal of the registration for a study-unit after the official add/drop period has elapsed, given in consideration of exceptional circumstances, such as absence from lectures due to prolonged illness during the semester. The unit shall not be taken into consideration in the calculation of the average mark.

(2) Calculating an Average Mark

43. In calculating the average mark for each year of the Course (referred to as the Year Average Mark), each individual mark obtained for each unit registered for during the year shall be weighted by the credit value of the corresponding unit, the resultant marks are added and divided by the total number of credits to give the Year Average Mark. The average shall be recorded correct to one decimal place.

44. The Final Weighted Average Mark that shall be used to classify the award shall be calculated by weighting each Year Average Mark by the corresponding factor for the year as indicated in the bye-laws for the Course in terms of regulation 70 and the average shall be recorded correct to the nearest whole number.

Assessment Methods

45. The method of assessment for each study-unit shall be indicated in the study-unit description and published in the catalogue of study-units.

46. When the method of assessment comprises more than one assessment component, the percentage weighting of each component shall be given. Students shall be awarded the credits associated with the study-unit if they obtain an overall weighted mark of 45% or higher for the unit as a whole, provided that Senate may, in the case of study-units comprising a practical component, approve that a particular mark must be obtained in a component for students to be awarded a pass mark/grade in the study-unit.

47. Unless in special circumstances and with the approval of the Board, all students on the same study-unit shall be assessed by the same method/s of assessment. Supplementary assessments shall normally have the same mode of assessment as the corresponding first assessment.

48. (1) Assessment may be made:

(a) in a continuous mode, i.e. by a set of assessments, which may take the form of class tests, take-home assignments, oral tests, practical work/projects, or a combination of two or more of these methods, or any other method of continuous assessment approved by the Board distributed throughout the study-unit; or

(b) in a final mode, i.e. by a single assessment at the end of the study-unit; or

(c) in a continuous and final mode, i.e. partly by a set of assessments distributed throughout the study-unit and partly by an assessment at the end of the study-unit.

(2) Study-unit assessments shall be conducted in terms of the University Assessment Regulations, 2008.

(3) All compulsory study-units ending in the last semester of any Course leading to a diploma, higher diploma or degree, shall normally include a written or oral examination component which shall contribute not less than 60% towards the final mark of the unit.

49. Any work assigned as coursework for continuous assessment purposes shall always be submitted before the date of the final examination of the study-unit. When a study-unit is assessed by coursework only, the date of submission of the work shall not be set later than the last day of the examination session following the semester during which the study-unit is given.

50. (1) Students who fail in any study-unit, except a compulsory study-unit that is declared to be non-compensatable in a Programme of Study, with a mark of not less than 35 and whose current Year Average Mark is at least 50 shall be awarded the grade CP and shall be awarded credit for the unit by compensation and shall not be required to be reassessed.

(2) A student may only refuse the award of a compensated pass and opt for reassessment in the September supplementary session when the mark obtained in the supplementary session could make a difference for the purpose of reaching an average mark required for access to a particular Programme of Study in the following year. In such cases the student is required to advise the Registrar of his intention after all results for the year have been published but by not later than 16 August preceding the date of the supplementary session.

Supplementary Assessments

51. Students who fail in any study-unit and who are not eligible to a compensatory pass shall be allowed a supplementary assessment, provided they are eligible in terms regulations 52 and 53.

52. In any academic year, students shall only be eligible to be re-assessed in study-units to which not more than 16 credits are assigned, except when students fail in only one study-unit to which more than 16 credits are assigned or in two study-units which between them are assigned more than 16 credits but not more than 20 credits.

53. (1) Students shall be allowed a supplementary assessment of a failed unit on one occasion only during the same academic year the unit has been followed, provided they had satisfied the attendance requirement of the study-unit and the deadlines for submission of coursework and provided they are eligible in terms of regulation 52.

(2) Students who fail a study-unit due to unjustified absence for an examination or due to non-submission of coursework by the set deadlines, may be allowed a supplementary session at the discretion of the study-unit examiner/s.

(3) Students who fail a study-unit due to ineligibility to take the first assessment because of failure to satisfy the attendance requirement shall not be allowed a supplementary assessment, unless in special circumstances with the approval of the Board of Examiners. In such cases, the Board of Examiners shall impose special requirements on the student to make up for the missed teaching sessions.

54. In the supplementary assessment of a failed study-unit, students may be required to be reassessed either in particular component/s of the assessment or in all the components of the assessment as indicated in the description of the study-unit. An assessment component may be indicated as not having the possibility of a supplementary assessment, in which case the original mark obtained is retained.

55. Students who fail the assessment of a study-unit involving a work placement, clinical practice or any other unit that requires assessment over a period of time, and when it is not practicable or possible for students to be re-assessed during the current year, shall not have the right to a supplementary assessment and shall:

either (1) be required to refer the study-unit to the following year if such referral is allowed in terms of these regulations;

or (2) be required to re-do the unit during an additional year of studies. Such an additional year may, at the discretion of the Board, not be counted for the purpose of Course duration.

The conditions for the re-assessment of such study-units shall be indicated in the particular study-unit description and/or in the bye-laws for the Course.

56. In any supplementary assessment, the maximum mark/grade that may be awarded shall be 45%, grade D.

57. Supplementary assessments shall be held as follows:

(a) for the continuous assessment mode: by arrangement with the lecturer concerned provided that reassessment is completed before the end of the supplementary assessment session; and

(b) for the examination mode: at the supplementary session of examinations, held in September.

Progress

(1) Regular Progression

58. Students shall register as regular students in the following year of the Course on obtaining the 60 credits assigned to the study-units for their current year as indicated in the Course Plan and Programme/s of Study.

(2) Conditional Progression

59. Students who after the supplementary session need not more than 10 credits in order to successfully complete the Course Plan for the year, shall, whenever possible and after academic counselling by the Dean and/or the head of department concerned, be given the option by the Board to either:

(a) refer the failed study-units to the following year to be done over and above the study-units indicated for that year; or

(b) repeat the unit/s in an additional year of study if the student is in the final year of the Course; or

(c) repeat the year, if eligible in terms of these regulations.

60. (1) Students referred to in regulation 59 who take up the option to refer failed units to the following year shall be considered to have progressed conditionally and shall not be allowed to continue with the Course if, after the supplementary assessment session of that year, they would have failed again to obtain the required credits for any of the referred units.

(2) If a student is prevented for a reason considered valid by Senate to be assessed in a referred study-unit, the student shall be required to complete the previous year's requirements in an additional year of study. Under no circumstances shall a student be allowed to progress from the current year to a subsequent year if the requirements of the previous year have not been satisfied.

61. In the case of non-compulsory referred study-units, the Board, after consultation with the head of department and/or the Board of Studies, may allow students to register for alternative study-units which fall within the scope of the students' Programme of Study.

62. A study-unit that has been accepted as an alternative to a referred study-unit shall, for the purpose of these regulations, be deemed to be a referred study-unit and the provisions of regulation 60 shall apply.

63. Any study-unit may be referred to the following year once only.

64. Students who fail the assessment of a referred study-unit in a normal session of examinations shall be allowed a final re-assessment in the September supplementary session, provided that they are eligible in terms of these regulations.

65. The maximum mark/grade that may be awarded to a referred study-unit, including study-units accepted as alternative to referred ones, and irrespective of whether the study-unit is assessed in a normal or in a supplementary session of examinations, is 45%, grade D.

Change of Area of Study

66. A student registered in a degree with more than one Area of Study may request to change one of the Areas of Study. In such instances, the Board may, at its discretion, allow students to change under those conditions it may impose, including the condition of an additional year of study.

Requirement to repeat a year of study or to terminate a Course

67. Students who, by the end of a particular academic year of study, lack more than 16 of the credits required for their current year including credits for referred study-units (except students who, in terms of regulation 52, are eligible to be reassessed in one or two study-units to which more than 16 credits are assigned), shall not be allowed a reassessment in any of the failed study-units pertaining to the programme of their current year but shall be eligible to a re-assessment of any failed referred unit/s. Such students shall be required to repeat the year if after the supplementary session they successfully complete the referred units and if eligible in terms of these regulations. If not eligible to repeat the year, students shall be required to withdraw from the Course.

68. Students who, after the supplementary assessment session still lack more than 10 credits to complete the requirement of their Course Plan for the particular year shall be required to repeat the year if eligible in terms of these regulations or, if not eligible to repeat a year, shall be required to withdraw from the Course.

69. Students shall be allowed to repeat the same year of a Course once only and shall not, unless in exceptional circumstances and with the approval of Senate, be allowed to repeat a year more than once throughout any Course.

70. (1) Students who are not eligible to progress to the next year of the Course and are allowed to repeat the failed year shall be required to follow the Programme/s of Study that is/are current for the academic year during which they are repeating, including any study-units the student may have successfully completed in their failed year, provided that such students shall always be required to successfully complete all the compulsory units of their Programme/s of Study.

(2) In the first assessment of this year any grade may be obtained; in a supplementary assessment, the maximum grade that may be awarded shall be grade D. The credits obtained in this year shall count towards the final classification of the degree.

71. The results obtained during the failed year shall not be taken into consideration for the award of the degree and shall not be included in the student's academic record,
Provided that, at the discretion of the Board, students registered in a degree comprising more than one Area of Study may be allowed to retain the credits obtained in a successfully completed Area of Study with a Year Average Mark of at least 50%. In such instances, the Board may either allow the student to register part-time and follow the units of the failed area only, or, time-table constraints permitting, allow the student to register also for some higher level study-units in the other area/s.

Special Provisions for Students in the Final Year of a Course

72. (1) Students who, after the supplementary session of examinations of their final year of study in a Course, need only to successfully complete one study-unit (normally a dissertation, long essay or project) to which more than ten credits are assigned in order to successfully complete the Course shall be allowed an extra year of study in which to complete the missing unit.

(2) Students who successfully complete a research Study-Unit, such as a dissertation, long essay or project, shall not be required to re-do such a Study-Unit if they are required to repeat the year.

Consequences of Withdrawal from a Course

73. When a student is required by regulations to withdraw from a Course, the student shall not be allowed re-admission into the same Course before the lapse of three years from withdrawing and thereafter may only be re-admitted by permission of Senate given on the recommendation of the Board.

74. When a student withdraws from a degree Course either by choice or because ineligible to proceed further in terms of these regulations, and unless the bye-laws for the Course provide for the granting of an interim award the student shall:

(a) if at least 60 credits have been obtained, be granted the Certificate of Higher Education (Cert. H.E.);

(b) if at least 120 credits have been obtained, be granted the Diploma of Higher Education (Dip. H.E.),

in both instances without reference to any Area of Study in the title of the award.

Classification of Undergraduate Awards

75. (1) Certificates shall be awarded unclassified.

(2) Diplomas and Higher Diplomas may be awarded in any of the following classifications:

Pass with Distinction
Pass with Merit
Pass.

(3) Bachelor Degrees may be awarded in any of the following categories:

Category I
Category IIA
Category IIB
Category III.

(4) Bachelor Honours degrees may be awarded in any of the following classes:

First Class Honours
Second Class Honours (Upper Division)
Second Class Honours (Lower Division)
Third Class Honours.

76. The classification of awards shall be determined by the Award Classification Board in accordance with criteria that shall be indicated in the bye-laws and that shall be made subject to the following provisions:

(a) The performance in study-units in a Certificate, Diploma or Higher Diploma Course shall normally be weighted equally except that, in the case of a Diploma or Higher Diploma Course that includes Level 2 study-units, such units may be weighted by a factor that is not more than twice that of Level 1 units.

(b) In degree courses, the performance in study-units of each year of the Course may be weighted differently towards the Final Weighted Average Mark, provided that the weighting of the study-units of any particular year shall not be more than 65%.

Award Classification Board

77. (1) Award Classification Boards shall be appointed as follows:

(a) for courses comprising one main area of study, the Award Classification Board shall be composed of the members of the Board of Studies, excluding the student representatives, and the external examiner when one is appointed; and

(b) for courses comprising two main areas of study, the Award Classification Board shall be composed of not less than four members, including the chairman of each Board of Studies, and the external examiner when one is appointed and if practicable.

(2) Award Classification Boards shall consult the following guidelines when deciding upon the classification of awards at the end of each Course:

(a) Diplomas / Higher Diplomas are normally awarded as follows:

Final Weighted Average Mark         Classification

100 - 80%                                         Pass with Distinction
79 - 70%                                           Pass with Merit
69 - 45%                                           Pass.

(b) Degrees are normally awarded as follows:

Average Mark          Bachelor Degrees          Bachelor Honours Degrees
 
100% - 80%               Category I                       First Class Honours
79% - 70%                 Category IIA                   Upper Second Class Honours
69% - 55%                 Category IIB                   Lower Second Class Honours
54% - 45%                 Category III                    Third Class Honours

(3) The Award Classification Board, at its own discretion, may award a higher classification than that indicated to students whose Final Weighted Average

Mark is up to five marks less than the minimum for the category/class. In such cases, the Award Classification Board is required to minute the decision and the justification for it.

(4) The Award Classification Board may also award a lower classification than that indicated in the above guidelines. In such cases, the Award Classification Board is required to obtain the authorisation of the Board of the Faculty responsible for the particular Course that shall minute the decision and the justification for it. The student/s concerned may appeal to Senate against the decision within two weeks of the publication of the final classification.

Miscellaneous

Changes to published Programmes and Study-Units

78. The University shall make every effort to ensure that the published Course Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit Catalogues are complete and up-to-date, but reserves the right to make changes on the recommendation of the relevant Board. The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice.

Consequences of Unfulfilled Obligations

79. A student in debt to the University, or otherwise having unfulfilled obligations to the University, shall not be permitted to re-register in any succeeding sessions, nor shall a degree, higher diploma, diploma or certificate be conferred upon a student in debt or having unfulfilled obligations, except by special permission of the Rector, or until the debt is paid or the obligation is fulfilled.

Professional Misconduct and/or Unsuitability

80. (1) In the case of students following a professional Course, the University may at any time suspend or preclude from further studies any student who, following appropriate investigatory procedures that Senate may establish for such cases, is deemed to have acted or be acting in a manner which jeopardises the welfare of the subject (whether patient, pupil, or client) or which contravenes the relevant professional codes of conduct (i.e. professional misconduct), or whose behaviour is deemed to be incompatible with that required by the profession (i.e. professional unsuitability).

(2) The University may request a Police Good Conduct Certificate of its students.

Special Provisions for Part-Time Courses

81. (1) A Board may, from time to time, offer students the opportunity to follow a Course on a part-time basis in Areas of Study which shall be indicated before the commencement of each Course.

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