Legal Notice 120 of 2008 – Malta Government Gazette No. 18,227 – 11 April 2008
Amended by:
Legal Notice 276 of 2009 – Malta Government Gazette No.18,497 – 20 October 2009
Legal Notice 277 of 2009 – Malta Government Gazette No.18,497 – 20 October 2009
Legal Notice 398 of 2010 – Malta Government Gazette No. 18,637 – 27 August 2010
Legal Notice 517 of 2010 – Malta Government Gazette No. 18,682 – 3 December 2010
Legal Notice 180 of 2011 – Malta Government Gazette No. 18,748 – 10 May 2011
Legal Notice 368 of 2011 – Malta Government Gazette No. 18,804 – 9 September 2011
Legal Notice 33 of 2012 - Malta Government Gazette No. 18,859 – 24 January 2012
Legal Notice 238 of 2012 - Malta Government Gazette No. 18,945 – 24 July 2012
Legal Notice 53 of 2013 – Malta Government Gazette No. 19,027 – 5 February 2013
Legal Notice 136 of 2013 – Malta Government Gazette No. 19,082 – 30 April 2013
Amended regulations are shown in bold
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EDUCATION ACT (CAP. 327)General Regulations for University Postgraduate Awards, 2008
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 regulations made by the Senate of the University of Malta by virtue of the powers conferred upon it by articles 75 and 79 of the said Act:
I. GENERAL Citation and Interpretation
1. (1) These regulations may be cited as the General Regulations for University Postgraduate Awards, 2008.
(2) 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 for Postgraduate Awards | An academic year consisting of two semesters, each incorporating fourteen 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. 60 credits are assigned to the study-units that students are expected to complete over one full-time academic year. An academic year may be extended by a summer semester to which 30 credits are assigned.
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| Area/s of Study | A subject or a group of related subjects taken together in an approved Programme of Study. |
Award
Classification
Board
| The Award Classification Board appointed for each Postgraduate Course.
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| Board | The Board of the University faculty or institute or centre responsible for a particular Postgraduate Course. |
| Bye-Laws | The Bye-Laws approved by Senate for each Postgraduate Course. |
| Department | The department of a faculty or division of an institute or centre responsible for the Postgraduate Course. |
| ECTS Credit/s | The number of credits awarded for successful completion of each study-unit. The allocation of credit to study-units forming part of a Postgraduate Course follows closely the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) proposed by the European Commission, a relevant extract from which is attached as Schedule 2 – ECTS Credits – to the General Regulations for University Undergraduate Awards, 2004, published as Legal Notice 127 of 2004. |
| Faculty | The University faculty/ies or institute/s or centre/s under whose auspices the Postgraduate Course is being offered. |
| Method of Assessment | Assessment of taught study-units may be through coursework, assignments, written or oral examinations, or combinations of these, to each of which a percentage of the final marks shall be assigned. The method of assessment shall be indicated in the description of each study-unit. |
Postgraduate
Course
| A course of studies leading to a Postgraduate Award, which may be a Postgraduate Certificate or a Postgraduate Diploma or a Master’s degree.
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| Professional Degree | A degree awarded after successful completion of a course of studies that imparts specific professional competencies and leads to an award that gives access to a regulated profession |
| Programme of Study | A Programme of Study shall list all the study-units offered in each year of a Postgraduate Course. It shall indicate which study-units are compulsory or elective. Programmes of Study shall be published by the Board prior to the commencement of each Postgraduate Course, following the approval of Senate. |
| Study-Unit/ Unit | A part of a Programme of Study carried out upon a syllabusapproved by Senate, on the recommendation of the Board, towhich a specified number of credits at an indicated level isassigned, and which is capable of separate assessment. Itsdescription shall also include the methods of teaching andassessment and the lecturer/s giving the unit.
A taught study-unit may take the form of a series of lectures,seminars, tutorials, practical or clinical sessions, fieldplacements, projects, private study or a combination of suchwork, or any other method of teaching. A research study-unitinvolves the writing of a dissertation under supervision. |
| Compulsory study-unit | A unit which must be followed and passed for the purpose of progression or successful completion of the Postgraduate Course. |
| Elective study-unit | A study-unit which must be chosen from a designated list of study-units indicated in the Programme of Study. |
| University Postgraduate Award/s | A Postgraduate Certificate, a Postgraduate Diploma, or a Master's degree awarded in terms of these regulations |
Applicability
2. These regulations shall be applicable as from October 2008 for all courses leading to University Postgraduate Awards as indicated in regulation 3 and brought into force as bye-laws of these regulations.
Postgraduate Awards
3. The second cycle Postgraduate Awards governed by these regulations are the following:
(a) the Postgraduate Certificate;
(b) the Postgraduate Diploma; and
(c) the Master's degree.
Eligibility to offer Postgraduate Courses
4. (1) Postgraduate Courses shall be proposed by the Board duly authorised to offer Postgraduate Courses in that particular area of study and approved by Senate through bye-laws for the purpose.
(2) Postgraduate Courses may be offered jointly by more than one Board, in which case the Board of Studies appointed by Senate shall include representation from each Faculty.
5. Students shall be accepted to register for Masters' degrees by research after it is ascertained that the Faculty concerned can make available suitable facilities for the proposed research as well as supervisors who can provide regular supervision taking account of their (a) area of academic expertise as evident from the peer-reviewed record of publications, and (b) other commitments.
Eligibility for Postgraduate Awards
6. (1) To qualify for any Postgraduate Award, students must:
(a) be registered as regular students in a Postgraduate Course;
(b) complete the Postgraduate Course and satisfy any other requirements prescribed in these regulations and in the bye-laws for the Postgraduate Course;
(c) satisfy any other requirements prescribed in any other relevant statutes, regulations and bye-laws of the University, including applicable ethical, and health and safety procedures; and
(d) 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 of Study and/or in the course bye-laws:
| Postgraduate Award | Requirements |
| Postgraduate Certificate | 30 credits, of which not less than 25 credits at Level 5 |
| Postgraduate Diploma | 60 credits, of which not less than 50 credits at Level 5 |
| Master's degree | 90 - 120 credits, of which not less than 80 credits at Level 5, and including a dissertation to which not less than 30 credits are assigned |
Applicable for courses commencing in October 2012 and later:
(d) 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 of Study and/or in the course bye-laws:
Postgraduate Award
| Requirements
| Postgraduate Certificate
| 30 credits, of which not less than 25 credits at Level 5
| Postgraduate Diploma
| 60 credits, of which not less than 50 credits at Level 5
| Master’s degree
| 90 or 120 credits, of which not less than 80 credits at Level 5, and including a dissertation to which not less than 30 credits are assigned
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(2) Exceptionally, Senate may also approve Master's programmes to which 60 credits are assigned if such programmes are offered in partnership with prestigious higher education institutions and/or in the framework of international collaborative ventures.
(3) In accordance with the provisions of Statute 3, where the University, with the approval of Senate, enters into an agreement with other universities for the granting of a joint or double Postgraduate Award, then the Postgraduate Award may be given:
(a) in the case of a joint Postgraduate Award, jointly on one certificate by all the partner universities and shall be conferred at one of the partner universities as agreed among them; or
(b) in the case of a double Postgraduate Award, separately by each partner university.
Types of Master's Courses 7. (1) A Master's course may lead to three types of comparable awards as follows:
(a) a Master's degree obtained on successful completion of a Programme of Study that builds upon a first cycle degree in the same or related area of study, normally designated as Master of Arts or Master of Science or, where appropriate, Master of Philosophy;
(b) a Professional Master's degree obtained on successful completion of a Programme of Study that builds upon a first cycle professional degree in the same area of study and intended to develop further profession-related skills and knowledge, normally in an area of specialisation, and usually designated as Master of (subject); and
(c) a Conversion Master's degree obtained on successful completion of a Programme of Study that, whilst necessitating the broad academic preparation of a suitable first cycle degree, does not build upon a specific body of knowledge obtained in any particular first cycle degree course, designated as Master of (subject).
(2) A Master's course may be either mainly taught or mainly by research.
(3) All taught Masters' courses shall provide that students be awarded a Postgraduate Diploma on successful completion of taught study-units to which 60 credits are assigned if the students either opt not to proceed with the Postgraduate Course, or having proceeded, do not successfully complete the Master's course.
Requirements for Admission to Postgraduate Courses 8. (1) To be considered for admission to Postgraduate Courses in terms of these regulations, applicants must be in possession of a first cycle degree obtained from this University, or from any other university approved by Senate for this purpose, as indicated in these regulations and must satisfy any special course requirements indicated in the bye-laws for the Postgraduate Course.
(2) Admission to Master's courses is through possession of a first cycle Honours degree classified at least at Second Class in an area of study relevant to the studies to be pursued in the Master's course. Bye-laws may provide for the admission of applicants with a Third Class Honours degree if they are also in possession of other qualifications, including relevant experience, obtained following the first cycle degree.
(3) Admission to Professional Master's courses is through possession of a first cycle Honours degree classified at least at Second Class in an area of study relevant to the studies to be pursued in the Professional Master's course. Bye-laws may provide for the admission of applicants with a Third Class Honours degree if they present a portfolio or other documentary evidence recording the applicant’s relevant experience.(
4) Admission to Conversion Master’s courses is through possession of a first cycle degree classified at least at Second Class Honours or Category II.
(
5) Applicants shall be accepted to register on courses with a major research component if their dissertation proposal falls within the research interests of the department and the department has the necessary resources to provide adequate supervision.
9. (1) Bye-laws for Master's and Professional Master's courses may provide that applicants in possession of an Ordinary Degree classified with at least Category II be admitted into a Preparatory Programme and they shall become eligible to join the appropriate Master's course on completion of the Preparatory Programme at the standard of at least Second Class Honours.
(2) Bye-Laws for Conversion Master's courses may provide that applicants in possession of an Honours degree classified at least at Third Class or of an Ordinary Degree with at least Category III be admitted if they have obtained other qualifications, including relevant experience, following their first cycle degree.
10. (1) Admission to a Postgraduate Diploma course, when the course does not give automatic access to a Master's course, may be through possession of a first cycle degree obtained at least at either Third Class Honours or with Category III.
(2) Admission to a Postgraduate Certificate course, when the course does not give automatic access to a Master's course, may be through possession of any first cycle degree.
11. Bye-laws may provide that the Board may grant students full or partial exemption from the requirement of the Preparatory Programme if it is satisfied that the students possess post-first cycle qualification work experience that is relevant to the area of study of the Master's course.
12. Senate may approve bye-laws in terms of these regulations to provide for the admission of experienced professionals not in possession of formal academic qualifications into professional courses, consisting of not less than 60 credits for taught study-units.
13. All applicants shall be required to demonstrate that their standard of English is satisfactory, unless teaching, research and assessment are done in another language. The Admissions Board may, from time to time, publish the qualifications that are acceptable for each level of University awards, including the level and grades required in the English proficiency qualification. The offer of a place on a Postgraduate Course may be made subject to the applicants obtaining such proficiency qualifications prior to the commencement of their studies.
Applications for Postgraduate Courses
14. Applications for taught Postgraduate Courses shall be made on the prescribed form and within the time specified by the Office of the Registrar.
15. For the Master's degree mainly by research, applications may be submitted at any time of the year but enrolment shall be with effect from one of the following dates: 1 October, 1 December, 1 February, 1 April and 1 June.
16. Applications for the Master's degree mainly by research shall be approved by the Board and shall include the following details:
(a) a provisional title for the dissertation;
(b) a research proposal, of at least 300 words; and
(c) a statement on whether the studies will be undertaken on a full-time or a part-time basis, and, in the latter case, the number of hours that shall be dedicated to this research work.
17. In the case of applicants from outside Malta, funding and visa requirements shall be taken into consideration when the application and research proposal are being considered.
Supplementary and Preparatory Programmes
18. In cases where applicants lack essential knowledge in particular areas not covered in their first degree, bye-laws may require students to follow and pass supplementary study-units at level 4 or lower to which not more than 12 ECTS credits are assigned.
19. Preparatory Programmes, when prescribed, shall be approved by Senate, on the recommendation of the Board, and must include study-units to which not less than 30 credits are assigned for higher level undergraduate work in areas which are directly relevant to the area of study of the Master's course.
Duration of Postgraduate Courses
20. (1) The duration of Postgraduate Courses shall be specified in the bye-laws for each course but shall extend over the following periods of full-time study:
(a) one semester for courses leading to a Postgraduate Certificate;
(b) two semesters for courses leading to a Postgraduate Diploma; and
(c) between three and four semesters for courses leading to a Master's degree.
(2) Applicants engaged in full-time employment shall not normally be permitted to register as full-time students, except in circumstances where applicants provide evidence to show that their employer is willing to grant sufficient time off from work to allow them to engage in full-time study. Students engaged in part-time employment must inform the University about the extent of their employment commitment and require permission from the Faculty Admissions Committee to register as full-time students.
21. (1) The Board may grant students registered on Postgraduate Courses an extension of up to six months in order to enable them to complete their studies, irrespective of whether they are registered on a full-time or a part-time basis.
(2) In special circumstances and on the recommendation of the Board, Senate may grant students a further extension of up to two years in order to enable them to complete their studies, irrespective of whether they are registered on a full-time or a part-time basis.
Suspension of Studies
22. 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 they are registered on a full-time or a 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 Postgraduate Course in terms of the duration requirement.
Academic Calendar for Postgraduate Courses
23. (1) The academic calendar for Postgraduate Courses is given in the Glossary of Terms. The summer recess may however be shortened to two weeks in August in order to allow students to participate in a summer semester.
(2) Supplementary examinations shall be held either in September or, in exceptional circumstances, at the next scheduled session of examinations.
Attendance
24. Unless otherwise specified in the bye-laws of a Postgraduate 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. Unauthorised absence may lead to the student being declared ineligible for assessment of a study-unit, in which case a 0 mark and an F grade shall be assigned and recorded.
Dissertations
25. (1) All Master's programmes shall include the writing of a dissertation, to which not less than 30 credits shall be assigned.
(2) The supervision of students for the dissertation shall be regulated by the provisions of regulation 51.
(3) In the case of dissertations assigned more than 30 credits, the provisions of regulations 51 and 52 shall apply.
(4) Dissertations shall be assessed according to the provisions of regulations 53 and 54.
(5) Before graduating, students shall present three hard bound copies of the dissertation to the Department, one of which shall be retained in the University library.
Ethical Approval of Research Programmes
26. Any research undertaken by students which involves direct contact with patients or healthy participants, whether clinical, biomedical or social research, or the secondary use of existing human materials or specimens, or involving animals must be subject to ethical review. Such review must be undertaken by the Research Ethics Committee appointed by Senate for the purpose. These research proposals shall first be considered by the Board who shall submit the proposal to the Research Ethics Committee. The Board shall only accept such applications if the Research Ethics Committee has given its approval.
Language of Dissertations
27. (1) Dissertations for all Postgraduate Awards shall be written in English, except that dissertations in areas of study involving a language may be written in that language.
(2) However, following approval by Senate, a Board may allow particular students to write their dissertation in any other language, provided that the Board has ascertained, to the satisfaction of Senate, that the University has the necessary expertise to supervise and examine the work. In such cases, students shall be required to include a translation of the Abstract in English.
Assessment of Study-Units - Marking and Grading
28. Examiners shall express the students' performance in the assessment of all study-units, including the dissertation, as a percentage mark and grade as indicated in the table below. Both the percentage mark and the letter grade shall be recorded in the students' academic record. The percentage mark only is used for the purpose of calculating the students' progress and for the award classification.
| Descriptor | Mark Range | Grade |
| Work of excellent quality.
Superior performance showing a comprehensive understanding and application of the subject matter. Evidence of considerable additional reading/research/work. | 80%-100% | A |
| Work of very good quality.
Performance is typified by a very good working knowledge of subject matter. Evidence of a considerable amount of reading/ research/work. | 70%-79% | B |
| Work of good quality.
Above average performance, with a good working knowledge of subject matter. Evidence of sufficient reading/research/work. | 55%-69% | C |
| Work of fair but below average quality.
Considerable but incomplete understanding of the subject matter. Evidence of a fair amount of reading/research/work. | 50%-54% | D |
| Work of marginal quality.
Minimal understanding of the subject matter, with no evidence of additional reading/research/work, which must be compensated by higher marks in other units in order to be eligible for the Postgraduate Award. | 45%-49% | E |
Pass - when assessment is based on a pass/fail basis.
| Not Applicable | P
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| Unsatisfactory, failing work in any 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 |
| Temporary grade for Incomplete work due to justifiable reasons (illness, approved absence, etc.) for which the assessment date has been postponed or the deadline for submission of work has been extended. | - | I |
Re-assessment of Study-Units
29. (1) A failed taught study-unit may be re-assessed once only, under those conditions as provided for in the bye-laws for the Postgraduate Course. If successful, the maximum mark/grade that can be awarded shall be 45% / Grade E.
(2) Students shall not be allowed to be re-assessed for a study-unit if they have already been awarded credit for it.
(3) Students who, after reassessment, fail to obtain credit for any study-unit shall be required to withdraw from the Postgraduate Course.
Re-admission to a Postgraduate Course
30. When students are required by the provisions of these regulations to withdraw from a Postgraduate Course, they shall not be allowed re-admission into the same course before the lapse of one year from withdrawing. On re-joining the course, students shall be required to follow the Programme of Study that is applicable for that year and they shall be required to follow all study-units, including those they may have successfully completed during the failed course.
Progression and Annual Enrolment for Postgraduate Courses
31. (1) Students registered on taught programmes shall be allowed to enrol for the following year if they obtain all the credits for the year. Students registered on programmes mainly by research shall be allowed to enrol for the following year subject to a satisfactory progress report from their Principal Supervisor.
(2) Students are required to enrol at the commencement of the Postgraduate Course and at the beginning of each academic year throughout their period of study, whether they are following a mainly taught programme or a mainly research programme.
32. Bye-laws for a Postgraduate Course may provide that progression from one year to the next or progression from the taught component to the research component be subject to a minimum average mark to be indicated in the bye-laws.
Classification of Postgraduate Awards
33. There shall be an Award Classification Board for each Postgraduate Course.
34. (1) For mainly taught programmes, the Award Classification Board shall be composed of at least three members, including the Dean/Director, or delegate, as chairman, the course co-ordinator, and at least one other member appointed by the Board.
(2) In the case of programmes mainly by research, the Board of Examiners appointed as in regulation 55 shall act as the Award Classification Board.
35. (1) Postgraduate Certificates shall be awarded unclassified.
(2) Postgraduate Diplomas and Master's degrees may be awarded in any of the following classifications:
Pass with Distinction (Summa Cum Laude)
Pass with Merit (Magna Cum Laude)
Pass (Bene Probatus).
36. The classification of Postgraduate Awards shall be determined by the Award Classification Board on the basis of a Final Weighted Average Mark obtained by taking into account the individual marks obtained in each study-unit as well as the credit value of the study-units, provided that bye-laws may allow for the credits assigned to the dissertation to be weighted by a factor of not more than 1.5.
37. (1) The Award Classification Board shall consult the following guidelines when deciding upon the final classification of Postgraduate Diplomas and Masters' degrees:
| Final Weighted Average Mark | Classification |
| 80 - 100% | Pass with Distinction |
| 70 - 79% | Pass with Merit |
| 50 - 69% | Pass |
(2) Students whose Final Average Weighted Mark is between 0 and 49% shall be considered to have failed to qualify for a Postgraduate Award.
(3) The Award Classification Board, at its own discretion, may award the Postgraduate Award with a higher classification than that indicated in paragraph (1) of this regulation to students whose Final Weighted Average Mark is up to three marks less than the minimum for the classification. In such cases, the Award Classification Board is required to minute the decision and the justification for it.
(4) The Award Classification Board, at its own discretion, may also award a Postgraduate Award with a lower classification than that indicated in paragraph (1) of this regulation. In such cases, the Award Classification Board is required to obtain the authorisation of the Board that shall minute the decision and the justification for it. The students concerned may appeal to Senate against the decision within 15 days of the publication of the classification.
II. TAUGHT POSTGRADUATE AWARDS
Programmes of Study for Mainly Taught Postgraduate Awards
38. (1) Programmes of Study shall be proposed by one or more than one Department jointly, and shall be approved by Senate, on the recommendation of the Board.
(2) Programmes of Study shall be co-ordinated by the head of department or another member of staff appointed for the purpose by the Board.
39. Programmes of Study shall be published before the commencement of each Postgraduate Course, normally not less than 3 months before its commencement. Programmes of Study shall include all the study-units, indicating which study-units are compulsory or elective, and the order in which the units shall be followed.
Study-units
40. Study-units shall be proposed by the Department or a number of departments responsible for the teaching of the area/areas of study in the Postgraduate Course and approved by Senate, on the recommendation of the Board.
41. Study-units 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 the General Regulations for University Undergraduate Awards, 2004, published as Legal Notice 127 of 2004.
42. Study-units in all Postgraduate Courses shall normally be offered at level five. Each taught study-unit shall normally be assigned not less than five credits and not more than 30 credits, preferably in multiples of five credits.
43. All study-units shall be assigned a credit value in terms of the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System and credits shall be awarded to students who pass the assessment for the unit.
44. The method of assessment for each study-unit shall be indicated in the study-unit description and published in the catalogue of study-units. If the method of assessment comprises more than one assessment component, the % weighting of each component shall be given. Students shall be awarded the credits for a unit if they obtain an overall pass mark for the unit as a whole.
45. The same study-units cannot be counted towards two separate Postgraduate Awards 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.
46. Credits awarded for study-units may not normally be used towards an award after seven years have elapsed from the successful completion of the unit.
Registration for Study-Units
47. Students shall register for the study-units prescribed in their Programme of Study within the time specified by the Office of the Registrar. They shall not be considered as students on a study-unit unless they have so registered.
Boards of Examiners for Taught Study-Units
48. Taught study-units shall be examined by a Board of Examiners composed of not less than 3 persons, including a chairman who shall not be teaching the unit, and the lecturer/s teaching the unit.
III. POSTGRADUATE AWARDS BY RESEARCH
Programmes of Study for Master's Degree mainly by Research
49. The Master's degree obtained mainly by research shall require students to register for at least two study-units, one of which a study-unit consisting of supervised research work leading to the writing of a dissertation, to which not less than 60 credits are assigned.
50. Students registered for Masters' degrees mainly by research may be allowed to participate in joint research projects where data generated jointly by a group of researchers is used for the writing of a dissertation, provided that each student writes a separate dissertation.
Supervision of Masters' Dissertations
51. (1) In Masters’ degrees mainly by research, the Board shall appoint a Principal Supervisor for each student.
(2) If the nature/topic of research requires the input of another specialist, the Board may appoint a co-supervisor, in which case the two supervisors shall meet the student together to decide how they will divide their responsibility for advice and how future meetings are to be arranged.
(3) When a co-supervisor is appointed, the Principal Supervisor shall retain the ultimate responsibility of leadership in supervision.
(4) A Principal Supervisor or co-supervisor shall not be related to a student by consanguinity or by affinity to the third degree inclusive or have a dual relationship with the student.
(5) Principal Supervisors shall be responsible for providing guidance to students under their care in the following areas:
(a) assisting students to select and elaborate a research problem and to formulate a written proposal for their dissertation;
(b) offering ideas and providing guidance and encouragement on the planning and progress of research, submission of the dissertation, and publication of results;
(c) providing or arranging instruction in research methodology, including use of information technology;
(d) guiding students in acquiring and improving appropriate generic skills, including written and oral communication, numeracy, decision-taking and organisational and management skills;
(e) the students are aware of the manner in which research results are reported and that they understand the implications of plagiarism and other unbecoming academic practices; and
(f) any other matters which require the attention of the Board or Senate.
(6) Principal Supervisors shall meet students regularly to review progress. Meetings may be substituted by other means of communication.
(7) Principal Supervisors and co-supervisors are not responsible for proof-reading dissertations. Neither is it their responsibility to ensure that dissertations do not contain plagiarised parts.
(8) If plagiarism is detected by a supervisor in drafts or in the final version of a dissertation prior to formal submission, the Principal Supervisor shall use discretion as to whether to reprimand the student and demand corrective action or to report the matter to the Assessment Disciplinary Board, depending on the gravity of the offence.
52. Bye-laws shall establish methods and stipulate procedures for the effective monitoring of students' progress throughout their studies. These shall include measures to ensure that:
(a) written progress reports are submitted regularly by Principal Supervisors to an appropriate faculty/departmental committee or panels of supervision for individual students or groups of students; such reports may include a recommendation either to (a) grant an extension of the study period in order to enable the students to complete the dissertation; or (b) to terminate the studies prematurely if the relevant faculty/departmental committee deems this to be proper in the circumstances; provided that for (a), the period of extension of studies shall be according to regulation 21 (1); and for (b), the student may appeal his case before Senate within 15 days from the notice of termination;
(b) substantial modification of title or content of dissertation, requests for extension of studies or suspension of studies are considered and decided upon expeditiously;
(c) students' research is not hindered in unforeseeable circumstances, such as when a supervisor is absent for a long period; and
(d) requests by students about matters relating to their studies (including a request to change their Principal Supervisor if there are serious reasons) are adequately considered.
Assessment of Dissertations for Master's Degree
53. (1) Dissertations presented for a Master’s Degree shall:
(a) be work of an advanced or original nature in the area of study;
(b) satisfy the Board of Examiners as regards content and presentation; and
(c) fulfil the requirements as provided by relevant bye-laws and guidelines as regards format and length.
(2) Principal Supervisors shall signify in writing, on the appropriate form, that they are aware that the student is submitting his/her dissertation for examination by the Board of Examiners.
(3) The supervisory role of Principal Supervisors and co-supervisors shall cease when the dissertation is submitted for examination. The role may be re-assumed, on the advice of the Board of Examiners, in order to provide guidance to students whose dissertation is referred back for significant correction pending final acceptance.
(4) No dissertation shall be accepted which is identical in substance to a document already submitted for a degree in this or any other university or to any other published material. Students shall not, however, be precluded from incorporating such previous work as may be necessary to the presentation and fuller understanding of their exposition, provided that the nature and extent of such incorporation are clearly indicated in the dissertation itself.
54. (1) After examining the dissertation, the Board of Examiners may approve it unconditionally or subject to correction of minor errors to the satisfaction of the Principal Supervisor and admit the student to an oral examination.
(2) If the Board of Examiners is not satisfied with the quality of the dissertation, it shall not admit the student to an oral examination and shall either:
(a) refer the dissertation back to the student for major revision and resubmission within six months in revised form to the satisfaction of the Board of Examiners; or
(b) not grant permission to resubmit and state that the degree be not awarded.
(3) Students who fail to satisfy the Board of Examiners in the oral examination may be given permission to re-submit the dissertation after making changes as necessary and be re-examined orally within a period of six months. Such permission shall be granted once only.
Boards of Examiners for Dissertations
55. (1) Dissertations submitted for the award of a Master’s Degree shall be assessed by a Board of Examiners appointed by Senate for the purpose, on the recommendation of the Board.
(2) For dissertations assigned more than 30 credits, the Board of Examiners shall be composed of at least four members and shall normally include an external examiner from an overseas institution. For dissertations assigned 30 credits, the Board of Examiners shall be composed of at least three members but may additionally also include an external examiner from an overseas institution.
(3) Principal Supervisors and co-supervisors shall not be members of the Board of Examiners but the Principal Supervisor shall be invited to attend as an observer during the oral examination. The Principal Supervisor may contribute if invited to do so by the members of the Board of Examiners but must withdraw prior to the final deliberations of the Board of Examiners. However, a Board may request special permission from Senate to allow a Principal Supervisor to form part of the Board of Examiners for justified reasons.
(4) The Board of Examiners may require students to defend their dissertation orally before it. The external examiner need not be present for the oral defence but not less than 3 members of the Board of Examiners shall conduct the oral examination.
(5) The Board of Examiners shall follow any procedures stipulated in guidelines for the assessment of dissertations for Masters’ degrees, approved by Senate.
Teaching Duties
56. (1) Students registered for a Master's degree mainly by research may be required to assist lecturing staff in the Faculty's teaching activities for up to a maximum of 100 hours a year, provided that these duties do not conflict with their research work and that students may be exempted from this requirement for a good and valid reason.
(2) The criteria used in assigning such duties to students shall be equitable and transparent.
(3) Students involved in teaching shall be assigned an academic mentor to whom they may turn for advice. They shall also be provided with advice and facilities to ensure that they may teach effectively. Students involved in such teaching activities shall be provided with instruction and guidance, including relevant health and safety training.
(4) For such work, students shall be remunerated at standard rates as approved by the University.
Publication
57. Students shall acknowledge the contribution of their supervisor/s and of any other members of staff or students in any published material or presentation in accordance with international guidelines on authorship.
58. Supervisors shall acknowledge students' contributions in any published material or presentation which involves work performed by students.
Copyright and Intellectual Property
59. Copyright of the dissertation remains with the student. All other intellectual property rights embodied in dissertations are owned by the University. The physical copies of the dissertations submitted for examination become the property of the University
60. Students must abide by the University's policy on Intellectual Property insofar as it pertains to the allocation of income from intellectual property rights.
Confidentiality Agreements
61. (1) Confidentiality agreements with sponsoring or funding bodies should be identified by students and agreed by the Principal Supervisor and notified to the Board.
(2) Where a student or the University wishes the dissertation to remain confidential after completion of the programme of research, a request for approval must normally be made to the Board at the time the application is being considered. The period approved shall not normally exceed two years from the publication of the result. However, in cases where publication of the dissertation would prove detrimental to the student or the University or the sponsor or the funding body, a further period may be approved.
Special Provisions for Part-Time Courses
62. (1) A Board may, from time to time, offer students the opportunity to follow a Postgraduate 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 by the relevant Board as necessary due to the part-time nature of the Course.
(3) 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 bye-laws for the course 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 study.
