Postgraduate Diploma in Social Work - P.G. Dip. S.W. - Course Regulations,

L.N.156 of 1998

EDUCATION ACT

(CAP. 327)

Postgraduate Diploma in Social Work - P.G. Dip. S.W. - Course Regulations,

IN exercise of the powers conferred upon him by sections 30 (5)

and 31 (6) of the Education Act (Cap. 327), the Chancellor of the

University of Malta has promulgated the following Regulations made by

the Senate of the University of Malta by virtue of the powers conferred

upon it by sections 31 and 35 of the said Act

Citation and Interpretation

(1) These regulations may be cited as the Postgraduate Diploma in

Social Work - P.G. Dip. S.W. - Course Regulations, 1998.

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

"the Board" means the Board of the Institute of Social Welfare;

"the Course" means the Course leading to the Postgraduate Diploma;

"the Institute" means the Institute of Social Welfare; and

"the Postgraduate Diploma" means the Postgraduate Diploma in Social

Work - P.G. Dip. S.W.

Applicability

These regulations shall apply to courses starting in October 1995 or

later,

Requirements for Admission

(1) Candidates may be registered for the Course if they are to

possession of the following requirements

(a) a Bachelor of Arts degree, with Psychology as a main or

subsidiary area of study and Sociology (or Social Studies) as a main or

subsidiary area of study, provided that one of these two areas of study is a

main area of study; or

(b) a Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) degree, or equivalent, with

Sociology (or Social Studies) as a main or subsidiary area of study; or a

Bachelor of Psychology dt'grt'C' with Sociology (or Social Studies) as a main or

subsidiary area of study; or

(c) a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree in Sociology (or Social

Studies) with Psychology as a main or subsidiary area of study during Part Cof

the course; and

(d) if they satisfy the Assess]T1ent Board set up for this purpose that

they have the required aptitude for social work.

(2) Candidates who satisfy the requirements of paragraph (1) of t.his

regulation with Psychology as a subsidiary area of study shall be required to

successfully complete the following two study-units. or others which the

Board, act.ing on the advice of the Head of the Department of Psychology,

considers to be equivalent

Counselling I & II or Helping Skills I & II; and

Psychopathology 1.

(3) The Board may, at its discretion, allow a graduate in Psychology

who does not have Sociology as a main or a subsidiary area of study to register

for the Course, subject to the fulfillment of additional requirements dUling

the Course.

(4) Candidates in possession of other qualifications which are

considered as equivalent to those listed in paragraph (1) of this regulation

may, on the advice of the Board, be exempted from the whole or part of these

requirements.

Duration of Course

(1) The Course shall extend over a period of twelve months of full-

time study.

(2) In extraordinary circumstances the Board may anow students,

for good and sufficient reason, Lo extend their studies by one further year.

Course of Studies

(l) The Course shall consist of the following

(a) study-units, to which not less than tcn credit.. are assigned;

(b) two practice placerI}.ents, to which not less than ten credits are

assigned;

(c) a project or long essay, to which not less than three credits are

assigned; and

(d) a final synoptic examination.

(2) The study-units shall be divided into two modules as follows

Module 1 - Social Work: Principles, Methods. Skills

Module 2 - Social Policy: Social Welfare, Health. Legislation.

(3) The first practice placement shall normally take place during

the first semester. The second practice placement shall stan in the second

semester and shall extend until the end of September.

(4) Students shall be required to register for each study-unit and

practice placement they wish to take. A credit shall be awarded on the basis

of the assessment of progress achieved on completion of the required study

and assignments.

(5) A catalogue of study-units. with the number of credits assigned

each study-unit. shall be published by the Board before the

commencement of the Course. A study-unit may include, or entirely consist

of, assessed practice placements where appropriate. 'Students taking such a

study-unit may be required to write reports on the practice placement. The

catalogue shall also indicate the method of assessment for each study-unit,

which study-units are prerequisites, compulsory or concurrent.

(6) Students who are able to demonstrate that they have successfully

completed one or more study-units, equivalent to those forming part of this

Course, may apply for exemption,

provided that students shall not be exempted from more than 20% of the

credits required for the Course.

(7) Except with the permission of the Board, students may not take

a study-unit for which they do not have the prerequisites or take a study-unit

without taking also the concurrent study-units as ad~sed.

Assessmen t

(l) Credits shall be assigned according to the following grading

scheme. in descending order of merit: A. B. C. D, and F, where F indicates

Fail.

(2) Students who fail to obtain a credit shall normally be allowed to

take a resit once only. In the re-assessment, the maximum grade that may be

awarded shall be D. If they fail in the resit, they shall be aHowed to repeat the

study-unit once only. There shan be no resit when a study-unit is repeated.

(3) The final synoptic examination shall normally be held in June.

Students who fail this examination shall be allowed a supplementary session

once only.

Eligibility for Postgraduate Diploma

(l) The Postgraduate Diploma shall be awarded to those studcnL~

who

(a) obtain a minimum of 23 credits, including the credits for the two

practice placements and for the project or long essay; and

(b) are successful in the final synoptic examination.

(2) The final results shall be published after the completion and

assessment of at! required practice placements.

(3) The final classification shall be based on the following

weighting

Credits, including those for the Practice

Placements, and the Project or Long Essay

60%

Final Synoptic Examination

40%

(4) The names of students who qualify for the Postgraduate Diploma

shall be published in a list in alphabetical order classified a'5 follows

Passed with Distinction

Passed.