Master of Arts - M.A. - in Linguistics Degree Course Regulations, 2000

L.N. 232 of 2000

EDUCATION ACT

(CAP. 327)

Master of Arts - M.A. - in Linguistics Degree Course Regulations, 2000

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

These regulations may be cited as the Master of Arts - M.A. - in

(l)

Linguistics Degree Course Regulations, 2000.

(2)

In these regulations, unless the context otherwise requires -

"the Board" means the Board of Studies appointed by the Senate to

administer the Course on behalf of the Faculty of Art'). The Board shall be

composed of the Rector as Chairman, three members appointed by the Board of

the Faculty of Arts and three members appointed by the Board of the Institute of

Linguistics

"the Course" means the course of studies leading to the Degree of Master of

Arts - ~1.A. - in Linguistics; and

"the Degree" means the Degree of Master of Art') - ~1.A. - in Linguistics.

Applicability

These regulations shall apply to courses starting in October 1999 or later.

Eligibility for Admission

Applicants may be admitted to the Course if they possess one of the

following qualifications

(a) a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree with First or Second Class in

Linguistics or its equivalent from this or another University recognised by the

Senate for the purpose; or

(b) an Honours Bachelor's degree with First or Second Class or its

equivalent from this or another University recognised by the Senate for the

purpose in an area of study that includes a substantial number of credits for

study-units closely related and relevant to Linguistics,

provided that the Board may require such applicants to follow the Preparatory

Course. pass the Final Synoptic Examination and to satisfy such additional

requirements that the Board may impose; or

(c) a Bachelor's degree with Category lor II or its equivalent from this or

another University recognised by the Senate for the purpose in an area of study

that includes a substantial number of credits for study-units closely related and

relevant to Linguistics.

provided that the Board may require such applicants to follow the Preparatory

Course and pass the Final Synoptic Examination and to satisfy such additional

requirements that the Board may impose.

Preparatory Course

(l) During the full-rime preparatory course. of one year's duration (or

its equivalent in part-time study). students shall be required to register for a

number of study-units to which a total of not less than twenty and not more than

twenty-five credits shall be assigned. The Board may stipulate that the credits

should include a dissertation to which five credits shall be assigned. The Board

may exempt students from some of the study-units if they or their equivalent

have alreadY heen completed successfullY.

(2) At the end of the preparatory course, there shall be a Final

Synoptic Examination consisting of two three-hou,r papers (normallv similar to

all or part of the Bachelor of Arts (Honours) examination in Linguistics, at the

standard of at least Second Class Honours). One of the papers may be chosen

for its relevance to the student's area of study.

(3) The final result shall take into accou,nt the student's performance

in the Final Synoptic Examination as well as the credits and grades obtained

during the preparatory course. The Final Synoptic Examination shall carry fifty

per cent of the weighting for the grading of the final result, while the other fifty

per cent shall be calculated on the basis of the overall average of the credits

obtained during the preparatory course.

(4) The names of students shall be published in a list in alphabetical

order in two categories

Passed and Qualified to join the Master of Arts - M.A. - in Linguistics

Failed.

Registration for Course

(1) Before being admitted to the Course, applicants must be approved

by the Board as possessing the training, knowledge and capabilities required for

the proposed line of study and research.

(2) Applications should include the provision.al title of the dissertation,

and a comprehensive research proposal of about 500 words.

Duration of Course

(1) The Course shall extend over not less than fifteen and not more

than eighteen months of full-time study after registration,

provided that the Board may specify a longer period of study depending on the

nature of the research to be undertaken.

The Board may, before the

presentation of the dissertation, extend such period for one further period not

exceeding twelve months.

(2) Students may, by permission of the Board, register on a part-time

basis. Any period spent in part-time study or research shall be considered

equivalent to half the same period of full-time study or research.

(3) Students, whether full-time or part-time, shall be required to re-

register for the Course at the beginning of each academic year.

Course Programme

(l) The Board may require students to follow and successfully

complete study-units to which a maximum of five credits shall be assigned. The

content of each study-unit shall be determined by the Board.

(2)

Students shall be required to present a dissertation on the

approved su~ject, normally of not more than 50,000 words. The dissertation

must be either a record of original work or an ordered and critical expression of

existing data with regard to a particular subject. It must satisfy the Board as

regards language and literary presentation and must fulfil all specifications laid

down in regulation 9.

(3) No dissertation shall be accepted which is identical in substance to a

dissertation already submitted for a degree at this or any other University.

Students. however. shall not be precluded from incorporating such previous

dissertation work as mav be necessarv 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.

Supervision of Dissertation

~.

The Board shall appoint a supenisor for even' student. The

supervisor shall require the student to report to him at least once e\'ery three

months. or more often as he deems necessarv. He mav refer to the Board a

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student whose work he considers unsatisfactory and shall refer any substantial

modification in the title or content of the projected dissertation for the approval

of the Board. No dissertation may be submitted to the examiners without a

certificate, signed by the supervisor, of its conformity with these regulations.

Presentation of Dissertation

Il-Bord ghandu jahtar supervizur ghal kull student. Is-supervizur ghandu

jehtieg lill-istudent jirrapporta ghandu mill-anqas darba kull tIiet xhur, jew aktar

spiss kif huwa jidhirlu xieraq. Huwa jista' jirreferi lill-Bord student Ii jqis Ii x-xoghol

tieghu mhuwiex sodisfacenti u ghandu jirreferi xi tibdil sostanzjali fit-titIu jew fiI-

kontenut tad-dissertazzjoni ppjanata ghall-approvazzjoni tal-Bord.

L-ebda

dissertazzjoni rna ghandha tkun sottomessa Iill-ezaminaturi minghajr certifikat,

iffirmat mis-supervizur, Ii hija tikkonforma rna' dawn ir-regolamenti.

Il-Prezentazzjoni tad-Dissertazzjoni

(l) The dissertation shall meet the following specifications

(a) Paper Size: International Standard Size A4 (11 3/4" x 8 1/4");

(b) Typing: Font size 12. Double-spacing for the main text. Single

spacing for footnotes. Single spacing may also be used for long quotations in the

main text. Left-hand margin of 40 mm. Top and right-hand margin of 20 mm. A

top margin of 80 mm to be left on the first page of every division, i.e. chapters,

bibliography, etc. Foot- or endnotes should appear at the bottom of the relevant

page or after every chapter;

(c) Pagination: The main text, including the introduction (if any) and

any appendices of the dissertation, shall have Arabic numerals. The title page,

dedication (if any), preface, acknowledgements, table of contents, etc.,

preceding the main text shall have Roman numerals;

(d)

Binding: Three unbound copies of the dissertation shall be

submitted. After a successful defence, two copies of the dissertation as approved

by the Board of Examiners shall be sewn and bound in cloth (preferably black)

with stiff boards and good quality end-papers; with lettering (preferably in gold)

on the front and spine showing

(i) the name of the student;

(ii) the title or short title of the dissertation;

(iii) the degree for which the dissertation is submitted; and

(iv) the year of submission.

Maps, diagrams, graphs, printed material, etc. should be bound with the

dissertation, but if this is not possible they should be presented separately in

special folders or volumes and numberep. One bound copy of the dissertation

shall be retained in the University Library and the other two copies shall be

retained by the Faculty of Arts and by the Institute of Linguistics; and

(e) Layout of title page: Title of dissertation and subtitle (if any) followed

by the name of the student, e.g. "A dissertation presented to the Faculty of Arts in

the University of Malta for the degree of Master of Arts - M.A. - in Linguistics",

followed by month and year of submission.

(2) The dissertation shall include a declaration signed by the student

that it is his own original work.

Examination of Dissertation

(1) Each dissertation shall be examined by a Board of Examiners

appointed in terms of the University Examinations Regulations. One of the

examiners shall normally be an external examiner from another university.

(2) Students shall normally be required to take a wva voce

examination to defend their dissertation.

Re-submission of Dissertation

Students' whose dissertation is found unsatisfactory may be allowed by

the Board, on the recommendation of the Board of Examiners, to re-submit it in

a revised form within a period of not less than six and not more than eighteen

months from the day on which it is referred back to them.

Final Result

(1) The final result of students shall take into account the merits of

their dissertation and the oral defence thereof.

(2) The names of students who qualify for the award of the Degree

shall be published in a list in alphabetical order classified as follows

Passed with Distinction

Passed.