under the auspices of the Faculty of Science

B

L.N. 152 of 2005

EDUCATION ACT

(CAP. 327)

Bye-Laws of 2005 in terms of the

General Regulations for University Undergraduate Awards, 2004

for the Degrees of Bachelor of Science - B.Sc. -

and Bachelor of Science (Honours) - B.Sc. (Hons) -

under the auspices of the Faculty of Science

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 bye-laws made by the Board of the

Faculty of Science in virtue of the powers conferred upon it by section 37

(1) of the said Act and which have been approved by the Senate of the

University of Malta as required by section 37 (2) of the said Act

Citation and Interpretation

(1) These bye-laws may be cited as the Bye-Laws of 2005 in terms of the

General Regulations for University Undergraduate Awards, 2004 for the degrees of

Bachelor of Science - B.Sc. - and Bachelor of Science (Honours) - B.Sc. (Hons) -

under the auspices of the Faculty of Science.

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

"the Board" means the Board of the Faculty of Science;

"the Course" means the programme of studies leading to the degree of

Bachelor of Science - B.Sc. - or the degree of Bachelor of Science (Honours) - B.Sc.

(Hons) - as appropriate;

"the Degree" means the degree of Bachelor of Science - B.Sc. – or the degree

of Bachelor of Science (Honours) - B.Sc. (Hons) - as appropriate; and

"the Principal Regulations" means the General Regulations for University

Undergraduate Awards, 2004.

Applicability

These bye-laws shall be applicable for courses commencing in October

2003 or later.

Special Course Requirements for Admission

(1) To be registered as regular students in the Course, applicants shall,

apart from satisfying the general requirements for admission as specified in the

Admission Regulations, be in possession of the special course requirements as

follows

(a) Biology: passes in Biology (Advanced, grade C or better) and Chemistry

(Intermediate, grade C or better);

(b) Chemistry: passes in Chemistry (Advanced, grade C or better) and

Physics (Intermediate, grade C or better);

(applicable as from October 2006) passes in Chemistry (Advanced, grade C or

better) and either Physics or Pure Mathematics (Intermediate, grade C or better);

(c) Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence

either passes in Computing (Advanced, grade C or better) and Pure Mathematics

(Intermediate, grade C or better);

or passes in Pure Mathematics (Advanced, grade C or better) and Computing

(Intermediate, grade C or better);

(d) Informatics

either a pass in Pure Mathematics (Advanced, grade C or better);

or passes in Computing or Information Technology (Advanced, grade C or better) and

Pure Mathematics (Intermediate, grade C or better);

(e) Mathematics: a pass in Pure Mathematics (Advanced, grade C or better);

(f) Statistics and Operations Research

either a pass in Pure Mathematics (Advanced, grade C or better);

or a pass in Applied Mathematics (Advanced, grade C or better);

or passes in Computing or Information Technology (Advanced, grade C or better)

and Pure Mathematics (Advanced, grade D or better);

or passes in Computing or Information Technology (Advanced, grade C or better)

and Applied Mathematics (Advanced, grade D or better);

(g) Physics

either passes in Physics (Advanced, grade C or better) and Pure Mathematics

(Intermediate, grade C or better);

or passes in Pure Mathematics (Advanced, grade C or better) and Physics

(Intermediate, grade C or better).

(2) Applicants who possess a grade D instead of a grade C in only one of

the required subjects, whether at Advanced or Intermediate Level, of the special

course requirements indicated in paragraph (1) of this bye-law, shall be admitted

under those conditions as the Board may impose to compensate for the qualification

deficiency. If, by the end of the first year, such students do not successfully

complete all the requirements to progress regularly to the second year of the Course,

they shall be required to withdraw from the Course, and shall neither be entitled to

repeat the year nor to progress conditionally as normally permitted under the

Principal Regulations.

Course Duration

(1) The course leading to the degree of Bachelor of Science shall extend

over a period of three years of full-time study.

(2) The course leading to the degree of Bachelor of Science (Honours)

shall extend over a period of four years of full-time study.

Areas of Study

(1) Students may register for the Degree in terms of these bye-laws in any

two of the following areas of study

Biology; Chemistry; Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence; Informatics;

Mathematics; Physics; and Statistics and Operations Research.

(2) The degree of Bachelor of Science shall be awarded in two areas of

study as Main Ordinary areas of study.

(3) The degree of Bachelor of Science (Honours) shall be awarded in two

areas of study as Main Honours areas of study.

(1) The areas of study offered in any particular year and the permissible

combinations of areas of study shall be published by the Board before the

commencement of each Course.

(2) Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence cannot be taken with

Informatics.

Combinations of areas of study that in any year attract less than three

students may be withdrawn for that year.

Course Programme

The Course shall consist of two parts, namely, Part One comprising the first

three years and Part Two comprising the fourth year.

(1) Part One shall consist of study-units to which 180 credits are assigned

divided as follows

First Year

26 credits in each of the two areas of study and 8 credits for

optional study-units;

Second Year

30 credits in each of the two areas of study;

Third Year

30 credits in each of the two areas of study.

(2) At the end of Part One, students who obtain 180 credits as specified

in paragraph (1) of this bye-law shall be entitled to be awarded the degree of

Bachelor of Science unless they opt to proceed to Part Two of the Course.

(1) Part Two shall consist of study-units to which 60 credits are assigned

divided as follows

(a) 36 credits in one area of study of which 20 credits are assigned to a project

study-unit; and

(b) 24 credits in the other area of study.

(2) The project study-unit referred to in paragraph (1) of this bye-law

shall involve the writing of a dissertation, except that in the case of Mathematics the

dissertation may be substituted by one or more additional taught study-units.

The Board shall publish the programme of study for each area of study, as

approved by Senate, at the commencement of each Course. Subject to changes that

the Board may, with the approval of Senate, be constrained to make, students are

bound to follow the study-units and obtain the credits as indicated in the course

programme and in the programmes of study of the areas of study they are following

for the Degree, provided that course programmes and programmes of study shall be

drawn up in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Principal Regulations.

In any year of the Course, students may not register for study-units to

which more than 60 credits are assigned unless they are required to register for

referred study-units in terms of the Principal Regulations.

Students pursuing studies for the Bachelor of Science (Honours) who do

not complete Part Two of the Course shall be awarded the degree of Bachelor of

Science, classified according to the criteria indicated in paragraph (1) of bye-law 14,

provided they would have previously completed Part One.

Classification of the Degree

(1) The Final Weighted Average Mark for the classification of the

Bachelor of Science degree shall be based on the results obtained in the first three

years of the Course (Part One), which shall be equally weighted.

(2) The Final Weighted Average Mark for the classification of the

Bachelor of Science (Honours) degree shall be based on the results obtained in the

four years of the Course (Parts One and Two), which shall be equally weighted.

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