under the auspices of the Faculty of Theology

B

L.N. 154 of 2005

EDUCATION ACT

(CAP. 327)

Master of Arts - M.A. - Degree Course Regulations, 2005

under the auspices of the Faculty of Theology

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 Master of Arts - M.A. - Degree

Course Regulations, 2005, under the auspices of the Faculty of Theology.

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

“the Board” means the Board of the Faculty of Theology;

“the Course” means the course leading to the degree of Master of Arts -M.A. -

under the auspices of the Faculty of Theology; and

“the Degree” means the degree of Master of Arts - M.A. - under the auspices

of the Faculty of Theology.

Applicability

These regulations shall be applicable for courses starting in October 2003

or later.

Eligibility for the Degree

To be eligible for the award of the Degree, students must

(a) be registered as regular students in terms of the Admission Regulations

of the University and satisfy the Admission Requirements laid down in regulations 4

and 5;

(b) complete the appropriate course of studies, obtain the number of credits

as indicated in regulation 8, be approved in the dissertation and satisfy any other

requirements prescribed in these regulations; and

(c) satisfy any other requirements prescribed in any other relevant statues,

regulations and bye-laws of the University.

Admission Requirements

The Course shall be open to applicants in possession of one of the

following

(a) a Bachelor’s (Honours) degree with at least Second Class Honours in

Theology or in any other area relevant to the proposed area of specialisation in the

Course; or

(b) a Bachelor’s degree with at least Category II in Theology as a main

subject or in any other area relevant to the proposed area of specialisation in the

Course; or

(c) a qualification considered by the Senate, on the recommendation of the

Board, as equivalent to the qualifications in either (a) or (b).

(1) The Board shall require applicants in possession of the qualification

indicated in paragraph (b) of regulation 4 to complete successfully a number of

study-units in addition to those prescribed for the Course either during the duration

of the Course or during an additional period of studies as deemed appropriate by the

Board.

(2) The Board may also require applicants whose degree is not in

Theology as a main subject to complete successfully a number of study-units in

addition to those prescribed for the Course either during the duration of the Course

or during an additional period of studies as deemed appropriate by the Board.

Registration for the Course

Registration for the Course shall be made on the prescribed form and

within the time specified by the Office of the Registrar.

Course Duration

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

study or their equivalent in part-time study.

(2) All part-time students shall be required to register at the beginning of

each academic year.

Course Programme

(1) The Course may be offered in areas of specialisation within Theology,

Pastoral Studies, Religious Studies or in Ethics, as determined by the Board and

announced before the call for applications.

(2) The Course shall consist of taught and research components to which

75 ECTS credits shall be assigned as follows

(a)

research and the writing of a dissertation of 30,000 words, to which

60 ECTS credits are assigned, and study-units to which 15 ECTS credits are

assigned; or

(b)

a number of taught study-units to which 40 ECTS credits are

assigned, and research and the writing of a dissertation of 20,000 words, to which 35

ECTS credits are assigned.

Catalogue of Study-Units

The Board shall draw up a programme of studies for each of the areas of

specialization being offered, and shall publish a catalogue of study-units. The

catalogue shall indicate the code, title, description and type of each study-unit, the

credits assigned to each study-unit, which study-units are compulsory, concurrent or

pre-requisites for other study-units and the methods of teaching and assessment.

The Board shall publish the catalogue for the Course prior to its commencement,

following the approval of Senate.

Progress and Assessment

(1) Study-units shall be assessed at the end of the semester in which

they were held.

(2) Results for the assessment of study-units and the dissertation shall be

published as a percentage mark and grade as indicated in the table below

Mark Range

Grade

80% -100%

A

70% - 79%

B

55% - 69%

C

45% - 54%

D

0 - 44%

F

Both the percentage mark and the grade shall be recorded in the students’ academic

record. However, only the percentage mark shall be used for the purpose of

calculating the final classification of the Degree.

Dissertation

(1) Students are required to submit a research proposal by the date

indicated by the Board. Dissertations shall be submitted for examination within

twelve months from the commencement of the Course or within twenty-four months

if the Course has been followed on a part-time basis.

(2) The Board shall appoint a supervisor for each student. Students shall

be required to report to their supervisors at least once every two months and, in

addition, as often as the supervisors deem necessary. Supervisors may refer to the

Board students whose work they consider unsatisfactory and shall refer for the

approval of the Board any substantial modification in the title or content of the

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

certificate, signed by the supervisor, confirming the work’s originality and

conformity with these regulations.

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

composed of at least three members, one of whom shall normally be an external

examiner from another university.

(4) Students shall be required to take a viva voce examination on their

dissertation and on the general field of knowledge within which it falls. The

external examiner need not be present for the viva voce examination, in which case

the Board of Examiners shall be composed of four members.

(5) 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 months from the day on which it is

referred back to them.

Final Result

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

students in the taught study-units and in the dissertation.

(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.