under the auspices of the Faculty of Education

L.N. 216 of 2006

EDUCATION ACT

(CAP. 327)

Master in Counselling Degree Course Regulations, 2008 –

under the auspices of the Faculty of Education

In exercise of the powers conferred upon him by sections 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 sections 75 and 79 of the

said Act

Citation and Interpretation

(1) These regulations may be cited as the Master in Counselling Degree

Course Regulations, 2008.

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

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

“the Board of Studies” means the Board of Studies, appointed by Senate on the

recommendation of the Faculty;

“the Course” means the course of studies leading to the Degree of Master in

Counselling;

“the Degree” means the degree of Master in Counselling;

“the Diploma” means the Postgraduate Diploma in Counselling; and

“the Faculty” means the Faculty of Education.

Applicability

These regulations shall be applicable to courses starting in February 2008 or

Qualifications for Admission

(1) Applicants may be registered as students in the Course if they

(a) are in possession of a good first degree in the Psychology, Social Work

and/or Education area or a related area subject to the approval of the Board, together

with a minimum of three years experience working directly in a formal psycho-social

or educational setting; and

(b) satisfy the Board, through an interview, that they have the necessary

experience and aptitude to follow the Course.

(2) Senate, on the recommendation of the Board, shall determine the

number of applicants that may be allowed to register. The Board shall announce the

number of available places at the time of the call for applications.

(3) If the number of applicants who have passed the interview exceeds the

number of available places, applicants will be accepted according to rank.

Course Duration

The Course leading to the Master’s Degree shall extend over a period of

four semesters of full-time study or its equivalent in part-time study.

Programme of Study

The Course shall consist of taught and practical study-units to which 90

ECTS credits are assigned and a dissertation to which 30 ECTS credits are assigned.

The programme of study shall be published by the Board not later than six months

prior to the commencement of the Course.

Catalogue of Study-Units

The Board of Studies shall draw up a catalogue of study-units. The

catalogue shall indicate the code, title, description, learning outcomes and type of each

study-unit, the credits assigned to each study-unit, and the methods of teaching and

assessment. The catalogue shall include also guidelines on the production of the

dissertation and its oral defence. The Board shall publish the catalogue prior to the

commencement of the Course, following the approval of Senate.

Assessment

(1) 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

50% - 54%

D

45% - 49%

E

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 awards.

(2) Students who fail in the assessment of a study-unit shall be allowed a

re-assessment once only. If unsuccessful, students shall be required to withdraw from

the Course. If successful, the maximum mark and grade that may be awarded shall be

45% - grade E.

Postgraduate Diploma in Counselling

Students who obtain a total of 60 ECTS credits shall be entitled to the

award of Postgraduate Diploma in Counselling if they either opt not to proceed with

the Course, or having proceeded, do not successfully complete the Degree Course.

Dissertation

(1) Students shall be required to present a dissertation for the Degree,

normally of not more than 25,000 words, to which 30 ECTS credits shall be assigned.

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.

(2) The research proposal for the dissertation shall be submitted to the

Board of Studies for approval by not later than two months prior to the end of the

second semester or as directed by the Board of Studies. Any substantial modification

in the title or content of the dissertation that is required by the progress of the student’s

study and research must be referred to the Board of Studies for approval.

(3) 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, however, not be precluded from incorporating such

previous work as may be necessary to the presentation and a 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 supervisor for each student. The supervisors

shall require students to report to them at least once every three months, or more often

as they deem necessary. Supervisors may refer to the Board of Studies students whose

work they consider unsatisfactory. No dissertation may be submitted to the examiners

without a certificate, signed by the supervisor, of its conformity with these regulations.

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

Award of Diploma and Degree

(1) Students shall satisfy the requirements for the award of the Degree if

they obtain 120 ECTS credits as specified in regulation 5.

(2) The final classification shall take into account all the results obtained

in the assessments of all study-units forming part of the Course, which shall be

weighted according to the number of credits assigned to each study-unit.

(3) The Award Classification Board shall consult the following

guidelines when deciding upon the final classification of the Diploma and the Degree

Final Weighted Average Mark

Classification

80 - 100%

Pass with Distinction

70 - 79%

Pass with Merit

50 - 69%

Pass

(4) Students whose Final Average Weighted Mark is between 0 and 49%

shall be considered to have failed to qualify for the Diploma or Degree.

(5) The Award Classification Board, at its own discretion, may award the

Diploma or Degree with a higher classification than that indicated in paragraph (3) of

this regulation to students whose Final Weighted Average Mark is up to three marks

less than the minimum for the category. In such cases, the Award Classification Board

is required to minute the decision and the justification for it.

(6) The Award Classification Board, at its own discretion, may also award

the Diploma or Degree with a lower category than that indicated in paragraph (3) 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.

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