Doctor of Philosophy - Ph.D. - Degree Regulations, 2008

B

L.N. 293 of 2008

EDUCATION ACT

(CAP. 327)

Doctor of Philosophy - Ph.D. - Degree Regulations, 2008

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 Doctor of Philosophy - Ph.D. -

Degree Regulations, 2008.

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

used shall be taken to mean as indicated in the Glossary of Terms listed hereunder

Glossary of Terms

Term

Explanation

the board of the University faculty or institute or centre where

Board

the research will be carried out

the University faculty or institute or centre offering the degree

Faculty

Faculty Doctoral the committee entrusted to oversee each student’s research

activities and doctoral studies

Committee

the degree of Master of Philosophy – M.Phil.

M.Phil. Degree

the degree of Doctor of Philosophy – Ph.D.

Ph.D. Degree

the main supervisor assigned to students with responsibilities as

Principal

outlined in regulation 29

Supervisor

the Ph.D. Sub-Committee appointed by Senate

Sub-Committee

Applicability

These regulations shall be applicable as from October 2008 and brought into

force as bye-laws of these regulations.

Ph.D. Sub-Committee

(1) Applications for registration for the Ph.D. Degree shall be accepted by

Senate, on the recommendations of the Board and of the Sub-Committee, under such

conditions as Senate deems fit to impose.

(2) The Sub-Committee shall be appointed by Senate for three years and

shall be composed as follows

The Rector (or his delegate) as Chairman

Three members elected from and by the Senate

The Registrar, who shall also act as Secretary

The Dean of the Faculty or the Director of the Institute or Centre where

the research will be carried out.

Eligibility to offer the Ph.D. Degree

Applicants shall be accepted to register for the Ph.D. Degree after it is

ascertained by Senate that the Faculty where the research will be carried out can

provide suitable facilities for the proposed research as well as supervisors who can

provide regular supervision taking account of their academic record and expertise and

other commitments.

Eligibility for the Award of the Ph.D. Degree

(1) The Ph.D. Degree shall be awarded upon the successful defence of a

thesis containing original and significant contributions to knowledge in one of the

areas of study studied at the University. The thesis, presented after an appropriate

period of supervised research, shall consist of the students’ account of their

investigations and research and shall offer evidence of originality by the discovery of

new facts, the development of new theory and/or by the exercise of independent

critical power and constitutes an addition to knowledge. The thesis or parts thereof

should be of peer-reviewed publishable quality.

(2) Students shall comply with the provisions of these regulations and of

the Faculty Ph.D. Degree bye-laws and shall also satisfy any other requirements

prescribed in any other relevant statutes, regulations and bye-laws of the University,

including applicable ethical, and health and safety procedures.

(3) In accordance with the provisions of Statute 3, where the University,

with the approval of Senate, enters into an agreement with other universities for the

granting of a joint or double degree, then the Ph.D. Degree may be awarded

B

(a) in the case of a joint degree, jointly on one certificate by all the partner

universities and shall be conferred at one of the partner universities as agreed among

them; or

(b) in the case of a double degree, separately by each partner university.

Requirements for Admission to the Ph.D. Degree

(1) The Sub-Committee shall consider applications for the Ph.D. Degree

from applicants who possess a Master degree of this or another University, normally in

the same area of studies applied for. In certain cases, the Sub-Committee may also

consider other qualifications if deemed to be appropriate.

(2) Bye-laws may provide that applicants in possession of a First Class

Honours degree or an Honours degree obtained with an average of 75% in the area of

study related to the Ph.D. proposal may apply. The degree must include a substantial

(not less than 15 ECTS credits) dissertation / research component in the area.

(3) Applicants are required to be in possession of appropriate

qualifications to demonstrate that their standard of English is satisfactory. The offer of

a place to read for the Ph.D. Degree may be made subject to the applicants obtaining

such proficiency qualifications prior to the commencement of their studies.

(4) In addition to the qualifications specified in paragraphs (1), (2) and

(3) of this regulation, applicants shall also possess such qualifications and satisfy such

other conditions as the Board may from time to time establish for the purpose and

which shall be approved by Senate in the form of bye-laws.

Applications for the Ph.D. Degree

(1) Applications may be submitted at any time of the year but students shall

be registered with effect from one of the following dates: 1 October, 1 December, 1

February, 1 April, and 1 June.

(2) Applications for the Ph.D. Degree shall include the following

(a) the provisional title for the thesis;

(b) a detailed research proposal, normally of approximately 1000 words;

(c) a statement on whether the studies will be undertaken on a full-time or a

part-time basis, and, in the latter case, the number of hours that shall be dedicated to

this research work;

(d) a statement by a member of staff of the University who has agreed to act as

Principal Supervisor;

(e) a recommendation from the head of department or the division co-ordinator

that the research topic is acceptable;

(f) where appropriate, a request to present the thesis in a language other than

English; and

(g) where appropriate, a request to undertake the research outside the

University.

In the case of applicants from outside Malta, funding and visa requirements

shall be taken into consideration when the application and research programme are

being considered.

Accepted applicants shall register for the M.Phil. Degree in the first

instance. Senate may allow the transfer of registration from the M.Phil. Degree to the

Ph.D. Degree with the same research proposal if the conditions laid down in regulation

35 have been satisfied.

(1) Applicants shall be interviewed by the Faculty Doctoral Committee

with the participation of the applicants’ designated Principal Supervisor in order to

assess the applicants’ ability and potential to reach doctoral level. Where it is not

practical to hold an interview, appropriate alternative means of judging suitability must

be found to the satisfaction of the Sub-Committee. The result of the interview shall be

made available to the Sub-Committee, together with the Board’s recommendation, for

its consideration.

(2) The Faculty Doctoral Committee shall submit its report for the

consideration of the Board.

The Sub-Committee shall recommend to Senate the acceptance of all

applications which satisfy the requirements outlined in regulations 6 and 7.

Accepted applicants shall be expected to enrol by the date indicated to

them in accordance with paragraph (1) of regulation 7. The offer to applicants who do

not so enrol shall lapse.

Students shall seek the approval of Senate, following a recommendation by

the Board, on the advice of the Faculty Doctoral Committee, for any substantial

modification in the title or content of their thesis.

B

Language of Thesis

(1) Theses shall be written in English, except that theses in areas of study

involving a language may be written in that language.

(2) However, a Board may allow students to write their thesis in any

other language, provided that the Board has ascertained, to the satisfaction of the Sub-

Committee and Senate, that the University has the necessary expertise to supervise and

examine the work. In such cases, students shall be required to include a translation of

the abstract in English.

Collaboration with Research Institutions

(1) Senate may allow students to undertake research in collaboration with

research institutions other than universities if such collaboration would

(a) extend the student’s own experience;

(b) provide a wider range of expertise to assist in the development of the

research work; and

(c) enable the student to become a member of a wider research community.

(2) Such collaboration shall normally involve essential access by the

student to one or more of the following resources of the collaborating research

institution: taught study-units, equipment, facilities, premises, supervision by staff,

data.

Joint Research Projects

The University may allow students on doctoral programmes to participate

in research projects where data generated jointly by a group of researchers is used for

the writing of theses, provided that each student writes a separate thesis.

Ethical Approval of Research Programmes

Any research undertaken by students which involves direct contact with

patients or healthy participants, whether clinical, biomedical or social research, or the

secondary use of existing human materials or specimens, or involving animals must be

subject to ethical review. Such review must be undertaken by the Research Ethics

Committee appointed by Senate for the purpose. These research proposals shall first

be considered by the Board who shall submit the proposal to the Research Ethics

Committee. The Sub-Committee and Senate shall only consider such applications if

the Research Ethics Committee has given its approval.

Place of Study

Applicants may be accepted to register for the Ph.D. Degree and to work

for a large proportion of their time away from the University, provided that

(a) they shall work in a field of major relevance to the University department

in which their research is to be carried out;

(b) the facilities at the place in which they will be carrying out their research

shall be equivalent to or better than those of the department or complementary to those

of the department and are essentially required for the work and the department

concerned shall provide written evidence of this to the Board;

(c) they shall normally spend a total of at least three weeks per semester on the

Malta campus during which period they shall hold meetings with the Principal

Supervisor; and

(d) an adviser is appointed to follow the student regularly at the off-campus

place of study/research.

All students who undertake their research work at the University shall be

encouraged to undertake a period of study at an overseas higher education and/or

research institution in order to gain wider research experience.

Duration of Studies

(1) Studies for the Ph.D. Degree shall extend over three years of full-time

study or six years of part-time study. In the case of students accepted in terms of

paragraph (2) of regulation 6, the period of study shall normally extend for not less

than four years.

(2) On the recommendation of the Board and the Sub-Committee, Senate

may grant students an extension of studies of up to two years in order to enable them

to complete their studies, irrespective of whether they are registered on a full-time or a

part-time basis.

(3) Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (1) of this regulation, in

exceptional circumstances, the Senate, on the recommendation of the Board and the

Sub-Committee, may give permission for the submission of a thesis after the

B

equivalent of two years of full-time study or four years of part-time study have expired

from the date of first registration.

Full-time students may not engage in employment which is likely to

interfere with the progress of their research and must inform the University about the

extent of their employment commitments.

(1) Doctoral students engaged as full-time research assistants by the

University may be allowed to register on a full-time basis, provided that their research

falls within the area of research for their thesis.

(2) Notwithstanding the provisions of regulation 20, the minimum

period of study for doctoral students holding full-time appointments as research

assistants at the University shall be three years.

Early submission shall not affect any laboratory bench fee liability.

Suspension of Studies

On the recommendation of the Board and of the Sub-Committee, the

Senate may allow students, for a good and sufficient reason, to suspend their studies

for a maximum period of 12 months, irrespective of whether they are registered on a

full-time or a part-time basis. In such cases, the period of suspension of studies shall

not be taken into consideration for calculating the period of registration for the Ph.D.

Degree in terms of the duration requirement.

Change of Mode of Study

Senate may allow students to change their mode of study from full-time to

part-time or from part-time to full-time. The period of registration shall be

recalculated on the basis of the proportion of time during which the students were

studying in each mode.

Annual Enrolment

(1) Students are required to enrol with their home Faculty at the beginning

of each academic year throughout their period of study.

(2) Such enrolment shall be allowed only on the submission of a

satisfactory progress report from the students’ Principal Supervisor.

Research, Teaching and Demonstration Work

(1) Full-time doctoral students may be required to support the Faculty’s

teaching activities and/or provide laboratory demonstration service for up to a

maximum of 100 hours a year, provided that these duties do not conflict with their

research work and that students may be exempted from this requirement for a good and

valid reason.

(2) The criteria used in assigning such duties to students shall be

equitable and transparent.

(3) Doctoral students involved in teaching shall be assigned a mentor to

whom they may turn for advice. They shall also be provided with advice and facilities

to ensure that they may teach effectively. Students involved in demonstration work

shall be provided with instruction and guidance, including relevant safety training.

(4) For such work, students shall be remunerated at standard rates as

approved by the University.

Supervision of Theses

(1) When accepting an application for the Ph.D. Degree, the Senate, on the

recommendation of the Board and the Sub-Committee, shall appoint a Principal

Supervisor from among the members of the academic staff of the University in

accordance with the provisions of regulation 4. Such a member of staff shall have

appropriate qualifications, including extensive knowledge and research experience in

the broad subject area of the student and current involvement in research groups.

(2) Senate may also appoint a co-supervisor or adviser to provide the link

if the research is of an interdisciplinary nature or if the research is being undertaken in

collaboration with another organisation.

Roles of Principal Supervisors, Co-Supervisors and Advisers

(1) A Principal Supervisor shall be responsible for providing guidance to

students under his/her care in the following areas

(a) offering ideas and providing guidance and encouragement on the planning

and progress of research, submission of the thesis and publication of the results;

(b) providing or arranging for instruction in research methodology, including

use of information technology; and

B

(c) guiding students in acquiring and improving appropriate generic skills,

including written and oral communication, numeracy, decision-taking, and

organisational and management skills.

(2) A Principal Supervisor shall meet students regularly to review their

progress. These meetings shall occur at least six times a year for full-time students.

Meetings may be substituted by other means of communication.

(3) The total number of doctoral students accepted for supervision at any

time by any single full-time academic shall be limited to three, provided that if the

academic can demonstrate to the Sub-Committee that

(a) he/she disposes of a research management structure which facilitates

communication and interaction between supervisor and individual researchers; or

(b) he/she has less teaching commitments than normal,

then the Sub-Committee may authorise the supervision of a larger number of doctoral

students.

A co-supervisor may be appointed when the nature of the research work

makes it necessary or expedient to do so; the role of co-supervisor is to act on a regular

basis as consultant to the research project.

One or more advisers may be appointed when it is anticipated that

particular aspects of the research work will necessitate occasional significant

consultation with one or more experts.

When co-supervisors and/or advisers are appointed, the Principal

Supervisor shall retain the ultimate responsibility of leadership in supervision.

Faculty Doctoral Committee

(1) The Senate, acting on the advice of the Board, shall also appoint a

Faculty Doctoral Committee composed of between three and five members, chaired by

the Dean or his/her delegate, the other members being normally heads of department.

(2) The Faculty Doctoral Committee shall follow, as it deems fit, the

progress of students in their research work, provided that it shall meet at least once a

year to review the progress of each student.

B

(3) Principal Supervisors shall be required to submit regular written

progress reports on their students to the Faculty Doctoral Committee. Students shall

have a right to view the reports and to make their own comments.

(4) If a Principal Supervisor leaves the University or is otherwise unable

to supervise, the Faculty Doctoral Committee shall arrange for appropriate alternative

advice and take steps to ensure that the student’s research is not hindered or impeded.

If the absence is of a permanent nature, the Faculty Doctoral Committee shall propose

a new Principal Supervisor to the Sub-Committee and Senate, through the Board.

(5) Students are also invited to submit annual reports to the Faculty

Doctoral Committee on the progress of their studies, which shall include any problems

that they may be encountering.

(6) Students who wish to change their Principal Supervisor should

discuss this matter with the Chairman of the Faculty Doctoral Committee who shall

recommend to the Board to make adequate provisions to rectify the situation if

reasonable grounds are shown to exist and, where applicable, funding arrangements

permit.

The Faculty Doctoral Committee shall periodically inform the Board, in

writing, on the general performance of students. Such advice may include a

recommendation either to

(a) grant an extension of the study period in order to enable the student to

complete the thesis, provided that the period of extension of studies shall be according

to regulation 20; or

(b) terminate the studies prematurely if this is deemed to be proper in the

circumstances, provided that the student can appeal his/her case before Senate within

15 days from the notice of termination of studies.

Transfer of Registration from M.Phil. Degree to Ph.D. Degree

(1) Senate may allow a transfer of registration from the M.Phil. Degree to

the Ph.D. Degree with the same research proposal if the following conditions have

been satisfied

(a) after 12 months of full-time study or 24 months of part-time study have

elapsed, an ad hoc board appointed by the Board for the purpose, composed of a

chairman, the Principal Supervisor and another member, shall assess the student’s

work;

(b) the ad hoc board shall either (i) declare the work presented to have the

potential to reach the standard appropriate to that required of a doctoral degree and

recommends transfer; or (ii) determine that the student’s work has not reached a

sufficient standard to warrant recommendation of the transfer; or (iii) advise that the

student be given up to 12 months in order to complete his/her studies for the award of

an M.Phil. Degree; and in all cases shall inform the Sub-Committee, through the

Board; and

(c) a satisfactory progress report from the student’s Faculty Doctoral

Committee has been received.

(2) If the transfer is allowed by Senate, the work already done for the

M.Phil. Degree shall count towards the requirements for the Ph.D. Degree.

Submission of Theses for Ph.D. Degree

Not less than three months before the intended date of submission, students

shall signify their intention to the Faculty Doctoral Committee to present their thesis

stating its exact title. The Faculty Doctoral Committee, after ascertaining that the

period of study conforms to that stipulated in these regulations, and that the Principal

Supervisor has given his opinion to the student regarding the submission of his/her

thesis for examination, shall advise the Board to recommend to Senate the appointment

of a Board of Examiners.

(1) When presenting a thesis for examination, students shall submit

(a) a signed declaration that the thesis is their own personal work, and that the

greater portion of the work has been done after their registration for the Ph.D. Degree;

(b) where appropriate, a statement declaring that a part of the thesis has

already been submitted for another degree or qualification or that the thesis has been

published; and

(c) a written statement by their Principal Supervisor that the thesis is adequate

for submission if such a statement has been made, provided that a student may opt to

submit his/her thesis notwithstanding any negative advice from the Principal

Supervisor.

(2) Students shall not discuss their work with the examiners during the

period between their appointment as examiners and the oral examination.

The thesis shall be written in the prescribed format and shall not exceed

100,000 words excluding bibliography, appendices and abstract. The work presented

shall conform to the established scholarly standards of the appropriate discipline.

Boards of Examiners

(1) Theses shall be examined by a Board of Examiners appointed for the

purpose by Senate, on the recommendation of the Board, and shall include a

Chairman, an external examiner, and at least another member, provided that the oral

examination of the thesis shall be conducted by at least three examiners including the

external examiner.

(2) The members of the Board of Examiners shall be academics

experienced in research in the general area of the student’s thesis and where

practicable, shall have experience as specialists in the topic to be examined, provided

that two of the examiners, including the external examiner, shall be academics who

command authority within the area of research concerned. Where the student is an

assistant lecturer at the University, a second external examiner (normally non-visiting)

must be appointed.

(3) Principal Supervisors, co-supervisors and advisers shall be precluded

from being examiners but the Principal Supervisor shall be invited to attend as an

observer during the oral examination. He/she may contribute if invited to do so by the

members of the Board of Examiners but must withdraw prior to the final deliberations

of the Board of Examiners.

Examination of Ph.D. Theses

If a statement has been made as per paragraph (1)(b) of regulation 37, the

Board of Examiners set up under paragraph (1) of regulation 39 shall recommend to

Senate whether the thesis should be accepted for examination or not.

(1) The examination of doctoral theses shall take place in two stages

(a) submission by the student and preliminary assessment by the Board of

Examiners; and

(b) oral defence of the thesis.

(2) In assessing a thesis, the Board of Examiners shall require

(a) evidence that it represents a significant contribution to knowledge in a

particular field of study;

(b) evidence of originality;

(c) evidence of the ability of the student to relate the subject matter of the

thesis to the existing body of knowledge;

(d) evidence of the ability of the student to apply research methods appropriate

to the subject; and

(e) a satisfactory level of literary presentation.

(3) Each examiner shall submit an independent preliminary report to the

Chairman of the Board of Examiners. In the report, each examiner shall consider

whether the thesis provisionally satisfies the requirements for the award of the Ph.D.

Degree and where possible, make an appropriate provisional recommendation subject

to the outcome of the oral examination.

(4) The Board of Examiners shall admit the student to an oral examination

after either approving the Ph.D. thesis unconditionally or subject to the correction of

minor errors to the satisfaction of the Principal Supervisor.

(5) If the Board of Examiners is not satisfied with the quality of the thesis,

it shall not admit the student to the oral examination and shall either

(a) refer the thesis back to the student for major revision and resubmission

within six months in revised form to the satisfaction of the Board of Examiners; or

(b) not permit the student to resubmit in a revised form but admit the student

to an oral examination for the award of the M.Phil. Degree instead; or

(c) refer the thesis back to the student for major revision and resubmission

within six months in a revised form to the satisfaction of the Board of Examiners for

the award of the M.Phil. Degree instead; or

(d) not grant permission to resubmit and state that no degree be awarded,

provided that permission as in sub-paragraphs (b) or (c) of this paragraph is granted

once only.

(1) Students shall be required to defend their thesis orally before the

Board of Examiners. The oral examination shall cover the subject of the thesis and

matters relevant thereto.

(2) The oral examination shall take place at the University of Malta for

all students.

(3) The Board of Examiners shall submit a final report (together with

the examiners’ individual reports) to Senate, which shall include a reasoned statement

regarding their judgement of the student’s performance.

Students shall be informed of the date of the oral examination at least three

weeks before the scheduled date.

(1) Following the oral examination, the Board of Examiners shall either

(a) submit to the Sub-Committee and Senate a joint final report including their

recommendation relating to the award of the Ph.D. Degree; or

(b) refer the thesis back to the student for major revision and re-submission

within six months in revised form to the satisfaction of the Board of Examiners, and to

admit the student to a second oral examination, if the Board of Examiners so decides.

(2) The joint final report shall provide sufficiently detailed comments on

the scope and quality of the work as apparent from the written thesis and the oral

defence. In addition to general remarks about the strengths and any weaknesses of the

thesis, the report should include, as an annex, an itemised list of remarks about any

specific improvements or minor mistakes requiring correction. This list shall be

relayed to student for guidance in improving the document. It shall be the

responsibility of the Chairman to ensure that any required corrections and amendments

to the thesis have been properly executed.

(3) In the joint final report, with the examiners’ preliminary reports

attached as annexes, the Board of Examiners may recommend to Senate that

(a) the Ph.D. Degree be awarded if the thesis satisfies the criteria set out in

paragraphs (1) and (2) of regulation 5; or

(b) the Ph.D. Degree be awarded subject to minor amendments being carried

out to the satisfaction of the Chairman of the Board of Examiners within three months

of the official notification to the student by the Board of Examiners; or

(c) the Ph.D. degree be not awarded and that the student be either awarded the

M.Phil. Degree or be declared to have definitively failed.

(4) Where examiners are not in agreement, they shall follow the relevant

procedures as described in the University assessment regulations. In any event, the

separate reports of each examiner shall be submitted to the Sub-Committee and Senate.

(5) When the disagreement cannot be resolved, and the decision is taken

by a majority vote, the Chairman shall so record in the joint final report, provided that

any disagreeing member may submit a minority report giving reasons for the

disagreement. In such circumstances, Senate shall either agree to accept the majority

report or take any other measures it seems appropriate.

Publication

Students shall acknowledge the contribution of their supervisor/s and

adviser/s, and of any other members of staff or students in any published material or

presentation in accordance with internationally recognised guidelines on authorship.

Supervisors shall acknowledge the contribution of the student in any

published material or presentation which involves the work performed by the student.

Copyright and Intellectual Property

Copyright of the thesis remains with the student. All other intellectual

property rights embodied in theses are owned by the University. The physical copies

of the theses submitted for examination become the property of the University

Students must abide by the University’s Policy on Intellectual Property

insofar as it pertains to the allocation of income from intellectual property rights.

Confidentiality Agreements

(1) Confidentiality agreements with sponsoring or funding bodies should

be identified by students and agreed by the Principal Supervisor and notified to the

Board through the Faculty Doctoral Committee.

(2) Where a student or the University wishes the thesis to remain

confidential after completion of the programme of research, application for approval

must be made to the Sub-Committee at the time the application is being approved.

The period approved shall not normally exceed two years from the publication of the

result. However, in cases where publication of the thesis would prove detrimental to

the student or the University or the sponsor or the funding body, a further period may

be approved.

Final Version of Thesis

(1) Following successful defence of the thesis and prior to the conferment

of the Ph.D. Degree, students are required to present at least three hard bound copies of

their thesis and one copy in digital form as an electronic file.

(2) Doctoral theses shall each be assigned by the Registrar a thesis

identifier, consisting of a set of digits and letters, in order to act as unique identifiers

for the works.

M.Phil. Degree

These regulations shall apply mutatis mutandis in the case of students

being considered for the M.Phil. Degree.

Bye-Laws

The Senate may, on the recommendation of each Board, approve bye-laws

governing the Ph.D. Degree to regulate matters not covered by these regulations.

Repeal

The Doctor of Philosophy - Ph.D. - and Master of Philosophy - M.Phil. -

Degrees Course Regulations, 1998, published as Legal Notice 31 of 1998, shall be

deemed to cease to be in force as from the 30 September 2008,

provided that students registered for the Doctor of Philosophy and Master of

Philosophy degrees before the 1 October 2008 shall continue to be governed by the

regulations that were in force at the time of their registering for the Degree.

Mitbug] fl-Istamperija tal-Gvern - Printed at the Government Printing Press

€1.49