under the auspices of the Faculty of Arts

B

L.N. 317 of 2008

EDUCATION ACT

(CAP. 327)

Bye-Laws of 2008 in terms of the

General Regulations for University Postgraduate Awards, 2008

for the Degree of Master in Contemporary Diplomacy

under the auspices of the Faculty of Arts

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 bye-laws made by the Board of the

Faculty of Arts in virtue of the powers conferred upon it by section 81 (1)

of the said Act and which have been approved by the Senate of the

University of Malta as required by section 81 (2) of the said Act

Citation and Interpretation

(1) These bye-laws may be cited as the Bye-Laws of 2008 in terms of the

General Regulations for University Postgraduate Awards, 2008 for the degree of

Master in Contemporary Diplomacy under the auspices of the Faculty of Arts.

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

"the Board" means the Board of the Faculty of Arts;

"the Course" means the programme of study leading to the degree of Master in

Contemporary Diplomacy;

"the Degree" means the degree of Master in Contemporary Diplomacy;

“the Postgraduate Diploma”

means

the

Postgraduate

Diploma

Contemporary Diplomacy; and

"the Principal Regulations" means the General Regulations for University

Postgraduate Awards, 2008.

Applicability

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

2008 or later.

B

Requirements for Admission

The Course shall be open to applicants in possession of

(a) a Bachelor degree obtained with at least Second Class Honours or with at

least Category II in an area of study deemed relevant by the Board; or

(b) appropriate professional qualifications, together with sufficient related

professional experience, that are acceptable to the Senate and deemed comparable to

the qualifications in paragraph (a) of this bye-law by the Board.

Course Duration

The Course shall extend over three semesters of full-time study or the

equivalent in part-time study.

Programme of Study

(1) The programme of study shall comprise study-units to which a total

of 90 credits shall be assigned.

(2)

The Course shall be conducted in three phases as follows

(a) Phase One: An Introductory Workshop, which shall be organized at

the University of Malta or at a venue assigned by the University of Malta, to which

15 credits shall be assigned. The workshop shall focus on intensive research and

study skills for diplomacy and international relations;

(b) Phase Two: Online Learning, which shall be conducted via the

Internet, to which 45 credits shall be assigned; and

(c) Phase Three: Research work and the writing of a dissertation, to

which 30 credits shall be assigned.

Students who obtain the 60 credits assigned to the taught study-units

covered during Phase One and Phase Two with an average mark of at least 50% and

do not proceed with the Course, or having proceeded do not successfully complete

the dissertation, shall be eligible for the award of the Postgraduate Diploma.

The programme of study shall be published after approval by Senate,

normally not less than eight months prior to the commencement of the Course.

Assessment and Progress

(1) The assessment of each taught study-unit shall be completed by the

end of the semester in which the unit is held.

B

(2) Students who in any academic year fail in the assessment of not more

than 20 credits, if following the Course full-time, or not more than 10 credits if

following the Course part-time, shall be given the opportunity to re-sit the failed

assessments the next time the study-unit is available.

(3) Students who fail in more than the number of credits permitted under

paragraph (2) of this bye-law, or students who after re-assessment fail to obtain the

credits for any study-unit, shall be deemed to have failed the Course.

Dissertation

(1) Students shall be required to submit an individual dissertation of

approximately 25,000 words, in accordance with the guidelines issued by the Board.

The Board may prescribe a different length if the nature of the research so requires.

(2) Work on the dissertation shall be undertaken during the third

semester of the Course. Each student shall be assigned a supervisor who shall

provide guidance and advice on a regular basis during the period of study.

(3) A provisional title of the dissertation and a detailed research proposal

shall be submitted to the Board for approval by the beginning of the second

semester.

(1)

Students shall be required to have regular contact with their

supervisor.

(2) Supervisors shall submit to the Board progress reports for each

student under their supervision at the end of each semester of studies, whether the

student is following the Course on a full-time or a part-time basis. Such reports may

include a recommendation to either (a) extend the period of study in order to enable

the student to complete the dissertation; or (b) terminate studies prematurely if the

supervisor deems this to be proper in the circumstances, provided that

(i) the extension of the study period referred to in (a) shall be in

accordance with the provisions of Principal Regulations; and

(ii) the Board may not terminate studies prematurely according to (b)

until it has first given the student a chance to be heard.

Classification of the Awards

The Final Weighted Average Mark for the purpose of the classification of

the Postgraduate Diploma and of the Degree shall be based on the results obtained in

all the components of the programme of study, all credits being weighted equally.

B

Special Provisions for Part-Time Courses

The provisions of the foregoing bye-laws shall apply mutatis mutandis to

courses followed on a part-time basis, and subject to such changes as may

reasonably be deemed by the Board as necessary due to the part-time nature of the

Course.

Repeal

The Regulations of 2006 for the Degree of Master of Arts in

Contemporary Diplomacy, published as Legal Notice 87 of 2006, shall be deemed to

cease to be in force as from 1 st October 2008, provided that students registered for

this course before 1 st October 2008 shall continue to be governed by the regulations

that were in force at the time of their joining the course.

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