under the auspices of the Faculty of Information and Communication

VER|JONI ELETTRONIKA

L.N. 81 of 2009

EDUCATION ACT

(CAP. 327)

Bye-Laws of 2008 in terms of the General Regulations for

University Postgraduate Awards, 2008

for the Degree of Master of Science – M.Sc. –

under the auspices of the Faculty of Information and Communication

Technology

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 Information and Communication

Technology 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 of Science – M.Sc. – under the auspices of the Faculty of Information and

Communication Technology.

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

“the Board” means the Board of the Faculty of Information and

Communication Technology;

“the Course” means the programme of study leading to the degree of Master of

Science – M.Sc.;

“the Degree” means the degree of Master of Science – M.Sc.; 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.

VER|JONI ELETTRONIKA

B

Areas of Study

The Course shall be offered in any area of study that falls within the

academic responsibility of the Board, after approval by Senate.

Requirements for Admission

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

following qualifications

(a) the degree of Bachelor of Science in Information Technology

(Honours) with at least Second Class Honours; or

(b) the degree of Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) with at least Second

Class Honours in an ICT area of study; or

(c) the degree of Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Information and

Communication Technology with at least Second Class Honours and a minimum of

five years relevant experience obtained following the first cycle degree; or

(d) any other Honours degree with a strong ICT component which the

Board deems comparable to the qualifications in (a), (b) or (c) of this bye-law.

Course Duration

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

equivalent in part-time study.

Programme of Study

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

90 credits shall be assigned.

The programme of study shall comprise taught study-unit/s to which 6

credits are assigned and a dissertation study-unit to which 84 credits are assigned.

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

The assessment of the taught study-unit/s shall be held by the end of

the semester in which the teaching of the study-unit/s is completed.

VER|JONI ELETTRONIKA

B

Dissertation

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

approximately 45,000 words in accordance with the guidelines issued by the Board.

(2) The provisional title of the dissertation and a detailed research

proposal shall be submitted to the Board for approval at the time of application.

(3) Work on the dissertation may be undertaken at any time during

the Course after approval of the proposal. Each student shall be assigned a

supervisor who shall provide guidance and advice on a regular basis during the

period of study.

(1) The Board shall appoint a Panel of Supervision for each student,

normally composed of three members as follows: the Head of Department, or his or

her delegate as Chairman, and two other members, one of whom being the research

supervisor, provided that when the head of department is the supervisor, he or she

shall not chair the Panel.

(2) Panels of Supervision shall follow, as they deem fit, the progress

of students through the Course, provided that they meet at least twice a year to

review such progress.

(3) Students shall be required to report to their supervisor at least

once every two months, and in addition as often as the supervisor deems necessary.

(4) At the end of each semester of studies supervisors shall be

required to submit to the Panels of Supervision reports regarding the students under

their supervision. Students shall seek approval from the Panel of Supervision for any

substantial modification in the title or content of the dissertation. The dissertation

may not normally be submitted for examination without the approval of the

supervisor.

(5) Panels of Supervision shall periodically inform the Board, in

writing, on the general performance of each student. Such advice 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 the 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.

VER|JONI ELETTRONIKA

B

Classification of the Award

The Final Weighted Average Mark for the purpose of the classification

of the Degree shall be based on the results obtained in all the components of the

programme of study, all credits being weighted equally.

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.

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