under the auspices of the Faculty of Engineering

B

L.N. 405 of 2010

EDUCATION ACT

(CAP. 327)

Bye-Laws of 2010 in terms of the General Regulations for

University Postgraduate Awards, 2008

for the degree of Master of Science in

Materials Engineering

under the auspices of the Faculty of Engineering

IN EXERCISE of the powers conferred upon him by articles 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 Engineering in virtue of the powers conferred upon it by article

81 (1) of the said Act and which have been approved by the Senate of the

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

Citation and Interpretation

(1) These bye-laws may be cited as the Bye-Laws of 2010 in terms of the

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

Master of Science in Materials Engineering – offered under the auspices of the

Faculty of Engineering.

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

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

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

of Science in Materials Engineering;

“the Degree” means the degree of Master of Science in Materials

Engineering;

“the Postgraduate Diploma” means the Postgraduate Diploma in Materials

Engineering; and

“the Principal Regulations” means the General Regulations for University

Postgraduate Awards, 2008.

B

Applicability

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

2010 or later.

Requirements for Admission

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

following qualifications

(a) a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) degree comprising 240 credits with

at least Second Class Honours; or

(b) a Bachelor of Industrial Engineering (Honours) degree comprising 240

credits with at least Second Class Honours; or

(c) a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering (Honours) degree of 180 credits

with at least Second Class Honours; or

(d) a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Chemistry with Materials Science

degree of 180 credits with at least Second Class Honours; or

(e) equivalent qualifications approved by Senate on the recommendation of

the Board,

provided that applicants registering under sub-paragraphs (c), (d) and if considered

necessary (e), shall be required to complete a preparatory programme as specified in

bye-law 4.

(2) The Board shall recommend to Senate the number of applicants

that may be allowed to register for the Course, depending on the availability of

resources. The number of available places shall be announced at the time of the call

for applications.

(3) When the number is so limited and the number of eligible

applicants exceeds the number of places available, applicants shall be selected

through an interview by a board composed of at least three members appointed for

the purpose. The board shall select applicants using the following criteria which

shall be weighted as follows

(a) degree type and class - 40%;

(b) performance in materials science and engineering subjects at

undergraduate level - 40%; and

(c) their performance during an interview - 20%.

B

Preparatory Programme

(1) Applicants registering under sub-paragraphs (c), (d), and if required

(e) of paragraph (1) of bye-law 3 shall be required to complete a preparatory

programme comprising 30 credits as directed by the Board, with an overall average

mark of 55% or better, prior to their registration as regular students on the Course.

(2) Preparatory programmes of study shall also be covered by the

Principal Regulations.

Course Duration

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

equivalent in part-time studies.

Programme of Study

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

90 credits are assigned, of which 60 credits are assigned to taught study-units and 30

credits are assigned to a dissertation study-unit.

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

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 by the Board 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 teaching of the study-unit is held.

(2) Students who in the course of the academic year fail in the

assessment of not more than 20 credits for taught study-units 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 at the first practicable

opportunity, as determined by the Board.

(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 credit

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

B

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.

(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 end of the first

semester.

(1) Students shall be required to have regular contact with their

supervisor.

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

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

recommendations 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.

Special Provisions for Part-Time Courses

(1) The Board may, from time to time, offer students the opportunity to

follow the Course on a part-time basis.

(2)

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.

€0.37