under the auspices of the Institute of Digital Games

B

L.N. 329 of 2014

EDUCATION ACT

(CAP. 327)

Bye-Laws of 2014 in terms of the

General Regulations for University Postgraduate Awards, 2008

for the Degree of Master of Science in Digital Games – M.Sc. –

under the auspices of the Institute of Digital Games

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 Institute of Digital Games in virtue

of the powers conferred upon it by article 7 (b) (v) of the Statute for the Institute,

which have been approved by the Senate of the University of Malta

Citation and Interpretation

(1) These bye-laws may be cited as the Bye-Laws of 2014 in terms of

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

of Master of Science in Digital Games – M.Sc. – offered under the auspices of the

Institute of Digital Games.

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

“the Board” means the Board of the Institute of Digital Games;

“the Board of Studies” means the Board of Studies appointed by Senate for

the Course, on the recommendation of the Board;

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

of Science in Digital Games – M.Sc.;

“the Degree” means the degree of Master of Science in Digital Games –

M.Sc.;

“the Postgraduate Certificate” means the Postgraduate Certificate in Digital

Games – P.G. Cert.;

“the Postgraduate Diploma” means the Postgraduate Diploma in Digital

Games – P.G. Dip.; 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

2014 or later.

Requirements for Admission

(1) The Course shall be open to applicants in possession of a Bachelor

degree from this University or from a university recognised by Senate for the

purpose, in the areas of Information Technology, Engineering, Communications, the

Humanities, the Social Sciences, or in any other area which the Board deems as

appropriate.

(2) All applicants shall also submit a portfolio of recent works as well

as a letter of motivation in order to demonstrate their experience and/or substantial

talent and motivation.

(3) Applicants for the mainly by research courses shall submit a

research proposal aligned with their previous degree(s). Their admission may be

made conditional on the results of an interview conducted by a board composed of at

least three members appointed for the purpose by the Board.

(4) 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 Board shall announce the number of available places at the time of the call for

applications.

(5) When the number of places for the mainly taught Course is so

limited and the number of eligible applicants exceeds the number of places available,

applicants shall be selected using the following criteria and weightings

(a) degree type and classification and previous academic performance

(60%);

(b) experience/talent in the area of the proposed study as demonstrated in a

combined CV and portfolio document (20%); and

(c) study motivations as outlined in a letter of motivation (20%).

(6) For the purpose of selection, eligible applicants who apply by the

end of April preceding the commencement of the Course and who achieve 60% or

more on the criteria listed under paragraph (5) of this bye-law shall be admitted to the

Course up to a percentage of the number of available places as determined by the Board

of Studies. Eligible applicants who apply by April preceding the commencement of

the Course and who achieve less than 60% on the criteria listed under paragraph (5)

of this bye-law, and if there are any remaining places, eligible applicants who apply

after April and by the deadline of July preceding the commencement of the Course,

shall be considered to take up the remaining places.

B

(7) For the purpose of selection for the mainly by research programme,

the research proposal is assessed by the Board of Studies in terms of clarity, feasibility

and relevance. Recommendations for admission are determined by the Board of

Studies, depending on the availability of appropriate supervisors.

Course Duration

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

equivalent in part-time study.

Programme of Study

The programme of study may be either mainly taught or mainly by

research and shall comprise study-units to which a total of 120 ECTS credits shall be

assigned.

(1) Mainly taught programmes of study shall comprise taught study-

units to which a total of 60 ECTS credits are assigned and a dissertation study-unit to

which 60 ECTS credits are assigned.

(2) Students who obtain the 60 ECTS 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.

(3) Students who obtain 30 ECTS credits assigned to taught study-units

with an average mark of at least 50% and do not proceed with the Course, or having

proceeded do not obtain all the credits for the taught units, shall be eligible for the

award of the Postgraduate Certificate.

(1) Mainly by research programmes of study shall comprise taught

study-units to which 30 ECTS credits are assigned and a dissertation study-unit to

which 90 ECTS credits are assigned.

(2) Students who obtain the 30 ECTS 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 Certificate.

Programmes 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.

B

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 following the mainly taught programme of study who in

any academic year fail in the assessment of not more than 20 ECTS credits for taught

study-units, if following the full-time Course, or not more than 10 ECTS credits for

taught study-units, if following the part-time Course, shall be given the opportunity

to re-sit the failed assessments during the September supplementary examination

session.

(3) Students following the mainly by research programme of study

who in any academic year fail in the assessment of not more than 10 ECTS credits

for taught study-units shall be given the opportunity to re-sit the failed assessments

during the September supplementary examination session.

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

under paragraphs (2) or (3) 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.

(5) Students following the mainly taught programme shall be allowed

to proceed to the dissertation study-unit subject to obtaining the 60 ECTS credits

assigned to the taught study-units with a minimum average mark of 65%.

Dissertations

(1) In mainly taught programmes of study, students shall be required to

submit an individual dissertation of approximately 50,000 words in accordance with

the guidelines issued by the Board.

(2) A provisional title for the dissertation and a detailed research

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

semester.

(3) Work on the dissertation shall be undertaken during the third and

fourth semesters of the Course. Each student shall be assigned a principal supervisor

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

(4) Students who commenced the course prior to October 2014 and are

registered students during academic year 2014/15, may request the Board to present

a dissertation of 60 ECTS credits instead of one of 30 ECTS credits. All criteria

regarding 60 ECTS credit dissertations shall be applicable.

(1) In mainly by research programmes of study, students shall be

required to submit an individual dissertation of approximately 70,000 words in

accordance with the guidelines issued by the Board.

(2) A provisional title for the dissertation and a detailed research proposal

shall be submitted to the Board for approval at the time of the call of applications.

B

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

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

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

of study.

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

supervisor.

(2) The Board shall also appoint a Panel of Supervision for each

student, normally composed of three members as follows: the Director of the Institute

as chairman, and two other members, one of whom being the principal supervisor,

provided that when the Director of the Institute is the principal supervisor, he shall

not be appointed chairman.

(3) The Panel of Supervision shall follow, as it deems fit, the progress

of students through the Course, provided that it meets at least once every semester to

review such progress.

(4) Students shall be required to report to their principal supervisor

at least once every two months, and in addition as often as the principal supervisor

deems necessary.

(5) Principal supervisors shall submit to the Panel of Supervision

progress reports for each student under their supervision at the end of each semester

of studies, whether the students are following the Course on a full-time or a part-

time basis. Such reports may include recommendations to either (a) modify the title

and/or content of the dissertation; (b) extend the period of study in order to enable

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

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

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

with the provisions of the Principal Regulations; and

(ii) the Board may not terminate studies prematurely according to (c) until it

has first given the student a chance to be heard.

Following approval by the Board of Examiners, students shall present

three bound copies of the dissertation to the Institute, one of which shall be retained

in the University Library, and one copy in digital form as an electronic file.

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 Bye-Laws of 2013 in terms of the General Regulations for University

Postgraduate Awards, 2008 for the degree of Master of Science in Digital Games –

M.Sc. – published as Legal Notice 222 of 2013 and the Bye-Laws of 2013 in terms

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

of Master of Science in Digital Games – M.Sc. - offered under the auspices of the

Institute of Digital Games, published as Legal Notice 311 of 2013 shall be deemed

to cease to be in force as from 1 October 2014, provided that students registered for

these courses before the 1 October 2014 shall continue to be governed by the bye-

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

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