University Postgraduate Awards (Amendment) Regulations, 2017

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L.N. 13 of 2017

EDUCATION ACT

(CAP. 327)

University Postgraduate Awards (Amendment) Regulations, 2017

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 regulations made by the Senate of the University of Malta by virtue of

the powers conferred upon it by articles 75 (3) and 79 (b) of the said Act

Citation

These regulations may be cited as the University Postgraduate Awards

(Amendment) Regulations, 2017 and shall be read and construed as one with the

General Regulations for University Postgraduate Awards, published as Legal Notice

120 of 2008, hereinafter referred to as “the principal regulations”.

Applicability

These regulations shall be applicable from 1st January, 2017 onwards.

Amendment to regulation 53 of the principal regulations

For paragraph (2) of regulation 53 of the principal regulations there shall

be substituted the following

“(2) (a) For dissertations assigned 60 ECTS credits or more

(i) an oral examination shall be held; a second oral examination

may be held at the discretion of the Board of Examiners in cases of resubmission of

dissertations following major corrections or resubmission of failed dissertations;

(ii) an oral examination shall not be held if the Board of Examiners

agrees that the dissertation is of low quality, in which case a failing mark and grade

shall be published. The Board of Examiners shall hold an oral examination shall then

be held in the re-assessment.

(b) For dissertations assigned less than 60 ECTS credits

(i) an oral examination shall be held if it is indicated in the method

of assessment of the dissertation study-unit. A second oral examination may be held

at the discretion of the Board of Examiners in cases of resubmission of dissertations

following major corrections or resubmission of failed dissertations;

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(ii) if an oral examination is not indicated in the method of assessment

of the dissertation study-unit it may be held in cases of borderline dissertations verging

on a fail, in cases of resubmission of failed dissertations, or in cases where there is

lack of consensus among the Board of Examiners.”

Amendment to regulation 54 of the principal regulations

For regulation 54 of the principal regulations there shall be substituted

the following

“54. (1) For dissertations assigned 60 ECTS credits or more, where an oral

examination shall be held in terms of regulation 53 (2) (a), after reading and marking

the dissertation, the Board of Examiners shall call the student for the oral examination

and shall either

(a) award an overall pass to the dissertation unconditionally or subject to

minor corrections which shall be submitted within a time established by the Board

of Examiners and to the satisfaction of the chairman of the Board of Examiners in

consultation with the supervisor. If the changes are not effected properly, the Board

of Examiners shall award a mark and grade for the original version; or

(b) approve the oral performance and advise major corrections to the

dissertation, which although not of a failing standard nevertheless needs significant

improvement. The resubmitted dissertation, which shall be presented within a

time established by the Board of Examiners, shall be reviewed by the chairman in

consultation with the supervisor to ensure that the changes were effected as directed.

If the chairman and the supervisor are satisfied that the changes have been performed

properly, the Board of Examiners shall agree a final mark that shall not be greater

than 10 percentage points of the preliminary mark for the original submission; or

(c) in the case of a borderline quality dissertation verging on a fail, advise

major corrections to the dissertation in order to qualify for a minimum pass mark

and grade (i.e. 50%/Grade D), which shall be submitted within a time established

by the Board of Examiners, and subject to a positive confirmation by the chairman

in consultation with the supervisor that the changes have been effected properly,

failing which the dissertation shall be declared as failed with the possibility of a re-

assessment if eligible in terms of these regulations; or

(d) in cases of low quality dissertations, declare the student to have failed

with the possibility of a re-assessment if eligible in terms of these regulations.

(2) For dissertations assigned less than 60 ECTS credits, when an oral

examination is indicated in the method of assessment in terms of regulation 53 (2)

(b) (i), after reading and marking the dissertation, the Board of Examiners shall call

the student for the oral examination and shall either

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(a) award an overall pass to the dissertation unconditionally or subject to

minor corrections which shall be submitted within a time established by the Board

of Examiners and to the satisfaction of the chairman of the Board of Examiners in

consultation with the supervisor. If the changes are not effected properly the Board

of Examiners shall award a mark and grade for the original version; or

(b) in the case of borderline dissertations verging on a fail, advise major

corrections to the dissertation which shall be submitted within a time established

by the Board of Examiners and to the satisfaction of the chairman of the Board of

Examiners in consultation with the supervisor, in order to qualify for a minimum

pass mark and grade (ie 50%, grade D). If the changes are not effected properly,

the dissertation shall be declared as failed with the possibility of a re-assessment if

eligible in terms of these regulations; or

(c) in cases of low quality dissertations, declare the student to have failed with

the possibility of a re-assessment if eligible in terms of these regulations.

(3) For dissertations assigned less than 60 ECTS credits, when an oral

examination is not indicated in the method of assessment in terms of regulation 53

(2) (b) (ii), after reading and marking the dissertation, the Board of Examiners shall

either

(a) award a pass to the dissertation unconditionally or subject to minor

corrections which shall be submitted within a time established by the Board of

Examiners and to the satisfaction of the chairman of the Board of Examiners in

consultation with the supervisor. If the changes are not effected properly, the Board

of Examiners shall award a mark and grade for the original version; or

(b) in the case of borderline dissertations verging on a fail, the Board of

Examiners may

either (i) refer the dissertation back to the student for major corrections which

shall be submitted within a time established by the Board of Examiners and to the

satisfaction of the chairman of the Board of Examiners in consultation with the

supervisor, in order to qualify for a minimum pass mark and grade (ie 50%, grade D).

If the changes are not effected properly, the dissertation shall be declared as failed

with the possibility of a re-assessment if eligible in terms of these regulations;

or (ii) call the student for an oral examination before deciding if the dissertation

should be referred back to the student for major corrections or if the dissertation shall

be declared as fail with the possibility of a re-assessment if eligible in terms of these

regulations; or

(c) in cases of low quality dissertations, declare the student to have failed with

the possibility of a re-assessment if eligible in terms of these regulations.

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(4) When a Board of Examiners fails to reach consensus about the final

mark/grade they shall proceed according to regulation 24 of University Assessment

Regulations, 2009.

(5) A Board of Examiners shall not allow a period longer than three

months for major corrections, in cases of borderline dissertations verging on a fail,

and not longer than six months for resubmission of failed dissertations, unless there

are valid reasons which shall be recorded in the report of the Board of Examiners.

(6) Major corrections to borderline dissertations verging on a fail, as

required by the Board of Examiners, may be re-submitted once only.

(7) In case of a Fail, students may submit a dissertation for re-assessment

once only.”

Amendment to regulation 55 of the principal regulations

For paragraph (2) of regulation 55 of the principal regulations there shall

be substituted the following

“(2) For dissertations assigned 30 ECTS credits, the Board of Examiners shall

be composed of at least three members one of whom may be an external examiner from

an overseas institution normally appointed on a non-visiting basis. For dissertations

assigned more than 30 credits, the Board of Examiners shall be composed of at least

three members and shall normally include an external examiner from an overseas

institution. External Examiners shall be appointed as stipulated in regulation 21 of the

University Assessment Regulations, 2009.”

For paragraph (4) of regulation 55 of the principal regulations which shall

be renumbered as paragraph (3) there shall be substituted the following

“(3) For dissertations assigned 60 ECTS credits or more the Board of

Examiners shall require students to defend their dissertation orally before it. For

dissertations assigned less than 60 ECTS credits, the Board of Examiners may require

students to defend their dissertation orally before it. For dissertations of 30 ECTS

credits or more, not less than three members of the Board of Examiners shall conduct

the oral examination.”

Paragraph (3) of regulation 55 of the principal regulations shall be

renumbered as paragraph (4).

For paragraph (5) of regulation 55 of the principal regulations there shall

be substituted the following

“(5) The Board of Examiners shall follow the procedures for the assessment

of dissertations for Masters’ degrees, as approved by Senate.”

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