under the auspices of the Faculty of Economics, Management and Accountancy

L.N. 290 of 2019

EDUCATION ACT

(CAP. 327)

Bye-Laws of 2019 in terms of the

General Regulations for University Undergraduate Awards, 2019

for the Degrees of Bachelor of Commerce - B.Com. -

and Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) - B.Com. (Hons) -

under the auspices of the Faculty of Economics, Management and Accountancy

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 Economics, Management

and Accountancy in virtue of the powers conferred upon it by article 81 (1) (c) 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 2019 in terms

of the General Regulations for University Undergraduate Awards, 2019 for the

degrees of Bachelor of Commerce - B.Com. - and Bachelor of Commerce (Honours)

- B.Com. (Hons) - under the auspices of the Faculty of Economics, Management and

Accountancy.

(2)

In these bye-laws, unless the context otherwise requires -

“the Board” means the Board of the Faculty of Economics, Management and

Accountancy;

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

Bachelor of Commerce - B.Com. - or the degree of Bachelor of Commerce

(Honours) - B.Com. (Hons) - as appropriate;

“the Degree” means the degree of Bachelor of Commerce - B.Com.;

“the Higher Diploma” means the Higher Diploma in Commerce - H.Dip.;

“the Honours Degree” means the degree of Bachelor of Commerce

(Honours) - B.Com. (Hons); and

“the Principal Regulations” means the General Regulations for University

Undergraduate Awards, 2019.

Applicability

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

2019 or later.

Areas of Study

(1) The Degree is awarded in Commerce as a single Main Area of

Study with two of the following areas of specialization

Accountancy, Banking and Finance, Economics, Insurance, Management,

Marketing, Public Policy, and any other area approved by Senate on the

recommendation of the Board.

(2) The Honours Degree is awarded in Commerce as a Main Honours

Area of Study with one of the following areas of specialization

Banking and Finance, Economics, and any other area approved by Senate on

the recommendation of the Board.

(3) The areas of study offered in any particular year and the

permissible combinations of areas of study shall be published by the Board before

the commencement of each Course, provided that in any year, combinations of areas

of study shall be offered depending on the availability of resources and the number of

applicants who choose them.

Special Course Requirements for Admission

(1) To be registered as regular students in the Course, applicants

shall satisfy the general requirements for admission as specified in the Admissions

Regulations, and be in possession of a pass at Intermediate Matriculation Level in

Pure Mathematics,

provided that applicants wishing to choose Accountancy as an area of

specialization in Year 2 of the Course must also be in possession of a pass at Advanced

Matriculation Level in Accounting at the time of applying for the Course.

(2) Applicants wishing to choose ‘Banking and Finance’ as one of

the two areas of specialization in Year 2 of the Course may also be admitted into

the Course if they are in possession of either (i) the Certificate in Banking of the

Chartered Institute of Bankers (comprising six subjects) and a pass at Intermediate

Matriculation Level in Pure Mathematics; or (ii) the Advanced Diploma in Financial

Services offered by MCAST together with a pass at Intermediate Matriculation

Level in Pure Mathematics; or (iii) any other qualifications deemed relevant by the

Board together with a pass at Intermediate Matriculation Level in Pure Mathematics,

provided that the qualifications comprise not less than 120 ECTS credits and are

offered at MQF level 4 or higher.

(3) Applicants wishing to choose ‘Insurance’ as an area of

specialization in Year 2 of the Course may also be admitted into the Course if they

are in possession of (i) the Certificate in Insurance of the Chartered Institute of

Insurance and a pass at Intermediate Matriculation Level in Pure Mathematics; or (ii)

the Advanced Diploma in Insurance offered by MCAST and a pass at Intermediate

Matriculation Level in Pure Mathematics; or (iii) the International Certificate in

Enterprise Risk Management of the Institute of Risk Management and a pass at

Intermediate Matriculation Level in Pure Mathematics; or (iv) the Certificate in Risk

Management in Financial Services of the Institute of Risk Management and a pass at

Intermediate Matriculation Level in Pure Mathematics,

provided that applicants wishing to choose ‘Banking and Finance’ as the other main

area of specialization in Year 2, may also be admitted if they satisfy the requirements

in paragraph (2) of this bye-law.

(4) Applicants in possession of the Diploma in Commerce awarded

by the University of Malta may be allowed by the Board to transfer these credits to the

Year 2 of the Course, provided that such applicants shall only be allowed to choose

‘Economics’ and ‘Management’ as the two areas of specialization. The number of

credits so transferred shall not exceed 60 ECTS credits.

Course Duration

(1) The Course for the Degree shall extend over a period of three

years of full-time study or five years of part-time study.

(2) The Course for the Honours Degree shall extend over one year of

full-time study or two years of part-time study, beyond the Degree Course.

Programme of Study

The Degree course shall consist of study-units to which 180 ECTS credits

are assigned divided as follows

First Year: 60 ECTS credits which shall be common for all students;

Second Year: 60 ECTS credits of which at least 28 ECTS credits arassigned

to each of the two areas of specialization chosen; and

Third Year: 60 ECTS credits of which 30 ECTS credits are assigned to each

of the two areas of specialization chosen.

Prior to registering in the second year of the Degree course, students

shall be required to choose two areas of specialization from the areas indicated in

paragraph (1) of bye-law 3.

(1) Students who successfully complete study-units to which 90

ECTS credits are assigned, and who either opt not to proceed with the Course, or

having proceeded do not successfully complete the Course shall be entitled to the

award of the Higher Diploma.

(2) Students admitted in terms of paragraph (4) of bye-law 4, who

complete at least 30 ECTS credits in addition to the 60 ECTS credits transferred from

the Diploma in Commerce, and do not continue with the Course, or having proceeded

do not successfully complete the Course, shall be eligible for the award of the Higher

Diploma.

Students who obtain the 180 ECTS credits in the programme for the

Degree, and do not proceed to the Honours Degree, or having proceeded do not

successfully complete the Honours Degree, shall be eligible for the award of the

Degree.

Students shall be eligible to register for the Honours Degree if they have

successfully completed the Course for the Degree and have been placed in Category

II or better, and have obtained a minimum average mark of 65% in the second and

third year study-units in the area of specialization chosen for the Honours area.

The programme of study for the Honours Degree comprises study-units

in one chosen area of specialization, to which 60 ECTS credits are assigned.

Students shall be eligible for the award of the Honours Degree if they

obtain the 60 ECTS credits as outlined in the programme of study for the Honours

Degree.

The Board shall publish the Course programme of study and the

programmes of study for each area of specialization, drawn up in accordance with the

relevant provisions of the Principal Regulations, and approved by Senate. Subject to

the approval of Senate, the Board may make any necessary changes to the programmes

of study and to the study-units as required.

Classification of the Awards

(1) The Final Weighted Average Mark for the classification of the

Degree shall be based on the results obtained in the three years of the Degree course,

which shall be weighted as follows

First Year Average Mark

17%

Second Year Average Mark

33%

Third Year Average Mark

50%.

(2) The Final Weighted Average Mark for the classification of the

Honours Degree shall be based on the results obtained during the Course which shall

be weighted as follows

Average Mark for the Degree course

60%

Average Mark for the Honours course

40%.

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 2006 in terms of the General Regulations for University

Undergraduate Awards, 2004 for the degrees of Bachelor of Commerce - B.Com. -

and Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) - B.Com. (Hons) - under the auspices of the

Faculty of Economics, Management and Accountancy, published as Legal Notice

25 of 2006, shall be deemed to cease to be in force as from the 1st October 2019,

provided that students registered for these courses before the 1st October 2019 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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