BYE-LAWS IN TERMS OF THE GENERAL REGULATIONS FOR UNIVERSITY POSTGRADUATE AWARDS, FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER IN

DEGREE OF MASTER OF PSYCHOLOGY

SUBSIDIARY LEGISLATION 327.120

BYE-LAWS IN TERMS OF THE GENERAL

REGULATIONS FOR UNIVERSITY POSTGRADUATE

AWARDS, FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER IN

PSYCHOLOGY IN CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY - M.PSY.

(CLIN.) - OR IN COUNSELLING PSYCHOLOGY -

M.PSY. (COUNS.) - OR IN EDUCATIONAL

PSYCHOLOGY - M.PSY. (ED.) - OR IN FORENSIC

PSYCHOLOGY - M.PSY. (FOR.) - OR IN HEALTH

PSYCHOLOGY - M.PSY. (HEALTH) - OR IN

NEUROPSYCHOLOGY - M.PSY. (NEURO.) - UNDER

THE AUSPICES OF THE FACULTY FOR SOCIAL

WELLBEING.

12th November, 2010

LEGAL NOTICE 483 of 2010, as amended by Legal Notices 472 of 2011,

320 of 2015, 326 of 2017 and 280 of 2018.

(1) These bye-laws may be cited as the Bye-Laws of 2017

in terms of the General Regulations for University Postgraduate

Awards, 2008 for the degree of Master of Psychology in Clinical

Psychology - M.Psy. (Clin.) - or in Counselling Psychology -

M.Psy. (Couns.) - or in Educational Psychology - M.Psy. (Ed.) - or

in Forensic Psychology - M.Psy. (For.) - or in Health Psychology -

M.Psy. (Health) - or in Neuropsychology - M.Psy. (Neuro.) - under

the auspices of the Faculty for Social Wellbeing.

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

“the Board” means the Board of the Faculty for Social

Wellbeing;

“the Board of Studies” means the Board of Studies for the Course

as appointed by Senate on the recommendation of the Board;

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

degree of Master of Psychology in Clinical Psychology - M.Psy.

(Clin.) - or in Counselling Psychology - M.Psy. (Couns.) - or in

Educational Psychology - M.Psy. (Ed.) - or in Forensic Psychology

- M.Psy. (For.) - or in Health Psychology - M.Psy. (Health) - or in

Neuropsychology - M.Psy. (Neuro.);

“the Degree” means the degree of Master of Psychology in

C l i n i c a l P s y c h o l o g y - M . P s y. ( C l i n . ) - o r i n C o u n s e l l i n g

Psychology - M.Psy. (Couns.) - or in Educational Psychology -

M.Psy. (Ed.) - or in Forensic Psychology - M.Psy. (For.) - or in

Health Psychology - M.Psy. (Health) - or in Neuropsychology -

M.Psy. (Neuro.);

“the Postgraduate Diploma” means the Postgraduate Diploma in

Psychology – P.G. Dip.; and

“the Principal Regulations” means the General Regulations for

DEGREE OF MASTER OF PSYCHOLOGY

University Postgraduate Awards, 2008.

These bye-laws shall be applicable for courses commencing

in October 2019 or later.

The Course shall be offered in the following areas of

specialisation: Clinical Psychology, Counselling Psychology,

Educational Psychology, Forensic Psychology, Health Psychology, and

Neuropsychology.

(1) The Course shall be open to applicants who are

proficient in the Maltese Language and who are in possession of the

following qualifications

(a) a Bachelor degree in Psychology with at least Second

Class Honours (Upper Division), or an equivalent

qualification from this or another university; or

(b) a Bachelor degree in Psychology with at least Second

Class Honours (Lower Division), together with a

Master’s degree in Psychology-related areas from this

or another University; or

(c) a Bachelor degree in Psychology or a Bachelor degree

with Psychology as a main area of study, in both cases

obtained with at least Category IIA or another degree

in a related area deemed relevant by the Board of

Studies obtained with at least Second Class (Honours)

(Upper Division);

provided that all applicants applying in terms of this paragraph

would either have obtained 60 ECTS credits in Psychology, as approved

by the Board, following the award of their degree, or have obtained the

Higher Diploma in Psychology with at least Pass with Merit, which

together with their degree are deemed to be comparable to the

qualification indicated in paragraph (a) of this bye-law.”

(2) Applicants referred to in paragraph (1) of this bye-law are also

required to have either

(i)

a minimum of 2400 hours of experience in a clinical or

counselling or educational or forensic or health or

neuropsychology setting; or

(ii) a minimum of 1200 hours of experience in a clinical or

counselling or educational or forensic or health or

neuropsychology setting, under the supervision of a

warranted psychologist.

This experience should normally be obtained after

applicants have been awarded the qualification indicated in

paragraph (1) of this bye-law.

(3) Senate, on the recommendation of the Board, shall determine

the number of applicants that may be allowed to register in any of the

areas of specialisation indicated in bye-law 3. The Board shall announce

the number of available places in each area of specialisation at the time

of the call for applications.

DEGREE OF MASTER OF PSYCHOLOGY

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

applicants exceeds the number of places available, applicants shall

be selected according to the following criteria, which shall be

weighted as follows

(a) degree type and classification - 20%;

(b) work experience in the area or a related field - 15%;

(c) professional aptitude and disposition - 55%; and

(d) references - 10%.

(5)

(a) Professional aptitude and disposition

shall

be

measured by means of exercises involving

(i)

role play with a client,

(ii) group discussion, and

(iii) personal interview.

(b) Applicants who obtain less than 60% for the

professional aptitude and disposition criterion shall

automatically not be admitted into the course.

(6) If the number of applicants who satisfy the selection

criteria exceeds the number of available places, applicants shall be

accepted according to merit.

(7) The interviewing board appointed by the Board shall be

composed of at least three members.

(8) For the purpose of selection, applicants who fully satisfy

the entry requirements by 31st August preceding the

commencement of the course shall be considered first.”

The course shall extend over four semesters of full-time

study or the equivalent in part-time study.

(1) The programme of study for each area of specialisation

shall comprise study-units to which a total of 120 credits are

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

30 credits assigned to the dissertation study-unit.

(2) Students who obtain 60 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 successfully complete the

dissertation, shall be eligible for the award of the Postgraduate

Diploma.

(3) The programmes of study shall be published after approval

by Senate, normally not less than eight months prior to the

commencement of the course.

(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 any academic year fail in the assessment

of not more than 20 credits, if following the full-time course, or not

more than 10 credits if following the part-time course, shall be

given the opportunity to re-sit the failed assessments during the

September supplementary examination session, provided that

students who fail in a study-unit involving a placement that

requires assessment over a period of time shall not have the right to

DEGREE OF MASTER OF PSYCHOLOGY

a supplementary assessment and shall be required to withdraw from

the course.

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

permitted under paragraph (2), or students who after re-assessment

fail to obtain credit for any study-unit, shall be required to

withdraw from the course.

(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

fourth 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 second semester.

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

their supervisor.

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

each student 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 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.

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.

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.