BYE-LAWS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF SCIENCE IN ENGINEERING UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE FACULTY OF ENGINEERING

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING

SUBSIDIARY LEGISLATION 327.173

BYE-LAWS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF

SCIENCE IN ENGINEERING UNDER THE

AUSPICES OF THE FACULTY OF ENGINEERING

20th March, 2009

LEGAL NOTICE 74 of 2009, as amended by Legal Notices 226 of 2013

and 242 of 2023.

(1) The title of these bye-laws is the Bye-Laws for the

Degree of Master of Science in Engineering 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 Engineering – M.Sc.;

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

Engineering – M.Sc.;

“the Postgraduate Certificate” means the Postgraduate

Certificate in Engineering – P.G. Cert.;

“the Postgraduate Diploma” means the Postgraduate Diploma in

Engineering – P.G. Dip.; and

“the Principal Regulations” means the General Regulations for

University Postgraduate Awards, 2021.

These bye-laws shall be

applicable

for

courses

commencing in October 2012 or later.

The course may be offered in any area of study that falls

within the academic responsibility of the Board, after approval by

Senate.

(1) The course shall be open to applicants in possession of

the following qualifications

(a) a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) degree with at

least Second Class Honours; or

(b) a Bachelor of Science (Honours) degree with at least

Second Class Honours in appropriate subjects as

approved by the Board; or

(c) a Bachelor’s degree with a Third Class Honours in

Engineering or in a relevant area of study and are in

possession of other qualifications, including relevant

experience following their first cycle degree; or

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING

(d) equivalent qualifications approved by Senate on the

recommendation of the Board.

(2) Admission of applicants under paragraph (1)(c) and (d)

shall be made conditional on the results of an interview and in such

cases the Board may require applicants to successfully complete a

preparatory programme of up to 30 credits prior to their registration

to the course.

The course shall extend over three semesters of full-time

study or the equivalent in part-time study.

The programme of study shall comprise study-units to

which a total of 90 credits are assigned.

The programme of study for any area of study offered in

the course may be either mainly taught or mainly by research.

Mainly taught programmes of study shall comprise taught

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

dissertation study-unit to which 30 credits are assigned.

Students who obtain 30 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 Course,

shall be eligible for the award of the Postgraduate Certificate.

Students who obtain 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 a

Postgraduate Diploma.

Mainly research programmes of study shall comprise study-

units to which 90 credits are assigned, of which 10 or 30 credits are

assigned to taught study-units and a dissertation study-unit to which 60

or 80 credits are assigned.

(1) The Board shall publish the areas of study which can

offer expert guidance and supervision before the commencement of

the course.

(2) 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 following the mainly taught programme of study

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

20 credits for taught study units, 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 tailed assessment during the

September supplementary examination session.

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

under paragraph (2) of this bye-law, or students who fail in more than

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING

one taught study-unit after having sat for all the assessments and

permitted re-assessments of all the taught study-units included in the

programme, shall be required to withdraw from the Course.

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

be required to submit an individual dissertation of a maximum of

20,000 words in accordance with the guidelines issued by the

Board.

(2) Work on the dissertation shall be undertaken during the

third semester or 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 for the dissertation and a detailed

research proposal shall be submitted to the Board for approval by

the beginning of the second semester.

(1) In programmes of study mainly by research structured

as follows

(a) for dissertations assigned 80 ECTS credits, students

shall be required to submit an individual dissertation

of a maximum of 35,000 words in accordance with the

guidelines issued by the Board; and

(b) for dissertations assigned 60 ECTS credits, students

shall be required to submit an individual dissertation

of a maximum of 30,000 words in accordance with the

guidelines issued by the Board.

(2) Work on the dissertation may be undertaken throughout the

course after approval of the proposal. Each student shall be

assigned a supervisor who shall provide guidance and advice on a

regular basis during the period of study.

(1) In all cases, students shall be required to have regular

contact with their supervisor. Supervisors shall submit to the Board

progress reports for the 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 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.

On successful completion of their studies, students shall be

required to submit to the Faculty two hard bound copies of the

dissertation and one copy in digital format within six weeks from

the publication of their result. The Degree shall not be conferred on

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING

students who do not comply with the provisions of this bye-law.

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 study

programme, all components being weighted equally.

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

opportunity to follow the course on a part-time basis in areas of

study which shall be indicated before the commencement of each

course.

(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

relevant Board as necessary due to the part-time nature of the

course.