BYE-LAWS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS - M.A. - UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE FACULTY OF MEDIA AND KNOWLEDGE

SUBSIDIARY LEGISLATION 327.223

BYE-LAWS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF

ARTS - M.A. - UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE

FACULTY OF MEDIA AND KNOWLEDGE

SCIENCES

24th January, 2012

LEGAL NOTICE 29 of 2012, as amended by Legal Notices 374 of 2013,

276 of 2018 and 287 of 2024.

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

Degree of Master of Arts - M.A. - under the auspices of the Faculty

of Media and Knowledge Sciences.

(2)

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

"the Board" means the Board of the Faculty of Media and

Knowledge Sciences;

"the course" means the programme of study leading to the degree

of Master of Arts - M.A.;

"the Degree" means the degree of Master of Arts - M.A.;

"the Faculty" means the Faculty of Media and Knowledge

Sciences;

"the Postgraduate Diploma" means the Postgraduate Diploma in

the relevant area of study;

"the Principal Regulations" means the General Regulations for

University Postgraduate Awards.

These bye-laws shall be

applicable

for

courses

commencing in October 2018 or later.

The Board shall offer the course in areas of study which

fall under the competence of the Faculty. It shall announce the

areas of study and the mode of study in which they are offered

before the beginning of each course, after the approval of Senate.

Applicants shall be required to indicate their choice of area and

mode of study at the time of application.

(1) Subject to the conditions laid down in bye-law 5, the

course shall be open to applicants in possession of one of the

following qualifications

(a) a Bachelor’s degree with Honours obtained with

Second Class or better in the same area or in a closely

related area of study as the area of study applied for;

or

(b) the degree of Bachelor in the same area or in a closely

related area of study as that applied for, with an

average mark of not less than 65% in that area of

study, or similar qualifications deemed by the Board

relevant to that chosen for the course; or

(c) a degree from this or another university, which the

Board considers as comparable to any of the degrees

indicated in paragraphs (a) and (b).

(2) The Board may also consider applicants in possession of

degrees or qualifications other than those referred to in paragraph

(1) of this bye-law if they also present a portfolio of work

confirmed to have been carried out by them and which is related to

the area of study applied for to the satisfaction of the Board.

(1) Applicants applying in terms of sub-paragraphs (b) and (c)

of paragraph (1) and in terms of paragraph (2) of bye-law 4 may be

required to follow a preparatory programme as specified by the Board,

which extends over one year of full-time study. The preparatory

programme shall include study-units in the area of study concerned, and

may include also study-units which are intended to train students in the

competencies required to conduct research work.

(2) During the preparatory programme students shall be

required to register for a number of study-units for which a total of

not less than thirty and not more than sixty credits are assigned.

(3) Students shall be required to successfully complete the

preparatory programme of study with an average mark of 55% or

better prior to their registration for the course.

Applicants wishing to apply for the Degree mainly by research,

shall indicate the provisional title for the dissertation at the time of

application for admission. The application shall include a research

proposal in accordance with the guidelines issued by the Board as well

as a statement by the head of department concerned that applicants

possess the training, knowledge and capabilities required for the

proposed area of study and research.

The course shall extend over three semesters of full-time

study or its equivalent in part-time study.

The programme of study for any area of study offered in

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

Board shall indicate which areas of study may be taken by research

only and which by taught and research study-units before the

commencement of each course. It shall also indicate the areas of

study offered in the full-time and part-time courses.

(1) 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.

(2) Students who obtain the 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 in the relevant area of study.

Mainly research programmes of study shall comprise

taught study-units to which 10 credits are assigned and a

dissertation study-unit to which 80 credits are assigned.

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.

(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, if following the course on a full-time basis, or not more

than 10 credits if following the course on a part-time basis, shall be

given the opportunity to re-sit the failed assessments 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 after

re-assessment fail to obtain the credits for any study-unit, shall be

deemed to have failed the course.

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

be required to submit a dissertation of up to a maximum of 25,000

words in accordance with the guidelines issued by the Board.

(2) Work on the dissertation shall be undertaken primarily

during the third semester of the course. Students shall be assigned a

supervisor who shall provide guidance and advice on a regular

basis during the period of study.

(3) Students following the mainly taught programme must

submit a provisional title for the dissertation and a detailed

research proposal to the Board for approval not later than six weeks

before the end of the second semester.

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

shall be required to submit a dissertation of up to a maximum of

50,000 words in accordance with the guidelines issued by the

Board.

(2) Work on the dissertation may be undertaken at any time

during the course after approval of the proposal. Students 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 re-submitted to the Board for approval

after completing the compulsory study-units.

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

contact with their supervisor.

(2) For students following the mainly taught programme,

supervisors shall submit to the Board progress reports for each

student under their supervision as applicable.

(3) For students following the programme by research,

supervisors shall submit to the Board progress reports about 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.

(4) The reports required in paragraphs (2) and (3) of this bye-

law 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 the Degree shall be

b a s e d o n t h e r e s u l ts ob t a i n e d i n a l l t h e c o m po n e n t s o f t he

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.