BYE-LAWS FOR THE DEGREE OF BACHELOR OF SCIENCE (HONOURS) - B.SC. (HONS) - UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE FACULTY

THE FACULTY OF HEALTH SCIENCES

SUBSIDIARY LEGISLATION 327.269

BYE-LAWS FOR THE DEGREE OF BACHELOR OF

SCIENCE (HONOURS) - B.SC. (HONS) - UNDER

THE AUSPICES OF THE FACULTY

OF HEALTH SCIENCES

10th June, 2005

LEGAL NOTICE 186 of 2005, as amended by Legal Notices 122 of 2006,

122 of 2009, 1 of 2010, 290, 391 of 2011, 163 and 390 of 2012, 228 and

350 of 2014, 98 and 307 of 2015, and 71, 153, 182 of 2016,277 of 2017,

131 and 325 of 2018, 307 of 2019, 267 of 2020, 354 of 2020, 20 and 430 of

2021, 346 of 2022, 179 of 2023, 243 of 2024, 117 of 2025 and 12 of 2026.

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

Degree of Bachelor of Science (Honours) - B.Sc. (Hons) - under the

auspices of the Faculty of Health Sciences.

(2)

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

"the Board" means the Board of the Faculty of Health Sciences;

"the Board of Studies" means the Board of Studies appointed for

each area of study;

"the course" means the programme of studies leading to the

degree of Bachelor of Science (Honours) - B.Sc.(Hons);

"the Degree" means the degree of Bachelor of Science (Honours)

- B.Sc.(Hons); and

"the principal regulations" means the General Regulations for

University Undergraduate Awards.

These bye-laws shall be

applicable

for

courses

commencing in October 2020 or later.

THE FACULTY OF HEALTH SCIENCES

To be registered as regular students in the Course applicants

shall satisfy the general requirements for admission as specified in the

Admission Regulations or have comparable qualifications as indicated

below and be in possession of special course requirements depending on

the area of study chosen as follows

(a) Applied Biomedical Science: passes at Advanced

Level at Grade C or better in Biology and Chemistry;

and a pass at Intermediate Level in one of the

following subjects: Applied Mathematics, Computing,

Information

Technology,

Physics

and

Pure

Mathematics;

(b) Applied Food and Nutritional Sciences: a pass at

Advanced Level in Chemistry OR a pass at Advanced

level in Biology;

(c) Speech Language Pathology: two passes at Grade C or

better, at least one of which must be at Advanced Level

and one at Intermediate Level, in Biology and in either

English or Maltese;

(d) Mental Health Nursing: applicants in possession of a

pass in the MCAST-BTEC Extended Diploma in Health

and Social Care (Health Studies) or the MCAST Advanced

Diploma in Health Sciences, together with the MCAST

Level 5 Award in Health Sciences shall be considered as

having satisfied the general entry requirements;

(e) Midwifery: a pass at Advanced Level in Biology;

(f)

Nursing: (i) No special course requirements;

(ii) Adult learners applying for admission in terms of

regulation 6 (c) of the Admissions Regulations may be

required to sit for and pass an interview. In preparation

for the interview, applicants shall be required to

submit an updated Curriculum Vitae and a letter of

motivation, written in English, explaining why they

are applying for the Course (following guidelines

provided by the Department). The interviewing board

appointed by the Board of Studies shall be composed

of at least three members; and

(iii) Applicants who are not in possession of the general

entry requirements or adult learners who are

unsuccessful at the interview referred to in sub-

paragraph (ii) of paragraph (f) of this bye-law, may be

admitted to the Preparatory Course specifically related

to Nursing as detailed in Appendix I to these bye-laws.

Such applicants will be eligible to proceed to the

Course if they successfully complete all the study-

units included in the programme for the Preparatory

Course immediately prior to the commencement of the

Course. The requirements for admission and

successful completion of the Preparatory Course are

listed in Appendix I to these bye-laws.

THE FACULTY OF HEALTH SCIENCES

(g) Occupational Therapy: a pass at Advanced Level at

Grade C or better in Biology;

(h) Physiotherapy: a pass at Advanced Level at Grade C or

better in Biology; and a pass at Intermediate Level in

Physics;

(i)

Podiatry: a pass at Advanced Level at Grade C or better in

Biology and a pass at Intermediate Level in either

Chemistry or Physics; and

(j)

Radiography: a pass at Advanced Level in Biology or

Physics or Chemistry. Applicants shall be required to be

aged not less than 18 years within three months from the

date on which the Course commences.

Applicants shall be required to be aged not less than 18 years

within three months from the date on which the course commences.

The Admissions Board, acting on the advice of the relevant

Board of Studies, may admit applicants into the second or third

year of the Course with the same area of study taken in their Higher

Diploma or Diploma, in terms of paragraph (1) of regulation 15 of

the Admissions Regulations of the University, if in possession of

the following

(a) the Higher Diploma in Health Science or the Diploma

in Health Science awarded by the University of Malta;

or

(b) a professional qualification deemed by Senate to be

comparable to the qualifications indicated in

paragraph (a) of this bye-law.

During the first year of the Course, students are also required to

undergo an occupational health assessment so as to ascertain that they

are fit for the duties related to their proposed studies. Students who do

not fulfil this requirement may be barred from progressing with their

studies. Failure to disclose information about a physical or mental health

problem that could affect patient safety is considered to be a serious

breach of the University Suitability to Practise Regulations.

(1) The Course for the following areas shall extend over a

period of four years of full-time study, or their equivalent in part-time

study: Applied Biomedical Science, Applied Food and Nutritional

Sciences, Midwifery, Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy, Podiatry,

Radiography and Speech Language Pathology.

(2) The Course for the Mental Health Nursing and Nursing areas

shall extend over a period of three years of full-time study, or their

equivalent in part-time study.

THE FACULTY OF HEALTH SCIENCES

The Degree may be awarded in terms of these bye-laws in any

one of the following areas of study: Applied Biomedical Science,

Applied Food and Nutritional Sciences, Mental Health Nursing,

Midwifery, Nursing, Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy, Podiatry,

Radiography and Speech Language Pathology or in any other area

related to Health Sciences, following approval of Senate.

The areas of study offered in any particular year and the

respective mode of attendance, shall be published by the Board before

the commencement of each Course.

(1) Senate, on the advice of the Board, may limit the

number of students that may be admitted to the course in any or all

of the areas of study and shall approve bye-laws for the selection of

applicants to the course in the area/s of study where the number of

students that may be admitted is limited. The Board shall announce

the number of places available to Maltese and other EU/EEA

nationals, and possibly to non-EU/EEA nationals, prior to the

commencement of the course.

(2) Any places for non-EU/EEA nationals shall be filled on the

recommendation of the Faculty Admissions Committee that may

first consider eligible applicants reco mmended in term s of

agreements the University may enter into with foreign institutions

or governments.

Applicants shall be required to indicate their choice of area

of study at the time of applying for admission to the course.

The programme of study for each area of study shall have

two distinct, although interdependent components, one theoretical,

and the other practical/clinical.

Subject to changes that the Board may, with the approval of

Senate, be constrained to make, students are bound to follow the

study-units and obtain the credits as indicated in the course

programme and in the programme of study of the area of study they

are following for the Degree

Provided that course programmes and programmes of study

are drawn up in accordance with the relevant provisions of the

principal regulations.

Students admitted in terms of bye-law 4, who would have

successfully completed the Certificate in Clinical Nursing Practice

course with the same area of study for which they are being accepted,

will be allowed to transfer the study-units passed during the Certificate

course to the course leading to the Degree on condition that they

renounce the Certificate.

THE FACULTY OF HEALTH SCIENCES

(1) Students who fail a clinical practice study-unit or a

study-unit involving a practical placement may be required to

repeat the study-unit during the summer months before being re-

assessed, or if such an arrangement is found not to be possible, re-

do the study-unit in an additional year of study.

(2) The conditions for the re-assessment of such study-units

shall be indicated in the description of each study-unit that is

published in the catalogue.

The results obtained during the failed year shall not be

taken into consideration for the award of the Degree and shall not

be included in the student’s academic record, provided that, at the

discretion of the Board, students registered in a degree comprising

both clinical/practical and theoretical components and whose

overall Year average Mark is at least 50%, may be allowed to retain

the credits obtained in a successfully completed component but

shall be required to repeat the failed component in its entirety.

The overall evaluation of each student’s performance shall

be based on the results obtained in each year of the Course

weighted according to the following criteria

For courses of three years’ duration

First Year Average Mark 30%

Second Year Average Mark 30%

Third Year Average Mark 40%.

For courses of four years’ duration

First Year Average Mark 15%

Second Year Average Mark 25%

Third Year Average Mark 25%

Fourth Year Average Mark 35%,

provided that for the following areas of study, the results

obtained in each year of the Course shall be weighted as follows

Applied Biomedical Science and Occupational Therapy

First Year Average Mark 10%

Second Year Average Mark 25%

Third Year Average Mark 30%

Fourth Year Average Mark 35%.

Applied Food and Nutritional Sciences

First Year Average Mark 15%

Second Year Average Mark 20%

Third Year Average Mark 30%

Fourth Year Average Mark 35%.

Radiography

First Year Average Mark 15%

THE FACULTY OF HEALTH SCIENCES

Second Year Average Mark 25%

Third Year Average Mark 30%

Fourth Year Average Mark 30%.

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

of Studies as necessary due to the part-time nature of the Course.

APPENDIX I

The Preparatory Course

1. In order to be admitted to the Preparatory Course for the

Nursing area of study, applicants are required to be in possession of

one of the following

(a) passes in the Secondary Education Certificate

Examination at Level 3 or Grade 5 or better in six

subjects, including: Maltese, English Language and

Mathematics; or

(b) a Diploma awarded by an institution other than the

University of Malta pegged at MQF/EQF Level 4

comprising not less than 120 ECTS/ECVET credits.

2. Applicants are further required to be aged not less than 18

years wi thin three m onth s f ollo wing the date o n which the

Preparatory Course commences.

3. During the first semester of the Preparatory Course,

accepted applicants are also required to undergo an occupational

health assessment, so as to ascertain that they are fit for the duties

related to their proposed studies. Students who do not fulfil this

requirement may be barred from progressing with their studies.

Failure to disclose information about a physical or mental health

problem that could affect patient safety is considered to be a

serious breach of the University Suitability to Practise Regulations.

4. The Preparatory Course shall consist of a number of study-

units to which 60 ECTS credits are assigned and shall extend over a

period of one year of full-time study.

5. Subject to changes that the Board may, with the approval of

Senate, be constrained to make, students are bound to follow the

study-units and obtain the credits as indicated in the programme of

study for the Preparatory Course they are following.

6. Students shall be considered as having successfully

completed the Preparatory Course if they obtain all the credits as

outlined in the programme of study and obtain an average mark of

55%.

7. The provisions regarding assessment, progression and

successful completion of the Preparatory Course, and any other

provisions not outlined in this Appendix to these bye-laws shall be

those stipulated in the Principal Regulations and shall apply

THE FACULTY OF HEALTH SCIENCES

mutatis mutandis.