MASTER OF SCIENCE IN ORTHODONTICS DEGREE COURSE REGULATIONS

SUBSIDIARY LEGISLATION 327.411

MASTER OF SCIENCE IN ORTHODONTICS

DEGREE COURSE REGULATIONS

9th September, 2011

LEGAL NOTICE 350 of 2011, as amended by Legal Notice 458 of 2014.

(1) The title of these regulations is the Master of Science

in Orthodontics Degree Course Regulations.

(2)

In these regulations, unless the context otherwise requires -

"the Board" means the Board of the Faculty of Dental Surgery;

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

of Master of Science in Orthodontics;

"the Degree" means the Master of Science in Orthodontics;

"the Joint Examination Board" means the board appointed and

governed in accordance with the terms of reference of the Partner

University’s Academic Board;

"the Partner University" means King’s College, London and its

permitted successors and assigns;

"the Senate" means the Senate of the University of Malta; and

"the University" means the University of Malta.

(3) This Degree is a joint degree of the University and this

shall be taken to mean that the course is taught at the University

and at the Partner University within the framework of a joint degree

programme. The Degree shall only be awarded if both universities

declare the student to be eligible for the award.

These regulations shall be applicable from 19 September

2014 onwards.

(1) Applicants shall be in possession of the degree of

Bachelor of Dental Surgery or equivalent, together with at least two

years’ post-qualification experience.

(2) Applicants are to apply online at the website of the Partner

University and shall be selected according to criteria agreed to and

published by both universities.

The course shall extend over three consecutive years

(including three summer semesters) of full-time study.

(1) The programme of study comprises study-units

totalling 90 ECTS credits, of which 60 ECTS credits are assigned

to taught and clinical study-units and 30 ECTS credits to the

dissertation study-unit.

(2) The programme also comprises an additional 150 ECTS

credits of clinical work to be undertaken as directed by the Board

during the entire period of study.

(3) The Board of Studies shall draw up a catalogue of all study-

units. The catalogue shall indicate the level, code, title, description

and type of each study-unit, the credits assigned to each study-unit

and the methods of teaching and assessment.

(4) The programme of study shall be published by the Board

prior to the commencement of the course, following approval by

Senate.

(5) Students may be required to spend study periods at the

Partner University.

(1) Students must maintain a satisfactory level of

performance in the study-units involving clinical work in order to

be allowed to enrol for the next year of the course. The clinical

work shall be assessed on a Pass/Fail basis.

(2) In order to proceed to Year 3 of the course, students must

obtain the 30 ECTS credits assigned to the theoretical study-units

covered during Years 1 and 2 of the course and examined at the end

of Year 2. Credits shall be awarded to students who pass the

assessment of the study-units with a mark of at least 50%. The

following bands shall be used for grading

70 - 100%

Distinction

60 - 69%

Merit

50 - 59%

Pass

0 - 49%

Fail.

(3) Students who fail (obtaining 49% or less) in any study-unit

shall be allowed to resit the failed assessment at a supplementary

session once only.

Students wishing to submit ‘mitigating circumstances’ for

not reaching the appropriate standard for any examination taken

whilst undertaking the programme shall be considered by a Joint

Examination Board. It shall be at the sole discretion of the Joint

Examination Board whether and to what extent the mitigating

circumstances are accepted.

Students wishing to defer entry to any of the examination

processes shall submit the reasons for this to the Joint Examination

Board and it shall be at the sole discretion of the Joint Examination

Board whether such deferral is accepted.

(1) Students shall be required to submit an individual

dissertation of approximately 8,000-9,000 words and no more than

25,000 words in accordance with the guidelines issued by the

Board.

(2) The provisional title of the dissertation and a detailed

research proposal shall be submitted to the Board for approval at

the end of the first semester.

(3)

Each student shall be assigned a supervisor who shall

provide guidance and advice on a regular basis during the period of

study. Work on the dissertation may be undertaken after approval of

the research proposal.

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

their supervisor.

(2) Supervisors shall submit to the Board regular progress

reports for each student under their supervision. 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 not exceed six months; and

(ii) the Board may not terminate studies prematurely

according to (b) until it has first given the student a

chance to be heard.

(1)

A dissertation presented for the Degree shall

(a) be completed at the Resident Institution unless

otherwise agreed with both institutions;

(b) be work of an advanced or original nature in the

student's area of study;

(c) satisfy the Joint Examination Board as regards content

and presentation; and

(d) fulfil the requirements stipulated in the guidelines

approved by the Joint Examination Board as regards

format and length.

(2) No dissertation shall be accepted which is identical in

substance to a document already submitted for a degree of this or

any other university or to any other published material. Students

shall, however, not be precluded from incorporating such previous

work as may be necessary to the presentation and fuller

understanding of their exposition, provided that the nature and

extent of such incorporation are clearly indicated in the dissertation

itself.

(1) Each dissertation shall be examined by a Joint

Examination Board composed of three examiners, one from each

institution and an external examiner from another institution as

agreed by both universities.

(2) Students may be required to take a viva voce examination to

defend their dissertation and this may also be conducted using

electronic means of communication if so approved by the Joint

Examination Board.

(3) Students whose dissertation is found unsatisfactory may

either fail or may be required by the Joint Examination Board to

rewrite the document in whole or in part and to re-submit it for

examination. Students may re-submit the dissertation not earlier

than two months and not later than six months from notification of

the decision by the Joint Examination Board.

For the purpose of the classification of the Degree, the

Final Weighted Average shall be based on the marks obtained in the

programme of study described in regulation 5.

(1) The names of students who qualify for the award of the

Degree shall be published in a list in alphabetical order classified

as follows

Pass with Distinction

Pass with Merit

Pass.

(2) The Award Classification Board shall consult the following

guidelines when deciding upon the final classification of the

Degree

Final Weighted Average Mark

Classification

70 - 100%

Pass with Distinction

60 - 69%

Pass with Merit

50 - 69%

Pass.