BYE-LAWS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF SCIENCE IN DIGITAL GAMES - UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE INSTITUTE

OF DIGITAL GAMES

SUBSIDIARY LEGISLATION 327.458

BYE-LAWS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF

SCIENCE IN DIGITAL GAMES - UNDER THE

AUSPICES OF THE INSTITUTE

OF DIGITAL GAMES

16th September, 2014

LEGAL NOTICE 329 of 2014, as amended by Legal Notices 333 of 2016,

91 of 2023 and 7 of 2025.

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

Degree of Master of Science in Digital Games - M.Sc. - under the

auspices of the Institute of Digital Games.

(2)

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

"the Board" means the Board of the Institute of Digital Games;

"the Board of Studies" means the Board of Studies appointed by

Senate for the course, on the recommendation of the Board;

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

of Master of Science in Digital Games - M.Sc.;

"the Degree" means the degree of Master of Science in Digital

Games - M.Sc.;

"the Postgraduate Certificate" means the Postgraduate Certificate

in Digital Games - P.G. Cert.;

"the Postgraduate Diploma" means the Postgraduate Diploma in

Digital Games - P.G. Dip.; and

"the Principal Regulations" means the General Regulations for

University Postgraduate Awards.

These bye-laws shall be

applicable

for

courses

commencing in October 2016 or later.

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

a Bachelor degree from the University of Malta or from a

university recognised by Senate for the purpose, in the areas of

Information Technology, Engineering, Communications, the

Humanities, the Social Sciences, or in any other area which the

Board deems as appropriate.

(2) All applicants shall also submit a portfolio of recent works

as well as a letter of motivation in order to demonstrate their

experience and/or substantial talent and motivation.

(3) Applicants for the mainly by research courses shall submit

a research proposal aligned with their previous degree(s). Their

admission may be made conditional on the results of an interview

c o n d u c t e d b y a b o a r d c o m p o se d o f a t l e a s t t h r e e m e m b e r s

appointed for the purpose by the Board.

(4) The Board shall recommend to Senate the number of

applicants that may be allowed to register for the course, depending

OF DIGITAL GAMES

on the availability of resources. The Board shall announce the

number of available places at the time of the call for applications.

(5) When the number of places for the mainly taught course is

so limited and the number of eligible applicants exceeds the

number of places available, applicants shall be selected using the

following criteria and weightings

(a) degree type and classification and previous academic

performance (60%);

(b) experience/talent in the area of the proposed study as

demonstrated in a combined CV and portfolio

document (20%); and

(c) study motivations as outlined in a letter of motivation

(20%).

(6) For the purpose of selection, eligible applicants who apply

by the end of April preceding the commencement of the Course and

who achieve 60% or more on the criteria listed under paragraph (5)

of this bye-law shall be admitted to the Course up to a percentage

of the number of available places as determined by the Board of

Studies. Eligible applicants who apply by April preceding the

commencement of the Course and who achieve less than 60% on

the criteria listed under paragraph (5) of this bye-law, and if there

are any remaining places, eligible applicants who apply after April

and by the deadline of July preceding the commencement of the

Course, shall be considered to take up the remaining places.

(7) For the purpose of selection for the mainly by research

programme, the research proposal is assessed by the Board of

S t u d i e s i n t e r m s o f c l a r i t y, f e a s i b i l i t y a n d r e l e v a n c e .

Recommendations for admission are determined by the Board of

Studies, depending on the availability of appropriate supervisors.

The Course shall extend over three semesters of full-time study

or the equivalent in part-time study.

The programme of study may be either mainly taught or mainly

research and shall comprise study-units to which a total of 90 ECTS

credits shall be assigned.

(1) Mainly taught programmes of study shall comprise taught

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

dissertation study-unit to which 30 ECTS credits are assigned.

(2) Students who obtain the 60 ECTS 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 the

Postgraduate Diploma.

(3) Students who obtain 30 ECTS 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 obtain all the

credits for the taught units, shall be eligible for the award of the

Postgraduate Certificate.

OF DIGITAL GAMES

(1) Mainly by research programmes of study shall comprise

taught study-units to which not more than 30 ECTS credits are assigned

and a dissertation study-unit to which not less than 60 ECTS 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) In mainly taught programmes of study, students shall

be required to submit an individual dissertation in accordance with

the guidelines issued by the Board.

(2) In the case of a mainly theoretical dissertation that pursues its

goals through conceptual analysis or a dissertation that is based on

empirical research and hypothesis testing the student is expected to

deliver a dissertation of approximately 20,000 words.

(3) In the case of a dissertation that pursues its goals ‘through

design’, the student is expected to deliver, present and discuss an artifact

(or set of artifacts) and related reflections. In this case, the student is also

asked to deliver a textual dissertation that can take a number of

concurrent forms including qualitative research, quantitative research,

annotated portfolios, reflections on strong concepts, the formulation of

guidelines, etc. In this case, the text accompanying the design work

would be of approximately 10,000 words.

(4) 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.

(5) Work on the dissertation shall be undertaken during the third

and fourth semesters of the course. Each student shall be assigned a

principal supervisor who shall provide guidance and advice on a regular

basis during the period of study.

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

shall be required to submit an individual dissertation in accordance

with the guidelines issued by the Board.

(2) In the case of a theoretical dissertation that pursues its goals

through conceptual analysis or a dissertation that is based on empirical

research and hypothesis testing, the student is expected to deliver a

dissertation of approximately 30,000 words.

(3) In the case of a dissertation that pursues its goals ‘through

design’, the student is expected to deliver, present and discuss an artifact

(or set of artifacts) and related reflections. In this case, the student is also

asked to deliver a textual dissertation that can take a number of

concurrent forms including qualitative research, quantitative research,

annotated portfolios, reflections on strong concepts, the formulation of

guidelines, etc. In this case, the text accompanying the design work

would be of approximately 20,000 words.

(4) A provisional title for the dissertation and a detailed

research proposal shall be submitted to the Board for approval at

the time of the call for applications.

(5)

Work on the dissertation shall be undertaken at any time

OF DIGITAL GAMES

during the course after approval of the proposal. Each student shall

be assigned a principal supervisor who shall provide guidance and

advice on a regular basis during the period of study.

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

their supervisor.

(2) The Board shall also appoint a Panel of Supervision for

each student, normally composed of three members as follows: the

Director of the Institute as chairman, and two other members, one

of whom being the principal supervisor, provided that when the

Director of the Institute is the principal supervisor, he shall not be

appointed chairman.

(3) The Panel of Supervision shall follow, as it deems fit, the

progress of students through the course, provided that it meets at

least once every semester to review such progress.

(4) Students shall be required to report to their principal

supervisor at least once every two months, and in addition as often

as the principal supervisor deems necessary.

(5) Principal supervisors shall submit to the Panel of

Supervision progress reports for each student under their

supervision at the end of each semester of studies, whether the

students are following the course on a full-time or a part-time basis.

Such reports may include recommendations to either (a) modify the

title and/or content of the dissertation; (b) extend the period of

study in order to enable the student to complete the dissertation; or

(c) terminate studies prematurely if the principal supervisor deems

this to be proper in the circumstances, provided that

(i)

the extension of the study period referred to in (b)

shall be in accordance with the provisions of the

Principal Regulations; and

(ii) the Board may not terminate studies prematurely

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

chance to be heard.

Following approval by the Board of Examiners, students

shall present three bound copies of the dissertation to the Institute,

one of which shall be retained in the University Library, and one

copy in digital form as an electronic file.

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.