BYE-LAWS IN TERMS OF THE GENERAL REGULATIONS FOR UNIVERSITY POSTGRADUATE AWARDS, FOR THE DEGREE OF

DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS IN COMMUNITY

ACTION AND DEVELOPMENT - M.A.

SUBSIDIARY LEGISLATION 327.586

BYE-LAWS IN TERMS OF THE GENERAL

REGULATIONS FOR UNIVERSITY

POSTGRADUATE AWARDS, FOR THE DEGREE OF

MASTER OF ARTS IN COMMUNITY ACTION AND

DEVELOPMENT - M.A. -UNDER THE AUSPICES

OF THE FACULTY FOR SOCIAL WELLBEING

12th January, 2018

LEGAL NOTICE 11 of 2018.

(1) These bye-laws may be cited as the Bye-Laws in terms

of the General Regulations for University Postgraduate Awards, for

the degree of Master of Arts in Community Action and

Development - M.A. - under the auspices of the Faculty for Social

Wellbeing.

(2)

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

“the Board” means the Board of the Faculty for Social

Wellbeing;

“the Course” means the programme of study leading to the

degree of Master of Arts in Community Action and Development -

M.A.;

“the Degree” means the degree of Master of Arts in Community

Action and Development - M.A.;

“the Postgraduate Certificate” means the Postgraduate

Certificate in Community Action and Development - P.G. Cert.;

“the Postgraduate Diploma” means the Postgraduate Diploma in

Community Action and Development – P.G. Dip.; and

“the Principal Regulations” means the General Regulations for

University Postgraduate Awards, 2008.

These bye-laws shall be applicable for courses commencing

in October 2017 or later.

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

a Bachelor degree from this University or from any other higher

education institution recognized by Senate, in an area of study

deemed relevant by the Board with at least Second Class Honours

or Category II, together with a minimum of 2 years’ experience

working in a community setting.

(2) All applicants shall be required to demonstrate that they

have the necessary aptitude and disposition to follow the Course

with profit. Professional aptitude and disposition shall be measured

by means of a personal interview conducted by an interviewing

board appointed for the purpose.

(3) The interviewing board appointed by the Board shall be

composed of at least three members.

(4) Depending on the availability of resources, the Board shall

recommend to Senate the number of applicants that may be allowed

DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS IN COMMUNITY

ACTION AND DEVELOPMENT - M.A.

to register for the Course. The Board shall announce the number of

available places at the time of the call for applications.

(5) When the number is so limited and the number of eligible

applicants exceeds the number of places available, applicants shall

be selected using the following criteria, the weighting of which

shall be published at the time of the call for applications

(a)

degree type and class;

(b)

experience working in a community setting; and

(c)

performance during the interview.

(6) Applicants shall apply by the deadline announced by the

University of Malta. For the purpose of selection, applicants whose

qualifications as stipulated in paragraph (1) of this bye-law were

obtained by 31 st August preceding the commencement of the Course

shall be considered first.

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 ECTS credits are assigned, of which 60 ECTS credits

are assigned to taught study-units and 30 ECTS credits are assigned

to the dissertation study-unit.

Students who obtain at least 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 successfully

c o m p let e t h e C o u rs e , sh a l l b e eli g ib le f or th e a wa r d o f t h e

Postgraduate Certificate.

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.

The programme of study shall be published after approval

b y Sen ate, n or m ally n ot less than eig h t mo nth s p rio r to th e

commencement of the Course.

(1) The assessment of the taught study-units shall be

completed by the end of the semester in which the teaching of the

study-units is held.

(2) Students who in any academic year fail in the assessment of

not more than 20 ECTS credits for taught study-units if following

the full-time Course, or not more than 10 ECTS credits if following

the part-time Course, 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.

Students shall be allowed to proceed to the dissertation

study-unit subject to obtaining the 60 ECTS credits assigned to the

taught study-units with a minimum average mark of 65%.

DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS IN COMMUNITY

ACTION AND DEVELOPMENT - M.A.

(1) Students shall be required to submit an individual

dissertation of approximately 20,000 words in accordance with the

guidelines issued by the Board.

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

third semester of 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) Students shall be required to have regular contact with

their supervisor.

(2) Supervisors shall submit to the Board progress reports for

each student 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 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 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.