BYE-LAWS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY – PH.D.

SUBSIDIARY LEGISLATION 327.709

BYE-LAWS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF

PHILOSOPHY – PH.D. - UNDER THE AUSPICES OF

THE FACULTY OF INFORMATION AND

COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

26th December, 2023

LEGAL NOTICE 308 of 2023.

(1)

These bye-laws may be cited as the Bye-Laws for

the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy - Ph.D. - under the auspices of

the Faculty of Information and Communication Technology.

(2)

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

“the Board” means the Board of the Faculty of Information and

Communication Technology;

“the Degree” means the degree of Doctor of Philosophy – Ph.D.;

“the Faculty” means the Faculty of Information and

Communication Technology; and

“the Principal Regulations” means the Doctor of Philosophy –

Ph.D. – Degree Regulations, 2023.

These bye-laws shall be applicable from 1 February 2024

onwards.

(1)

Applicants for the Degree offered by the Faculty

shall be in possession of one of the following degrees: a Master’s

degree, or a Bachelor’s degree obtained with at least Second Class

Honours (Upper Division), normally in the same area of study

applied for. In addition, the Master’s or Bachelor’s degree obtained

must be in Engineering, or Information and Communication

Technology, or Mathematics, or Science.

(2)

The Degree is normally open to applicants who have

obtained the qualifications specified in paragraph (1) of this bye-law

(a)

within the last ten years before applying for

registration for the Degree; or

(b)

if the qualification is older than ten years, if they

produce sufficient proof of their competence to

carry out such a research degree, subject to

approval by Senate on the advice of the Board.

(1)

Applicants may submit their application form,

together with a comprehensive research proposal outlining the

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY – PH.D.

proposed project, including research sources and materials, at any

time of the year. The proposal shall include the research questions to

be addressed, the hypothesis to be tested, and the methodology to be

adopted in dealing with the research issues.

(2) Applicants may also be asked to demonstrate competence

in those skills required by the nature of the proposed research.

The Board shall recommend to Senate the appointment of

a Faculty Doctoral Committee composed as follows

The Dean of the Faculty or delegate (Chair)

3 – 4 Heads of Department or their delegates.

When the Board deems it necessary, it may require

students to successfully complete a number of study-units during the

course of their studies, and/or to satisfactorily undertake tasks

recommended by the Board, under those conditions that it may

impose, after approval by Senate.

(1)

Further to the provisions of the Principal

Regulations, students shall submit a written application requesting

the transfer from the M.Phil. degree to the Ph.D. degree, together

with a summary of the work carried out by them, preferably in the

form of a technical report, for consideration by the Transfer

Assessment Board. The report shall also include any modifications to

the original research proposal.

(2)

The Transfer Assessment Board would give favourable

consideration to work published or accepted for publication in

refereed technical journals and conferences.

The Faculty attaches great importance to the association

of doctoral students with other research students and members of

staff. Students shall therefore be required to participate fully and

present in the research seminars of the Faculty at least once per year,

or equivalent in the case of part-time registration, during the course

of their studies.

The Board shall approve and publish guidelines on the

format and presentation of the thesis for the Degree.

Further to regulation 47 (1) of the Principal Regulations,

the Ph.D. thesis shall not normally exceed 200 pages, exclusive of

appendices, bibliographies, glossaries, abstract, endnotes, and

footnotes.

During the oral examination, the students are expected to

present a synopsis of the thesis of about 20 minutes, to provide a

demonstration of the artefact if so required, and then to answer

questions posed by the members of the Board of Examiners.

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY – PH.D.

The Bye-Laws of 2010 in terms of the Degree of Doctor

of Philosophy - Ph.D. – Degree Regulations, 2008 for the degree of

Doctor of Philosophy – Ph.D. – under the auspices of the Faculty of

Information and Communication Technology, published as Legal

Notice 215 of 2010, shall be deemed to cease to be in force as from 1

February 2024.