See also General Course and Examination Regulations
Guidelines
for Students, Supervisors and Departments /Schools involved in
Masters Thesis Work are available from the Registry and
departments. Students should also refer to the guidelines to
policies and procedures concerning postgraduate studies that most
departments publish.
1.
Subjects for the
Degree
The subjects for the degree, the
prerequisites and other information relating to the course of study
in particular subjects are listed in the Schedules to these
Regulations.
2.
Qualifications Required to
Enrol in the Degree
Every candidate for the Degree of
Master of Arts in a given subject, before enrolling in a course of
study for the degree, shall have:
(a)
either:
i.
qualified for a bachelor's
degree, and either
a.
satisfied the prerequisites
for the subject as specified in the Schedule to these Regulations;
or
b.
completed a qualifying course
prescribed by the Head of Department/School/Programme and approved
by the Dean of Humanities and Social Sciences of a standard
equivalent to the prerequisite courses; or
ii.
qualified for the Degree of
Bachelor with Honours in the given subject, or, with the permission
of the Academic Board, in another subject; or
iii.
been admitted under the
Regulations for admission ad eundem statum as entitled to enrol for
the Degree of Master of Arts; and
(b)
been approved as a candidate
for the degree in that subject by the Dean of Humanities and Social
Sciences.
3.
Structure of the
Degree
(a)
A candidate who has qualified
for a bachelor's degree shall complete a course of study comprising
Part I and Part II. The subjects, and prerequisites for Part I, are
listed in the Schedules to these Regulations.
(b)
A candidate who has qualified
for a Bachelor with Honours degree shall complete Part II
only.
4.
Full-time and Part-time
Study
(a)
Full-time study:
i.
A candidate shall normally
be enrolled as a full-time candidate.
ii.
The minimum period of
enrolment for a full-time candidate is:
a.
For Part I and II: two
years
b.
For Part II only: one
year
iii.
The maximum period for enrolment
for a full-time candidate is:
a.
For Part I and II: four
years
b.
For Part II only: three
years
(b)
Part-time study:
i.
With the approval of the
Academic Board, a candidate may be enrolled as a part-time
candidate.
ii.
A part-time candidate is one
who, because of employment, health, family or other reasons, is
unable to devote his or her full-time to study and
research.
iii.
The minimum period of
enrolment for a part-time candidate is:
a.
For Part I and II: three
years
b.
For Part II only: two
years
iv.
The maximum period of enrolment
for a part-time candidate is:
a.
For Part I and II: six
years
b.
For Part II only: four
years
(c)
After the commencement of
study and research for the degree a candidate may, with the
permission of the Academic Board, transfer from part-time to
full-time status, or vice versa. In granting such permission, the
Board shall determine the minimum and maximum period of study and
may impose other conditions.
Note: The
above time periods are absolute minima and maxima. Individual
subjects might determine time periods which lie within these
minimum and maximum periods.
5.
Part I
A candidate for Part I shall be
assessed on the basis of such written examinations, oral
examinations, and other work as shall be prescribed for the subject
offered, provided that the total amount of work submitted for the
course of study be the equivalent of at least 1.0 EFTS and no more
than 1.25 EFTS. Candidates shall not concurrently enrol in
undergraduate courses, except with permission of the Academic
Dean.
The course of study shall satisfy
the following conditions:
(a)
A candidate shall present Part
I within one single academic year for full-time study. A longer
period of time to complete the presentation may be permitted by the
Academic Board on the recommendation of the Head of the
Department/School/Programme.
(b)
No candidates for the degree
shall pass Part I who has failed more than one of the courses
offered.
(c)
A candidate may, with the approval of the Dean and the relevant Programme Coordinators, substitute courses at an equivalent level from another subject area or subject areas, up to a maximum of 0.5 EFTS.
(d)
At the discretion of the
examiners, a candidate may be orally examined on the topic of the
courses or other work; such an oral examination, as distinct from a
prescribed oral examination, may be taken into consideration in
assessing the quality of these courses or other written work, and
shall not be regarded as a separate component of the degree
examination.
(e)
No candidate shall enrol for
Part I of the degree in any subject in which he or she has already
qualified for the award of one of the following degrees: Bachelor
of Science with Honours, Bachelor of Commerce with Honours, Master
of Science, Master of Commerce, Bachelor or Arts with
Honours.
(f)
A candidate who has presented
Part I of a Master of Arts degree in terms of Regulation 3(a) for
that degree, but who has not submitted Part II, may apply to the
Academic Board for the award of the Bachelor of Arts with Honours
degree, provided that Part I of the Master of Arts degree satisfies
the requirements for the Bachelor or Arts with Honours degree in
that subject.
(g)
No candidate for Part I may
repeat a course having previously presented himself/herself for
examination, except that if a candidates performance in that course
has been seriously impaired by illness or other circumstances, the
Academic Board may permit the candidate to sit that course at one
further examination.
(h)
No candidate may enrol for the
degree in a subject for a second time, having previously presented
himself/herself for examination in that subject at BA(Honours) or
MA level or for any other degree at honours or masters
level.
(i)
A candidate who having
commenced study for the degree withdraws from all or part of the
course without completing the assessment requirements may not
re-enrol without the permission of the Academic Board.
6.
Part II
(a)
Part II shall consist of the
submission of a thesis, and if prescribed, an oral
examination
(b)
The following conditions may
apply to the presentation of the thesis:
i.
The candidate shall secure
approval of the Head of Department/School/Programme for the topic
chosen and for the proposed course of investigation.
ii.
A candidate shall not present
a thesis any part of which has been previously accepted for another
degree.
7.
Thesis Requirements
The thesis shall satisfy the
conditions laid down in General Course and Examinations Regulations
Section L and shall be carried out and submitted in accordance with
this Regulation.
Notes:
Candidates are reminded of the following points:
1.
Candidates for postgraduate scholarships must submit their theses
in time for the results to be known before 1 March of the year of
the award.
2.
See also
General Course and Examination Regulations D and L and Guidelines
for Masters Thesis Work.
3.
If a
thesis is not submitted by 1 March, the candidate becomes liable
for further tuition fees.
4.
If the
thesis at its first presentation is unsatisfactory the examiners
may, with approval of the Dean of Humanities and Social Sciences,
permit the candidate to revise the thesis and re-submit it by a
specified date.
8.
Time Limits
(a)
Part II of the degree must be
completed by such date as may be prescribed for the subject, or, if
the Head of Department/School/Programme grants an extension of
time, by such later date as he or she specifies, provided that in
any case the date lies within the time limits prescribed in
Regulation 4.
(b)
In special circumstances the
Academic Board may approve an extension of the time laid down in
Regulation 4.
9.
MA with Honours
(a)
A candidate for the degree who
completes Part I and Part II may have the degree awarded with
Honours only if the thesis is submitted within three years of the
date of enrolment for the degree in that subject for full-time
study, or within six years for part-time study; provided that in
special circumstances the Academic Board may, on recommendation of
the Head of Department/School/Programme, extend the period of
eligibility for the award of Honours beyond this period. Note: For the
purpose of this Regulation the date of enrolment is 1 March of the
year in which the candidate first enrols for the
degree.
(b)
In determining the award of
honours the thesis shall be weighted as the equivalent of four
courses.
(c)
There shall be two classes of
honours: First Class Honours and Second Class Honours. Second Class
Honours shall be awarded in two divisions: Division 1 and Division
2.
10.
MA with Distinction or
Merit
A candidate for the degree who
completes Part II only may have the degree awarded with Distinction
or Merit only if:
(a)
the candidate's thesis is, in
the opinion of the examiners, of special merit;
(b)
the candidate has graduated
Bachelor of Arts with Honours;
(c)
Part II is completed within
two years of enrolment for the degree in that subject for full-time
study, or within four years for part-time study; provided that in
special circumstances the Academic Board may, on the recommendation
of the Head of Department/School/Programme, extend the period of
eligibility for the award of Distinction or Merit beyond this
period.
Notes:
1.
The award
of Distinction is equivalent to First Class Honours; the award of
Merit is equivalent to Second Class Honours Division
1.
2.
See also
Schedule B.
11.
Award of MA instead of
PhD
Where a thesis has been presented
for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Faculty of Humanities
and Social Science and the examiners are of the opinion that it
does not justify the award of that degree they may recommend that
it be presented for the Degree of Master of Arts.
