General Regulations for the Degree of Master of Science & Postgraduate Diploma Programmes
Entry Requirements
- Subject to any individual course regulations, the requirement for entry shall be a degree in an appropriate engineering or science subject of any approved university. Candidates with other qualifications may be accepted by the School Board.
Programmes:
- Programmes are fully defined in Program Specifications, which form an integral part of these regulations.
- Candidates shall normally be registered for the degree of Master of Science (MSc). Where programme specifications allow, candidates may alternatively be registered for the Postgraduate Diploma.
Programme Structure
- Programmes may be full time, part time or modular, as allowed by the programme specification. All programmes consist of lectures, coursework and, except for Diploma students, project work.
- Full time candidates will commence work at the start of the Academic Year in October and complete the taught component in July the following year. MSc candidates will continue to work on their projects until 30 September. The project report must be submitted by 31 December.
- Part time and modular candidates will work to a time scale individually agreed with their school. Part time programmes normally begin in October and extend over 24 months. Modular programmes may begin at any time and may extend up to 60 months.
- The taught components of the MSc and the Diploma are rated at 120 credit points at Masters level. The MSc project is rated at 60 credit points at Masters level.
- Candidates with non-standard entry qualifications may be required to attend a preliminary period of study, as directed by the Head of School. Subject to satisfactory performance candidates will be permitted to proceed to the MSc or Diploma programme the following year. The preliminary period does not lead to an award, but the courses undertaken may be individually credit rated at Honours or Masters level.
- A candidate may not normally repeat the course.
Examinations
- Formal examinations are taken at times determined by the School Board. The examinations may include written, oral and practical examinations as specified in the programme handbook. Coursework items may also contribute to total module marks.
- Candidates must achieve a minimum mark of 35% in each examined module. Compensation or remedial procedures are available to candidates passing on aggregate but failing in a small number of modules totalling not more than 30 credit points. These procedures are detailed in programme handbooks.
- A candidate who successfully completes modules totalling 60 Credit Points and achieves 40% on aggregate (the average of all modules weighted by credit points), and who does not proceed to successfully complete the Diploma is eligible for the award of the Postgraduate Certificate.
- A candidate who successfully completes modules totalling 120 Credit Points and achieves 40% on aggregate, and who does not proceed to successfully complete the MSc is eligible for the award of the Postgraduate Diploma.
- A candidate registered for the MSc who successfully completes modules totalling 120 Credit Points and achieves 50% on aggregate is eligible to proceed to the MSc project. On successful completion of the project the candidate is eligible for the degree of MSc.
- The MSc will be awarded with Distinction to a candidate achieving 70% or more in both the taught component and the project. The Board of Examiners may also award Distinction to a candidate achieving at least 67% in the taught component and whose project is rated as exceptional.
- Candidates who fail to satisfy the examiners in the examinations and in the prescribed coursework may be re-examined on one subsequent occasion, either at the normal time for examinations in the subsequent year or at another time, agreed between the candidate and the Head of School.
Projects
- Candidates registered for the MSc may commence work on their projects at a time specified in the programme handbook, which will not normally be before modules totalling 60 credit points have been completed.
- By arrangement with the Head of School, and subject to satisfactory arrangements for supervision, project work may be carried out outside the University.
- The project dissertation must be submitted by 31 December immediately following the end of the course. In special cases, the Head of School may give permission for the dissertation to be submitted by a later agreed date. A candidate whose dissertation is submitted after the final agreed deadline is not eligible for the award of Distinction.
- A candidate whose dissertation fails to satisfy the examiners may, on one subsequent occasion, resubmit the dissertation by a specified date. A candidate whose dissertation is resubmitted is not eligible for the award of Distinction.