BACHELOR OF EDUCATION (HONOURS) - 
B.ED. (HONS.) - DEGREE COURSE g S.L.327.171 1
SUBSIDIARY LEGISLATION 327.171
BACHELOR OF EDUCATION (HONOURS) - B.ED. 
(HONS.) - DEGREE COURSE REGULATIONS
15th June, 1999
LEGAL NOTICE 103 of 1999, as amended by Legal Notices 172 of 2000,
280 of 2001, and 199 and 304 of 2002.
Citation and 
interpretation.
1. (1) The title of these regulations is the Bachelor of
Education (Honours) - B.Ed. (Hons) - Degree Course Regulations.
(2) In these regulations, unless the context otherwise requires -
"the Board" means the Board of the Faculty of Education;
"the course" means the course of studies leading to the Degree of
Bachelor of Education (Honours) - B.Ed. (Hons);
"the Degree" means the Degree of Bachelor of Education
(Honours) B.Ed. (Hons); and
"the Faculty" means the Faculty of Education.
Applicability.
Amended by:
L.N. 172 of 2000;
L.N. 280 of 2001;
L.N. 304 of 2002.
2. These regulations shall apply to courses starting in October
2002 or later.
Eligibility for the 
Degree.
Amended by:
L.N. 304 of 2002.
3. To be eligible for the award of the Degree, students must:
( a ) be registered as regular students in terms of the
Admission Regulations of the University and satisfy
the special course requirements stipulated in
regulation 6;
( b ) complete the course of studies and satisfy all the
requirements prescribed in these regulations; and
( c ) satisfy any other requirements prescribed in any other
relevant statutes, regulations and bye-laws of the
University.
Admission.
Amended by:
L.N. 304 of 2002.
4. (1) Applicants shall apply to register for the course on the
prescribed form and within the time specified by the Office of the
Registrar. Applicants shall be required to indicate their choice of
either Primary Education or Secondary Education as their area of
specialisation.
(2) To be registered as regular students in the course,
applicants must, besides satisfying the general entry requirements
specified in the Admission Regulations of the University, satisfy
the special course requirements indicatcd in regulation 6 as well as
the special course requirements of the faculty offering the subject/s
chosen as teaching areas in terms of regulation 6.3.2 of the
Admission Regulations, where applicable.
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BACHELOR OF EDUCATION (HONOURS) - 
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Applicants who 
choose Technical 
Design and 
Technology or 
Technical subjects.
Added by:
L.N. 304 of 2002.
5. Applicants who choose Technical Design and Technology
or Technical subjects may be admitted in terms of regulation 6.3.1
of the Admission Regulations provided that they possess:
( a ) five passes at grade 5 or better in the Secondary
Education Certificate Examination, including English
Language and Maltese;
( b ) a pass in System of Knowledge in the Matriculation
Certificate Examination at Intcrmediate Level; and
( c ) the Advanced Technicians Diploma of the City and
Guilds of the London Institute, or a qualification
considered equivalent by the University Admissions
Board on the recommendation of the Board.
Special course 
requirements.
Amended by:
L.N. 199 of 2002;
L.N. 304 of 2002.
6.  (1) If Primary Education is chosen as the area of
specialisation, the following special course requirements must be
satisfied:
( a ) for entry in October 1999 only: no special course
requirements; and
( b ) for entry in October 2000 or later: passes at
Intermediate Level at Grade C or better in: English,
Maltese, and one of: Applied Mathematics, Biology,
Chemistry, Environmental Science, Physics, Pure
Mathematics.
(2) If Secondary Education is chosen as the area of
specialisation, passes at Advanced Level at Grade C or better in
each of the two subjects chosen as teaching areas from Groups A
and B, provided that:
( a ) for Computing: a pass at Advanced Level at Grade C
or better in Computing is required, together with a
pass at Intermediate Level at Grade C or better in Pure
Mathematics (a pass at Advanced Level in Information
Technology or in Pure Mathematics may not be
offered instead of Computing);
( b ) for Personal and Social Education: a second pass at
Advanced Level at Grade C in either Philosophy or
Sociology;
( c ) for Mathematics: a pass at Advanced Level at Grade C
or better in Pure Mathematics and a pass at Advanced
Level at Grade C or better in any other subject;
( d ) for Computing: a pass at Advanced Level at Grade C
or better in Computing together with a pass at
Intermediate Level at Grade C or better in Pure
Mathematics and a pass at Advanced Level at Grade C
or better in any other subject (a pass at Advanced
Level in Information Technology or in Pure
Mathematics may not be offered instead of
Computing);
( e ) for Physical Education: a pass at Advanced Level at
Grade C or better in any subject, a pass in a physical
education proficiency test, a medical certificate, and
the presentation of a portfolio demonstrating interest
BACHELOR OF EDUCATION (HONOURS) - 
B.ED. (HONS.) - DEGREE COURSE g S.L.327.171 3
in and commitment to Physical Education and Sport
are also required.
(3) To choose subjects from Group C as defined in regulation
8(4), the following qualifications are required:
( a ) for Home Economics: a pass at Advanced Level at
Grade C or better in Home Economics and Human
Ecology and a pass at Advanced Level at Grade C or
better in any other subject;
( b ) for Technical Design and Technology:
for October 1999 only: a pass at Advanced Level
at Grade C or better in Engineering Drawing or
Graphical Communication and a pass at
Intermediate Level or higher in one of the
following subjects: Applied Mathematics or
Pure Mathematics, Art, Computing or
Information Technology, Physics
for October 2000 or later: passes at Advanced
Level at Grade C or better in Engineering
Drawing or Graphical Communication and a
pass at Advanced Level at Grade C or better in
any other subject;
( c ) for Technical Subjects: five passes in the Secondary
Education Certificate Examination including English
Language and Maltese; a pass in Systems of
Knowledge; and either a Higher Technician Diploma,
or a Diploma in Industrial Electronics (with credit) of
the Fellenberg Training Centre or the full
Technological Certificate of the City and Guilds of
London Institute or equivalent.
Applicants with 
other 
qualifications.
Added by:
L.N. 304 of 2002.
7. Applicants with other qualifications considered to be
sufficient may be exempted by the University Admissions Board,
on the advice of the Faculty Admissions Committee, from the
whole or part of these special course requirements.
Choice of subjects.
Amended by:
L.N. 172 of 2000;
L.N. 280 of 2001;
L.N. 199 of 2002;
L.N. 304 of 2002.
8. (1) Subjects shall be chosen as follows: two subjects from
either Group A or Group B, or one subject from Group C, or any
subject or combination of subjects as approved by the Senate on the
recommendation of the Board. Subjects shall be offered depending
on the availability of resources and the number of applicants who
choose them.
(2) ( a ) The subjects in Group A shall be the following: Art,
English, French, Geography, German Studies, History,
Home Economics, Italian, Maltese, Music Studies,
Personal and Social Education, Physical Education,
Religious Knowledge, Spanish.
( b ) Any combination of subjects from Group A shall be
possible, except for the following:
- Maltese and either English, or Italian, or
Physical Education, or Religious Knowledge.
- Physical Education and Religious Knowledge;
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BACHELOR OF EDUCATION (HONOURS) - 
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( c ) The following combinations of subjects from Group A
are not normally offered:
- Art and French;
- English and Music Studies;
- Geography and either Maltese or Physical
Education or Religious Knowledge;
- German Studies and either History or Personal
and Social Education;
- History and Personal and Social Education;
- Home Economics and Italian;
- Spanish and English;
Spanish and Music Studies.
(3) The combinations of subjects in Group B shall be the
following: Biology and Chemistry; Chemistry and Physics;
Mathematics and Computing; Mathematics and Physics;
Computing and Physics.
(4) The subjects in Group C shall be the following:
Computing, Home Economics, Mathematics, Technical Design and
Technology, and Technical Subjects.
Duration of the 
course.
Amended by:
L.N. 304 of 2002.
9. (1) The course shall extend over a period of four years of
full-time studies. The Board may allow students to complete the
course in not more than five years from the date of first admission
to the course.
(2) In special circumstances, Senate may allow a further
extension of one year, on the recommendation of the Board.
(3) The Senate, acting on the advice of the Board, may allow
students, for a good and sufficient to suspend their studies for a
maximum of twelve months.
Registration for 
course and for 
study-units.
Amended by:
L.N. 304 of 2002.
10. (1) Students shall be required to re-register before the
beginning of each academic year and to register for study-units
before the beginning of each semester within the period stipulated
by the Office of the Registrar.
(2) Each year students shall be required to register for
components of the course for which not more than 30 credits are
assigned, provided that the Board may, in special circumstances,
allow students to register for more than the number of credits
specified in this regulation.
(3) It is the responsibility of all students to obtain those study-
units indicated as compulsory. Moreover, the Board may direct
certain students to obtain particular study-units indicated by it.
(4) Students shall be awarded a grade for a study-unit only if
they have registered for it on the Faculty’s Study-Unit Registration
Form. At the beginning of each semester, students may add or drop
a study-unit on the prescribed form and within the period stipulated
by the Registrar.
(5) Students are expected to inform the Registrar in writing if
they resign from the course, indicating the date of their resignation.
BACHELOR OF EDUCATION (HONOURS) - 
B.ED. (HONS.) - DEGREE COURSE g S.L.327.171 5
Course of studies.
Amended by:
L.N. 199 of 2002;
L.N. 304 of 2002.
11. (1) The course of studies for the Primary Education area
of specialisation shall normally consist of the following: 
( a ) study-units in the following areas:
Primary Studies (Content and Professional)
Primary Subject Specialisation
Primary Cycle Specialisation
Foundations in Education
Personal Skills
Pedagogy
Research Methods
English Language Proficiency
Basic Computer Proficiency;
( b ) four field placements; and
( c ) dissertation/project.
(2) The course of studies for the Secondary Education area of
specialisation shall normally consist of the following:
( a ) study-units in one or two Teaching Areas chosen as
stipulated in regulation 8, in the following areas:
Subject Content Studies
Methodology in the Teaching Area/s
Foundations in Education
Personal Skills
Resources, Information and Communication
Technologies in Education
Diversity in the Classroom
Research Methods
English Language Proficiency
Basic Computer Proficiency;
( b ) four field placements; and
( c ) dissertation/project.
(3) The study-units in English Language Proficiency and in
Basic Computer Proficiency are compulsory for all students. The
Board may exempt students from following these study-units if
they are successful in appropriate tests held at a time specified by
the Board. Students shall be required to pass in the tests in these
subjects by the end of their second year of studies. If this
requirement is not satisfied, students shall be required to withdraw
from the course.
(4) Students choosing Primary Education as their area of
specialisation shall be required to sit for a Maltese Language
proficiency test. Students shall be required to pass the test by the
end of their second year of studies. If this requirement is not
satisfied, students shall be required to withdraw from the course.
(5) The Board may exempt students from the requirement of
obtaining a credit in the other study-units if they have obtained
from the University, or from an institution recognised by Senate for
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BACHELOR OF EDUCATION (HONOURS) - 
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the purpose, a qualification the study for which is, in the opinion of
the Board, at least equivalent in content and standard to that
required for the credit concerned, provided that:
( a ) exemption shall not be given for more than one-third
of the minimum number of credits required for the
award of the Degree;
( b ) the credits must normally have been obtained within
the last five years; and
( c ) exemption shall not be granted in the case of either the
final field placement or the dissertation/project, unless
in special circumstances.
(6) The Board may allow students to follow study-units in
another university or institution of higher education, provided that
the credits obtained shall be evaluated according to criteria
established by the Board.
Catalogue of 
study-units.
Amended by:
L.N. 304 of 2002.
12. The Board shall draw up a catalogue of study-units. The
catalogue shall indicate the code, title, description and type of each
study-unit, the credits assigned to each study-unit, which study-
units are compulsory, concurrent or prerequisites for other study-
units, and the methods of teaching and assessment. The Board shall
publish the catalogue for the course prior to its commencement,
following the approval of Senate.
Assessment and 
progress.
Amended by:
L.N. 304 of 2002.
13. (1) Unless otherwise stipulated in the course catalogue,
credits shall be assigned on the successful completion of any
component of the course and shall be included in the students’
academic record.
(2) Credits shall be assigned according to the following grades
in descending order of merit: A, B, C, and D. Failure shall be
indicated by F. Incomplete work due to justifiable reasons (illness,
approved absence, etc.) shall be indicated by I. In all other cases
the results of uncompleted study-units shall be indicated as F. The
grades awarded shall take into account the students’ performance in
one or more of the following elements, as deemed appropriate by
the Board: coursework, and practical, written and/or oral
assessments.
(3) Students who fail in any study-unit shall be allowed a
supplementary assessment. Supplementary assessments shall
normally have the same mode of assessment as the corresponding
first assessment. Supplementary assessments of study-units shall be
held at the next scheduled examination session (May or September)
as the case may be. In the case of assignments, supplementary
assessments shall be made by arrangement with the lecturer
concerned. In supplementary assessments, the maximum grade that
may be awarded shall be grade D.
(4) If unsuccessful in the supplementary assessment, students
may retake the study-unit when it is again offered and assessed,
provided that students may be required to follow another study-unit
as directed by the Board if the study-unit in which they failed is not
offered again. When students fail a re-taken study-unit, they shall
be allowed a final supplementary assessment in terms of sub-
BACHELOR OF EDUCATION (HONOURS) - 
B.ED. (HONS.) - DEGREE COURSE g S.L.327.171 7
regulation (3). In the case of study-units which are re-taken, the
maximum grade that may be awarded in the assessment and
supplementary assessment shall be grade D. During the year in
which students are required to re-take a study-unit, they may follow
study-units from that year providing timetable arrangements and
pre-requisite conditions allow it.
(5) If credit/s for a study-unit has/have been awarded, students
shall not be allowed to be re-assessed for it.
(6) Unless otherwise indicated in the course catalogue, or
unless exempted by the Board, attendance for lectures, seminars,
tutorials and other learning experiences shall be compulsory and
students may be precluded from being assessed for a study-unit if
attendance is not regular.
(7) If the number of credits obtained by students at the end of
any year of the course indicates that it will be impossible for them
to complete the coursc in the period of studies laid down in
regulation 9(1), the students shall be required to withdraw from the
course.
(8) If in any two years of the course (not necessarily
consecutive), students obtain less than 20 credits per year, they
shall be required to withdraw from the course.
Field placement.
Amended by:
L.N. 304 of 2002.
14. (1) There shall be a field placement in each of the four
years of the course, comprising a period of observation and
teaching in schools under tutorial supervision as determined by the
Board.
(2) Field placements shall be assessed on a Pass/Fail basis.
Students who experience some difficulty during their field
placement, which does not constitute a clear failure, may receive a
grade of K (Conditional Pass). Such students may be required to
repeat a component of the field placement at a time determined by
the Board.
(3) Students shall be required to pass all the field placements.
Students may repeat a failed field placement only once during an
extra year of studies. Supplementary assessments are not available
for field placements. Students may receive a grade K only once,
and that only during one of the first two field placements.
Subsequently, no further conditional passes may be awarded.
(4) The fourth field placement shall constitute the final
examination of the course. The Field Placement Board of
Examiners shall include an external examiner.
(5) Before every field placement students shall be required to
sign a Field Placement Code of Ethics in order to be placed in
schools. Any breach of this Code of Ethics shall be referred to an
ad hoc  Disciplinary Board appointed by the Board and may result
in dismissal from the course.
(6) A field placement shall be considered for the award of the
credits assigned to it if students attend for its full duration,
provided that students who, for valid reasons, fail to attend for up
to five days shall have that particular field placement extended by
the same number of days, and those who fail to attend for six or
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BACHELOR OF EDUCATION (HONOURS) - 
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more days shall have to undergo a full field placement.
(7) In exceptional cases, students who have not been able to
attend a field placement may be allowed by the Board to do the
field placement under those conditions which it may impose.
Dissertation/
Project.
Amended by:
L.N. 304 of 2002.
15. (1) Students shall be required to submit a dissertation/
project which shall conform to the Guidelines and Code of Ethics
on Dissertations approved by the Board.
(2) The dissertation/project shall be assessed in accordance
with the grading scheme indicated in regulation 13(2).
(3) Students who fail the dissertation/project may re-submit it
once within a period of twelve months, in which case the maximum
grade that may be awarded shall be grade D.
Award of Degree.
Substituted by:
L.N. 304 of 2002.
16. To be awarded the Degree, students must obtain not less
than 116 credits in the areas indicated in regulation 11(1) and (2)
and as set out in the course catalogue published by the Board.
Classification of 
Degree.
Amended by:
L.N. 304 of 2002.
17. The names of students who qualify for the award of the
Degree shall be published in a list in alphabetical order classified
as follows:
First Class Honours
Second Class Honours (Upper Division)
Second Class Honours (Lower Division)
Third Class Honours
Pass.
