DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY - 
PH. D. - IN THE FACULTY OF ARTS [ S.L.327.91 1
SUBSIDIARY LEGISLATION 327.91
BYE-LAWS FOR THE DEGREE OF
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY - PH. D. -
IN THE FACULTY OF ARTS
14th November, 1997
LEGAL NOTICE 186 of 1997.
Citation and 
interpretation.
1. (1) The title of these bye-laws is Bye-Laws for the Degree
of Doctor of Philosophy - Ph. D. - in the Faculty of Arts.
(2) In these bye-laws unless the context otherwise requires -
"the Board" means the Board of the Faculty of Arts;
"the Faculty" means the Faculty of Arts;
"the Degree" means the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy - Ph.D.
Applicability.
onwards.
Minimum 
admission 
requirements.
3. The minimum qualification for registration for a Ph.D.
degree is a Master of Arts - M.A. - of the University of Malta or its
equivalent and a positive recommendation by the Faculty’s Ph.D.
Committee.
Abstract of 
proposed thesis.
4. In addition to a comprehensive research proposal, the
Board requires from the candidate an outline of the proposed
project, including research sources and materials, of approximately
800 words.
Supervision.
supervisors (who may include scholars from overseas universities)
to be discussed within the Department/Board of Studies. The
Department/Board of Studies will recommend supervisor/s to the
Board for onward transmission to Senate.
(2) A supervisor must be an established authority in the
respective field of investigation.
(3) In the event of any joint supervision, this may include
another academic from the University of Malta or a recognised
expert who is not a member of the University of Malta.
Authenticity of 
thesis.
6. A thesis being submitted for supervision and examination
must on no account have already been submitted for any degree or
diploma elsewhere, and must not have been published
independently by the candidate, entirely or substantially.
Thesis format and 
presentation.
7. (1) A Ph.D. thesis submitted to the Faculty should
normally not be less than 70,000 and not more than 90,000 words in
length, including footnotes and bibliography, but excluding name
and/or analytical indexes and any appendices.
(2) A thesis should have a standard format of references
2 [ S.L.327.91
DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY - 
PH. D. - IN THE FACULTY OF ARTS
throughout. However, departmental discretion shall be exercised
with regard to specific styles and modalities.
(3) Following formal approval by the supervisor/s, four copies
should be presented to the departmental chairperson for forwarding
to the respective examiners.
(4) For examination purposes, four heat-bound (thermal
binding) copies of each thesis should be presented. When the thesis
is approved, these shall have to be re-presented bound in a more
permanent form (preferably in hard covers) within not more than
six weeks from the  viva voce  examination. An additional, similarly
bound, copy is to be presented to the Registrar for forwarding to the
Melitensia section at the University Library.
