MASTER OF SCIENCE - M. SC. - DEGREE COURSE ġ S.L.327.72 1
SUBSIDIARY LEGISLATION 327.72
MASTER OF SCIENCE - M. SC. - DEGREE COURSE 
REGULATIONS
17th May, 1996
LEGAL NOTICE 90 of 1996, as amended by Legal Notices 166 of 1998
and 122 of 2000.
Citation and 
interpretation.
1. (1) The title of these regulations is the Master of Science -
M. Sc. - Degree Course Regulations.
(2) In these regulations, unless the context otherwise requires -
"the Board" means the Board of the Faculty of Medicine and
Surgery;
"the course" means the course leading to the Degree;
"the Degree" means the Degree of Master of Science - M. Sc.
Applicability.
Amended by:
L.N. 166 of 1998;
L.N. 122 of 2000.
2. These regulations shall be applicable for courses
commencing in October 2000 or later.
General.
Substituted by:
L.N. 166 of 1998;
L.N. 122 of 2000.
3. The Degree may be offered in any one or more of the
following areas of study, subject to availability of expert guidance
and supervision within the University:
( a ) Pathology (Mechanisms of Disease);
( b ) Pharmacology/Clinical Pharmacology;
( c ) Pharmacy;
( d ) Public Health Medicine; and
( e ) any other area of study proposed by the Board and
approved by Senate.
Eligibility.
Amended by:
L.N. 166 of 1998.
Substituted by:
L.N. 122 of 2000.
4. To be eligible for the award of the Degree, a student:
( a ) must complete the course of studies, qualify in the
examinations and comply with other requirements
prescribed in these regulations;
( b ) must complete an individual project to the satisfaction
of the Board;
( c ) must complete a part-time attachment to the
satisfaction of the Board (if required by the Board);
and
( d ) must satisfy all other requirements prescribed in any
other statutes, regulations and bye-laws of the
University.
2 ġ S.L.327.72 MASTER OF SCIENCE - M. SC. - DEGREE COURSE
Qualifications for 
admission and 
selection of 
applicants.
Substituted by:
L.N. 166 of 1998.
Amended by:
L.N. 122 of 2000.
5. (1) A candidate must register on the appropriate form
within the time specified by the Office of the Registrar.
(2) To be eligible for admission to the course, a candidate must
be:
( a ) registered as a regular student of the University; and
( b ) in possession of one of the foolowing qualifications
for the areas of study indicated:
(i) for Pathology (Mechanisms of Disease) and
Public Health Medicine: the degree of Doctor of
Medicine and Surgery (obtained at least two
years before applying for the course) or the
Degree of Bachelor of Dental Surgery, or the
Degree of Bachelor of Pharmacy (Honours) or
the Degree of Master of Pharmacy or the Degree
of Bachelor of Science in Nursing/Midwifery
Studies or the Degree of Bachelor of Science
(Honours) of the Faculty of Science or the
Institute of Health Care, awarded with Second
Class (Honours) or better, or the Bachelor of
Science ordinary degree awarded with Category
II or better of the University of Malta or of
another university recognised by the Senate and
whose standard and content is deemed
appropriate by the Board;
(ii) for Pharmacology/Clinical Pharmacology: the
degree of Doctor of Medicine and Surgery
(obtained at least two years before applying for
the course) or the Degree of Bachelor of Dental
Surgery, or the Degree of Bachelor of Pharmacy
(Honours) or the Degree of Master of Pharmacy,
of the University of Malta or another university
recognised for the purpose by the Senate;
(iii) for Pharmacy: the degree of Doctor of Medicine
and Surgery (obtained at least two years before
applying for the course) or the Degree of
Bachelor of Pharmacy (Honours) or the Degree
of Master of Pharmacy, of the University of
Malta or another university recognised for the
purpose by the Senate.
(3) A candidate who, after due warning given in writing,
persistently fails to attend lectures and/or tutorials or otherwise
does not carry out his academic duties without adequate
justification may be debarred by the Board from sitting for any or
all of the examinations.
(4) The Board shall recommend to Senate the number of
applicants that may be allowed to register for each area of study
offered in the course, depending on the availability of resorces. The
number of available places shall be announced at the time of the
call for applications.
(5) If there are more eligible applicants than the number of
places available, applicants shall be selected after an interview by
MASTER OF SCIENCE - M. SC. - DEGREE COURSE ġ S.L.327.72 3
the Board of Studies. The Board of Studies shall take into
consideration the following criteria which shall be weighted as
indicated below:
Course of studies.
Amended by:
L.N. 166 of 1998;
L.N. 122 of 2000.
6. (1) The course shall be structured in such a way that it
shall be completed in fifteen months of full-time study or two years
of part-time study. In special circumstances, the Board may allow
candidates to extend their studies by one year of full-time study, or
two years of part-time study, provided that for the course which
commenced in October 1995, candidates may be allowed to extend
their studies by two years of part-time study.
(2) In any year, the Board shall indicate whether an area of
study is to be offered on a full-time or a part-time basis.
(3) The course shall consist of:
( a ) study-units for which not less than 24 credits shall be
assigned;
( b ) a supervised individual research project as approved
by the Board; and
( c ) a part-time attachment, if directed by the Board in
terms of regulation 8(6).
(4) A catalogue of study-units, indicating the credits assigned to
each study-unit and which study-units are compulsory, shall be
approved by the Board and published before the commencement of
each academic year.
(5) Some study-units shall involve supervised practical work.
This practical work shall be considered as an essential component
of the course for which credits shall be assigned.
(6) A candidate may apply for exemption from up to one-
fourth of the study-units, provided that he can present a
qualification which is, in the opinion of the Board, equivalent to
such units.
Continuous 
assessment.
7. (1) In each semester of the course candidates shall be
tested in the study-units covered during that semester in accordance
with the criteria established by the Board.
(2) The following grades shall be used in the assessment of
credits: A, B, C, D and F, in descending order of merit, with F
indicating failure.
(3) A candidate who fails in any study-unit may be allowed to
re-take the test once. If he fails the re-sit the candidate may be
allowed to repeat any one of the study-units only once. In case of
re-sit or repeat the maximum grade a student can obtain is D.
Degree type and class/category 25%
Experience in the area of the proposed study 25%
Research proposal, detailing the work hypothesis,
scope and significance of the research and
critically reviewing the methodology 25%
Interview 25%.
4 ġ S.L.327.72 MASTER OF SCIENCE - M. SC. - DEGREE COURSE
Individual research 
project and part-
time attachment.
Amended by:
L.N. 166 of 1998;
L.N. 122 of 2000.
8. (1) Candidates shall be required to complete a research
project under tutorial supervision.
(2) The proposed title and outline of the project must be
approved by the supervisor and then submitted to the Board for
final approval.
(3) The project must satisfy the Board as regards format,
content and presentation.
(4) The project shall be from 15,000 to 20,000 words in length
(excluding headings, tables, references, and appendices).
(5) The research project shall be submitted in its final form by
not later than the fourteenth month from the commencement of the
course on a full-time basis or the twentieth month from the
commencement of the course on a part-time basis, unless an
extension is granted by the Board in accordance with the provisions
of regulation 6(1).
(6) In the case of the course on a full-time basis, candidates
shall be required to undertake a period of attachment relevant to
their studies as directed by the Board. Such attachment shall be
assessed on a Pass/Fail basis.
Final examination.
Amended by:
L.N. 166 of 1998.
9. (1) Written, comprehensive examinations shall be held at
the end of the course. Only candidates who have obtained at least
20 credits shall be admitted to the examinations.
(2) Candidates may also be required to sit for a  viva voce
examination.
(3) Examination papers shall be graded in the same way as
credits.
(4) A candidate who fails in any of the examination papers
shall be allowed to resit the examination paper/e once during a
supplementary session normally held in September. The maximum
grade that may be awarded is grade D.
Final grading.
Amended by:
L.N. 166 of 1998;
L.N. 122 of 2000.
10. (1) The final grading shall be based on the candidate’s
performance in the study-units, the research project, and the final
examination, equal weighting being given to each of the three
components.
(2) The names of candidates who qualify for the Degree shall
be published in alphabetical order in two categories: Pass with
Distinction or Pass.
(3) A candidate shall not be awarded the Degree unless he
obtains a pass in each part of the assessment (that is, the study-
units, the research project, the part-time attachment (when
required) and the final examination).
