General Regulations for the Degrees of Master of Arts, Master of Science, Master of Music, Master of Research and Postgraduate Diploma/Certificate Courses

Admission

1. The normal requirement for entry to the degree programme shall be a good honours degree or equivalent qualification in an appropriate subject awarded by an approved university or the CNAA. Candidates with other qualifications may be admitted by the Board of the Faculty of Law, Arts and Social Sciences on the recommendation of the Board of Studies concerned.
   

2. The full-time degree programme shall extend over a period of twelve months from day one of semester 1 of the year of entry. Where degree programmes may be taken on a part-time basis, these will normally extend over a period of up to twenty-fourmonths from day one of semester 1 of the year of entry.
   
   
3. For Masters programmes the degree course will consist of coursework, individual projects, seminars, tutorials, individual reading and research and, where appropriate, oral presentation and practical work. The degree course shall be structured as follows:
   
   
   1. The School Masters programme structure is based on 180 credits consisting of taught units and a dissertation or dissertation equivalent. (A unit is defined as consisting of a notional 2 hours contact time per week, for one semester). There are three types of taught units: core content units, option content units and research skills units. Candidates may choose option units from lists approved by the School. The MA/MMus/MSc consists of 120 credits of taught units plus a 60 credit dissertation (or equivalent). The MRes consists of 60 credits of taught units plus a 120 credit dissertation (or equivalent).
      
      
   2. Units are credit-rated as follows:
      
      Core unit: 15 or 20 M level credits or 30 or 40 M level credits
      Option unit: 15 or 20 M level credits or 30 or 40 M level credits
      Research skills units: 15 or 20 M level credits
      MA/MSc Dissertation: 60 M level credits
      MRes Dissertation: 120 M level credits

4. Examination will be by coursework and seminar papers during the year and may include, where appropriate, written examination, oral presentation and viva voce examination when units are completed. In order to satisfy the examiners in the taught part of the course, candidates must achieve a pass mark (of 40%) in each unit.
   
   
5. In addition to the taught units, candidates normall continue with supervised study until the end of September of the academic year of entry (full-time) or the end of November of the year following (part-time), during which time they will work on individual projects. A dissertation on the approved project must be submitted by 30 September of the year following registration (full time) or 30 September of the second year following registration (part-time) except that, in special cases and with the permission of the Board of Studies Co-ordinator, a candidate may submit by a date up to one week later. Candidates may be called for viva voce examination.
   
   
6. Candidates whose dissertations satisfy the examiners will be recommended for teh award of the degree of MA, MSc, MMus or MRes. The degree may be awarded with Distinction.
   
   
7. Candidates who attain a satisfactory standard in their units and who do not proceed to a dissertation may qualify, subject to the approval of Senate, for the award of Postgraduate Diploma except in the case of MRes students who will be eligible for a Postgraduate Certificate.
   
   
8. Students who fail the examinations for the taught part of the course will be allowed to resubmit the failed units on one occasion, to be determined by the Board of Examiners, and if they then satisfy the examiners, will be eligible to submit a dissertation. Students who do not satisfy the examiners in the dissertation will be eligible to resubmit on one occasion, to be determined by the Board of Examiners. Candidates whose resubmitted dissertation fails to satisfy the examiners remain eligible for the Postgraduate Diploma or Certificate.