Senate regulation 6: Regulations governing taught postgraduate programmes of study: Introduction (6.1-6.20)

6.1

These regulations apply to all taught postgraduate programmes and students.

6.2

Senate may approve programmes which lead to the award of Masters degrees, Postgraduate Diplomas or Postgraduate Certificates.  Such programmes may provide for intermediate awards for a student who does not complete or satisfy the examiners in the programme for which they is registered but otherwise satisfies the criteria for such an intermediate award.

6.3

The taught postgraduate qualifications awarded by the University are the degrees of Master of Arts (MA), Master of Science (MSc), Master of Laws (LLM), Master of Business Administration (MBA), Master of Engineering Management (MEM), Master of Education (MEd), Master of Research (MRes), and the awards of Postgraduate Diploma and Postgraduate Certificate. The Level 7 Degree Apprenticeship may also be awarded in conjunction with individual taught postgraduate qualifications as approved by the Education Committee or sub-committee.

6.4

Some Masters programmes include one year of study at level 6 which is taken before progression to level 7. The assessment and re-assessment processes on the level 6 component of these programmes shall be subject to the relevant sections of Senate Regulation 5 governing undergraduate programmes. The criteria for progression from the level 6 component of such programmes to the level 7 component shall be approved by a Programme Approval Panel and shall be stated on the relevant programme specification. The level 7 component of these programmes is subject to the progression and awarding criteria set out in this Regulation.

6.5

The title and programme specification for each taught postgraduate programme, the name of the award(s) to which it leads, and all awards made to students, shall be subject to the approval of Senate.

6.6

A programme may be approved with more strict reassessment, progression, or award requirements than those set out in these regulations where there is a demonstrable requirement from a professional or statutory regulatory body. In such cases any variation from this regulation must be approved by the Curriculum and Quality Sub-Committee following consideration by the relevant Programme Approval Panel.  Any such additional requirements shall be stated in the relevant programme specification.

Programme structure

6.7

The structure of the degrees of MA, MSc, LLM, MEM, MEd or MBA shall be approved by a Programme Approval Panel and shall be one of the following:

• 150 taught credits and a 30 credit dissertation or research project
• 120 taught credits and a 60 credit dissertation or research project
• 90 taught credits and a 90 credit dissertation or research project
• 60 taught credits and a 120 credit dissertation or research project

6.8

The structure of the degree of MRes shall be approved by a Programme Approval Panel and shall comprise taught modules to the value of between 30 and 60 credits and a dissertation or research project of between 120 and 150 credits.

6.9

A Postgraduate Certificate will comprise 60 taught credits.

6.10

A Postgraduate Diploma will comprise 120 taught credits.

6.11

A Masters degree shall have at least 60 taught credits to be approved with an intermediate award of Postgraduate Certificate, and at least 120 taught credits to be approved with an intermediate award of Postgraduate Diploma.

6.12

Any formal progression points for an individual programme will be approved by the relevant Programme Approval Panel and specified in the programme specification.  A progression point defines the number of modules and level of attainment which a student must achieve in a specified period to progress to the next stage of their studies.

6.13

A student’s progress will be reviewed at each progression point to determine whether they has met the requirements to progress to the next stage of the programme.  In each case, where a student has failed to meet the requirements to progress it will be determined whether they shall be referred to the Board of Examiners with a recommendation that they be withdrawn from the programme. The Board of Examiners shall consider whether any intermediate award may be made based on the student’s academic achievement.

6.14

The submission date for the final piece of assessment for a full-time programme with a normal period of registration of one year, and with a start date at the beginning of the academic year, shall be 30 September in each year.

6.15

For a programme approved with a different normal period of registration, or with a start date at a different time of the year, the relevant Programme Approval Panel shall agree the submission date for the final piece of assessment and this shall be set out in the programme specification.

Modules

6.16

A taught module shall normally be not less than 15 credits and not more than 30 credits in volume.

6.17

Each module specification shall state how the components of a module shall be combined to form a module mark and whether a particular mark must be gained in an individual component for the module to be passed.

6.18

Each assessment for a module shall be marked or graded in accordance with the generic grade descriptors issued by the Education Committee for postgraduate programmes.

6.19

The pass mark shall be 50.00% or a grade of ‘C’ for all assessments and modules. Where a module is passed at 50.00% credit shall be given for that module, subject to the satisfaction of any additional criteria required under paragraph 6.16.

The following outcomes are permitted for an individual assessment component and a module:

6.20

Marks of individual assessment components, module marks and credit weighted averages are expressed to two decimal places.