L.S. 327.458 Ordinamenti għall-Grad ta’ Master of Science in Digital Games - M.Sc. - taħt il-patroċinju tal-Istitut tal-Logħob Diġitali

(1)The title of these bye-laws is the Bye-Laws for the Degree of Master of Science in Digital Games - M.Sc. - under the auspices of the Institute of Digital Games.

(2)Citation and interpretation. In these bye-laws, unless the context otherwise requires - "the Board" means the Board of the Institute of Digital Games; "the Board of Studies" means the Board of Studies appointed by Senate for the course, on the recommendation of the Board; "the course" means the programme of study leading to the degree of Master of Science in Digital Games - M.Sc.; "the Degree" means the degree of Master of Science in Digital Games - M.Sc.; "the Postgraduate Certificate" means the Postgraduate Certificate in Digital Games - P.G. Cert.; "the Postgraduate Diploma" means the Postgraduate Diploma in Digital Games - P.G. Dip.; and "the Principal Regulations" means the General Regulations for University Postgraduate Awards. S.L. 327.328 2. These bye-laws shall be commencing in October 2016 or later. courses Applicability. Amended by: L.N. 333 of 2016. 3.

(1)The course shall be open to applicants in possession of a Bachelor degree from the University of Malta or from a university recognised by Senate for the purpose, in the areas of Information Technology, Engineering, Communications, the Humanities, the Social Sciences, or in any other area which the Board deems as appropriate. Requirements for admission. applicable for

(2)All applicants shall also submit a portfolio of recent works as well as a letter of motivation in order to demonstrate their experience and/or substantial talent and motivation.

(3)Applicants for the mainly by research courses shall submit a research proposal aligned with their previous degree(s). Their admission may be made conditional on the results of an interview c o n d u c t e d b y a b o a r d c o m p o se d o f a t l e a s t t h r e e m e m b e r s appointed for the purpose by the Board.

(4)The Board shall recommend to Senate the number of applicants that may be allowed to register for the course, depending 2 DEGREE OF MASTER OF SCIENCE IN DIGITAL GAMES M.Sc. - UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE INSTITUTE [ S.L.327.458 OF DIGITAL GAMES on the availability of resources. The Board shall announce the number of available places at the time of the call for applications.

(5)When the number of places for the mainly taught course is so limited and the number of eligible applicants exceeds the number of places available, applicants shall be selected using the following criteria and weightings: (

1. a)degree type and classification and previous academic performance (60%); (
2. b)experience/talent in the area of the proposed study as demonstrated in a combined CV and portfolio document (20%); and (
3. c)study motivations as outlined in a letter of motivation (20%).

(6)For the purpose of selection, eligible applicants who apply by the end of April preceding the commencement of the Course and who achieve 60% or more on the criteria listed under paragraph

(5)of this bye-law shall be admitted to the Course up to a percentage of the number of available places as determined by the Board of Studies. Eligible applicants who apply by April preceding the commencement of the Course and who achieve less than 60% on the criteria listed under paragraph

(5)of this bye-law, and if there are any remaining places, eligible applicants who apply after April and by the deadline of July preceding the commencement of the Course, shall be considered to take up the remaining places.

(7)For the purpose of selection for the mainly by research programme, the research proposal is assessed by the Board of S t u d i e s i n t e r m s o f c l a r i t y, f e a s i b i l i t y a n d r e l e v a n c e . Recommendations for admission are determined by the Board of Studies, depending on the availability of appropriate supervisors. Course duration. Substituted by: L.N. 7 of

2. The Course shall extend over three semesters of full-time study or the equivalent in part-time study. Programme of study. Substituted by: L.N. 7 of
4. The programme of study may be either mainly taught or mainly research and shall comprise study-units to which a total of 90 ECTS credits shall be assigned. Mainly taught programmes of study. Amended by: L.N. 7 of
5. 6.

(1)Mainly taught programmes of study shall comprise taught study-units to which a total of 60 ECTS credits are assigned and a dissertation study-unit to which 30 ECTS credits are assigned.

(2)Students who obtain the 60 ECTS credits assigned to the taught study-units with an average mark of at least 50% and do not proceed with the Course, or having proceeded do not successfully complete the dissertation, shall be eligible for the award of the Postgraduate Diploma.

(3)Students who obtain 30 ECTS credits assigned to taught study-units with an average mark of at least 50% and do not proceed with the Course, or having proceeded do not obtain all the credits for the taught units, shall be eligible for the award of the Postgraduate Certificate. DEGREE OF MASTER OF SCIENCE IN DIGITAL GAMES M.Sc. - UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE INSTITUTE OF DIGITAL GAMES [ S.L.327.458 3 7.

(1)Mainly by research programmes of study shall comprise taught study-units to which not more than 30 ECTS credits are assigned and a dissertation study-unit to which not less than 60 ECTS credits are assigned. Mainly by research programmes of study. Substituted by: L.N. 7 of

2. Programmes of study shall be published by the Board after approval by Senate normally not less than eight months prior to the commencement of the course. Publication of programmes of study. 9.

(1)In mainly taught programmes of study, students shall be required to submit an individual dissertation in accordance with the guidelines issued by the Board. Dissertations. Substituted by: L.N. 333 of 2016.~ Renumbered/ Amended by: L.N. 7 of 2025.

(2)In the case of a mainly theoretical dissertation that pursues its goals through conceptual analysis or a dissertation that is based on empirical research and hypothesis testing the student is expected to deliver a dissertation of approximately 20,000 words.

(3)In the case of a dissertation that pursues its goals ‘through design’, the student is expected to deliver, present and discuss an artifact (or set of artifacts) and related reflections. In this case, the student is also asked to deliver a textual dissertation that can take a number of concurrent forms including qualitative research, quantitative research, annotated portfolios, reflections on strong concepts, the formulation of guidelines, etc. In this case, the text accompanying the design work would be of approximately 10,000 words.

(4)A provisional title for the dissertation and a detailed research proposal shall be submitted to the Board for approval by the beginning of the second semester.

(5)Work on the dissertation shall be undertaken during the third and fourth semesters of the course. Each student shall be assigned a principal supervisor who shall provide guidance and advice on a regular basis during the period of study. 10.

(1)In mainly by research programMES of study, students shall be required to submit an individual dissertation in accordance with the guidelines issued by the Board.

(2)In the case of a theoretical dissertation that pursues its goals through conceptual analysis or a dissertation that is based on empirical research and hypothesis testing, the student is expected to deliver a dissertation of approximately 30,000 words.

(3)In the case of a dissertation that pursues its goals ‘through design’, the student is expected to deliver, present and discuss an artifact (or set of artifacts) and related reflections. In this case, the student is also asked to deliver a textual dissertation that can take a number of concurrent forms including qualitative research, quantitative research, annotated portfolios, reflections on strong concepts, the formulation of guidelines, etc. In this case, the text accompanying the design work would be of approximately 20,000 words.

(4)A provisional title for the dissertation and a detailed research proposal shall be submitted to the Board for approval at the time of the call for applications.

(5)Work on the dissertation shall be undertaken at any time Individual dissertation. Substituted by: L.N. 333 of

1. Renumbered / Amended by: L.N. 7 of
2. 4 DEGREE OF MASTER OF SCIENCE IN DIGITAL GAMES M.Sc. - UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE INSTITUTE [ S.L.327.458 OF DIGITAL GAMES during the course after approval of the proposal. Each student shall be assigned a principal supervisor who shall provide guidance and advice on a regular basis during the period of study. Supervisor. Renumbered by: L.N. 7 of
3. 11.

(1)Students shall be required to have regular contact with their supervisor.

(2)The Board shall also appoint a Panel of Supervision for each student, normally composed of three members as follows: the Director of the Institute as chairman, and two other members, one of whom being the principal supervisor, provided that when the Director of the Institute is the principal supervisor, he shall not be appointed chairman.

(3)The Panel of Supervision shall follow, as it deems fit, the progress of students through the course, provided that it meets at least once every semester to review such progress.

(4)Students shall be required to report to their principal supervisor at least once every two months, and in addition as often as the principal supervisor deems necessary.

(5)Principal supervisors shall submit to the Panel of Supervision progress reports for each student under their supervision at the end of each semester of studies, whether the students are following the course on a full-time or a part-time basis. Such reports may include recommendations to either (

1. a)modify the title and/or content of the dissertation; (
2. b)extend the period of study in order to enable the student to complete the dissertation; or (
3. c)terminate studies prematurely if the principal supervisor deems this to be proper in the circumstances, provided that: (
4. i)the extension of the study period referred to in (
5. b)shall be in accordance with the provisions of the Principal Regulations; and (
6. ii)the Board may not terminate studies prematurely according to (
7. c)until it has first given the student a chance to be heard. Copies of the dissertation. Renumbered by: L.N. 7 of 2025. 12. Following approval by the Board of Examiners, students shall present three bound copies of the dissertation to the Institute, one of which shall be retained in the University Library, and one copy in digital form as an electronic file. Classification of the Awards. Renumbered by: L.N. 7 of 2025. 13. The Final Weighted Average Mark for the purpose of the classification of the Postgraduate Diploma and of the Degree shall be based on the results obtained in all the components of the programme of study, all credits being weighted equally. Special provisions for part-time courses. Renumbered by: L.N. 7 of 2025. 14. The provisions of the foregoing bye-laws shall apply mutatis mutandis to courses followed on a part-time basis, and subject to such changes as may reasonably be deemed by the Board as necessary due to the part-time nature of the course.