L.S. 327.665 Doctorate in Research Programme Regulations

(3)members and no more than five

(5)members, all of who are affiliated with MCAST and take on the role of senior academic or senior management within MCAST. All members shall hold a doctoral qualification and have held, or presently hold, a senior position within MCAST. On average DDC members are expected to dedicate an average of two

(2)contact hours per week towards the operations of the DDC, with the exception of the Chair of the DDC who shall be expected to dedicate an average of five

(5)contact hours per week that will include the tasks of recording and reporting. “Professional Research Doctorate” (DRes) means the programme that shall run over a minimum of five

(5)years on a part-time basis, and is aimed at professionals that hold relevant first and masters degrees. The main component of the programme is an applied research endeavour of PhD level, initiated through a Post-Graduate Certificate in Research Meth ods programme or comparable alternative. “Principal Supervisor” means an expert in both the research theme and the identified research methodology who shall dedicate significant time towards the mentoring and guidance of the Doctoral Candidate. “Second Supervisor” means an expert either in the research theme or the identified research methodology, or possibly both, and shall dedicate adequate time towards the additional support and guidance of the Doctoral Candidate. The Principal Supervisor and the Second Supervisor shall constitute the Candidate’s supervisory team. “Examiner Panel” means the Examiner Panel that shall be selected by the DDC in the composition outlined in this Regulation and shall report to the DDC on the implementation and outcome of the final doctoral viva. “Arbitration Panel” means the Arbitration Panel that shall be selected by the DDC in the composition outlined in this Regulation Short Title. Interpretation. 1 2 [ S.L. 327.665 DOCTORATE IN RESEARCH PROGRAMME and shall report to the DDC on issues of conflict as outlined in this Regulation. Admission to the Professional Research Doctorate Programme “Doctor of Professional Research” means the title held by a Doctoral Candidate who successfully completes the full doctoral journey shall be that of ‘Doctor of Professional Research’, identified by the post-nominals ‘DRes’. 3.

(1)In order to be admitted to the Doctoral Programme, candidates must satisfy one of the following four

(4)eligibility criteria: (a) A relevant first degree and a relevant masters qualification at sixty

(60)ECTS, with at least five

(5)years relevant industry or research experience; (b) A relevant first degree and a relevant masters qualification at ninety

(90)ECTS, with at least two

(2)years relevant industry or research experience; (c) A masters qualification in the MCAST MVEAR at one hundred and twenty

(120)ECTS, with at least two

(2)years relevant industry or research experience; (d) A relevant masters qualification at ninety

(90)ECTS, and at least ten

(10)years of relevant industry or academic experience;

(2)The candidate who wishes to follow the MCAST Professional Research Doctorate will approach the most appropriate MCAST senior academic in view of the chosen field concerning his/her doctoral research, and discuss the academic’s willingness to act as Principal Supervisor. Once a senior MCAST academic has declared himself/herself willing to act as Principal Supervisor, the Doctoral Candidate will, in consultation with this supervisor, apply to the DDC to join the doctoral programme by submitting the following appropriately compiled documents by end of September of that particular academic year: (

1. a)Form titled ‘Request for Admission to the Doctoral Research Programme’ shown in Schedule 1, that includes a statement of willingness from the identified Principal Supervisor. (
2. b)Post-Graduate Research indicated by MCAST. (
3. c)Certified copies of qualifications, and proof of identity. (
4. d)Written evidence obtained from MG2i of a payment agreement or contract for payment of due fees, that are established from time to time and published Proposal Form as DOCTORATE IN RESEARCH PROGRAMME [ S.L. 327.665 3 accordingly. Alternative to this may be proof of scholarship funding, that replaces or supports the programme fees.

(3)Following receipt of the above documentation the DDB shall make a decision on the request, and if in the affirmative, appoint the suggested Principal Supervisor if indeed suitable in accordance to Article 4

(2), and one second supervisor within one month of receiving the request. If the DDB conclude with a negative recommendation, this shall be provided in writing to the candidate, and will include the grounds on which this decision is based and possible guidance on how the candidate can strengthen a future application. 4.

(1)Doctoral Candidates shall be provided with one Principal Supervisor and one Second Supervisor for the research stages of the doctoral programme.

(2)The Principal Supervisor shall be an MCAST Senior Academic or visiting part-time senior academic. This supervisor must be significantly knowledgeable on both the theme of chosen re s e a r c h a nd o n t he r e s e a r c h m e th o do l o gy pe r ti n e n t t o t h e particular DRes.

(3)Principal Supervisors may take on no more than a maximum of four

(4)candidates at any one time, and shall dedicate (per student) an average of one and a half (1.5) contact hours per week for thirty-six

(36)weeks of each academic year, excluding the academic year relating to the student’s acquisition of the PostGraduate Certificate in Research Methods that normally takes place in the foundation year of the programme.

(4)The duties of the Principal Supervisor shall include, but not necessarily limited to, the following actions: (

1. a)Holding regular meetings and discussions with the Candidate and the Second Supervisor, within the remit of the available contact hours that the Supervisor has at his or her disposal. Provide general academic guidance Candidate as deemed necessary. to the (
2. b)Regularly read the academic materials created by the Candidate and provide formal feedback and direction on how to possibly enhance these written materials. (
3. c)Maintain records of interactions with Candidate and of the ongoing performance of the Candidate. (
4. d)Provide an annual review and associated report on the general progress of the Candidate. (
5. e)Provide a final evaluation report on the Candidate’s dissertation prior to the viva, for the benefit of the Appointment and Duties of the Principal Supervisor and of the Second Supervisor 4 [ S.L. 327.665 DOCTORATE IN RESEARCH PROGRAMME Examiner Panel.

(5)The DDB shall be tasked with replacing a Principal Supervisor who has opted to leave his/her position within MCAST, with an appropriate alternative within six

(6)weeks of initial notice. If a candidate alternatively requests for a change in Principal Supervisor, this will be decided upon by the DDB and if due justification of the reason is provided, conceded to within three

(3)months of initial notice. Candidates are advised to refrain from a request to change Principal Supervisor unless completely necessary, in view of the possible set back that this will have on the timing of the doctoral journey.

(6)The DDB shall select a Second Supervisor who is also an MCAST senior academic or visiting part-time senior academic or in senior administrative management. This second supervisor must be significantly knowledgeable in either the theme of the chosen research, or in the chosen research methodology, or possibly both.

(7)Second Supervisors may take on no more than a maximum of six

(6)candidates at any one time, and shall dedicate (per student) an average of half and hour (0.5) contact hours per week for thirty six

(36)weeks of each academic year, excluding the academic year relating to the student’s acquisition of the PostGraduate Certificate in Research Methods that normally takes place in the foundation year of the programme.

(8)The duties of the Second Supervisor shall include, but not necessarily limited to, the following actions: Doctoral Progress and Examination of the Final Doctoral Dissertation (

1. a)Assist the Principal Supervisor in guiding the Doctoral Candidate. (
2. b)Determine, in consultation with the Principal Supervisor, how the Second Supervisor can be involved in the regular scheduled meetings between the Principal Supervisor and the Candidate. (
3. c)Provide concise feedback and opinions on the academic materials presented by the Candidate at the various programme stages, particularly the dissertation writing stage.

(9)The DDB shall be tasked with replacing a Second Supervisor who has opted to leave his/her position within MCAST, with an appropriate alternative within eight

(8)weeks of initial notice. The Doctoral Candidate cannot request for a change in Second Supervisor. 5.

(1)Following completion of the Post-Graduate Certificate in Research Methods that takes place in the first, foundation year of the doctoral journey, the candidate shall take on a main research task that will normally be over an additional four years on a parttime basis. Candidates may extend this main research period without need of DDC specific approval for a further year, assuming that agreement is reached with the Principal Supervisor. Candidates DOCTORATE IN RESEARCH PROGRAMME [ S.L. 327.665 may furthermore place a request to the DDC to extend their main research period for up to two additional years, meaning that the doctoral journal may take up to a maximum of eight years to complete in total. The DDC will not have the authority to extend beyond this maximum period of eight years.

(2)Deliverables throughout the full Doctoral Journey are summarized in the following table, and normally follow a linear trajectory: Deliverable 1 Deliverable 2 Deliverable 3 Deliverable 4 Deliverable 5 Successful Completion of the MCAST PostGraduate Certificate in Research Methods, at EQF Level 7, 30 ECTS. Presentation of EarlyStage Research Findings at a Key International Conference. Submission and Acceptance of PeerReviewed Academic Paper in a Reputable, Relevant Journal coauthored by the Principal Supervisor. Submission and Acceptance of PeerReviewed Academic Paper in a Relevant Journal with an Established Impact Factor. Approved by the MCAST Masters in Research Methods coordination team. Final Viva Conclusion of Examiner Panel Following Viva. Dissertation Peer-reviewed research paper or peerreviewed working paper or peer-reviewed poster exhibit. Evidence of Journal Acceptance of Paper. Evidence of Journal Acceptance of Paper. At the end of each academic year the DDC shall task the Principal Supervisor with submitting a review report in a provided format, that outlines the progress of the candidate and any issues of concern. The DDC may opt to meet up with the candidate and one or both supervisors if it is felt that the intervention of the DDC is required. The DDC shall formally notify the Doctoral Candidate of the progress that is registered. The Candidate is tasked with providing all of the necessary 5 6 [ S.L. 327.665 DOCTORATE IN RESEARCH PROGRAMME research and progress works that the Principal Supervisor requires to be able to compile the annual review report.

(3)Viva-based Final Assessment: The viva-based final assessment shall take place within six

(6)months of the Candidate submitting the formal dissertation for evaluation. The doctoral viva follows the implementation mechanisms set out in MCAST internal regulations. The Examiner Panel shall request initial evaluation repo rts from b oth th e Pri ncip al Su pervisor an d the Seco nd Supervisor, and will take these reports into consideration when evaluating the doctoral dissertation. The Candidate may opt to enter a viva even if guided otherwise by his or her supervisors, but this is strongly recommended against.

(4)The Examiner Panel: The final dissertation submission shall be of PhD rigour, and shall be examined by an Examiner Panel that is identified by the Doctoral Degree Committee, and that responds and reports to the Doctoral Degree Committee. The Panel shall consist of the following composition, with the Principal Supervisor attending in a silent, non-voting capacity if he or she has the consent of the candidate to attend the viva session: (

1. a)Panel Convenor: Chosen from amongst MCAST Senior Academic Management Staff. (
2. b)External Examiner: A person who is external to MCAST and who is identified by MCAST to be an expert in the field, and who holds a relevant doctoral qualification, ideally holds a professorship position, and who has supervised at least ten

(10)doctoral dissertation students. (

1. c)A significant publication list shall be sought as evidence of academic standing. (
2. d)Internal Examiner: A person identified by MCAST who is a full-time senior academic within MCAST and who holds a relevant doctoral qualification and has significant knowledge in the particular research theme and/or the research methodology that has been adopted by the Candidate. (
3. e)Panel Secretary: A person identified by the Office of Administration to coordinate and record the full viva process, and report on proceedings.

(5)The final outcome of the DRes dissertation viva shall take on one of the five grading options shown below. The Examiner Panel shall be tasked with providing to the DDB an adequately detailed and conclusive examiner report with two weeks of candidate completion of the viva, identifying which grading option has been convened. It shall be the responsibility of the DDB to convey all necessary result information to the Doctoral Candidate, possibly through the Principal Supervisor. This formal notification DOCTORATE IN RESEARCH PROGRAMME [ S.L. 327.665 shall be completed within one week for the DDB to provide the candidate with the formal viva result information. In the possible event that the Examiner Panel are in internal disagreement, a majority vote shall be cast and taken as final direction for the DDB to act upon. Option 1 Pass with No or Minimal Amendments Option 2 Pass with Lesser Amendments Option 3 Pass with Significant Amendments Option 4 Viva Repeat and Dissertation Revision and Resubmission The Examiner Panel is highly satisfied with the Doctoral Dissertation and approves the dissertation manuscript with no or minimal amendments that can be completed within up to four

(4)weeks of being formally notified of viva outcome. The Examiner Panel is satisfied with the Doctoral Dissertation and approves the dissertation manuscript with limited amendments that can be completed within up to twelve

(12)weeks of being formally notified of viva outcome. The Examiner Panel considers the Doctoral Dissertation to be a pass, but identifies significant amendments that can be completed in up to six

(6)months and need to be approved by both the Principal and the Second Supervisor. The Examiner Panel considers the Doctoral Dissertation to be a marginal fail, and requests that a significant revision and resubmission takes place within one

(1)academic year. Candidate shall sit for a second and final repeat viva approximately one year after this first viva. This will be the final viva opportunity of the candidate. 7 8 [ S.L. 327.665 Option 5 Duties and Responsibilities of the Doctoral Candidate DOCTORATE IN RESEARCH PROGRAMME Fail The Examiner Panel considers the Doctoral Dissertation to be a significant fail and requests that the candidate terminates his or her doctoral journey forthwith. The Panel may opt to award the candidate with a Masters by Research certificate, if it is deemed justified that the work being submitted is of adequate masterslevel rigour. 6.

(1)The Doctoral Candidate shall be expected to conduct his or her research in proper and full ethical rigour, meticulously following MCAST internal regulations, and any other ethicsrelated guidance or direction provided by the MCAST Research Ethics Committee (REC) and/or the relevant Institute Research Committee (IRC).

(2)The Doctoral Candidate shall complete all of the deliverables outlined in Article 5

(2)to be able to fully graduate with the doctoral qualification.

(3)The Doctoral Candidate is expected to attend and present on behalf of MCAST papers at conferences where appropriate under the guidance of the supervisory team.

(4)The Doctoral Candidate shall ensure that he or she is holds regular communications with the supervisory team, and shall keep due track of work progress, interactions and feedback in a DRes logbook that will be provided for this purpose.

(5)The Doctoral Candidate is to fully abide by all relevant MCAST regulations, such as the MCAST plagiarism policy and all other pertinent regulations. Format and Content of Doctoral Dissertation

(6)The Doctoral Candidate shall be responsible for his or her final doctoral dissertation, ensuring that the innovative contribution in the particular area of research is a result of his or her own independent work. 7.

(1)The Doctoral Dissertation shall be compiled in English and shall be carefully proof-read by the Doctoral Candidate prior to submission. The Examiner Panel may opt to refuse to evaluate a dissertation that falls below the expectations of a properly compiled doctoral endeavor.

(2)The dissertation manuscript that is submitted to the Principal Supervisor for final approval must be identical in form a n d c o n t e nt t o t h e do c t o r a l d i s s e r t a t i o n m a n us c r i pt t h a t i s subsequently provided to the Examiner Panel.

(3)The Doctoral Candidate shall carry out a plagiarism check utilizing an MCAST-approved plagiarism check tool on the dissertation manuscript prior to submitting the final version, and shall include the plagiarism evaluation report with the submission. The Examiner Panel shall give due weight to the plagiarism report DOCTORATE IN RESEARCH PROGRAMME [ S.L. 327.665 when carrying out their review of the dissertation.

(4)The design and content of the dissertation shall be in such a manner that it can be reproduced by photocopying, printing and electronically. Advertising in the dissertation is strictly prohibited.

(5)The Doctoral Candidate is to provide two spiral-bound colour copies of the final dissertation to the supervisor team, as well as an identical electronic version for replication purposes. The DDB shall reproduce other copies of the dissertation for internal use and to provide to the Examiner Panel as necessary.

(6)Following a successful viva examination, and after the necessary revisions have been made to the dissertation and duly approved, the Doctoral Candidate is to provide three hard-bound, colour dissertation copies to the Principal Supervisor for internal dissemination. The cover, spine and back page of the hard-bound dissertation copies are to follow the format and design stipulated in MCAST internal regulations. This task is to be completed before the degree awarding ceremony takes place.

(7)Intellectual Property Rights: The Doctoral Candidate shall retain full intellectual property rights over the work he or she has produced. MCAST shall retain the full right to store and display the dissertation in its library and online repositories, and to utilize the dissertation for the purposes of education and research. MCAST thus shall have full right, and full permission, and full licence to copy, publish, make available, distribute or disseminate the dissertation manuscript in any manner worldwide, via any possible medium available.

(8)Temporary Embargo: In exceptional cases where a Doctoral Candidate may advocate a temporary embargo on the publication of the dissertation, the Candidate must submit to Principal Supervisor the prescribed filled-in form. The Candidate will need to present a detailed reason of why such an embargo is advocated to the Principal Supervisor, who will approve or reject the embargo request, and if approved, decide on which length the embargo shall be retained. The Principal Supervisor shall consult with the Doctoral Degree Committee in decisions relating to a temporary embargo.

(9)The Doctoral Dissertation shall include the following elements, and shall aim to follow the following guidelines and limitations: The following section provides information regarding the design of the front cover, dissertation chapter structure, layout, font size and line spacing. No page designs are to be included within the doctoral dissertation. Front Cover For details of front cover and binding of dissertation copies, refer to MCAST internal regulations 9 10 [ S.L. 327.665 DOCTORATE IN RESEARCH PROGRAMME Front Page This page is to include in font size Times New Roman 14 and 1.5 line spacing: MCAST logo positioned in top right corner Dissertation title (bold font) and full justified Doctoral Candidate’s name and surname (italics) Supervisor/s name and surname (italics) Month, the year when the dissertation is submitted. Authenticity Statement Page The following text: ‘A dissertation submitted to the Department or Centre concerned in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Professional Research. This page is to include in font size Times New Roman 12 and 1.5 line spacing: Text 1: This dissertation is based on the results of research carried out by myself, is my own composition, and has not been previously presented for any other certified or uncertified qualification Text 2: The research was carried out under the supervision of (name of dissertation supervisor/ s – Title, Name and surname) ‘Copyright Statement’ Page Signature and Date This page is to include in font size Times New Roman 12 and 1.5 line spacing Text 1: In submitting this dissertation to the MCAST Department or Centre concerned, I understand that I am giving permission for it to be made available for use in accordance with the regulations of MCAST and the Library and Learning Resource Centre. I accept that my dissertation may be made publicly available at MCAST’s discretion. Signature and Date. DOCTORATE IN RESEARCH PROGRAMME ‘Acknowledg ment’ Page [ S.L. 327.665 This page is to include: in font size Times New Roman 12 and 1.5 line spacing the list of people that the Doctoral Candidate would like to thank on the completion of the dissertation. For example ‘Mr Name Surname, who supported me during my dissertation work as my tutor’. Acknowledgements should be kept to a maximum of five people. 11 12 [ S.L. 327.665 DOCTORATE IN RESEARCH PROGRAMME ‘Contents’ Page This page is to include in font size Times New Roman 12, with 1.5 line-spacing the main items of the dissertation indicating the page from where each item starts. The contents include: Dissertation Title (and corresponding page number) Authorship Statement (and corresponding page number) Copyright Statement (and corresponding page number) Abstract (and corresponding page number) Acknowledgements (and corresponding page number) Contents (and corresponding page number) List of Abbreviations (and corresponding page number) List of Figures (and corresponding page number) List of Tables (and corresponding page number) *Chapter 1 : Introduction (and recommended page number) Chapter 2: Literature Review (and recommended page number) Chapter 3 : Research Methodology (and recommended page number) Chapter 4 : Findings/ Analysis of Results and Discussion (and recommended page number) Chapter 5 : Conclusions and Recommendations (and recommended page number) (* The chapter mentioned above may be adapted according to the research methodology and research design requirements) List of references (and recommended page number) Bibliography (and recommended page number) Appendices (and recommended page number). Refer also to Appendix 1 for sample of contents page. DOCTORATE IN RESEARCH PROGRAMME Subsequent Pages [ S.L. 327.665 The font of all the remaining text (following the contents page) is to be font size Times New Roman 11, 1.5 line spacing and printed on onesided pages. A wide left-hand side margin of 3.7 cm is to be included throughout the dissertation. Other margins are to be set at 2.5 cm Quotations of more than three lines should begin on a new line, indented on the 2.5 cm from the main text. Pages are to be numbered consecutively, in bottom right corner, using Roman numbers for the initial pages and natural numbers starting from the first page of Chapter 1. It is normal for chapters to have sub-sections (1, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, etc.) to display text in a more readable format. 13 14 [ S.L. 327.665 DOCTORATE IN RESEARCH PROGRAMME The Dissertation presented for the Doctor of Professional Research shall be no fewer than 80,000 words with a tolerance margin of 15% higher word count. Guideline for Content of Main Sections Abstract (400 – 500 words) This section should clearly state what the study is about, summarizing how it was carried out and what the results were. References are not to be included in the abstract. It should present only the essentials of the work in general and up to 5 main keywords placed at the end of the section. Introduction (2,000 – 4,000 words) In this section, the Doctoral Candidate is expected to state: the ‘problem’ or ‘question’ being researched; why this topic was chosen; what motivated the Doctoral Candidate to choose this topic; why did the Doctoral Candidate investigate it the way they did; what problem did the Doctoral Candidate wish to explore; what is the context for the research? Literature Review (12,000 – 15,000 words) The main purpose of a literature review is to show the reader that the Doctoral Candidate studied and analyzed viewpoints of other researchers on the problem under consideration. A literature review is not just a summary of the books read but rather a thorough analysis of other viewpoints on the problem being analysed. DOCTORATE IN RESEARCH PROGRAMME [ S.L. 327.665 Research Methodology (10,000 – 13,000 words) This section should make about 20% of a dissertation. It presents the chosen research methods and explains why these methods are effective. Findings, Analysis of Results and Discussion (30,000 – 38,000 words) Guideline for Content of Main Sections This section includes critical discussion about the Doctoral Candidate’s findings and shows how these findings support the original objectives laid out for the dissertation, which may be partially or fully achieved, or even exceeded. The Doctoral Candidate may also include new areas of an investigation prompted by developments in the research dissertation. Above all, it is required to present strong arguments which show how findings may offer a valid contribution to the development of the subject of the selected research area or issues related to it. Conclusions and Recommendations (5,000 – 10,000 words) In this chapter, the Doctoral Candidate has to evaluate the significance of the work done and give recommendations for any further investigations. Bibliography This section demonstrates what sources were used to conduct research. All sources presented in a bibliography list should be sorted alphabetically. References The Doctoral Candidate is generally requested to use the MCAST-identified (See Regulation 100) Harvard referencing style in the dissertation: 15 16 [ S.L. 327.665 Supervisor Approval and Feedback on Doctoral Dissertation DOCTORATE IN RESEARCH PROGRAMME 8.

(1)The Principal Supervisor will consult with the Second Supervisor on all issues relating to the evaluation of the Doctoral Dissertation, and shall aim to represent this two-person supervisory team in all dealings and interactions with the Doctoral Degree Committee and with the Examination Panel.

(2)If the supervisory team is of the opinion that the Doctoral Dissertation meets the requirements of the DRes, the Principal Supervisor shall give his or her final approval to the DDC for the dissertation manuscript to be provided to the Examiner Panel for evaluation through viva.

(3)The Principal Supervisor shall coordinate the compilation and collection of the initial evaluation reports from both the Principal Supervisor and the Second Supervisor, to be subsequently provided to the Examiner Panel.

(4)The implementation of any changes to the dissertation manuscript, after it has been finally approved by the supervisory team, is only permitted with the express permission of the Principal Supervisor in consultation with the Second Supervisor.

(5)The Principal Supervisor shall submit the final approved dissertation manuscript, together with both initial evaluation reports, to the Doctoral Degree Committee to be provided to the identified Examiner Panel for evaluation through viva. The DDC shall ensure that the full sequence of actions, from date of candidate submission of manuscript to date of completion of viva, does not exceed six months at maximum. Arbitration Mechanism

(6)If the Doctoral Candidate believes that the dissertation manuscript is ready and of adequate quality for successful viva d efen ce bu t no approv al i s fort hco mi ng from t he P rinci pal Supervisor, then he or she may refer the matter to the Doctoral Degree Committee for intervention. The DDC may opt to intervene, either to communicate with the supervisory team to expedite matters or possibly to allow the Candidate to approach the viva notwithstanding that there is no approval, or if there are negative reviews, from part of the supervisory team. 9.

(1)Arbitration may be sought by the Doctoral Candidate, either whilst within the doctoral passage or possibly as an outcome of the Examiner Panel conclusions following viva evaluation of the dissertation manuscript. The arbitration is an internal doctoral progress mechanism that aims as resolving and reconciling and does not impede the candidate from escalating a case to the MCAST Grievance Office or externally to the Office of the Ombudsman or to other legal recourses.

(2)In event of arbitration sought by the Doctoral Candidate during the course of progress in the doctoral journey due to a significant dispute between the Candidate and the supervisory team, the Candidate is requested to formally communicate this dispute to the Doctoral Degree Committee. The DDC shall attempt to mediate the issue and to find an amicable solution. If no solution is found the Candidate may opt to request a change in supervisory team, being clearly cognizant of the implications and possibly difficulties that could be encountered when replacing one or both DOCTORATE IN RESEARCH PROGRAMME [ S.L. 327.665 supervisors. The Candidate shall bear joint responsibility for this decision, and with full awareness of its implications.

(3)In event of arbitration sought by the Doctoral Candidate due to a significant disagreement with the outcome and final evaluation of the Examiner Panel following the doctoral viva, the Candidate is requested to formally communicate this dispute to the Doctoral Degree Committee. The DDC will establish an Advisory Committee, consisting of no less than three

(3)members and no more than five

(5)members, to provide it with a guided opinion on the validity of the Candidate’s claim. This Committee shall include one member from the MCAST Board of Governors, another member from senior academic management and a third member from senior academic standing. In the event that the Advisory Committee deems the claim to be unsubstantiated or erroneous, the DDC shall sanction the earlier conclusion of the Examiner Panel. In the event that the Advisory Committee deem the claim to be substantiated, the DCC shall opt to reconvene a new viva session with an entirely new viva team.

(4)In the possibility that one or both members feel that their position as supervisor to the particular Candidate is untenable for any reason, the member/s may request to the Doctoral Degree Committee to permanently remove them from the supervisory team. The DDC shall seek due reason for conceding to this request, and if in agreement, take action to replace one or both supervisors with minimal possible disruption to the progress of the Candidate. 10.

(1)MCAST shall hold a doctoral graduation once yearly, that will be included with the graduations of candidates of its postgraduate programmes.

(2)In the graduation ceremony, the successful Doctoral Candidate shall be required to don the robes that are identified by MCAST to befit the doctoral title being bestowed on the candidate.

(3)The successful candidate shall be given the title of Doctor of Professional Research denoted by the post-nominals ‘DRes’, by the Principal MCAST or his delegate, in the graduation ceremony. Schedule 1 Request for Admission into the Doctoral Research Programme Candidate Statement of Intent: Principal Supervisor Statement of Intent: Doctoral Graduation and Title 17 18 [ S.L. 327.665 DOCTORATE IN RESEARCH PROGRAMME Candidate Summary of Qualifications: Candidate Summary of Professional Experiences: Candidate Confirmation of Accepting full DRes Regulations: