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General Regulations – Masters Degrees

The following regulations take precedence over the specific regulations for each Masters degree published elsewhere in this Calendar. As far as possible they are to be read in conjunction with the specific degree regulations for each Masters degree and the Guidelines for Masters students.

Note: For the purposes of these regulations:
(i) a thesis or research portfolio is worth between 90 and 120 points
(ii) a dissertation or research project is worth between 30 and 80 points.

General Requirements

1 A student enrolled for a Masters degree at this University must pass the full points value specified in the degree regulations. The total enrolment may not exceed the minimum points requirement for the degree by more than 40 points.

2 Deadlines for Completion

Notes:

1 For these purposes, the nominal starting date for Semester One is 1 March and for Semester Two 15 July.

2 In all cases for the calculation of due date, the semester of initial enrolment is deemed to be the first semester in which the student enrolled for a course which is assigned or reassigned to the programme.

3 Part-time study is defined as a student workload of fewer than 100 points over two semesters in one year or fewer than 50 points in one semester.

4 Where the enrolment in the programme is partially full-time and partially part-time, the maximum time for completion is to be based on the period for completion for part-time study provided that one semester of full-time study counts as two semesters of part-time study for the purposes of calculation of the completion date.

5 Due dates for submission are calculated according to the number of weeks available to complete the thesis or research portfolio, including the summer period.

Completion of Requirements

3 a Thesis or Research Portfolio

(i) A student whose programme includes a thesis or research portfolio must complete the requirements in accordance with the schedule in Regulation 2. However, the Head of the Department concerned may approve a short extension of time as shown in the schedule.

(ii) If, in exceptional circumstances beyond the student’s control, the thesis or research portfolio has not been able to be completed by the specified deadline (including any approved extensions given under Regulation 3a(i)), Senate or its representative, acting upon the recommendation of the Head of Department, may approve a limited extension of time, not normally exceeding one semester, for the work to be completed.

b Dissertation or Research Project

(i) A student whose programme includes a dissertation or research project must complete the requirements by the last day of the final semester of enrolment in the dissertation or research project.

(ii) If, in exceptional circumstances beyond the student’s control, the dissertation or research project has not been able to be completed by the above deadline, Senate or its representative, acting upon the recommendation of the Head of Department, may approve a limited extension of time, not exceeding two months.

c Taught Masters

(i) A student whose programme does not include a thesis, research portfolio, dissertation or research project must complete the requirements by the end of the final semester shown in the schedule above.

(ii) Extensions of time to complete work in examined courses or 100 percent coursework courses will not be granted beyond the end of the semester(s) in which the course is offered.

(iii) A student who has failed a course or courses of no more than 40 points may be approved by Senate or its representative to enrol for no more than one further consecutive semester beyond the deadline for completion specified in Regulation 2 in order to complete the degree.

Tuition Fees for Extensions of Time

4 Where an extension of time for the submission of a thesis, research portfolio, dissertation or research project is approved under Regulation 3a(ii) or 3b(ii), students will be required to be enrolled and pay tuition fees at the rate of 10 points for each two-month period or part thereof. This will only apply when the student’s current enrolment period in the course has ended.

Master of Fine Arts

5 A student enrolled in the Master of Fine Arts degree must complete their individual programme not later than 1 November in the year in which the work is undertaken or by such other date as may be approved by the Head of School of Fine Arts. In cases where the initial enrolment occurs in Semester Two a student must complete their individual programme not later than the last day of the first semester of the following year.

Honours

6 Where the regulations provide for the award of Honours, a Masters degree may be awarded with Honours where a student’s overall grade is sufficiently high. There are two classes of Honours: First Class Honours and Second Class Honours. Second Class Honours are awarded in either First Division or Second Division.

Eligibility for Honours

7 Where the requirements for the degree have not been completed in accordance with Regulations 2 and 3 a student’s eligibility for Honours will lapse. However, on the recommendation of the Head of Department, Senate or its representative may approve the retention of eligibility for Honours.

Theses

8 a The student is to submit two hard-bound copies of the thesis to the Graduate Centre by the date indicated for completion in the Schedule.

b The Head of Department is to transmit the submitted copies to the examiners.

c On completion of the examination, the supervisor of the thesis will be responsible through the Head of Department for the deposit of two copies with the University Library.

d Prior to 1 January 2011 a student may also deposit a digital copy of the thesis at the same time as the thesis is submitted to the Graduate Centre.

e On or after 1 January 2011, a student is required to deposit a digital copy of the thesis at the same time as the thesis is submitted to the Graduate Centre.

f The digital thesis deposited shall be formatted as specified in the Guidelines on Formatting and Submitting a Digital Thesis at The University of Auckland.

g After examination, a Masters thesis which is deposited in digital form will be accessible to authenticated users through the University’s digital repository unless embargoed under Clause 24 of the Examination Regulations.

h Theses which are failed in the examination will be removed from the University’s digital repository.

Research Portfolios, Research Projects and Dissertations

9 a Research portfolios, research projects and dissertations are to be bound as specified by the Faculty and submitted to the supervisor or department in accordance with Regulation 3a or 3b.

b The Head of Department is to transmit the submitted research portfolio, research project or dissertation to the examiners.

c Copies of research portfolios, research projects and dissertations are not deposited with the University Library, nor deposited with the University’s digital repository.

Substitutions and Failed Courses

10 Masters students may not change their enrolment in a course after the last date approved for deletions, except in exceptional circumstances as provided for in the Enrolment and Programme Regulations under Changes to Current Enrolment.

11 A Masters student may not normally re-enrol in a failed course except as provided for in the regulations relating to aegrotat and compassionate passes. In exceptional circumstances, the student may apply to Senate or its representative, on the recommendation of the Head of Department, for permission to re-enrol in the course and where approval is granted, the result achieved in the first attempt will not be considered in arriving at the overall grade for the programme.

12 Except as provided for in Regulation 11, calculation of the overall grade will include the grades given for all courses attempted in the degree. For the purposes of grade or mark calculation, Withdrawal, Did Not Sit and Did Not Complete will count as zero.

Suspension

13 Enrolment for a Masters degree will normally be continuous. In exceptional circumstances Senate or its representative, on the recommendation of the Head of Department, may grant a period of suspension from enrolment not normally exceeding two consecutive semesters. In such cases the period of suspension will not count towards the time limits for the degree.

Transfer Credits, Cross-credits and Reassignments

14 a Transfer credits

Except as provided for in Regulation 2e(iii) of the Credit Regulations, transfer credits may not be awarded for a Masters degree.

b Cross-credits

Courses may not be cross-credited into or from a Masters degree.

c Reassignments

With the approval of the Head of Department, courses may be reassigned as specified in Clause 9 of the Credit Regulations.

Certificate of Proficiency

15 a The Certificate of Proficiency regulations under ‘Other Programmes’ apply.

b A Certificate of Proficiency course may not be reassigned to a Research Masters degree.

c A Certificate of Proficiency course may be reassigned to a Taught Masters degree as specified in Clause 9 of the Credit Regulations.

Transitional Certificate

16 The Transitional Certificate regulations under ‘Other Programmes’ apply. A Transitional Certificate course may not be reassigned to a Masters degree.

Variations

17 In exceptional circumstances Senate or its representative may approve a personal programme which does not conform to the regulations for a Masters degree.

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Source: The University of Auckland 2012 Online Calendar
Last updated on: Tuesday 1 November 2011
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