General Regulations – Bachelors Honours Postgraduate Degrees
The following regulations take precedence over the specific regulations for each Bachelors Honours Postgraduate degree published in this Calendar. As far as possible they are to be read in conjunction with the specific degree regulations for each Bachelors Honours Postgraduate degree. The Bachelors Honours Postgraduate degree will not be awarded until the requirements for the qualifying Bachelors degree have been completed.
Note: For the purposes of these regulations:
(i) a Bachelors Honours Postgraduate degree is a stand-alone 120-point qualification with Honours in the title that follows a cognate bachelors degree and where entry is based on specific achievement in that bachelors degree
(ii) a research component consists of a dissertation, research portfolio, research essay, research project or thesis worth between 30 and 120 points
(iii) a research essay or research project will normally be worth no more than 45 points
(iv) a dissertation will be worth at least 40 points and less than 90 points
(v) a research portfolio or thesis will be worth 90 or 120 points
(vi) the ‘academic unit’ is the Department or School or other academic unit in which the student is enrolled.
General Requirements
1 A student enrolled for a Bachelors Honours Postgraduate 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.
Duration of Enrolment
2 The requirements for a Bachelors Honours Postgraduate degree must be completed within:
a one year of initial enrolment for the degree if enrolled full-time
or
b two years of initial enrolment for the degree if enrolled part-time.
3 In all cases, the term of initial enrolment is deemed to be the first term in which the student enrolled for a course which is assigned or reassigned to the programme.
Completion of Requirements
4 a A student enrolled for a Bachelors Honours Postgraduate degree must complete all work in taught courses by the last day of the semester in which the course is taught.
b A student enrolled in a thesis or research portfolio as part of their Bachelors Honours Postgraduate Degree must complete at least one progress review during their research. Failure to complete a progress review by the required due date may result in enrolment in the thesis or research portfolio being suspended.
c The specified date for submission of a dissertation, research essay, research portfolio, research project or thesis of 30 points or more that is included in a bachelors honours postgraduate degree is the last day of the final term of enrolment in the dissertation, research essay, research portfolio, research project or thesis.
d (i) If, in exceptional circumstances beyond the student’s control, the dissertation, research essay, research portfolio, research project or thesis has not been able to be completed by the last day of the final term, on consideration of an application from the student and appropriate supporting evidence, the Supervisor may approve a limited extension of time, not exceeding one month in total, and the Associate Dean Postgraduate Research may approve a limited extension of time, not exceeding two months in total (including any extension approved by the Supervisor). The Supervisor may not decline an application but may refer it to the Associate Dean Postgraduate Research with a recommendation that it be declined.
(ii) If an extension application is declined by the Associate Dean Postgraduate Research, the student may make an application for a review of that decision. An application for review must be made in writing to the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Education) within one month of the decline being officially communicated to the student. The application must clearly set out the grounds for the review, and all relevant documents relied upon must be submitted with the application for review. The decision of the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Education) will be final.
(iii) If an application is received for an extension of beyond two months, or the application is received more than two weeks after the deadline for submission of the research component to which it applies, then the application must be forwarded, with a recommendation from the Associate Dean Postgraduate Research, to the Pro-Vice Chancellor (Education) for a decision.
(iv) The Pro Vice-Chancellor (Education) may approve a limited extension of time of up to two months or more than two months. The decision of the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Education) will be final.
e A student who has failed a course or courses of no more than 40 points may be approved by the Associate Dean Postgraduate Research to enrol for no more than one further consecutive term beyond the duration of enrolment specified in Regulation 2 in order to complete the degree.
f In extraordinary circumstances the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Education) may approve extensions of time beyond those permitted in 4d, for an individual or nominated group of students.
Dissertations / Research Essays / Research Projects / Research Portfolios / Theses
5 a Dissertations, research essays, research projects, research portfolios and theses are to be submitted to the academic unit in accordance with Regulation 4.
b The academic unit is responsible for transmitting the submitted dissertation, research essay, research project, research portfolio or thesis to the examiner(s).
c Copies of dissertations, research essays, research projects and research portfolios are not deposited with the University’s digital repository.
d Where the outcome of the examination of a thesis is to award a thesis a passing grade:
(i) Within one month of being advised of the outcome of the examination, the student must complete any minor corrections required to the satisfaction of the supervisor and deposit a digital copy of the thesis in ResearchSpace in the University Library. The relevant faculty will confirm that the thesis has been deposited in ResearchSpace.
(ii) The thesis will be accessible through the University’s digital repository unless embargoed under Regulation 26 of the Examination Regulations.
e Where the outcome of the examination is to award a thesis a fail grade the thesis will not be held in the University’s digital repository.
Appeal of Thesis, Research Portfolio, Dissertation, Research Essay or Research Essay examination outcome
6 a A student may appeal the outcome of a thesis, research portfolio, dissertation, research essay or research project examination only on the grounds that the result was materially impacted by a procedural flaw in the examination process.
b Any application for appeal must be lodged within three months of the result of the examination being officially communicated to the student.
c Appeals will be considered in accordance with the Examination of Sub-Doctoral Postgraduate Research Components of 30 Points and Above Procedures.
Tuition Fees for Extensions of Time
7 a Where an extension of time for the submission of a dissertation, research portfolio, research essay, research project or thesis is approved under Regulation 4d, students will be required to be enrolled and pay tuition fees at the rate of 5 points for each one-month period or part thereof. This will only apply when the student’s current enrolment period in the course has ended.
b In extraordinary circumstances the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Education) may waive part or all of any tuition fees for extension courses related to dissertations, research projects, research essays, research portfolios or theses for an individual or nominated group of students.
Honours
8 a A Bachelors Honours Postgraduate degree will only be awarded when the student has passed a research component of at least 30 points, comprising a single identifiable course.
b Honours will be awarded in one of three classes: First Class Honours, Second Class Honours, or Third Class Honours. Second Class Honours are awarded in either First Division or Second Division.
c First Class Honours may be awarded where a student has achieved an overall Grade Point Average of 7.0 or higher. Second Class Honours First Division may be awarded where a student has achieved an overall Grade Point Average between and including 5.5 and 6.9. Second Class Honours Second Division may be awarded where a student has achieved an overall Grade Point Average between and including 4.0 and 5.4. Third Class Honours may be awarded where the student has achieved an overall Grade Point Average of 3.9 or below. The overall Grade Point Average will be rounded to one decimal place for the purpose of this Honours calculation.
9 Only courses completed at the University of Auckland will be included in the calculation of Honours. Fail grades and Did Not Sit and Did Not Complete grades will count as zero.
Submission
10 a Dissertations, research essays, research portfolios, research projects and theses are to be submitted to the supervisor or department in accordance with Regulation 4c.
b The relevant academic unit is responsible for the transmission of the submitted dissertation, research essay, research portfolio, research project or thesis to the examiner(s).
c Copies of dissertations, research essays, research portfolios, research projects and theses are not deposited with the University’s digital repository.
Suspension
11 a (i) Enrolment for a Bachelors Honours Postgraduate degree will normally be continuous. In exceptional circumstances the Associate Dean Postgraduate Research may approve a period of suspension from enrolment not exceeding two consecutive terms. In such cases the period of suspension will not count towards the time limits for the degree.
(ii) If a suspension application is declined by the Associate Dean Postgraduate Research, the student may make an application for a review of that decision. An application for review must be made in writing to the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Education) within one month of the decline being officially communicated to the student. The application must clearly set out the grounds for the review, and all relevant documents relied upon must be submitted with the application for review. The decision of the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Education) will be final.
b In exceptional circumstances the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Education) may approve a period of suspension of enrolment exceeding two consecutive terms on the recommendation of the Associate Dean Postgraduate Research. In such cases the period of suspension will not count towards the time limits for the degree.
c If a suspension application is received from a student after an extension application for the same research component has been approved, or for a term prior to the current term of enrolment, the application must be forwarded to the Pro-Vice Chancellor (Education) for a decision. If approved the period of suspension will not count towards the time limits for the degree. The decision of the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Education) will be final.
Transfer Credits, Cross-credits and Reassignments
12 a Transfer credits
Transfer credits may be awarded for a Bachelors Honours Postgraduate degree as specified in the Credit Regulations.
b Cross-credits
Courses may not be cross-credited into or from a Bachelors Honours Postgraduate degree.
c Reassignments
(i) With the approval of the Programme Director, courses may be reassigned as specified in the Credit Regulations.
(ii) If enrolment in the Bachelors Honours Postgraduate degree is not being discontinued, approval to reassign must not be given if the courses proposed to be reassigned meet the requirements for the Bachelors Honours Postgraduate degree and the reassignment will result in an increase in the grade point average for the Bachelors Honours Postgraduate degree.
Certificate of Proficiency
13 The Certificate of Proficiency regulations under ‘Other Programmes’ apply.
Transitional Certificate
14 The Transitional Certificate regulations under ‘Other Programmes’ apply. A Transitional Certificate course may not be reassigned to a Bachelors Honours Postgraduate degree.
Delegation of decision-making
15 a The decision makers named in these regulations may delegate their decision-making power under these regulations to another nominated role. This delegation must be in writing.
b Where decision-making authority is delegated:
(i) The delegated authority can be exercised in the same way and to the same effect as if the original listed decision maker performed or exercised it .
(ii) The decision maker that made the original delegation remains responsible for the performance or exercise of the authority.
Variations
16 In exceptional circumstances the Provost may approve a variation to the General Regulations – Bachelors Honours Postgraduate Degrees.