Postgraduate research masters degree regulations

Note: the powers and duties conferred upon the Senatus under the sections marked + have been delegated to the individual School Boards.

General

1 The Masters Degree by research may be awarded following successful completion of a thesis which requires the equivalent of a minimum of one year's full-time study and research and which reflects specialised knowledge and understanding of particular areas, applications or expertise within a specific subject area.

2 The specific Masters Degrees which may be awarded are contained in the Schedule to these Regulations.

Admission

3 Before being admitted as a candidate for the Degree, a person must have obtained a Degree with Honours of the First or Second class in the University or in another university or institution recognised for this purpose by the Senatus Academicus. The Senatus may, in exceptional circumstances, admit a candidate who possesses such other qualification as it may approve for the purpose; and must also have satisfied the Senatus of fitness to undertake higher study and of the suitability of the work which it is proposed to undertake.

+4 Application for admission as a candidate for the Degree must be submitted to the Senatus Academicus.

+5.1 An applicant may be admitted as either a full-time or part-time candidate for the Degree, and may be either resident or non-resident in Dundee or its immediate vicinity.

5.2 In the case of non-residence in Dundee or its immediate vicinity, the appropriate School Board must be satisfied that the candidate has sufficient access to the necessary facilities for the prosecution of the proposed research and that supervisory arrangements, including thesis monitoring, are adequate.

Duration of study

6.1 The normal period of registration for the Degree shall be one calendar year from the date of first matriculation in the case of a full-time candidate and two calendar years in the case of a part-time candidate.

6.2 The maximum period of registration for the Degree shall be two calendar years in the case of a full-time candidate and three years in the case of a part-time candidate. An extension to the maximum period may be granted by the appropriate School Board under exceptional circumstances on the recommendation of the supervisor(s).

Matriculation

7 Each candidate for the Degree shall be required to matriculate in each academic year and to pay the prescribed tuition fees.

Supervision

8.1 Supervisors of the candidate's work shall be appointed by the School Board.

8.2 A candidate shall report to the supervisors on such occasions and in such manner as the supervisors may require. In addition, a candidate may be required by the supervisors, with the approval of the School Board, to attend courses of lectures or other instruction and may be required to pass an examination associated with such lectures or instruction.

Examination

9.1 The Senatus, on the recommendation of the School Board, shall appoint the University members of a committee to examine the thesis. The Court, on the recommendation of the Senatus as advised by the School Board, shall appoint one or more external examiners who shall not be members of the University.

9.2 The normal expectation is that the Examining Committee shall consist of three members: two internal examiners, one of whom shall be the convener, and one external examiner. Exceptionally an Examining Committee may consist of two members: an internal examiner, who shall act as convener, and an external examiner. None of the candidate's supervisors shall be an internal examiner.

9.3 An Examining Committee for a candidate for the Degree who is a member of the academic staff of the University must comprise two external examiners in addition to the internal examiners.

10 Each candidate for the Degree shall be required to submit to a viva voce examination. This requirement may be waived only in special circumstances with the agreement of the external examiner(s) by the School Board concerned.

11 The Examining Committee shall report to the Registry within a period of three months from the date of submission of the thesis by the candidate. Thereafter, the report of the Examining Committee shall be submitted to the Senatus at the meeting immediately following the date of the receipt of the report by the Registry.

12 The examiners shall prepare a joint report after the viva voce examination which shall include an agreed recommendation. In the exceptional case of irreconcilable disagreement between the examiners, each shall submit a separate report and the Senatus shall have the power to recommend to the Court the appointment of a further external examiner or examiners to examine the thesis.

13 A complete copy of the thesis must be submitted to each examiner in an approved style. Each copy shall be accompanied by a declaration signed by the candidate that the study and research has been carried out and the dissertation composed by the candidate, and that the dissertation has not been accepted in fulfilment of the requirements of any other degree or professional qualification.

Last Updated: September 2021

Schedule

The following one-year research Masters Degrees may be awarded:

LLM, MAcc, MDSc, MSc, MLitt, MFA, MDes