Assessment
MSc students will complete 90 ECTS, 60 credits in taught modules, and a research project of 30 credits. Part-time students have a number of options through staged awards: The full-time P.Grad.Dip. in Year 1, followed by an upgrade to MSc in Year 2, is the preferred part-time route. A three-year part-time route is also available, for students to complete P.Grad.Cert (30 ECTS) in Year 1, P.Grad.Dip. upgrade (additional 30 ECTS) in Year 2, and M.Sc upgrade (Master’s Project 30 ECTS) in Year 3. All MSc students are required to take four mandatory modules (including the 30 ECT research projects) which total 55 ECTS.
In addition, candidates select a further 35 credits from 15 other module options to bring their total credits to 90:Students may opt for the strand in Computational Engineering. In this strand, students must select in addition, at least 15 ECTS out of the optional 35 ECTS from four Computational Engineering modules. Some of the module options may be withdrawn from time to time and some new modules may be added, subject to demand.
Assessments are based on both practical assignments and laboratories as well as written examinations. The written report required for the Master’s Projects is assessed by two readers who agree on a final mark. The pass mark for each module is 50% and the overall mark for the programme is the credit-weighted average of the mark awarded for each module. Interim module marks are published at the end of each semester.
Final results are determined at a Court of Examiners’ meeting with the external examiner present. Module assessments and dissertations are subject to external moderation. To qualify for the award of the MSc degree, students must submit a project report by the prescribed date and achieve a passing mark in the report and pass the taught modules.
Students who do not pass more than 10 ECTS of the taught modules (outright or by compensation) on the first sitting will not be allowed to submit the project report. Hence, they will not be eligible for the award of the MSc but may be eligible for the exit award of the P.Grad.Dip. upon completion of 60 ECTS.To pass the taught modules students must achieve an overall average mark on taught modules of at least 50% and pass taught modules amounting to 60 ECTS credits. In the event a student has failed up to 20 ECTS of taught modules it may be possible to “pass by compensation”. To “pass by compensation” a student must (i) achieve an overall credit-weighted average mark of at least 50% AND (ii) achieve a pass mark in taught modules carrying a minimum of 40 ECTS AND (iii) obtain a module mark of at least 40% in any remaining module(s). Students who have failed the taught modules (by virtue of not achieving the overall average mark of 50% and/or not passing taught modules amounting to 60 ECTS credits) may be re-assessed within the academic year with the agreement of the course coordinator.
Re-assessment is only available for failed modules amounting to 20 ECTS where at most 15 ECTS of modules were failed in any one semester and none of these modules could have been compensated. Different modalities of assessment are permitted in the reassessment session as determined by the programme. The same compensation regulations apply to reassessed modules as outlined above. Module marks for reassessed modules are not capped.
In order to qualify for the award of Masters with Distinction students must as a minimum (i) pass all taught modules and (ii) achieve a final overall average mark (taught modules and dissertation) for the course of at least 70% and iii) achieve a mark of at least 70% in the dissertation. A distinction cannot be awarded if a candidate has failed any taught module. Compensated modules are considered to be passed in this case. Students who do not pass the taught modules (either outright or by compensation) will be deemed to have failed overall and may apply to repeat the course.
P.Grad.Dip (exit award) A student who does not wish to submit a research project and be considered for the degree of MSc may instead opt to be considered for a Postgraduate Diploma by applying to the Course Coordinator in writing before the end of April. Where a student achieves a pass, outright or by compensation, in the 60 ECTS of taught modules and has an overall average mark of at least 50% for the taught component but does not reach the required standard in the research project, she or he may be eligible for the award of a Postgraduate Diploma.
To qualify for the award of the P.Grad.Dip, students must pass 60 ECTS of taught modules. Such students may compensate for 20 ECTS (between 40% and 49% only) as long as the overall credit weighted mark across 60 ECTS of taught modules is 50% or over and students have passed outright modules amounting to at least 40 credits. The Postgraduate Diploma may be awarded Distinction to candidates who, in addition, achieve an overall average mark of at least 70% across the 60 ECTS modules. In order to qualify for the award of Postgraduate Diploma with Distinction students must as a minimum (i) pass all taught modules and (ii) achieve a final overall average mark (taught modules) of at least 70%. A Postgraduate Diploma with Distinction cannot be awarded if a candidate has failed any taught module. Modules that are compensated are considered as passed in this situation.
Completion of Computational Engineering Strand To complete the Computational Engineering Strand students must pass at least 10 ECTS of modules (out of the 15 ECTS strand components) in the Computational Engineering strand with a mark of at least 50%
Further information on postgraduate applications can be found here.