Degree of Master of Science in Product Design Engineering

RESOLUTION

The Degree of Master of Science in Product Design Engineering is governed by Resolution No. 644 of the University Court, the provisions of which are as follows:

1.    The Degree of Master of Science (MSc) in Product Design Engineering may be conferred by the University of Glasgow.

2.    The early exit awards of Postgraduate Diploma in Product Design Engineering and Postgraduate Certificate in Product Design Engineering are also included in the Regulations.

3.    It shall be the duty of the Joint Board of Management for Degrees in Product Design Engineering to consider annually the curriculum for the Degree and such other matters as may be remitted to it by the Senate, and to report to Academic Council and the Senate thereon.

4.    It shall be competent for the University Court on the recommendation of the Senate to recognise as teachers of the University for the purposes of the Degree such lecturers and other officers of The Glasgow School of Art having responsibilities for courses qualifying for the Degree as may be proposed for such recognition by the Joint Board or the Joint Liaison Committee, and the University Court shall be associated with the School in the appointment of any lecturer or officer of the School in respect of whom such recognition may be proposed.

5.    Before being considered for admission to study for an award to which these Regulations apply, a candidate must normally have obtained either a degree from a recognised University or an equivalent qualification to the satisfaction and approval of the Joint Board.

The Joint Board may take cognisance of the views of suitable outside individuals in considering applications.

6.    The University Court may appoint as an examiner for the Degree, but not as an external examiner, any teacher recognised in accordance with §4 hereof.

7.    The examiners shall be drawn from the Professors, Readers and Lecturers in the University of Glasgow and The Glasgow School of Art, whose subjects qualify for graduation in pursuance of §3, such examiners as are appointed in pursuance of §6 and such external examiners as may be appointed by the University Court, on the recommendation of the Joint Board.

8.    It shall be competent for the Senate on the recommendation of the Joint Board to constitute a GSA Final Examination Board, which shall have power to receive and to assess reports from individual examiners for transmission to the Senate.

9.    The Senate with the approval of the University Court may from time to time make regulations:

a)   determining the subjects of study and the course of instruction.

Reference is made in the Regulations to the College of Science & Engineering Section of the University Calendar which should be read in conjunction with this section.

REGULATIONS

1.   Duration of Study

The minimum period of study for the award of a Masters Degree is 12 calendar months. The maximum period for full-time study is 24 calendar months of registered study. The Academic Council of The Glasgow School of Art may recognise attendance given and examinations passed in another institution. The maximum period within which all candidates must complete the programme is five years from the date of initial registration.[1]

2.   Programme Components

2.1   In order to qualify for an award in respect of the programme specified in §11, a candidate must complete minimum credits[2] as follows:

i)    For the award of a Masters Degree: 180 credits, which includes both taught courses and a 60 credit (or more) dissertation or other substantial independent work.

ii)   For the award of a Postgraduate Diploma: 120 credits of taught courses.

iii)  For the award of a Postgraduate Certificate: 60 credits of taught courses.

2.2   The taught courses will normally be undertaken during the academic session (September - June) and are specified in the relevant Programme Specification. The length and nature of the Final Project is as specified in the relevant Programme Specification.

2.3   The taught courses for the Degree are:

Stage 1
i)	Core Research Methods for Design	20 CRD
ii)	PDE Introduction Project	10 CRD
iii)	Advanced Manufacture	20 CRD
iv)	Micro Electronics in Consumer Products	10 CRD
Stage 2
i)	PDE Human Factors	10 CRD
ii)	Integrated Engineering Design	20 CRD
iii)	PGT Course Elective from The Glasgow School of Art	20 CRD
iv)	Course Elective from University of Glasgow	10 CRD
Optional Courses (10 credits from the following):
v)	Software Engineering Instrumentation and Data Systems	10 CRD
vi)	Micro Electronics in Consumer Products 5M	10 CRD
Stage 3
i)	PDE Final Project	60 CRD

3.   Minimum Requirement for the Award of Credits

The minimum requirement for the award of credits for a component of the programme shall be specified by the Joint Board, and given to candidates in writing at the beginning of the programme component. This requirement shall normally include a specified minimum level of compliance with instructions in terms of attendance and completion of work, and a specified minimum level of performance in assessed work. Normally no grade or credits shall be awarded to a candidate who has not met these requirements.

4.   Assessment

4.1   For each academic session, assessment and reassessment are, in so far as not modified by these regulations, governed by the Code of Assessment which is contained in the ‘University Fees and General Information for Students’ section of the University Regulations published for that session.

4.2   Courses for which the candidate has registered must be counted towards the calculation of the candidate’s grade point average for the purposes of §5, §7 and §8 unless other provision is justified by good cause circumstances affecting the candidate. 

This regulation applies where course registration continues:

a)   on the date on which the first summative assessment for that course is to be submitted; or

b)   on such other date as may be specified in the course document for that course.

5.   Candidates for a Masters Degree: Progress

5.1   A candidate will be permitted to progress to preparation of the Final Project required by the degree, only if they have obtained a grade point average[3] of 9.0 or above in the taught courses described in §4 with at least 100 credits at grade D3 or above, and all credits at grade E3 or above. The Programme Specification may specify a course or courses in respect of which a specific grade is a minimum requirement of progression. Exceptionally, a candidate may be permitted to progress to the Final Project where it is judged[4] that the candidate’s performance offers a reasonable prospect of that candidate’s reaching the standard required for the award of the Masters degree following any outstanding opportunities (including reassessment and remedying incomplete assessment due to Good Cause).

5.2   A candidate who has commenced study midway through an academic session will be permitted to progress to preparation of the Final Project only if they have obtained a grade point average of 9.0 or above in the taught courses assessed by the end of the session in which study was commenced, with no more than 20 credits below grade D3, and all credits at grade E3 or above. The Programme Specification may specify a course or courses in respect of which a specific grade is a minimum requirement of progression. Exceptionally, a candidate may be permitted to progress to the Final Project where it is judged that the candidate’s performance offers a reasonable prospect of that candidate’s reaching the standard required for the award of the Masters degree following any outstanding opportunities (including reassessment and remedying incomplete assessment due to Good Cause).

5.3   A candidate may be required to commence work on the dissertation or other substantial work before the assessment of the taught courses referred to in §2 has been completed. Such a requirement shall not indicate that the candidate has satisfied the requirements for award in relation to the taught courses. In the event that subsequently, after all opportunities at assessment have been exhausted, the candidate fails to reach the standard on the taught courses for the award of the degree referred to at §7.1, the candidate will not be eligible for the award of the Masters degree, and the following will apply:

• If the dissertation or other substantial independent work has been submitted, it will be marked and a grade published.
• If the dissertation or other substantial independent work has not been submitted but is substantially complete and no further supervisory input is required, the candidate may submit the work by the published deadline. The work will be marked and a grade published.
• If the dissertation or other substantial independent work is not substantially complete or requires further supervisory input, the work should be discontinued and no submission made. No grade will be published for the candidate.

6.   Reassessment

6.1   A candidate will be permitted reassessment in any taught course, for which they have obtained grade D1 or below. A candidate will be entitled to one reassessment only in any course and the timing and nature of the reassessment will be as specified in the Programme Specification.

6.2   Reassessment of the Final Project will be permitted on one occasion only, under such conditions as the Examiners may prescribe in each particular case. Normally, resubmission should be no later than three months after the date of the meeting of the GSA Final Examination Board.

There is no automatic entitlement to repeat any previous practical work associated with the Final Project or to undertake further practical work.

6.3   The Programme Specification may specify more stringent criteria for reassessment on the basis of requirements of external bodies.

6.4   All reassessment results will be capped at grade C3.[5]

7.   Requirements for the Award of a Masters Degree and Rules for Award of Distinction and Merit

7.1   A candidate will be eligible for the award of the degree on obtaining a grade point average[3] of 9.0 or above in the taught courses described in §4, with at least 100 credits at grade D3 or above, and all credits at grade E3 or above, and obtaining grade D3 or above in the Final Project.

7.2   A candidate will be eligible for the award of Merit on achieving at the first attempt:

a)   a grade point average of 15.0 or above in the 180 or more credits completed on the programme; and

b)   a grade point average of at least 14.0 in the taught courses; and

c)   a grade of at least C1 in the dissertation or other substantial independent work.

7.3   Where a candidate has satisfied the requirements set out in §7.2(b) and (c), and their grade point average for the 180 or more credits completed on the programme at the first attempt falls within the range 14.1 and 14.9 the Board of Examiners shall have discretion to make the award with Merit.

7.4   A candidate will be eligible for the award of Distinction on achieving at the first attempt:

a)   a grade point average of 18.0 or above in the 180 or more credits completed on the programme; and

b)   a grade point average of at least 17.0 in the taught courses; and

c)   a grade of at least B1 in the dissertation or other substantial independent work.

7.5   Where a candidate has satisfied the requirements set out in §7.4(b) and (c), and their grade point average for the 180 or more credits completed on the programme at the first attempt falls within the range 17.1 and 17.9 the Board of Examiners shall have discretion to make the award with Distinction.

8.   Requirements for the Award of a Postgraduate Diploma or Postgraduate Certificate and Rules for Award of Distinction and Merit

8.1   The requirement for the award of a Postgraduate Diploma is a grade point average[3] of 9.0) in 120 credits, with not less than 80 of these credits at grade D3 or above. 

8.2   The requirement for the award of a Postgraduate Certificate is a grade point average of 9.0 in 60 credits, with not less than 40 of these credits at grade D3 or above.

8.3   A candidate who has achieved the requirements for a Postgraduate Diploma and who has a grade point average of at least 15.0 at the first sitting will be eligible for the award with Merit. Where the grade point average falls within the range 14.1 to 14.9 the GSA Final Examination Board shall have discretion to make the award with Merit.

8.4   A candidate who has achieved the requirements for a Postgraduate Certificate and who has a grade point average of at least 15.0 at the first sitting will be eligible for the award with Merit. Where the grade point average falls within the range 14.1 to 14.9 the GSA Final Examination Board shall have discretion to make the award with Merit.

8.5   A candidate who has achieved the requirements for a Postgraduate Diploma and who has achieved a grade point average of at least 18.0 at the first sitting will be eligible for the award with Distinction. Where the grade point average falls within the range 17.1 to 17.9 the GSA Final Examination Board shall have the discretion to make the award with Distinction.

8.6   A candidate who has achieved the requirements for a Postgraduate Certificate and who has achieved a grade point average of at least 18.0 at the first sitting will be eligible for the award with Distinction. Where the grade point average falls within the range 17.1 to 17.9 the GSA Final Examination Board shall have the discretion to make the award with Distinction.