The University awards Certificates, Diplomas, Bachelor’s Degree, Postgraduate Certificate, Postgraduate Diploma, Master’s degree, Doctor of Philosophy and Doctor of Education.
NOTE: The assignment of credit points to courses and programmes is currently under review.
1. CERTIFICATE PROGRAMMES
1.1 The University offers Certificates in a number of disciplines. To obtain a Certificate, candidates shall be admitted to the University in accordance with the Admission Regulations and follow a programme of study in one or more of the Schools of the University for a period of not less than 2 semesters provided that candidates who have been granted credits or exemptions under the Cross-Credit Regulations may complete their programme of study in such lesser time as the Senate may permit.
1.2 The programme of study for a Certificate shall consist of at least 19 Credit Points, comprising 15 Credit Points for courses at the 100 level, and 4 Credit Points for a course at the 200 level. Students may substitute a course at the 100-level with one at the 200-level, with the permission of the Dean of the School.
1.3 To obtain a Certificate, students shall be required to obtain 13 of the 19 Credit Points in the discipline in which the Certificate is to be granted.
1.4 The normal course load for the Certificate shall be 9 Credit Points in the first semester and 9 Credit Points in the second semester. Students may be permitted to take greater loads with the approval of the Dean of School.
1.5 No person shall enrol for a course unless the person has satisfied such prerequisites as the Senate may require for that course. Notwithstanding this regulation the Senate may, upon the recommendation of the Dean of the School, waive the requirements relating to prerequisites in individual cases. Prerequisites may include:
(a) a pass grade (excluding R) in a specified or unspecified course at a lower level, or
(b) completion of a specific course at the same level.
1.6 LLC101 is a compulsory course for the Certificate programme.
2. DIPLOMA PROGRAMMES
2.1 The University offers Diplomas in various disciplines. To obtain a diploma, candidates shall be admitted to the University in accordance with the Admission Regulations and follow a programme of study in one or more of the Schools of the University for a period of not less than 3 (three) semesters provided that candidates who have been granted credits or exemptions under the Cross-Credit Regulations may complete their programme of study in such lesser time as the Senate may permit.
2.2 The programme of study for a diploma shall consist of at least 39 Credit Points, comprising 21 Credit Points for courses at the 100-level, and 18 Credit Points for courses at the 200-level. Students may substitute a course at the 200-level with one at the 300-level and one at the 100-level with one at the 200-level, with the permission of the Dean of the School.
2.3 To obtain a Diploma, students shall be required to obtain at least 24 Credit Points out of the 39 required Credit Points in the discipline in which the Diploma is sought.
2.4 No person shall enrol for a course unless the person has satisfied such prerequisites as the Senate may require for that course. Notwithstanding this regulation the Senate may, upon the recommendation of the Dean of the School, waive the requirements relating to prerequisites in individual cases. Prerequisites may include:
(a) a pass grade (excluding R) in a specified or unspecified course at a lower level, or
(b) completion of a specific course at the same level.
2.5 LLC101 and UUU100 are compulsory courses for all Diploma Programmes.
3. BACHELOR’S DEGREE PROGRAMMES
NOTE: The assignment of credit points to courses and programmes is currently under review.
General programme regulations for Bachelor’s Degree (other than LLB & MBBS)
3.1 The University offers the degree of Bachelor in discipline areas. To obtain a degree of Bachelor of the University, candidates shall be admitted to the University in accordance with the Admission Regulations and follow a programme of full-time study in one or more of the Schools of the University normally for a period of not less than 6 semesters, except candidates who have been granted credits or exemptions under the Cross-Credit Regulations may complete their programme of study in such lesser time as the Senate may permit.
3.2 The programme of study for the degree of Bachelor shall consist of at least 80 Credit Points, comprising 24 Credit Points for courses at the 100-level, 28 Credit Points for courses at the 200-level and 28 Credit Points for courses at the 300- level. Students may substitute a course at the 200-level with one at the 300-level and one at the 100-level with one at the 200-level, with the permission of the Dean of the School.
3.3 To obtain a Bachelor’s Degree, students shall be required to obtain such number of Credit Points out of the 360 required Credit Points, as is prescribed by the Senate from time to time.
3.4 The Bachelor’s Degree shall be structured so that it consists of either a single major (with a minor) or a double major.
3.5 For a single major, the following requirements must be completed:
(a) a minimum of 38 Credit Points and a maximum of 57 Credit Points (except the BIT which has 65 credit points) in the discipline of the single major. Of the minimum 38 Credit Points required, at least 16 Credit Points must be in the 100-level courses, and at least 16 Credit Points in courses at the 200-level and 16 Credit Points at the 300-level.
(b) the balance of the Credit Points shall include a minor, compulsory course and other courses.
(c) the minor shall be in a discipline other than the major discipline which shall consist of 18 Credit Points (a service course may be a part of the minor). Of these at least 6 Credit points shall be in the 100-level courses and at least 2 Credit Points in the 200-level and the 300-level courses.
3.6. For a double major, the following requirements must be completed:
(a) a minimum of 26 Credit Points and a maximum of 37 Credit Points in each of the two disciplines. Of the 26 Credit Points required, at least 6 Credit Points must be in courses at the 100-level, at least 12 Credit points must be in courses at the 200-level and at least 8 Credit Points must be in courses at the 300-level.
(b) the balance of the Credit Points shall be from other courses, with at least 9 Credit Points in the 100-level courses and the prescribed number of Credit Points in compulsory courses.
3.7 The normal course load for the Bachelor Degree shall be 12 Credit Points in a 15-week semester for courses at the 100, 200 and 300-levels, and 4 Credit Points in a summer school. Students may be permitted to take greater loads with the approval of the Dean of the School. A student is normally allowed to take an overload if:
(a) the student’s GPA for the semester immediately before that in which the overload is to be taken is 3.0 or better, or
(b) if the overload would allow the student to graduate in the final year.
3.8 No person shall enrol for a course unless the person has satisfied such prerequisites as the Senate may require for that course. Notwithstanding this regulation the Senate may, upon the recommendation of the Head of the School, waive the requirements relating to prerequisites in individual cases. Prerequisites may include:
(a) A pass grade (excluding R) in a specified or unspecified course at a lower level, or
(b) Completion of a specific course at the same level.
3.9 The following courses are compulsory for all Bachelor degrees except for the MBBS and LLB degrees:
ITC101 Computing Platforms
3 Credit Points
| FIJ111 Spoken Fijian for Beginners OR | 2 Credit Points |
| HIC111 Spoken Hindi for Beginners | 2 Credit Points |
| LLC101 English for Academic Purposes | 3 Credit Points |
| UUU100 Social Research | 3 Credit Points |
| UUU200 Contemporary Fiji | 4 Credit Points |
| UUU300 Governance and Ethics | 4 Credit Points |
| Total | 19 Credit Points |
3.10 The following courses are compulsory for the MBBS and LLB degrees:
| FIJ111 Spoken Fijian for Beginners OR | 2 Credit Points |
| HIC111 Spoken Hindi for Beginners | 2 Credit Points |
| ITC101 Computing Platforms | 3 Credit Points |
| LLC101 English for Academic Purposes | 3 Credit Points |
| Total | 8 Credit Points |
4.0 POSTGRADUATE PROGRAMMES
NOTE: The assignment of credit points to courses and programmes is currently under review.
4.1 Postgraduate Diploma
4.1.1 To qualify for a Postgraduate Diploma, (except the Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice), a candidate shall satisfactorily earn a minimum of 24 Credit Points normally made up of 4 courses of 6 Credit Points each.
4.1.2 Each Postgraduate Diploma shall have clearly defined core and optional courses approved by Senate and listed in the University Calendar.
4.1.3 Full-time candidates shall normally take courses equivalent to 24 credit points per semester.
4.1.4 The maximum period of candidature for the Postgraduate Diploma shall be two years of full-time study or four years of part-time study.
4.1.5 Students shall not be allowed, during their candidature for the Postgraduate Diploma, to suspend their studies for more than six months.
4.2 Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice
The Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice shall comprise of 60 Credit Points taken in not more than 6 months of full-time study
All candidates must:
- Demonstrate competency in all aspects of the programme
- Attend all workshops on each component of the course
- Complete all assignments on time. Penalties will incur for late submission of assignments.
- Adhere to all general/academic rules and regulations of the University
4.3 Master’s degree
NOTE: The assignment of credit points to courses and programmes is currently under review.
4.3.1 The degree of Master is normally taken after the Postgraduate Diploma.
4.3.2 A candidate for the degree of Master shall follow a programme of studies approved by the Senate. The programme of studies may contain a combination of courses and thesis or research projects, which, together, must amount to a minimum of 48 Credit Points.
4.3.3 The degree of Master is normally a 2-year programme of full-time study.
4.3.4 Students for the degree of Master shall complete time in residence amounting to one semester.
4.3.5 A student of the degree of Master shall normally follow a minimum prescribed programme of four courses (24 Credit Points) and either:
(i) supervised research leading to the preparation of a Thesis (24 Credit Points) embodying the results of the research, or
(ii) two further courses (12 Credit Points) and a minor thesis (12 Credit Points), or
(iii) two further courses (12 Credit Points) and an approved number of Research Projects (12 Credit Points).
(iv) or four more courses (24 Credit Points).
4.3.6 In special cases, as approved by the University Postgraduate Committee, a student of the degree of Master may follow a programme consisting of fewer than four courses (24 Credit Points) and supervised research or entirely of supervised research (24 Credit Points) leading to the preparation and presentation of a thesis embodying the results of that research.
4.3.7 A Thesis, minor Thesis, or Project must not contain any material which the student has previously submitted for a degree of any university.
4.3.8 A Thesis (including notes and bibliography) shall normally be between 30,000 and 40,000 words in length.
4.3.9 A minor Thesis shall normally be between 15,000 and 20,000 words in length.
4.3.10 The requirements for Project Reports shall be specified by the course lecturers.
4.3.11 The University Postgraduate Committee shall appoint a supervisor or supervisors for every research student. One of the supervisors shall be a member of the academic staff of the University and shall be referred to as the University supervisor.
4.3.12 (a) The tenure of the degree of Master shall be from the date of registration and shall not include any period during which, with the prior approval of the University Postgraduate Committee, students have been allowed to suspend their studies.
(b) Students shall not be allowed, during their candidature for the degree of Master, to suspend their studies for more than six months.
(c) The minimum period of candidature for the degree of Master shall be one-and-a-half years of full-time study or two-and-a-half years of part-time study.
(d) The maximum period of candidature for the degree of Master shall be three years of full-time study or five years of part-time study and shall be inclusive of any period for which the student was a student of the Postgraduate Diploma.
4.3.13 Students shall submit to the University Postgraduate Committee twice each year, at the end of the first and second semesters, reports on their progress with the thesis during the preceding semester. The report shall also have comments by the student on the observations made by the supervisor.
4.3.14 The following procedures shall apply in respect of the presentation of the Thesis or the minor Thesis:
(a) Students for the degree of Master shall present their Thesis or the minor Thesis for examination within three years (or five years in the cases of part-time students) of initial enrolment for the degree, but these periods may in special circumstances be extended by the University Postgraduate Committee for up to twelve months.
(b) Students shall submit two copies of their Thesis or minor Thesis to the Registrar.
(c) The Thesis or minor Thesis may be soft cover or ring-bound for the purpose of the examination but, before the award of degree, students must deposit for retention by the University two hard-bound copies which have been corrected or otherwise modified as required by the University.
(d) When the Thesis or minor Thesis is forwarded to the examiners it shall include a statement by the student, accompanied by a certificate from the University supervisor, stating that the Thesis or minor Thesis is work carried out by the student under direct supervision of a supervisor. The University supervisor shall indicate what part he or she has played in the preparation of the Thesis or minor Thesis.
(e) The Senate shall, on the recommendation of the University Postgraduate Committee, appoint two examiners for the Thesis, one of whom shall normally be internal to the University and the other shall be a person not on the staff of the University.
(f) The University supervisor shall not normally be one of the examiners for the Thesis.
(g) The Senate shall, on the recommendation of the University Postgraduate Committee, appoint two examiners for the minor Thesis, both of whom may be internal to the University.
(h) The University supervisor shall not normally be one of the examiners for the minor Thesis.
(i) Projects shall be examined and assessed by course lecturers.
4.3.15 (a) Having examined a student’s Thesis or minor Thesis, each examiner shall report independently to the Registrar, on the form provided, and indicate if:
(i) the Thesis or minor Thesis clearly merits a pass, or
(ii) the Thesis or minor Thesis does not merit a pass, or
(iii) additional work on the Thesis or minor Thesis be undertaken by the student and the work be re-examined by the internal examiner, or
(iv) additional work on the Thesis or minor Thesis be undertaken by the student and the Thesis or Minor Thesis be re-examined by both examiners.
(b) The examiners shall not consult with each other before presenting their reports.
(c) In submitting his or her report, each examiner shall indicate whether or not the student should be required to undergo an oral, written or practical examination and whether or not consultation between the examiners should take place. After receiving the reports, the Registrar shall arrange for any such examination and/or consultation to take place. Following such examination and/or consultation, each examiner shall submit a report confirming or amending his or her original recommendation.
4.3.16 (a) After considering the recommendations of the examiners, together with the comments from the University Postgraduate Committee, the Senate shall decide:
(i) to award the degree, or
(ii) not to award the degree, or
(iii) to permit the student to submit either an amended or, subject to clause 3.2.18 below, a re-written Thesis within a fixed period of time, or
(iv) to take such actions as it deems appropriate (which may include appointment of an external adjudicator).
(b) Where substantial agreement is not reached by the examiners, the Senate may appoint an external adjudicator.
4.3.17 A student will not be allowed to submit a substantially re-written Thesis on more than one occasion after the original submission.
4.3.18 The Senate may, in respect of any recommendation made under Clause 4.2.16 (a) (iii) or (iv), specify the period within which such additional work shall be completed, and the Thesis re-submitted.
4.3.19 The Senate may also require a candidate for the Masters degree to appear for an oral examination on the subject of his/her Thesis.
4.3.20 Where the degree is awarded, the area or field of study shall be included in the title of the degree.
4.3.21 To qualify for the award of the degree of Master, a student must:
(a) obtain passing grades in all the required courses, and
(b) submit a thesis or minor thesis or Supervised Research Project adjudged by the examiners to be of at least a pass standard; and
(c) satisfy the requirement for the deposit with the University Librarian 2 bound copies of the Thesis or minor Thesis. The University Librarian must confirm in writing to the Registrar that copies of the Thesis or minor Thesis along with an electronic copy on a CD have been received by the Library.
4.4 Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
4.4.1 (a) The degree of Doctor of Philosophy consists largely of a Thesis which is judged by the student’s internal and external examiners as an original work that enhances the existing body of knowledge and comprise of 360 Credit Points.
(b) Candidates for the PhD degree shall enrol provisionally for 12 months. During the first six months of this period, the candidate shall normally complete two Doctoral level courses, one covering advanced research methodology, and the other, the Thesis topic. In the second six months, the candidate shall prepare a research proposal to the satisfaction of his/her supervisor(s) who shall report to the University Postgraduate Committee. Towards the end of the second six months of provisional enrolment, the candidate shall present the research proposal at a seminar organised by the appropriate School. At the end of the provisional enrolment, and on the recommendations of the supervisor(s) and the University Postgraduate Committee, the Senate may either endorse or cancel the candidature.
4.4.2 Supervisors: Senate shall appoint a supervisor or supervisors for every Doctoral student. One of the supervisors shall be a member of the academic staff of the University and shall be referred to as the University Supervisor.
4.4.3 Residence: Students enrolled for a PhD programme are required to complete time in residence amounting to a minimum of two semesters to ensure that they get adequate support from the supervisor(s) especially in the initial stages. Students may apply to the University Postgraduate Committee through the supervisor for exemption from this requirement. Even if the request is granted, the student may be required to visit the University for consultation with the supervisor if in the opinion of the supervisor and the University Postgraduate Committee, there are compelling reasons to do so.
4.4.4 Students: After the initial registration, PhD students shall be required:
(a) to re-register each year until the Thesis has been presented, and
(b) to pursue courses of advanced study and research at the University to the satisfaction of Senate and of his or her University supervisor for a period of at least two and a half years from the date of registration, during which the student shall work on advanced study and research full-time, provided that Senate may allow a student to pursue his or her studies at another institution for such a period as it shall determine, and provided also that laboratory /field work may be carried out in an approved institution outside the University for such a period or periods as may be determined by Senate, and
(c) to submit a Thesis embodying the results of the research and to satisfy any requirements for oral, written, practical or other work that may be required by Senate.
(d) students shall submit to the University Postgraduate Committee twice each year, at the end of each semester, a report on their progress with the Thesis. The report shall also have comments by the supervisor and comments by the student on the observations made by the supervisor.
4.4.5 Candidacy:
(a) The tenure of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy shall be from the date of registration and shall not include any period during which, with the prior approval of Senate, students have been allowed to suspend their studies.
(b) Students shall not be allowed, during their candidature for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, to suspend their studies for more than one year.
(c) The minimum period of candidature for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy shall be three years full-time study and four years of part-time study.
(d) The maximum period of candidature for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy shall be five years of full-time study and seven years of part-time study.
4.4.6 Submission of Thesis
(a) A student who has fulfilled the conditions prescribed in these regulations may apply to the Registrar to have his or her Thesis examined.
(b) Students shall supply with this application three copies of the Thesis in a form prescribed by Senate.
(c) The Thesis may be soft cover or ring-bound for the purpose of the examination but, before the award of the Degree, students must deposit for retention by the University two hard-bound copies which have been corrected or otherwise modified as required by the University.
(d) Before a student submits a Thesis, the University Supervisor must be satisfied that the student has completed his or her programme of advanced study and that the conditions specified in Clauses 4.3.4 and 4.3.5 have been fulfilled, and a certificate to this effect from the University Supervisor shall accompany the Thesis when it is submitted.
(e) Where there is disagreement over this certificate between the University Supervisor and the student, the University Postgraduate Committee shall make an appropriate recommendation to Senate.
(f) The Thesis shall represent a substantial and original contribution to knowledge and should contain evidence of originality, independent critical ability and matter suitable for publication.
(g) The Thesis may not contain any material which the student has previously submitted for a degree of any University.
(h) A Doctoral Thesis (including notes and bibliography) shall not normally exceed 100,000 words in length.
4.4.7 Thesis Examination
(a) On the recommendation of the University Postgraduate Committee, Senate shall appoint three examiners, one of whom shall be, subject to (b) below normally be internal to the University. The other two examiners shall be persons not on the staff of the University.
(b) Persons involved in the supervision of the Thesis shall not be engaged as examiners.
(c) The Registrar shall submit a copy of the Thesis and a copy of the Report Form to each examiner.
4.4.8 Examiners’ Reports
(a) Prior to reporting, the examiners may require the student to undergo such oral, written or practical examinations as they may specify to the Registrar.
(b) The examiners shall not consult with each other before presenting their reports.
(c) Each examiner shall submit a full written report to the Registrar or nominee on the form provided and shall specify whether:
(i) the degree be awarded to the student, or
(ii) the degree not be awarded to the student, or
(iii) additional work on the Thesis be undertaken by the student and the Thesis be re-examined by the internal examiner, or
(iv) the student undertake substantial revisions to the Thesis and the Thesis be re-examined by all examiners.
4.4.9 The reports of the examiners shall initially be considered by the University Postgraduate Committee, which shall make recommendations to the Senate.
4.4.10 After considering the recommendations of the examiners, together with the comments from the University Postgraduate Committee, Senate shall decide
(a) to award the degree to the candidate, or
(b) not to award the degree, or
(c) to allow the student to submit either an amended or a re-written Thesis within such further period as may be prescribed, or
(d) to take such other action as it deems appropriate.
4.4.11 Where substantial agreement is not reached by the examiners, Senate may appoint an external adjudicator. The report of the external adjudicator shall be forwarded to the Registrar who shall submit it to the University Postgraduate Committee (UPC) for consideration. The UPC may report its findings to Senate for further guidance.
4.4.12 Resubmission of Thesis
(a) Senate may, in respect of any recommendation made under Clause 4.3.10 (c) and (d), specify the period within which such additional work shall be completed, and the Thesis resubmitted.
(b) A student shall not be permitted to submit a substantially re-written Thesis on more than one occasion after the original submission except in exceptional circumstances, with the express approval of Senate. Senate may permit the student to revise the Thesis and resubmit it for examination on one further occasion only, and specify the period within which it must be resubmitted.
4.4.13 The Senate may also require a candidate for the Doctoral degree to appear for an oral examination on the subject of his/her Thesis.
4.4.14 Award of PhD
Students satisfying the requirements for the award of the degree also have to satisfy the requirement for the deposit with the University Librarian of two bound copies of the Thesis and an electronic copy on a CD. To satisfy this requirement, the University Librarian must confirm in writing to the Registrar that the required copies of the Thesis have been received by the Library.
