Postgraduate Rules

Article 1:

The following terms are defined as follows:

Name: These regulations are called Regulations for Postgraduate Studies at Al-Madinah International University?.
Constitution: The Constitution of Al-Madinah International University.
University: Al-Madinah International University.
Senate: The Senate that is established in accordance with Section 19(1) of the Constitution.
Institute: The Institute of Postgraduate Studies.
Board: The Board of the Institute of Postgraduate Studies.
Faculty: Any Faculty of the University’s Faculties established under Section 21(1) of the Constitution.
Department: Any department of study in the Faculty.
Dean: The Dean of a Faculty who has been appointed under Section 20(4) of the Constitution.
Student: A person who has registered for any of the graduate programmes at the University.
Supervisor: A person appointed by the Faculty to supervise a candidate in his programme of study.
Co-Supervisor: A person appointed by the Faculty to help in the supervision of a candidate in his programme of study.
Consultant: A person who is not a faculty member of any university appointed by the Faculty to assist in the supervision of a candidate in his programme of study;
Programme of study: A group of subjects, research or a combination of such subjects and research offered for the purpose of fulfilling the requirements for the award of Graduate Diploma, Master’s, or PhD degrees.
Subject of study: Means a unit of education or training conducted over a prescribed period of time, usually within one semester and which contributes to credits in a programme of study.
Dissertation: Means the written product of a research undertaken and submitted in respect to an academic degree or specialized certificate.
Academic year: Academic year at the University.
Semester: A prescribed period in an academic year which is comprised of normal semesters and special semesters as determined by the University.
Academic record: A record that clarifies the academic progress of the student, including the subjects of study with their codes, numbers, number of modules, the grades he obtained, the codes of these grades, the semester average, accumulative average, total average, and the subjects exempted.

Article 2:

The membership of the Board of Postgraduate Studies is as follows:

The Dean of the Institue of Postgraduate Studies (IPS), as Chairman of the Board.
The Deputy of the IPS, as the Secretary of the Board.
A representative of each faculty appointed by a decision of senate for two years subject to renewal.

Article 3:

The board holds a meeting once per month-at least- according to invitation from the chairman. The meeting must not be hold if the attendees less than two thirds of the board members, who decide on the majority votes of attendees. In the case of equal votes, the chairman side will be considered. The decisions assigned to the university senate to be approved. The board may formulate temporary and permanent committees among its members to study the assigned matters.

Article 4:

The board of postgraduate studies is responsible of coordinating, developing, and managing of graduate studies in the university, this will be including the following:

Suggest the general policy of board of postgraduate studies, in addition to change, coordinate, and implement the policy after its approval.
Suggest internal policies by coordination with faculties regarding the management of postgraduate studies.
Suggest the admission criteria in postgraduate studies after studying these criteria and coordinating between them and existing programs.
Recommend to approve the suggested programs after studying the programs and coordinating between them and existing programs.
Recommend approving subjects of postgraduate studies and the changes happened to these programs.
Recommend the names of postgraduate certificates and report them to the senate.
Recommend to award academic degrees.
Deciding on matters of postgraduate students in the university.
Formation of committees to supervise dissertations and their discussion.
Set the general framework of the research plan and the organizational rules for the writing, printing, producing, and submitting of academic dissertations and the samples of the discussion committee reports and dissertation judgment.
Evaluation of postgraduate programs in the university through committees or bodies within the university or form outside.
Study the periodical reports of postgraduate studies that are submitted by faculties.
Review the matter assigned from the senate or the rector and recommend as required.

Article 5:

The institute of postgraduate studies (IPS) is entrusted with the responsibility for the effective administration of the postgraduate study programmes at Al-Madinah International University. It is responsible to ensure proper implementation of policies related to postgraduate programmes, that all postgraduate programmes offered are innovative and up-to-date, and that the overall administration of postgraduate studies in terms of admission, student records and other requirements are done professionally.

Article 6:

The graduate certificates awarded are:
1. Diploma
2. Masters degree
3. Philosophy of doctorate degre

Article 7:

The names of awarded certificates will be as the same names of the offered programs with referring to the specializations.

Article 8:

The authority that is awarding the postgraduate certificates is the senate of the university.

Article 9:

The senate determines the number of students to be admitted every year in postgraduate studies based on a recommendation of the board of postgraduate studies and suggestions from the Faculty Board.

Article 10:

The senate determines the dates of academic calendar for postgraduate studies in the university based on a recommendation of the board of postgraduate studies.

Article 11:

A candidate admitted into postgraduate studies shall posses the following minimum qualification:

The applicants for diploma or master’s degree shall posses a Bachelors Degree in a related field from MEDIU or equivalent from another recognized University. The applicants for PhD degree shall posses a master’s Degree in a related field or equivalent from recognized University. Any other academic qualifications equivalent to (1) or (2), as approved by the Senate. The board of postgraduate studies may add any other conditions as required.

Article 12:

First: In addition to the academic requirements, an applicant is also required to possess a sufficient level of English language proficiency by obtaining one of the following:

The Senate may waive the English requirement for candidates who have obtained their degrees where English has been used as the main medium of instruction such as USA, UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, or those who obtained good scores in English language programmes from MEDIU.

Second: In addition to the academic requirements, an applicant is also required to possess a sufficient level of Arabic language proficiency in the specializations taught in Arabic language through passing the Arabic placement test (MAPT) or equivalent.

The Senate may waive the Arabic language requirement for candidates who have obtained their degrees where Arabic has been used as the main medium of instruction or those who obtained good scores in Arabic language programmes from MEDIU or Arabic is their mother tongue.

Third: if the student failed to meet the Arabic and English language requirements, or he failed to pass the interview, he is required in this case to sit for the language placement test in MEDIU.

Article 13:

Other conditions:

The candidate is free from any disciplinary action or any other pending disciplinary action. The candidate must pass successfully any test or interview stipulated by the university as a part of admission qualifications. The candidate must meet any other conditions stipulated by the senate.

Article 14:

The board of postgraduate studies may require the candidate to pass a number of complementary subjects from previous stage within a period not more than 3 semesters in the following cases:

If the applicant applied to a program that is not related to his specialization in the master of PhD study. If the student’s qualification is less than the required qualification for any program or if the student is matured enough with good experience. Based on the following rules:

The candidate must pass the complementary subject with average not less than (good). The CGPA of the complementary subjects must not be less than (good). The candidate is not allowed to enroll in the postgraduate programs unless he passes the complementary subjects. The faculty may allow the candidate to enroll in the postgraduate subjects if the candidate has only one or two of the complementary subjects. The period of studying the complementary subjects will not be considered in the program duration of study. The complementary subjects will not be considered in the calculation of CGPA for postgraduate studies.

Article 15:

It is not allowed to enroll in two programs at the same time.

Article 16:

Candidates who are enrolled in structure (A) may register in the first week of each month.

Article 17:

For candidates who are enrolled in structure (B) and (C), the registration date for new students will be after getting the offer letter, and the registration date of rounding students will be after the issuance of the exam results of the previous semester and will be continue until the end of the first week of the semester.

Article 18:

While studying at MEDIU, the candidate is not allowed to register for any program in another university.

Article 19:

The registration quorum for student enrolled in structures (A) and (B) in Diploma is:

The registration quorum of full time student of any semester is (12) hours as a minimum and (18) hours as a maximum.
The registration quorum of part time student of any semester is (6) hours as a minimum and (9) hours as a maximum.
The registration quorum of full time student who is getting a warning because of his low CGP is (12) hours.
The registration quorum of part time student who is getting a warning because of his low CGP is (6) hours.

Article 20:

The registration quorum for student enrolled in structures (B) and (C) in masters program is:

The registration quorum of full time student of any semester is (12) hours as a minimum and (18) hours as a maximum.
The registration quorum of part time student of any semester is (6) hours as a minimum and (9) hours as a maximum.
The registration quorum of full time student who is getting a warning because of his low CGP is (12) hours.
The registration quorum of part time student who is getting a warning because of his low CGP is (6) hours.

Article 21:

The registration quorum for students enrolled in structures (B) of Philosophy of Doctorate program is:

The registration quorum of full time student of any semester is (12) hours as a minimum and (18) hours as a maximum.
The registration quorum of part time student of any semester is (6) hours as a minimum and (9) hours as a maximum.
The registration quorum of full time student who is getting a warning because of his low CGP is (12) hours.
The registration quorum of part time student who is getting a warning because of his low CGP is (6) hours.
If the candidate is the final semester, he will be exempted from the above mentioned rules.

Article 22:

All rounding students must keep on registration at the beginning of each semester, if the student fails to register for one (1) academic year he will be suspended.

Article 23:

The candidate’s study will be suspended automatically if the candidate meets the graduation requirements for the program in which he enrolled and his status will be changed to Graduated?.

Article 24:

The candidate is allowed to add subjects based on the following rules:

The subjects must be added in the first two weeks of the module.
The number of subjects must not exceed the maximum of allowed subjects to be enrolled in.
If the candidate requires adding subjects after the first two weeks, he must get the approval from the respected faculty.

Article 25:

The candidate is allowed to drop subjects based on the following rules:

Candidates may drop subjects during the first four weeks of the module, if the candidate exceeds this period he will be considered withdrawn from the subject.
The drop must not exceed the minimum number of allowed units to be enrolled in.

Article 26:

The candidate is allowed to withdraw from subjects based on the following rules:

The withdrawal must be within the determined period.
The number of subjects must not be less than the minimum after the withdrawal from any subject.
The withdrawal from any subject extended from the third to the seventh week, the university will not allow withdrawal after this period.
If the candidate withdraws one week before the final exam, the grades will be recorded for the candidate.
The withdrawal will result in? grade for the candidate in his records, and the grade will not be considered in the calculation of CGPA.

Article 27:

The candidate may apply to defer his study with a reason approved by the Institute of postgraduate studies according to the following rules:

The deferment duration must not be more than the two years (4 semesters). The candidate who deferred his study may register in the next semester. The deferment duration will not be considered in the maximum period to complete the study. The candidate must apply for deferment two weeks earlier to the beginning of the semester.

Article 28:

A candidate may apply to withdraw from a programme at anytime according to the following rules:

Apply officially to withdraw from the university.
When the candidate withdraws, he gets the official transcript.
The candidate will be given the grade for the subjects that he is studying.
The candidate will be given the grade? if he withdrawn without official application.
The withdrawn candidate may appeal his admission.

Article 29:

A minimum of 70% attendance for classes of the subjects is compulsory.

Article 30:

No candidate shall be eligible to be admitted to the examination for any subject unless he has achieved at least 70% attendance at lectures. The candidate’s status will be? and he will be given one year to change his status, if he failed to do so he will get the grade

Article 31:

A candidate may be allowed leave of absence for not more than 15% of the attendance for the following reasons:

Medical grounds: the candidate needs to submit a medical report from the doctor to the Coordinator of the programme.
Work commitment: The candidate who is involved in company activities such as business trip or outstation assignment must submit a letter from the CEO, Director or immediate supervisor indicating the business activities.
Attend and fulfill Course requirements: a candidate may be allowed leave of absence to follow another course in Al-Madinah International University or in another institution of higher learning, if the course that the candidate will be following is a requirement for the candidate’s postgraduate candidature in Al-Madinah International University and is recommended by the Faculty.
Humanitarian grounds:
The senate must be notified through the board of postgraduate centre about the leave absence permitted officially by the faculty.

Article 32:

The dean of IPS may reinstatement of candidature and permits the candidate to sitting to the exam if the candidate submitted a reason accepted by the postgraduate institute.

Article 33:

If the candidate was absent in the final exam, he will get the grade “0� and his grade of that subject will be calculated based on the grades of the activities in the terms of the semester.

Article 34:

If the candidate couldn’t attend the final exam of any subject for a mighty reason, the dean of IPS  if necessary- may accept the reason and allow the candidate to sit for alternative exam within a period not exceed the end of the next semester. The candidate will be given the grade that he obtained in the alternative exam.

Article 35:

If the candidate defaulted for one semester without deferment application, the candidate will be terminated. The senate may terminate the candidate if he defaulted for shorter period. The candidate will be terminated if he was absent in the final exams for one semester without approved excuses.

Article 36:

The candidate will not consider defaulted in the semesters that he spend as a visitor in another universities.

Article 37:

First: the candidate shall be terminated, by the board of postgraduate studies in the following cases:

If he was accepted for postgraduate studies but he didnt registered in the stipulated date.
If he didnt pass the complementary subjects according to the above conditions.
If he withdrew or defaulted for one semester without approved reason.
If he showed that he is not serious candidate or he breached any of his study duties.
If he got two warning letters.
If he exceeded the deferment chances.
If he breached the scientific custody in the stage of studying subjects or in the thesis preparation or he breached the university rules.
If he didn’t pass the university tests (if any).
If the board of examiners decided that the thesis is not valid for discussion or it is not accepted after discussion.
If the accumulative average less than 3.0 for two semesters.
If he failed to pass one compulsory subject or more for more than two times.
If he failed and obtained  for three times in the same subject.
The candidate has not completed the programme within the maximum period.
Second: A candidate whose candidature has been defaulted or terminated may appeal to the University through Dean of IPS for reinstatement of his candidature, and subject to the Senate’s approval.

Third: the termination of candidature will be automatic if:

The candidate registered in postgraduate studies and he didn’t follow the study within the stipulated period.
Failed to pass any of the compulsory or complementary subjects.
The candidate was completely failed to increase his accumulative average of subjects to 3.00 after giving him the chance to.
Exceeded the maximum period of completing the degree.
The candidate conducts himself in such a manner that is calculated to contravene any Statute, Rule or Regulation of the University.

Article 38:

The Senate, may, on the recommendation of the board of postgraduate studies, extend the period of candidature beyond the maximum period, according to the following rules:

First: the candidate may apply for an extension, but this has to be done at least six (6) months before the candidature expires.

Second: Application of extension will be approved if there are accepted justifications approved by the board of postgraduate studies on the recommendation of the faculty.

Third: extension, if granted, shall not exceed one year.

Article 39:

First: the transfer application may be approved according to the following rules:

a. The candidate must have been a student from a recognized university.

b. The candidate must not have been terminated for disciplinary or academic reasons.

c. The candidate must meet the transfer conditions stipulated by the Senate.

Second: the candidate’s transfer process will be in accordance to the procedures and dates announced by the university based on the general rules of transfer.

For structure B and C student, the number of credit hours that will be transferred will be calculated as follows:

• The credit hours must agree with the programme requirements.
• The credit hours must not be more than 30% of the intended programme.
• The average grade obtained must not be less than “good”.
• The equivalent credit hours must be on a recommendation of the faculty’s Dean and approved by the Postgraduate Board.

The Postgraduate Board shall determine the equivalent subjects taken in the previous university on the recommendation of the respective faculty and mention the equivalent subjects in the student’s academic record, and they will be considered in the CGPA calculation and study hours.

For structure (A) student, he/she will be subjected to the following rules:

• Student will be working under a committee supervisor system comprising of not more than 3 members to oversee his/her work to complete.
• Student must have taken and passed the Research Methodology course at Al-Madinah International University (or use credit transfer arrangement for similar course taken in the previous university in the same level).
• Student must fulfil all the rules stated in the Postgraduate Studies guidelines at Al-Madinah International University before getting his/her thesis approved.
• Student’s thesis will be reviewed on case-by-case basis and get the approval from the Senate for transfer
• Any publication(s) arise(s) from the thesis must acknowledge Al-Madinah International University’s faculty as the co-author.

Article 40:

The candidate may transfer from one programme to another, after getting the approval of the deans of the two faculties.

The candidate must meet the admission requirements of the intended programme.
The transfer must be in the beginning of the next semester.
The candidate must meet the condition stipulated by the management of the intended programme.
The subjects that are agreed with the requirements of the intended programme will be considered only.
The candidate must continue his study in the current programme until the university approves his transfer.
The subject that the candidate studied will be mentioned in his academic record including the averages of terms and the accumulative average.

Article 41:

The candidate may transfer from one specialization to another within the same faculty on the recommendation of the respected faculty and the approval of the postgraduate board.

The candidate must meet the admission requirements and any other conditions stipulated by the respected faculty.
The faculty may the modules studied by the candidate if the respected faculty satisfied that these modules are identical to the specialization that the candidate want to enroll in. these modules will be considered in the candidate’s accumulative average.
The candidate must not be terminated for any reason.
The period that the candidate spent in the previous specialization will be considered in the maximum period of study in the university.
The transfer from one specialization to another is allowed for one time only within the period of study.

Article 42:

The candidate may transfer from full time to part time and vice versa, with the consideration of the following terms:

The transfer must be in the within the maximum period of the study.
It is required to get the approval of the respected faculty and the postgraduate board.

Article 43:

The related parties in the university determine the fees of tuition and the additional fees that the candidate is required to pay.

Article 44:

The programmes submitted for postgraduate studies, or the suggested programmes, or the programmes that are amended by the senate, will be based on the recommendation of the board of postgraduate studies that is built upon the suggestions of faculties in this regard, this is require:

The determination of the programmes and make sure that they meet the requirements stipulated by faculties.
Provide clarification about any of the new programmes regarding its objectives and academic deliverables.
Complete all the documents and procedures that are related to the Malaysian Qualification Agency.

Article 45:

The university may establish joint programmes for postgraduate studies between two programmes or more based on rules stipulated by the senate on the recommendation of the board of postgraduate studies.

Article 46:

The study in the postgraduate programmes will be as following:

First: postgraduate programmes by research, classified under (A) structure.
Second: postgraduate programmes by coursework and research, classified under (B) structure.
Third: postgraduate programmes by coursework, classified under (C) structure.

Article 47:

First: postgraduate programmes by research, classified under (A) structure.

In structure A, the candidate is required to prepare a dissertation under the supervision of one of the academic staff to meet the graduation requirements and other requirements stipulated by the respected faculty.

Master of Philosophy by Dissertation
The degree of Master of Philosophy (M. Phil) is a research postgraduate degree. Such a degree shall be awarded to a candidate who:
Presents a successful dissertation meets the general requirements like:
Covers the material that is meeting the research requirements.
Shows sound methodology in the gathering, studying, presenting, formulating, and concluding of materials according to the nature of the subjects.
Satisfies the examiners in an oral examination.
Doctor of Philosophy by Dissertation
The degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) is a research postgraduate degree. Such a degree shall be awarded to a candidate who:
Presents a successful thesis meets the general requirements like:
Satisfactorily completes the research requirements.
Shows sound methodology in the gathering, studying, presenting, formulating, and concluding of materials according to the nature of the subjects.
The ability to formulate the research in the permitted language with a language quality, correct grammar, and clear expressions.
Should be an original contribution to knowledge.
Satisfies the examiners in an oral examination.
Second: postgraduate programmes by coursework and research, classified under (B) structure

The postgraduate studies by research and coursework for masters degree should be based on the following rules:
The candidate is required to study in programmes of social sciences and other sciences for (18) hours and dissertation with (3) hours for research methodology subject, which is compulsory for all programmes.
A minimum of 70% attendance for classes of the subjects is compulsory.
The candidate may register the research project after he completes two thirds of the study subjects successfully. Once the candidate registered the project, he must be committed to complete and submit it with a minimum period of one semester and maximum of period of study. The candidate is not allowed to submit the project within the first two semesters.
The board of postgraduate studies assigns a supervisor from the academic staff in the university to supervise the project on the recommendation of the faculty.
The candidate is required to obtain minimum 3.00 CGPA to be qualified for awarding the master degree.
The postgraduate studies by research and coursework for Ph.D. degree should be based on the following rules:
The candidate is required to study in programmes of social sciences and other sciences for (18) hours and dissertation with (3) hours for research methodology subject, which is compulsory for all programmes.
A minimum of 70% attendance for classes of the subjects is compulsory.
The candidate may register the research project after he completes two thirds of the study subjects successfully. Once the candidate registered the project, he must be committed to complete and submit it with a minimum period of 4 semesters and maximum of period of study.
The board of postgraduate studies assigns a supervisor from the academic staff in the university to supervise the project on the recommendation of the faculty
The candidate is required to obtain minimum 3.00 CGPA to be qualified for awarding the Ph.D. degree.
Postgraduate programmes by coursework, classified under (C) structure
The postgraduate studies by coursework for Diploma degree should be based on the following rules:
i- The period of study must not be less than 2 semesters and more than 4.
ii- The study hours must not be less than 18 hours.
iii- The senate determines the subjects that are required to obtain the diploma degree on the suggestion of the respected faculty and the recommendation of the board of postgraduate studies.
iv- The candidate is required to obtain minimum 3.00 CGPA to be qualified for awarding the diploma degree.
v- It is allowed to mix the diploma and master degrees together as one stage in the programmes taught in the university. In this case, only the joint hours between the master and diploma will be considered from the study hours in the diploma programme, and the CGPA must be 3.00 at least to consider these hours.

The postgraduate studies by coursework for master degree should be based on the following rules:
a. First: The candidate is required to study in programmes of social sciences for (40) hours and research projects or case study with (3) hours for research methodology subject, which is compulsory for all programmes and will not be considered in the CGPA and the total number of study hours.
b. Second: The candidate is required to study in programmes of other sciences for (30) hours and research projects or case study with (3) hours for research methodology subject, which is compulsory for all programmes and will not be considered in the CGPA and the total number of study hours.
c. A minimum of 70% attendance for classes of the subjects is compulsory.
d. The candidate may register a research project or case study in the last semester. Once the candidate registered the project, he must be committed to complete and submit it with a minimum period of 1 semester and maximum of period of study.
e. The institute of postgraduate studies is responsible of the agreement on the research project or the case study. And the institute assigns a supervisor from the academic staff in the university on the recommendation of the faculty.
f. The candidate is required to obtain a minimum of 3.00 CGPA to be qualified for awarding the master degree.

Article 48:

The session is divided into two main semesters, each semester with a period not less than 14 weeks, without considering the periods of registration and examination, and short semester for not less than 7 weeks in which the period of each subject will be doubled.

Article 49:

The study is in accordance to the rules and procedures approved by the senate in a way which is not inconsistent with the regulation mentioned in this policy.

Article 50:

Every postgraduate candidate shall be assigned a Supervisor and Co-Supervisor, appointed by the board of postgraduate studies on the recommendation of the respected Faculty.

Article 51:

The Supervisor shall guide the candidate in his research and preparation of the final thesis write-up. The Supervisor shall help the candidate to choose the topic of the research and to prepare the research plan according to the approved rules. The supervisor encourages and assists the candidate to publish from his research during his candidature.

Article 52:

The supervisor must be from the academic staff and must be a holder of Ph.D. degree with some experience in the field. The supervisor assigned shall not have any personal/business relationship with the candidate (s) assigned under their supervision.

Article 53:

If the Supervisor is away from the University for more than one semester, the Faculty shall arrange for supervision to be provided during that period.

Article 54:

In the event of the supervisor leaving the employment of the University, the Faculty shall appoint a replacement Supervisor as soon as possible. If there is no suitable candidate to be appointed as Supervisor(s), the Faculty shall appoint an academic staff to assume the role of the Supervisor in the interim until a suitable Supervisor is appointed.

Article 55:

In the event the Supervisor withdraws from being a Supervisor, the Faculty is required to nominate a replacement Supervisor. This is to be done in writing and with the endorsement of the proposed replacement Supervisor.

Article 56:

If the candidate wishes to change his Supervisor, he is required to write to the Faculty concerned to nominate a replacement supervisor.

Article 57:

A qualified academic from another institution may be appointed to undertake the Supervision functions.

Article 58:

There shall be frequent and regular contact between the Supervisor/Co-supervisor and the candidate. The Supervisor/Co-supervisor and the candidate shall be jointly responsible for initiating the meetings. A candidate must meet his Supervisor immediately after registration, immediately before submission of thesis, and at least once every two months in between (four months for part-time).

Article 59:

The Supervisor (Main) to Candidate Ratio for supervision of thesis as the following:

Staff Candidate Ratio Academic Position
1:10 Professor
1:7 Associate Professor
1:5 Assistant Professor
1:3 Lecturer
1:2 Adjunct professor

Article 60:

Supervisor Selection Criteria
The criteria for selecting Supervisors and Co-Supervisors:

First: Supervisor

Level Criteria
Masters
Ph.D. in the related field of studies and/or experienced in research, or
Masters Degree with 5 years of working experience after Masters Degree in the related field of studies and experienced in research by way of scholarly publications.
Ph.D.
Ph.D. in the related field of studies and
a minimum of 2 years of post-doctoral research, or
evidence of scholarly excellence by way of publications as recommended by the Faculty

Second: Co-Supervisor

Level Criteria
Masters
Ph.D. in the related field of studies and experienced in research, or
Masters Degree with relevant working experience in the related field of studies and experienced in research by way of scholarly publications.
Ph.D.
Ph.D. in the related field of studies and experience in research
Note: The Supervisor/Co-Supervisor should not be registered as a Ph.D. candidate in any postgraduate programme at MEDIU or any other institution.

Article 61:

When appointing a Supervisor and Co-Supervisor for a postgraduate candidate, the Faculty shall take note of the following:

Between the Supervisor/Co-Supervisor, it is advisable that the more qualified staff (with Master’s or PhD) be appointed as the Supervisor. Justification should be given if otherwise.
Alternatively, a Supervisor who has exceeded the ratio limit, he can be appointed as a Co-Supervisor instead (provided that criteria no. (i) is met).

Article 62:

A Supervisor shall be responsible for the following:

To ensure that the candidate has relevant information regarding his own research and professional plans for the period of the candidate’s project;
Meet the candidate at frequent intervals to discuss, assess and guide the progress of the work;
Advise the candidate on the scope and presentation of the thesis and on any publication likely to arise from the work;
Assist the candidate to develop standards of achievement that will result in a thesis of merit;
Liaise with the University’s Institute for Postgraduate Studies or similar committee;
Keep in regular contact with the co-supervisor (if any);
Encourage and facilitate the candidate’s participation in conferences where some results of the research may be presented.
Encourage and assist, where appropriate, the candidate to publish from his research during his candidature.
Evaluate the progress reports submitted by the candidate.
Ensure the thesis submitted conforms to MEDIU Guide to Preparation of Theses.

Article 63:

The co-supervisor shall be responsible for the following:

Assist the supervisor in supervising the candidate;
Act as the supervisor whenever the supervisor is unable to perform the supervisory duties for any reason;
Be involved in all stages of the planning of the candidate’s research plan;
Maintain a level of communication with the supervisor and candidate so as to allow him or her to participate in the supervision or act as a substitute for the supervisor whenever this is necessary.
Evaluate progress reports submitted by the candidate.
Ensure the thesis submitted conforms to MEDIU’s Guide to Preparation of Theses.

Article 64:

To monitor candidates progress in the project, so as to ensure his project is in line with the project plan. Each candidate must submit a report half yearly, should contain the following aspects:
Research Methodology/ Analysis & Design
Implementation/ Results & Discussion
Contribution to Knowledge
Immediate steps can be taken by the supervisor/co-supervisor to guide candidates in their project. Supervisor will grade the candidates either Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory.
If the candidate is being graded as Unsatisfactory, the candidate shall be given 2 months to submit the progress report to the supervisor/co-supervisor in order to change the status back to Satisfactory. Any candidate given grade Unsatisfactory for a continuous period exceeding 4 months will be terminated from the programme.

Article 65:

The supervisor/co-supervisor must submit half yearly report to IPS showing the progress status of the candidate in his thesis or dissertation or project and if the candidate is able to do the project in the period of the project.

Article 66:

The candidate of the postgraduate programmes (A) and (B) must present a project proposal to a Panel of Evaluators appointed by the Faculty according to the following rules:

First: The project proposal must contain at least the following:

a) Objectives
b) Research Background/ Literature Review
c) Project Methodology
d) Work Schedule
Second: the candidate must commit to the timelines of submitting the proposal as the following:

The project proposal must be submitted to the supervisor at least two (2) weeks before it submitted to the faculty.
The project proposal must be submitted to the faculty at least two (2) weeks before the Defense presentation after getting the approval of the supervisor/Co-supervisor.
Distributed the project proposal to the appointed Panel of Evaluators at least one (1) week before the Defense presentation.
Third: Membership of the Panel of Evaluators for Project Proposal Defense will be as follows:

1. Dean of IPS: Chairman
2. Supervisor: Member
3. Co-Supervisor: Member
4. Academic staff (with Ph.D.) in the relevant area Member
5. Member of R&D Committee: Member
6. Assistant Director of Faculty: Secretariat
Fourth: the proposal evaluation will be as follows:

The project must get the approval of the Panel of Evaluators.
If the proposal has not met the required standard, the candidate will be given a grade U and will be advised to make improvements to the proposal.
The candidate may be requested for further presentation, to a total of three (3) times in order to pass the project proposal defense.
Failure after the 3rd attempt will be graded as ‘U’ and this will result in the termination of his candidature.
Fifth: if the proposal approved by the Panel of Evaluators, it will be assigned to the board of postgraduate studies for approval.

Article 67:

The candidate of the postgraduate programme (C) must present a project proposal or a case study to the respected department of the faculty according to the following rules:

First: The project proposal must contain at least the following:

Objectives
Research Background/ Literature Review
Project Methodology
Work Schedule
Second: the candidate must submit the proposal to the department concerned to study the proposal and to assign the supervisor.

Article 68:

The candidate in the postgraduate studies of programme (A) may register the thesis or dissertation after he registers in the programme of study. The maximum period allowed to register is according to the following table:

Maximum period Structure Mode of study
3rd semester A PhD-full time
5th Semester A PhD-part time
3rd semester A Master-full time
4th semester A Master-part time

Article 69:

The candidate may register the thesis after he completes two thirds of the study hours successfully. The maximum period allowed to register is according to the following table:

Maximum period Structure Mode of study
4th semester B PhD-full time
6th Semester B PhD-part time
4th semester B Master-full time
5th Semester B Master-part time

Article 70:

The candidate may register the research project or a case study in the last semester. The maximum period allowed to register is according to the following table:

Maximum period Structure Mode of study
6th Semester C Master-full time
8th Semester C Master-part time

Article 71:

The candidate may apply to change the topic of the research for two times during the period of registration.

Article 72:

The Work Completion Defense must be presented before the submission of the Notice of Thesis Submission. The work completion defense contains at least the following:

Introduction
Objectives
Contribution to Knowledge
Research Background/ Literature review
Research Methodology
Implementation/ Results & Discussion
Conclusion & Future Work

Article 73:

First: The work defense session attended by a Panel of Examiners consisting of the following:

1. Dean of IPS: Chairman
2. Supervisor & Co-Supervisor: Members
3. Academic staff in the relevant area (with a Ph.D.): Examiner
4. Member of R&D Committee: Co-Examiner
5. Secretariat of Faculty

Second: The Panel will evaluate on the following areas:

Whether sufficient materials have been presented to judge the work
Whether the work done is sufficient for the degree in consideration
Third:
The Work Completion Defense form must then be sent to IPS for record and a copy kept at the respective Faculty Office.

Fourth:
If the candidate fails to pass the work completion defense for the first time, the candidate will be given a maximum of two more chances.

Article 74:

The Faculty may consider a postgraduate application, if:

The topic is within the areas of interest of the Faculty; and
The Faculty should classify the research into the following:
Field of Research
Area of Research
Topic of Research
For the Malaysian R&D Classification System: http://www.mastic.gov.my) may be used as a guide to categorise the field and area of research.

Article 75:

The candidate is required to be committed to the regulation of the submission and preparation of a postgraduate thesis, dissertation, or a case study in regards of the procedure for thesis submission, submit format of the thesis, arrangement of the chapters in a thesis, design and layout of the cover and preliminary pages, pagination and use of font size and font type as it is explained in the guide for the submission and preparation of a postgraduate thesis.

Article 76:

First: On completion of the research, a candidate shall submit and unbound copy of the thesis to the Supervisors to be checked for conformity to the format stipulated in the ‘Guide to the Preparation of Theses’ before it can be allowed to be submitted for examination. The candidate must submit to IPS the following number of comb-binded copies of his thesis for examination:

Eight (8) copies for Ph.D. candidates
Seven (7) copies for Master’s candidates
Second: At the point of submission of the comb-binded copies, IPS shall check to ensure that the thesis has followed the specifications set by the University.

Third: A candidate’s status is changed to ‘completed’ once he submits his thesis for examination.

Article 77:

To obtain the Notice of Thesis Submission, the candidate must obtain achieve following:

satisfactorily completed the Proposal Defense;
Completed and passed Entrepreneurship Courses (if relevant); or any other subjects as requested by respective Faculties.
satisfactorily completed the Work Completion Defense;
submitted all the progress reports
Non completion of any of the above may result in the rejection of the Notice of Thesis Submission by the Faculty.

Article 78:

The Supervisors are required to propose the examiners for the Faculty’s approval as follows:

2 for Master’s thesis consisting of 1 external and 1 internal examiner
3 for Ph.D. thesis consisting of 2 externals and 1 internal examiner
Article 79:

To obtain agreement to form the Board of Examiners, it must obtain the approval of the senate and the agreement of IPS, after completing the following:

Attach the complete letter.
Attach the list of examiners.
Candidate’s status must be ‘Active’
Candidate has fulfilled the thesis or dissertation in the determined period.

Article 80:

If for any reason, the candidate is unable to submit his thesis within six (6) months for Master’s and nine (9) months for Ph.D., he is required to re-submit the Notice of Thesis Submission, which will allow him an extension of three (3) months to submit his thesis.

Article 81:

If the Supervisor has left MEDIU (or he submits his letter of resignation), after the candidate submits his Notice of Thesis Submission, the Co-Supervisor shall act as the Supervisor.
In the event, both the Supervisor and Co-Supervisor has left MEDIU, the Dean of the Faculty shall act as the nominal Supervisor.

Article 82:

The study in the university based on one of the following methods:

Traditional learning
Remote learning
Mix of Traditional & Remote learning

Article 83:

The candidate is advised to develop his academic level through the activities of academic support provided to the students.

Article 84:

The main grade of each subject is (100).

Article 85:

The minimum degree to pass the subject is a total degree of (65).

Article 86:

For a taught subject, candidates shall be evaluated as follows:

(60%) for final examination. (40%) for coursework, which includes test, quiz, project, laboratory report etc.

Article 87:

The scheme of marks and grades shall be as follows:

Note : This marking scheme is for April 2018 intake onwards

The following codes shall be used to indicate a candidate’s status:
Article 88:

W The code of subject withdrawn or dropped This code given where the candidate has withdrawn from a particular subject or dropped it two (2) weeks after the beginning of the semester

I Incomplete: where a candidate was not able to attend the examinations due to reasons acceptable to the Board of Examiners.

I Incomplete: where a candidate has not completed the requirements of the subject but has attained at least 75% attendance at lectures, tutorials and laboratory classes for the subject.

U Unofficial Withdrawal Where a candidate has been absent from the examinations without giving any reasons. Equivalent to ‘0’ points.

AU Audit Subjects: Where a candidate has been allowed to audit the subject, this is to be mentioned in the official transcript.

EX Expelled Candidates Where a candidate was expelled from the subject

X Absent from the examinations with reason This code is given where the candidate is absent from the examination with giving a reason. The candidate is required to sit for the exam in the second week of the next semester.

S Suspended This code is given where the candidate’s grades are suspended by a decision from the senate.

IP The code of the candidate who did not complete his project yet This code is given where the candidate failed to complete his project, or he failed to complete the report of the scientific training during the semester in which he enrolled. The candidate may extend the period of completing his project for one semester; any further extension must be approved by the dean. The candidate who did not apply for extension will be given the status (F) and candidate will be charged for the period of extension.

Y The code of the candidate who prevented to entre the final examination This code is given where the candidate has been prevented to entre the final examination for the semester in which he enrolled.

R The code of the candidate who prevented from the test Equivalent to ‘F’ Grade

Article 89:

Each candidate will be provided with academic record at the end of each session. The record including a statement of the students status, the subjects taught and their codes, number of hours, grades and their code. The record also shows the half yearly average, CGPA, total average, and the Expelled subjects.

Article 90:

The faculties are responsible of the arragment of the final examination. The faculty tasks are to review the transcripts and submit them to the committee concerned within a period not more than two weeks of examination date of any subject.

Article 91:

Repeat of failed subjects

A candidate who fails one or two subjects may be allowed to repeat the subject in another semester; however, he must sit for the final exam in the stipulated date.
A candidate who fails the examination for any core subject in the first attempt shall be given a warning. If he fails for the second attempt, he will not be allowed to continue, and he will be allowed to transfer to another elective subjects.
The reports of the repeated subjects will be inserted in the computation of the Cumulative Grade Point Average.

Article 92:

The examination papers shall be maintained in the head quarter of the university or any one of its centres.

Article 93:

The Board of Examiners for a PhD or Master Project of the programme (A) shall comprise:
1. Dean of IPS or Associate Dean as Chairman
2. Internal Examiners no.1
3. Internal Examiners no.2 only for PhD
4. External examiner no.1 for Master (or each shall send his report)
5. Internal Examiner no.2 for PhD and in the case that there is no Internal Examiners no.2.
6. Faculty and department representative
7. The Supervisor(s) of the candidate as observers
The secretary of DEPS shall be the secretary for any Board of Examiner

Article 94:

The Board of Examiners for a Master’s Project of the structure (B) shall comprise:
a. Dean of DEPS or his designee
b. Internal examiner no.1
c. Internal examiner no.2
d. Department representative in the relevant area
e. Supervisor. However he cannot attend the committee examinations and interrupt the conversation among examiners.
The secretary of DEPS shall be the secretary for any Board of Examiners

Article 95:

The notice of Board of Examiners meeting together with the reports of the examiners shall be circulated to all members at least one week before the Board of Examiners meeting except to the Supervisor/co-supervisor who will be given the report during the Board of Examiners meeting. This is to ensure the confidentiality of the reports.

Article 96:

The Board of Examiners for a PhD Project of the programme (B) shall comprise:
a. Dean of IPS or Associate Dean as Chairman
b. Two External Examiners
c. An Internal Examiner
d. Academic staff in the relevant area representing R&D Committee
e. The Supervisor(s)
f. The secretary of IPS shall be the secretary for any Board of Examiners.

Article 97:

First: Quorum at a viva-voce is three (3) members, i.e. at least the Chairman, internal examiner and Dean of faculty or Senate representative. If a quorum is not reached, the viva-voce will have to be postponed.

Second: In the case where all the examiners are externals and they are not able to be present for the Board of Examiners meeting, the Dean of the Faculty (or his representative) shall present the External Examiners reports on their behalf.

Third: Internal examiners who had resigned shall be replaced from among the academic staff within the related field. He shall present the report on behalf of the previous internal examiner.

Article 98:

The Responsibilities of Board of Examiners are:
a. The Board of Examiners shall conduct a viva voce for the candidate.
b. The Board shall examine the candidates depth of knowledge on the topic of his research.
c. After the viva voce, the Board shall deliberate on the performance of the candidate and the standard achieved in his thesis, and makes a decision.

Article 99:

The following criteria shall be taken into account in appointing External examiners:
a. The examiner should possess a Ph.D. qualification in the relevant area with research experience.
b. Master degree with experience not less than (5) years after obtaining the master qualification.

Article 100:

The External Examiners for a Ph.D. thesis shall be:

full Professor.
Associate Professor
Assistant Professor with experience not less than (3) years and (3) research experience with publication

Article 101:

The maximum period of thesis examination is two month from the approval to formulate the board of examiners. If there is a need to change the examiners, or one of them, the due date will be postponed to the same period.

Article 102:

A candidate whose thesis need to be amended shall be given a period of two (2) weeks. In special circumstances, the candidate may apply to extend the period of submitting the thesis for not more than 14 days decided by the Dean.

Article 103:

After getting the supervisor’s approval, a candidate is required to submit two bound copies of the thesis and an electronic thesis to IPS within the stipulated time. A candidate, who fails to submit the amended thesis within the approved time, will not be able to get the official transcript and his grades will blocked.

Article 104:

The Senate shall approve the academic degree for the candidate upon the recommendation of the board of postgraduate studies based on the report of the board of examiners and the result of taught subjects.

Article 105:

The external examiner should possess the following qualifications:

For a Ph.D. thesis, at least one of the external examiners shall be a full Professor (or equivalent)
For a Master’s thesis, the examiner shall normally be at least of an Associate Professor Level (or equivalent)
He must meet the following criteria:
The examiner should possess a track record of thesis supervision at the Master’s and PhD levels.
The examiner should have recent and relevant publications in international journals; and
The examiner should be attached to a University/ R&D Institute/ R&D Laboratory or a foreign University recognized Senate of MEDIU.

Article 106:

The External Examiners for a Ph.D. thesis shall be:
– From institutions approved by Senate.
– Both the examiners should not come from the same institution.
– Submit the CV of the proposed Examiners.

Article 107:

The Internal Examiner for a Ph.D. and Master’s Thesis shall be:
– at least a Lecturer with Ph.D. qualification
– The research area of the Internal Examiners must be related to the thesis being examined.

Article 108:

In cases where an internal examiner cannot be identified within MEDIU, a second external examiner for Master’s thesis or a third external examiner for Ph.D. thesis shall be appointed. The same appointment criteria apply to the external examiner.

Article 109:

In thesis examination, it is allowed to ask the assistance from those who are having the research experience in their areas and they shall be treated according to the following table:

ACADEMIA RESEARCH
Professor Research Scientist (15 years research experience)
Associate Professor Research Scientist (8 years of research experience)
Senior Lecturer Associate Research Scientist (5 years of research experience
Lecturer Member of Technical Staff (3 years of research experience)

Article 110:

The candidate must certify that the work has been done by him and has not been submitted elsewhere for the award of any degree or qualification.

Article 111:

Due acknowledgment must be made to the work of others, their research contributions. Candidates have to adhere to the Intellectual Property, and he must avoid any act that breaches the Intellectual Property.

Article 112:

If the candidate breaches the Intellectual Property of others, he will be responsible in front of the university and other authorities.

Article 113:

The status of candidates as either part-time or full-time students determine the duration of their minimum and maximum periods of study:

Maximum (years) Minimum (years) Structure Type of Candidature

For PhD student  in Islamic and arabic studies has the right to graduate in less than three years; when he has demonstrated excellence in publishing, student should publishe at least two papers of his research at the Scopus level and for a master’s degree graduate in less than two years; At least a paper of his research in scopes level.
For PhD student  in science, applied science and education has the right to graduate in less than three years; when he has demonstrated excellence in publication, when he has published at least two papers of his / her ISI / SCOPUS level, while for master level, student has the right to graduate in less than two years if he has demonstrated excellence in the publication and has published at least one paper of his / her ISI / SCOPUS research.

Article 114:

The Senate shall award the degree upon the recommendation of the Board of Examiners once all Requirements for Conferment of Degree as stated below have been met.

Article 115:

A candidate is deemed academically eligible to be conferred the degree if:

Passed all the core subjects, project and achieved a minimum CGPA of 3.00 for the programme; or he meets all post-examination and pre-graduation requirements.
Has completed the minimum period of study and not exceeded the maximum period allowed, as well as satisfied all residential requirements.
Apart from the academic requirements, all the following administrative requirements also need to be fulfilled:

Is currently registered (not withdrawn, defaulted, deferred or terminated);
Has made full settlement of fees and is free of any financial commitments and debts to the University;
Is free from any disciplinary action or any other pending disciplinary action.

Article 116:

The Senate shall award the degree upon the recommendation of the Board of Examiners once all Requirements for Conferment of Degree as stated below have been met.

Article 117:

The candidature of a candidate also ceases automatically when he has fulfilled all graduation requirements for the programme and his status changed to ‘graduated’.

Article 118:

The senate has the right of the following:

To amend any legal term of this policy, add, or omit.
To exempt any legal term of this policy.