Study and Examination Rules

Article One:

Terms used in this document are defined below:

1. Study plan:
The set of required and elective courses which a student must pass in order to qualify for an academic degree in a particular specialisation.

2. Subject:
A clearly defined course of study offered as part of the approved study plan for each specialisation.

3. Academic year:
Consists of two main semesters; it is possible to add a short semester, if it is offered.

4. Semester:
A period of not less than 14 weeks for studying academic subjects, not including the registration period and the period of final exams.

5. Short semester:
A period of not more than 7 weeks, not including the registration period and the period of final exams. During this period the amount of time devoted to each academic subject is doubled.

6. Academic level:
Indicates the stage of academic progress attained in accordance with the approved study plan.

7. Academic unit (credit hour):
The amount of time allotted for each lecture of an academic subject.

8. Academic warning:
A notice given to a student when his/her Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) drops below the level stipulated in this guide.

9. Semester coursework grade:
The numerical grade awarded for performance that indicates a student’s achievements during the course of a semester, including exams, research projects and academic activities.

10. Final exam:
The exam for an academic subject given once at the end of the semester.

11. Academic load:
The total number of academic units that a student is allowed to register for each semester. The maximum and minimum academic loads are fixed in accordance with the administrative rules of the university.

12. Final examination grade:
The numerical grade a student gets in the final exam for each subject of the semester.

13. Final grade:
The combined numerical grade for any academic subject.

14. Evaluation:
The letter grade that represents the final grade achieved by a student in any academic subject.

15. Incomplete grade:
An indicator assigned temporarily to any subject for which a student is unable to complete the stipulated requirements in the assigned time period.

16. Grade Point Average or GPA:
The total number of points earned by a student in a given semester divided by the total number of academic units for which he/she registered. The points for any subject are calculated by multiplying the number of credit-hours of the subject times the numerical equivalent of the letter grade earned.

17. Cumulative Grade Point Average or CGPA:
The total number of points earned by a student for all subjects he/she studied after registering at the university divided by the number of credit-hours of those subjects.

18. Academic record:
A file that records the academic history of a student. It includes all the subjects studied by the student each semester, identified by an alphanumeric code. The credit-hour value of each course is listed, along with the numerical and letter grades earned by the student and the equivalent number of academic points. The file also contains the student’s semester grade average as well as the cumulative grade point average and its letter-grade. Finally, it mentions any subjects a transfer student has been excused from studying.

19. Disciplinary infraction:
Any violation of the university’s rules and guidelines or behavior that conflicts with the Islamic Shari’ah or with widely recognized norms of conduct for university students.

Article Two:

The Senate will designate the number of students that the University can accommodate in the coming year based upon the suggestions of the academic council of each faculty and other departments of the University.

Article Three:
The Senate will determine the Academic Calendar of the University.

Article Four:
Students seeking admission to the University must fulfill the following requirements:

First: Admission requirements for those who are holding Malaysian certificates:

A. Diploma Course:

B. Foundation Course:

C. Bachelor’s Degree Course in the University

Second: General academic requirements for undergraduate admissions with regards to students who have attained non-Malaysian certificates or diplomas:

A. Diploma Courses:

B. Bachelor’s Degree Courses in the University.

Third: Language Proficiency Test
Each student must pass an Arabic proficiency test (MAPT) (See: attachment No. 2) or an English proficiency test (MEPT) (See: attachment No.3), or an equivalent test, if that is one of the requirements of the chosen course of study.

Fourth: Other conditions

Article Five:

• Study in the University at the bachelor’s level, diploma level and Foundation level proceeds according to a system of levels.
• Study at the bachelor’s level consists of a minimum of 8 levels.
• Study at the diploma level consists of a minimum of 4 levels.
• Study at the Foundation level consists of a minimum of 3 levels.
• A student passes and proceeds from one level to another of his/her studies according to the rules that govern that procedure.

Article Six:

The System of Levels
The system of study divides the academic year into two main semesters, and there may also be a short semester, half the length of a normal semester. The graduation requirements for attaining an academic degree are distributed between levels according to the study plan promulgated by the Senate of the University.

Article Seven:

The Senate has enacted administrative procedures to regulate progress from one level to another, taking into consideration the following:

• The subjects for each specialisation are distributed across levels. A specific number of subjects are stipulated for each level, according to the requirements of the promulgated study plan.
• Students whose progress is not impeded by failure in any academic subjects are registered in the next level of the curriculum, proceeding from the lowest level upward, level by level, according to the approved study plan.
• Students experiencing academic difficulties will be registered with the minimum academic load stipulated for each semester, while taking into consideration the following points:
  1. There should be no scheduling conflicts between subjects.
  2. Prerequisites must be satisfied for the subjects the students’ wishes to enroll for.
  3. Enrolling in a class of a higher level will not be permitted except when it is necessary to complete a minimum academic load for that semester

Article Eight:

The time for class registration
The registration period for new students will start after the student receives notification of acceptance. The period for other students will start from the posting of results for the examinations of the previous semester and will be extended until the end of the first week of the semester.

Article Nine:

1. The minimum academic load for a full-time student in any semester is 12 credit-hours, and the maximum load is 18 credit-hours.
2. The minimum academic load for a part-time student in any semester is 6 credit-hours, and the maximum load is below 12 credit-hours.
3. A student who has received an academic warning due to a low cumulative GPA will be restricted to a maximum of 12 credit-hours or four academic subjects.

Article Ten:

The relevant divisions of the University are responsible to determine the tuition fees and other additional feesthat students are required to pay.

Implementing rules:

First: student have to pay tuition fees and administrative fees by making advance payment based on number of subjects a student want to register for that semester.

Second: No student is allowed to register, in case he fails to obtain the required amount of the allowed minimum credit-hours.

Third: In case the student failed to pay the advancement within add and drop period, SAD send to the student two reminder letter to pay for the subject registration

within two weeks. Failing which Late payment penalty of RM 250 will be imposed.

Fourth: In case the student does not pay by the end of fourth week (OC) / fifth week (OL) of the academic calendar will be suspended, while local student will be deferred, meanwhile International OC students can apply for deferment in the fifth week and must leave Malaysia.

International students who fail to apply for deferment will be terminated.

Fifth: Case of final semester students who have more than maximum or less than minimum academic load, will be considered, where they will be allowed to make the payment in those conditions.

Article Eleven:

Study at the University is conducted by one of the following methods:

• First: Conventional mode of teaching
• Second: Online teaching
• Third: A Combination conventional and online teaching

Article Twelve:

Students should strive to enhance their level of intellectual attainments by participating in academic support activities offered for their benefit.

Article Thirteen:

• First:
  Students studying by conventional mode of learning are required to attend at least 80% of all lectures and tutorials sessions.
• Second:
  Students studying by online mode of learning or by a combination of conventional and online mode of learning are required to attend at least 70% of all sessions.

Article Fourteen:

A student will be barred from sitting for the final exam if:

• He/she has attended less than 80% of all sessions of the subject for that semester for conventional mode of learning.
• He/she has attended less than 70% of all sessions of the subject for that semester when studying by online mode of learning or by a combination of conventional and online mode of learning.

Article Fifteen:

The Dean of the faculty or anyone he designates to act on his behalf may make an exception and cancel the exam-barred status of any student and allow him/her to sit for the exam on the condition that the student submits an excuse deemed acceptable by the faculty.

Article Sixteen:

A student who misses the final exam will earn zero mark for that exam. His/her grade for the course will then be determined solely on the basis of marks earned for his/her coursework.

Article Seventeen:

If a student is unable to attend the final exam for any subject of the course for a given semester due to a compelling excuse, the Dean of the faculty may – in cases of necessity- accept the student’s excuse and allow him/her to sit for a replacement exam within a period that cannot exceed the end of the next semester. The grade will be awarded after the completion of the replacement exam.

Article Eighteen:

A student is permitted to request a withdrawal from all the subjects he/she registered for in a semester without being considered to have failed any of those subjects, if he/she submits an excuse deemed acceptable to the administrative section appointed to handle such matters by the Senate. The withdrawal request must be submitted within the time period stipulated in the administrative procedures promulgated by the Senate.

Article Nineteen:

A student is permitted to request for deferment of studies after being admitted to the University due to an excuse deemed acceptable by the faculty and in accordance with the following regulations:

1. The deferment period shall not exceed two academic years (four consecutive semesters).
2. A student who has taken a deferment may continue his study in the following semester.

Article Twenty:

If a student discontinues his/her study for a semester without having requested for deferment, he/she will be dismissed from the university. The Senate may also dismiss a student with a shorter period of absence. A student may also be dismissed for failing to sit in all final examination papers of a given semester without acceptable excuse.

Article Twenty-one:

A student will not be considered to have discontinued his/her study for any semesters he/she is studying at another university as a visiting student.

Article Twenty-Two:

Students are permitted to apply for withdrawal from the University after being admitted, in accordance with the following regulations:

1. An official request for withdrawal must be submitted.
2. The student will receive a partial transcript with the grades of past subjects studied.
3. The symbol “W” will be assigned to those subjects the student was still studying at the time of his/her withdrawal from the University.
4. A student who withdraws without submitting an official withdrawal request will be awarded an “F”.

Article Twenty-Three:

A student is permitted to add subjects to his/her academic load in accordance with the following regulations:

• The additional subjects are added within the first two weeks of the semester.
• The additional subjects shall not cause the student’s academic load to exceed the maximum permitted number of credit-hours.

Article Twenty-Four:

A student is permitted to drop one or more subjects from his/her academic load in accordance with the following regulations:

1. The subjects are dropped within the first two weeks of the semester.
2. The dropped subjects shall not cause the student’s academic load to fall below the minimum permitted number of credit-hours.

Article Twenty-Five:

A student is permitted to withdraw from a specific subject as per the following regulations:

• The withdrawal occurs within the period of time allotted for that purpose.
• The withdrawal shall not cause the student’s academic load to fall below the minimum permitted number of credit-hours.
• The withdrawal period lasts from the third week until the seventh week of the semester. The University will not accept any withdrawal after that period.
• In case a student does withdraw from a subject one week before the final exam, a grade will be assigned to him/her according to the points he/she has earned.

Article Twenty-Six:

A student is allowed to apply for readmission after withdrawal from the University; in which case their old record will be resumed with the same registration number, if the following conditions are fulfilled:

1. The student applies for readmission within five years of date his/her file was closed.
2. The Senate approves the student’s readmission.
3. If more than five years have elapsed since the closing of a student’s file, he/she may apply for readmission; in such a case their old file will not be resumed, and they will be assigned a new registration number. They will have to meet the current admission requirements of the University at the time of the new application. However, the Senate may make an exception from that rule in accordance with the regulations issued by the Senate.
4. It is not allowed for the file of a student to be reopened more than once.
5. A student may not be readmitted if he/she was dismissed for academic reasons.

Article Twenty-Seven:

A student will graduate after having completed all the subjects stipulated for his/her faculty on the condition that his/her cumulative grade point average is no less than 2.0.

Article Twenty-Eight:

The amount of time allowed for graduation is set as follows:

First: Foundation:

1. A full-time student may graduate after having completed a minimum of 3 semesters. His/her period of study shall not exceed 6 semesters.
2. A part-time student may graduate after having completed a minimum of 5 semesters. His/her period of study shall not exceed 8 semesters.

Second: Diploma:

1. A full-time student may graduate after having completed a minimum of 5 semesters. His/her period of study shall not exceed 10 semesters.
2. A part-time student may graduate after having completed a minimum of 10 semesters. His/her period of study shall not exceed 20 semesters.

Third: Bachelor:

1. A full-time student may graduate after having completed a minimum of 6 semesters. His/her period of study shall not exceed 12 semesters.
2. A part-time student may graduate after having completed a minimum of 8 semesters. His/her period of study shall not exceed 20 semesters.
3. A full-time student transferring from another university may graduate after having completed a minimum of 4 semesters. His/her period of study shall not exceed 12 semesters.
4. A part-time student transferring from another university may graduate after having completed a minimum of 6 semesters. His/her period of study shall not exceed 20 semesters.

Article Twenty-Nine:

A student’s academic status is acceptable if his/her Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) is not less than 2.00.

Article Thirty:

A student receives a warning if his/her CGPA is between 1.67 and 2.00.

Article Thirty-One:

A student’s academic status is subject to ongoing assessment and review by the responsible administrative section of the University.

Article Thirty-Two:

A student may be expelled from the University due to academic reasons under the following conditions:

1. If the student’s CGPA falls below 1.67.
2. If he/she receives a maximum of two successive warnings that his/her CGPA has fallen below 2.00.
3. If the student’s CGPA remains between 1.67 and 2.00 for two successive semesters and has received a warning.
4. If he/she has not fulfilled the graduation requirements within the time periods specified above.
5. If he/she fails by receiving an “F” twice in a row for the same subject.

Article Thirty-Three:

It is possible for a student dismissed from the University due to academic reasons to be readmitted to the University, in which case he/she will be treated like a new student.

Article Thirty-Four:

A student may be expelled from the University due to disciplinary infractions; for instance, for violating the University rules and regulations or exhibiting reprehensible behavior at odds with the University’s standards and policies.

Article Thirty-Five:

The highest number of points for any subject is 100 points.

Article Thirty-Six:

The lowest passing grade for any subject is 50 points.

Article Thirty-Seven:

First: The points for the final grades of the diploma course, the foundation course and the bachelor’s course are valued as in the following table:

From To Letter Grade Cumulative GPA

Second: Symbols used in association with the tests are as follows:

• W:
  a course that has been dropped or withdrawn.
• AU:
  assigned to a student auditing a subject.
• EX:
  symbol for a student who has been exempted from a required educational course.
• X:
  symbol for an excused absence from the final exam. The student is then required to take a makeup test during the second week of the following academic term.
• S:
  the symbol given to a student whose grades have been left pending by a decision from the Senate of the University.
• IP:
  the symbol used for a student with an incomplete project. It is given to a student who was unable to complete his/her project or practical training assignment during the academic period in which the project was registered. It is possible for a student to get an extension of one academic period for finishing his/her project. Any additional extensions must be approved by the dean. Any student who does not get an extension and does not submit a completed project or a practical training assignment will receive an “F” and will be penalized based upon the extension period.
• Y:
  the symbol for a student who has been barred from sitting for a final exam in the semester he/she registered for the subject.

Article Thirty-Eight:

At the end of every semester each student is given a complete record of his/her academic progress. It includes each subject the student has studied in every semester with its alphanumeric code, the number of credit-hours assigned to it, the points and the letter grade earned by the student as well as its numeric value. It also includes the Grade Point Average (GPA) for the semester and the Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA), as well as its letter-grade equivalent. Finally, it mentions the subjects from which transfer students have been exempted.

Article Thirty-Nine:

The faculties are assigned the responsibility of administering the final exams. It is their duty to review the register of points earned and submit it to the designated committee within a period not to exceed two weeks from the date of each exam.

Article Forty:

Article Forty:

1. Re-sit examination for the subject in which the student failed.

Students are allowed for re-sitting the examination for the subjects in which they failed and obtained a grade between 35.0 (E) and 45.0 (D) for undergraduate level and between 50.0 (C-) and 60.0 (C +) for postgraduate level. The re-sit examination is allowed for not more than two subjects and for once only, and they will be awarded pass only in accordance with the Study and Examination Rules, in case of failure in the re-sit exam the grade of the re-sit exam will be counted.

1. Repetition of failed courses (taking into account what is mentioned in the article on tuition fees)
2. A student who fails one or two subjects will be allowed to take the subjects again in another semester, on the condition that he/she sit for the exams of those two subjects at their specified times.
3. A student who fails three or more subjects will be prohibited from proceeding on to another semester until having taken the failed subjects a second time.
4. A student who fails a required subject once will be issued a warning. If he/she fails the course a third time, they will be denied the chance to continue studying. If he/she fails an elective course a second time, they will be permitted to take another elective course to replace the failed elective course.
5. When a student successfully repeats a subject, only the last grade for that subject will be considered for the calculation for his/her CGPA. However, the original grade shall be retained in his transcript for the particular semester without including in his/her CGPA.

Article Forty-one:

Examination papers will be kept at the University’s main branch or at one of its learning centres for a period of at least one year.

Transfers and Credit Equivalencies

Article Forty-Two:

Students will be allowed to transfer from another university when the following conditions are fulfilled:

A. The student transfers from a recognised college or university.
B. The student has not been expelled from the other institution due to a disciplinary infraction.
C. The student shall be subject to the conditions for transfer as stipulated by the Senate.

Article Forty-Three:

The office of admissions and registration shall evaluate the student’s transcript to determine the equivalencies of the courses the student studied in another university based upon the recommendations of the Faculties that offer those subjects. The courses that are accepted as equivalent shall be entered into the student’s transcript and will be counted in calculating his/her CGPA and the number of credit-hours accumulated.

Article Forty-Four:

Transfer of the student’s credits shall take place in accordance with the procedures, rules and the dates announced by the University. However, no more than 50% of the credits required for graduation shall be transferred.

Article Forty-Five:

After securing the approval of the Deans of the two relevant faculties, a student may transfer from one course of study to another.

Article Forty-Six:

A student, after securing the approval of the Dean of the faculty, may transfer from one specialisation to another within the same faculty.

Article Forty-Seven:

When a student transfers from one specialisation to another, all the courses he/she studied will remain in his/her academic record. That includes the grades, semester GPA, and the CGPA for the entire period of study in the University.

Article Forty-Eight:

The Senate has the following rights:

A. The right to alter any of the legal articles of these rules and regulations or add or delete articles.
B. The right to make exceptions to any of the legal articles of these rules and regulations.