UMS Postgraduate Studies Rule

CONTENT PAGE
CHAPTER A
PART 1 – PRELIMINARY
1.1 Name, Commencement and Application.......................................................................... 1
1.2 Repeal ......................................................................................................................... 1
1.3 Interpretation ............................................................................................................... 1-4
CHAPTER B – POSTGRADUATE STUDY BY RESEARCH
PART 2 – ADMISSION TO UNIVERSITY

2.1 Admission Requirements to Master’s Degree ................................................................... 4
2.2 Admission Requirements for the Degree of Master of Philosophy....................................... 4
2.3 Admission Requirements for Doctoral Degree ................................................................. 5
2.4 Language Requirement ................................................................................................. 5
2.5 Conditional Offer of Admission ....................................................................................... 5-6
2.6 Validity Period of Admission Offer................................................................................... 6
2.7 Revocation of Admission Offer........................................................................................ 6
2.8 Application for Re-Admission.......................................................................................... 6
PART 3 – DURATION OF STUDY

3.1 Permitted Duration of Study .......................................................................................... 6
3.2 Extension of Duration of Study...................................................................................... 6-7
PART 4 – REGISTRATION
4.1 Registration of Admission ............................................................................................. 7
4.2 Semester Registration ................................................................................................... 7
4.3 Code for Status Registration........................................................................................... 8
4.4 Deferment of Study....................................................................................................... 8
4.5 Suspension of Study...................................................................................................... 8-9
4.6 Change of Mode of Registration...................................................................................... 9
4.7 Registration of Prerequisite Course ................................................................................ 9
4.8 Registration of Pre-requirement Course .......................................................................... 9
4.9 Transfer of Faculty/Centre/Institute ............................................................................... 10
4.10 Change of Area of Study.............................................................................................. 10
PART 5 – FEES
5.1 Payment of Fees .. ....................................................................................................... 10
5.2 Refund of Fees ...... ...................................................................................................... 11
PART 6 – SUPERVISION
6.1 Categories of Supervision .............................................................................................. 11
6.2 Criteria for the Appointment of Supervisor(s)................................................................... 11-12
6.3 Change of Supervisor and/or Categories of Supervision.................................................... 12
6.4 Student’s Progress Report ............................................................................................. 12-13
PART 7 – THESIS
7.1 Thesis Writing ............................................................................................................. 13
7.2 Notice of Thesis Submission .......................................................................................... 13
7.3 Submission of Thesis for Examination ............................................................................ 13
7.4 Submission of Thesis after viva voce............................................................................... 13-14
7.5 Final Thesis Submission ................................................................................................ 14
PART 8 – FINAL EVALUATION

8.1 Final Evaluation ............................................................................................................ 14
8.2 Viva voce Committee..................................................................................................... 14
Postgraduate Studies Rules UMS 2015 [2018 Amendment] i

8.3 Viva Voce...................................................................................................................... 14-15
8.4 Thesis Evaluation........................................................................................................... 15-16
8.5 Appeal against viva voce Result...................................................................................... 16
PART 9 – CANDIDATURE STATUS

9.1 Candidature Status........................................................................................................ 16-17
PART 10 – RE-ACTIVATION OF STUDENT’S STATUS OF CANDIDATURE

10.1 Re-Activation of Student’s Status of Candidature ........................................................... 17
PART 11 – GRADUATION
11.1 Requirement for Degree Conferment ............................................................................ 17-18
11.2 Requirement for the Conferment of Posthumous Degree................................................ 18
CHAPTER C – POSTGRADUATE STUDY BY COURSEWORK
PART 12 – ADMISSION TO THE UNIVERSITY

12.1 Admission Requirements for Postgraduate Diploma ....................................................... 18
12.2 Admission Requirements for Master Degree by Coursework ........................................... 18-19
12.3 Admission Requirements for Master Degree by Mixed Mode (Coursework and Research).. 19
12.4 Admission Requirements for Doctoral Degree by Coursework or Mixed Mode.................. 19
12.5 Language Requirement ............................................................................................... 19-20
12.6 Conditional Offer of Admission ..................................................................................... 20
12.7 The Validity Period of Admission Offer .......................................................................... 20
PART 13 – STRUCTURE OF PROGRAMME

13.1 Course Component ..................................................................................................... 20
13.2 Permitted Candidature ................................................................................................ 21
13.3 Total Credit Hours To Graduate ................................................................................... 21
14.1 Admission Registration ................................................................................................ 21
14.2 Course Registration ..................................................................................................... 21-22
14.3 Pre Requirement Registration ...................................................................................... 22
14.4 Registration of Malay Language Course ........................................................................ 22
14.5 Registration of Audit Course......................................................................................... 22
14.6 Late Registration ........................................................................................................ 22
14.7 Total Credit Hours Taken.............................................................................................. 23
14.8 Drop and/or Add Course............................................................................ 23
14.9 Withdrawal from the Course ..................................................................... 23
14.10 Short Semester Registration....................................................................................... 23
14.11 Repeat Course Registration......................................................................................... 23
14.12 Deferment of Candidature.......................................................................................... 23-24
14.13 Suspension of Candidature......................................................................................... 24
14.14 Change of Mode of Registration ................................................................................. 24
14.15 Change of Programme of Study ................................................................................. 25
PART 15 – CREDIT TRANSFER

15.1 Application for credit transfer ...................................................................................... 25-26
PART 16 – FEES
16.1 Payment of Fees.......................................................................................................... 26
16.2 Refund of Fees ........................................................................................................... 26
PART 17 – EVALUATION AND EXAMINATION

17.1 Evaluation................................................................................................................... 26-27
17.2 Requirements for Examination ..................................................................................... 27
Postgraduate Studies Rules UMS 2015 [2018 Amendment] ii

17.3 Postponement of Final Examination .............................................................................. 27
17.4 Replacement Examination ........................................................................................... 27
17.5 Submission of Thesis/Dissertation/Research Project/Practicum/Internship/
Teaching Training............................................................................................................... 27
17.6 Result of Evaluation and Final Examination ................................................................... 27
17.7 Review of Course Grade............................................................................................... 27-28
PART 18 – GRADE VALUE AND STATUS

18.1 Grade and Grade Value ............................................................................................... 28-29
18.2 Code Status for Non-value Grade.................................................................................. 29-30
PART 19 – CUMULATIVE GRADE VALUE

19.1 Calculation of Unit and Cumulative Grade Value (CGV) .................................................. 30
19.2 The Methods of Calculating Cumulative Grade Value...................................................... 30
PART 20 – CANDIDATURE STATUS

20.1 Candidature Status given to a student .......................................................................... 31
20.2 Appeal to Continue Study ............................................................................................ 31-32
PART 21 – GRADUATION
21.1 Requirements for the Conferment of Degree ................................................................. 32
21.2 Requirement for the Conferment of Posthumous Degree ............................................... 32
CHAPTER D
PART 22 – GENERAL PROVISIONS

22.1 General ...................................................................................................................... 33
Postgraduate Studies Rules UMS 2015 [2018 Amendment] iii

POSTGRADUATE STUDIES RULES
UNIVERSITI MALAYSIA SABAH
In exercise of the powers conferred by section 37 (1) of the Constitution of the Universiti Malaysia
Sabah, (P.U. (A) 460/2010), the Board makes the following rules:
CHAPTER A
PART 1 – PRELIMINARY
1.1 Name, Commencement and Application
1.1.1 These rules shall be cited as the Universiti Malaysia Sabah Postgraduate Studies Rules
2015 (Amendment of 2018) and shall come into force on the date specified by the
Senate.
1.1.2 These rules shall apply to all students who are pursuing for Postgraduate Programmes
leading to conferment of the award of Postgraduate Diploma Degree, Masters Degree,
Masters of Philosophy Degree or Doctoral Degree.
1.2 Repeal
1.2.1 The Postgraduate Studies Rules 2008 as approved by the Senate and the amendments
made thereto shall be repealed.
1.3 Interpretation
1.3.1 In these rules:-
“Act” means The Universities and University Colleges Act 1971 [Act 30];
“APEL” means Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning, which is an accreditation

programme prescribed by MQA;
“Audit” means course which is taken yet does not have accumulative grade and its
evaluation comes in the form of pass or fail only;
“Faculty/Centre/Institute” means academic institution at the university which offers

academic programmes undertaken by the student throughout his candidature at the
university;
“Degree” means Doctoral Degree or Masters Degree, Master of Philosophy Degree or

Postgraduate Diploma Degree;
“Posthumous Degree” means a degree which may be conferred to a student who

passed away during his candidature;
“Academic Dishonesty” means offences committed by students under Rule 6

(Prohibition against plagiarism) and Rule 8 (Conduct during examination) Universiti
Malaysia Sabah Rules (Students’ Disciplinary) 1999 [P.U (A) 210/1999];
“Credit” means weightage value for a credit hour which is compatible to the learning or
teaching hour which is compatible to a semester;
Postgraduate Studies Rules UMS 2015 [2018 Amendment] 1

“Audit Course” means the course whereby a PASS is compulsory but does not
contribute to the computation of credit hour;
“Elective Course” means elective course offered at the programme level as specified
by the Faculty/Centre/Institute and a PASS is compulsory;
“Minor Course” means a course which may be taken by a student from any degree
programme as specified by the Faculty/Centre/Institute and a PASS is compulsory;
“Prerequisite Course” means a specific course which shall be taken and a PASS is
compulsory before a student is allowed to take another course in the respective
programme as determined by the Faculty/Centre/Institute;
“Pre-Requirement Course” means a specific course which shall be taken and a PASS
is compulsory before a student is allowed to commence the research study or commence
any programme at Faculty/Centre/Institute, subject to the prerequisite as approved by
the Faculty/Centre/Institute;
“Faculty Core Course” means a course offered at the Faculty level and a PASS is
compulsory;
“Programme Core Course” means a course offered at the Programme level and a
PASS is compulsory;
“Mixed Mode” means a study programme which comprises at least 50% of research
component;
“Registration Mode” means type of registration for a study either Full Time or Part
Time;
“MQA” means Malaysian Qualification Agency, an agency established under Malaysian

Qualifications Agency Act (Act 679);
“MQR” means Malaysian Qualifications Register, a source of references and guidelines

pertaining to higher education programme which has already been accredited and
awarded by the higher education provider either local or overseas;
“Active Registered Student” means a student who has registered for the current
semester;
“Student” means an individual who has registered for a postgraduate Programme study
at the University;
“Inactive Registered Student” means a student who does not register for the current
semester;
“Internal Examiner” means a university lecturer who is appointed by the University to

evaluate student’s thesis/dissertation;
“External Examiner” means a lecturer/individual from external institution/university

having expertise who is appointed by the University to evaluate student’s thesis;
“Credit Hours Transfer” means a process of transferring the credit hours obtained in
postgraduate study from a Higher Institute of Education either local or abroad which is
recognised by the Senate;

“Deferment of Study” means the student’s candidature is deferred for whatever
reasons;
“Course Registration” means the registration of a course enrolled by a student

throughout his candidature at the University;
“Suspension of a Student” means a student who is penalised under Rule 48(d)

Universiti Malaysia Sabah Rules (Students’ Disciplinary) 1999 or section 150 of the
Universities and Colleges Act 1971 (Act 30);
“Final Evaluation” means student’s thesis evaluation;
“Evaluation” means any form of measurement used to evaluate student’s performance

in a course undertaken by the student (either in the form of quiz, test, mid semester
examination, assignment, course work or others) as specified by the
Faculty/Centre/Institute;
“Postgraduate Programme Coordinator” means a Lecturer who is appointed by the

University to coordinate the postgraduate programme(s) at the respective
Faculty/Centre/Institute;
“Supervisor” means a University lecturer or an individual from outside of the University

who is responsible to supervise a student;
“Final Examination” means an examination which is carried out within specified period
at the end of each semester;
“Supplementary Exam” means an examination that need to be taken by Master in

Public Health and Doctor in Public Health student which is not getting grade B or more at
a certain course.
“CGPA” means cumulative grade point average acquired by a student for all semesters
that he has taken;
“CGPS” means cumulative grade point semester acquired by a student in a semester;
“Programme of Study” means an academic programme as specified by the Senate

which leads to the conferment of degree;
“Postgraduate Programme of Study” means a study programme either at doctoral,

master of philosophy, master or postgraduate diploma;
“Repeat viva voce” means the repeat of oral examination;
“Review of Course Grade” means a review of marks computation for overall student’s
evaluation (project, quiz, assignment, mid-semester examination and so forth) including
answer script of the final examination;
“Semester” means a period of study which is not less than 14 lecture weeks;
“Short Semester” means a period of study which is not less than seven (7) lecture
weeks;
“Senate” means the University’s Senate;
“Session” means a period of study comprising two (2) normal semesters and one (1)
short semester as determined by the Senate;

“Integrated Student Information System” means information management system
of student affairs information;
“Mode of Study” means the type of study whether by Research, Coursework or Mixed;
“Postgraduate Student Information Systems” means an information management

system pertaining student’s candidature;
“Structure of Study” means mode of study either by research or taught course;
“Structure of Programme” means curriculum components and candidature that

comprise of the determined courses for graduation purposes;
“Academic Year” means a period of twelve months whereby the dates of

commencement and the end which are determined by the Vice Chancellor/Senate;
“Period of Study” means a prescribed period for a student to fulfil all study
requirement for the purpose of graduation;
“University” means Universiti Malaysia Sabah;
“Examination Zone” means space, area, place or building which is designated for the
venue of final examination.
CHAPTER B – POSTGRADUATE STUDY BY RESEARCH
PART 2 – ADMISSION TO UNIVERSITY
2.1 Admission Requirements to Master’s Degree
2.1.1 Candidate who wishes to enrol in a Master’s degree postgraduate programme shall fulfil
the following requirements:-
(a) attain a Bachelor’s degree or its equivalent from any higher education institution
recognised by the Senate and with a minimum CGPA of 2.75; or
(b) attain a Bachelor’s degree or its equivalent with minimum CGPA of 2.50 and not
meeting CGPA 2.75, can be accepted subject to rigorous internal assessment; or
(c) attain a Bachelor’s degree or its equivalent not meeting CGPA 2.50, can be
accepted subject to a minimum of five (5) years working experience in relevant
field; or
(d) passes APEL (subject to the programme approval from MQA); or
(e) other requirements stipulated by the Faculty/Centre/Institute accepted by the

Senate.
2.2 Admission Requirements for the Degree of Master of Philosophy
2.2.1 A candidate who intends to enrol in the Master Degree of Philosophy programme shall
attain at least a Bachelor’s Degree with CGPA 3.00 from University or any higher
education institution recognised by the Senate.

2.3 Admission Requirements for Doctoral Degree
2.3.1 A candidate who intends to enrol in the Degree of Doctoral Philosophy programme shall
fulfil the following requirements:-
(a) attain a Master’s degree from any higher education institution recognised by the
Senate; or
(b) possess other qualifications equivalent to a Master’s Degree and accepted by the
Senate; or
(c) is currently pursuing for a Master’s Degree at the University and has shown
excellent performance in the first two (2) semesters and the conversion is
approved by the Senate; or
(d) other requirements stipulated by the Faculty/Centre/Institute and accepted by

the Senate.
2.4 Language Requirement
2.4.1 International candidate from a country that does not use English language as its medium
shall at least:
(a) Band 5 in an English language IELTS (International English Language Testing

System) or obtains score 500 (writing)/173 (on line) TOEFL test (Test of English
as a Foreign Language); or
(b) pass English Language course conducted by the University and obtains at least
grade B.
2.4.2 The validity of the result for the requirement prescribed in subrule 2.4.1(a) and (b) shall
not exceed two (2) years from the date of the issuance of the result.
2.4.3 Subrule 2.4.1 is inapplicable if:-
(a) the candidate obtains his Bachelor’s degree or Master’s degree or Master of
Philosophy degree from higher education institution which uses English
Language as its medium provided that the candidate shall bring forth the
supporting documents from the respective higher education institution;
(b) the candidate obtains degree from any universities in Malaysia; or
(c) the usage of English language is not required for his programme of study.
2.5 Conditional Offer of Admission
2.5.1 The candidate may be given a conditional offer if he does not fulfil subrule 2.1.1(a) but
he is in the final semester of his Bachelor’s degree subject to his CGPA and equivalent
final qualification acquired by him is deemed as fulfilment of the requirements of
admission.
2.5.2 The candidate who is given a conditional offer shall be given full admission offer upon
showing the proof that subrule 2.1.1(a) has been fulfilled before or on the registration
day.

2.5.3 The conditional offer shall be revoked if the candidate fails to show the required proof of
qualification within the prescribed time frame.
2.6 Validity Period of Admission Offer
2.6.1 The admission offer shall be valid for one (1) academic year only.
2.6.2 A candidate who intends to defer his admission registration shall notify in writing to the
Dean of Centre for Postgraduate Studies within a period of two (2) weeks from the date
of issuance of the offer letter.
2.7 Revocation of Admission Offer
2.7.1 Offer for the admission shall be revoked automatically if:
(a) the candidate does not apply in writing to the Dean of Centre for Postgraduate
Studies within the prescribed period. Deferment maybe allowed not more than
two (2) consecutive semesters.
(b) the candidate who does not register after the approved duration of deferment
lapses.
2.7.2 The candidate shall make a new application upon the revocation of the admission offer.
2.8 Application for Re-Admission
2.8.1 Students who did not complete their study or fails in their programme of study in any
university shall register with a new research study.
2.8.2 Student who did not complete their study or fails in their programme of study in any
university may use his initial research study conducted at the previous university
provided that the approval and consent in writing has been given by the student’s
supervisor at the previous university.
PART 3 – DURATION OF STUDY
3.1 Permitted Duration of Study
3.1.1 Permitted duration of study is as listed in the table below:-
Mode of Registration
Level of Study Full Time Part Time
Minimum Maximum Minimum Maximum
Master/Master of Philosophy Degree 2 semester 6 semester 4 semester 8 semester
Doctoral Degree 4 semester 8 semester 6 semester 12 semester
..
3.2 Extension of Duration of Study
3.2.1 The permitted extension of the duration of study is as listed in the table below:-
Level of Study
Full Time Part Time
Master/Master of Philosophy Degree 2 semester 4 semester
Doctoral Degree 4 semester 6 semester

3.2.2 The failure to complete the study within the permitted time given will render the
student’s status to be terminated without any written notification from the University.
4.1 Registration of Admission
4.1.1 A candidate who is being offered to pursue for Postgraduate programme shall register
within a period of two (2) weeks from the date of registration specified by the University.
4.2 Semester Registration
4.2.1 The student shall pay the fees and register in every semester within a period of two (2)
weeks from the date of registration specified by the University.
4.2.2 Student is not allowed to register in the subsequent semester until all outstanding fees
are paid.
4.2.3 Student may register upon Supervisor’s certification of his progress report and approved
by the Postgraduate Studies Committee at the Faculty/Centre/Institute.
4.2.4 Student may register late until the fourth week and student shall pay late penalty
amounting RM200.
4.2.5 Student who does not register after the fourth week shall be given the status of
suspension of candidature without any written notification from the University.
4.2.6 Student who does not register for two (2) consecutive semesters shall be terminated
from his studies without any written notification from the University.
4.2.7 Student who has submitted his thesis for examination is deemed as inactive and is not
required to register in the following semester and is not entitled to use any of the
University’s facilities unless a written permission is given by the Dean of Centre for
Postgraduate Studies.
4.2.8 Student whose viva voce result is deferred shall register in the determined semester and
pay the fees for Repeat Viva Voce (if needed) and other fees charged.

4.3 Code for Status of Registration
4.3.1 Code for status of registration is as follows:-
(a) Active
(b) Active – Extension (I), (II), (III), (IV), (V), (VI)
(c) Active (Notice of Thesis Submission)
(d) Active (Awaiting for Viva Voce)
4.3.2 The Interpretation for the code for status of registration is as follows:-
(a) “Active” means a student who is registered in the current semester.
(b) “Active (Extension (I), (II), (III), (IV), (V), (VI)” means a student who has
exceeded the allowable period of study and has approved the extension of the
study period by the Senate.
(c) “Active (Notice of Thesis Submission) means a student who has registered in the
current semester and has submitted the Notice of Thesis Submission.
(d) “Active (Awaiting for viva voce)” means a student is awaiting viva voce.
4.4 Deferment of Study
4.4.1 An application to defer may be made prior to the commencement of the new semester
or latest on the second week of the intended semester of deferment. An application
made after the second week shall only be considered on medical ground(s) provided it is
certified by the Panel Doctor appointed by the University or any government hospitals or
other reasonable ground(s).
4.4.2 An application of deferment shall be supported by the Dean of Faculty/Director of

Centre/Institute for the approval of the Dean of Centre for Postgraduate Studies.
4.4.3 A student is not allowed to defer his study more than two (2) consecutive semesters
throughout his candidature unless it is on medical ground(s) provided it is certified by
the Panel Doctor appointed by the University or any government hospitals or other
reasonable ground(s).
4.4.4 The approval for deferment of candidature is based on semester to semester basis.
4.4.5 The deferment is inapplicable to the approved extension of semester.
4.4.6 A student whose application of deferment is approved is deemed to be an inactive

registered student in the respective semester and is not entitled to use any facilities
provided by the University unless for gaining advice to resume his study.
4.4.7 The period of deferment of study shall not be counted in the calculation of student’s
candidature as provided in Rule 3.1.
4.5 Suspension of Study
4.5.1 A student shall be suspended from his candidature if:-
(a) fail to register in any semester within the stipulated time; or

(b) is convicted by the University’s Students Disciplinary Committee and punished
under Rule 48(d) Universiti Malaysia Sabah Rules (Students’ Disciplinary) 1999
(P.U.(A) 210/1999); or
(c) in breach of subsection 15D(1) and (7) Universities and Colleges Act 1971 (Act
30).
4.5.2 The period of suspension of study shall be counted in the calculation of student’s
4.5.3 A student whose candidature is suspended shall activate the status of his candidature in
the subsequent semester under the subrule 4.5.1(a) by paying processing fees
amounting RM300 and the tuition fees for the suspended semester.
4.6 Change of Mode of Registration
4.6.1 Student may apply to the Dean of Faculty/Director of Centre/Institute for approval and
notify the Dean of Centre for Postgraduate Studies to change the mode of registration
from full time to part time or vice versa. The application is only once throughout the
stipulated period of study.
4.6.2 The approval is subject to the remaining maximum period of candidature for the Mode of
Registration applied.
4.6.3 International student shall not be allowed to change the Mode of Registration from full
time to part time.
4.7 Registration of Prerequisite Course
4.7.1 A student whom prerequisite is imposed shall take and pass with at least Grade B prior
to commencing the research, subject to requirement specified by respective
Faculty/Centre/Institute.
4.7.2 Course shall be stated without grade value and will be given a general result in the form
of pass or fail only. It is not counted in the determination of the student’s cumulative
grade value.
4.8 Registration of Pre-requirement Course
4.8.1 Registration of Malay Language Course
(a) all international students except students from Brunei and Indonesia shall
register and pass Malay Language Course as stipulated by the University.
Nevertheless an exemption may be given to the students who have pursued
Malay Language Course organised by any organisation or recognised by the
University’s Senate in particular cases.
4.8.2 Registration of Methodology Course
(a) all students shall attend Research Methodology Course organised by the
University in the first year of his candidature.
(b) failure of the student to attend Research Methodology Course is deemed as non-
fulfilment of graduation requirement.

4.9 Transfer of Faculty/Centre/Institute
4.9.1 Student may apply for transfer of Faculty/Centre/Institute at any time within the current
semester of study and before the third semester of candidature:-
(a) if the approval is obtained within the first seven (7) weeks of the semester, the
transfer shall be of effect in the respective semester;
(b) if the approval is obtained after the stipulated duration, the transfer shall be of
effect in the subsequent semester.
4.9.2 The application may only be made once throughout the candidature unless on other
ground(s) as recognised by the Postgraduate Studies Committee at the
4.10 Change of Area of Study
4.10.1 Student may apply to change the Area of Study at any time within the current semester
of study and before the third semester of candidature:-
(a) if the approval is obtained within the first seven (7) weeks of the semester, the
transfer shall be of effect in the respective semester;
(b) if the approval after the stipulated duration, the transfer shall be of effect in the
subsequent semester.
4.10.2 The application may only be made once throughout the candidature unless on other
ground(s) as recognised by the Postgraduate Studies Committee at the Faculty/ Centre/
Institute.
PART 5 – FEES
5.1 Payment of Fees
5.1.1 It is compulsory for the students to pay all related fees in each semester.
5.1.2 All fees shall be paid at the time of registration.
5.1.3 A student who has paid the tuition fees for the current semester but the deferment of
study is approved in the respective semester, hence the paid tuition fees shall be
brought forward to the subsequent semester.
5.1.4 A student who has submitted his thesis to be examined before or on the fourth week in
any semester shall be exempted from paying the tuition fees.
5.1.5 The fees for viva voce shall be paid at the time of submission of thesis for examination.
5.1.6 Student shall pay fees for Repeat viva voce if he is required to repeat the viva voce.
5.1.7 The fees payable is subject to changes from time to time without any earlier notification
from the University.

5.2 Refund of Fees
5.2.1 A student who withdraws within the two (2) weeks of the first semester and approved
by Dean of Centre for Postgraduate Studies is entitled for the fees refund.
PART 6 – SUPERVISION
6.1 Categories of Supervision
6.1.1 Categories of Supervision comprise of:-
(a) Sole Supervision – if involve the appointment of one supervisor only; or
(b) Co-Supervision – a Main Supervisor and a Co-Supervisor; or
(c) Supervisory Committee–comprises of at least of three (3) members including a

chairman and members of the Committee. The Chairman is responsible in
coordinating the supervision activities for the said student.
6.1.2 The appointment of Supervisor(s) shall be endorsed by the Senate.
6.2 Criteria for the Appointment of Supervisor(s)
6.2.1 Sole Supervisor/Main Supervisor/The Chairman of Supervisory Committee for:
(a) Doctoral student:
i. a University academic holding the post of Professor or Associate

Professor; or
ii. a University academic possessing a doctoral degree having at least two

(2) years experience in teaching and research, or had been a Co-
Supervisor or Member of Supervisory Committee.
iii. notwithstanding that referred to in subsections 6.2.1 (i) and (ii), it is

exempt from any limited field of expertise.
(b) Master/Master of Philosophy Student:
i. a University academic holding the post of Professor or Associate

Professor; or
ii. a University academic and having Doctoral degree or equivalent; or
iii. a University academic other than subrule 6.2.1(b)(i) and (ii) shall have
at least five (5) years experience in teaching and research, or had been
a Co-Supervisor or Member of Supervisory Committee and subject to the
Senate’s approval.
(c) The University academic shall have relevant expertise in the student’s area of
research.
(d) Notwithstanding paragraph (c), if the Chairman of Postgraduate Supervisory

Committee may not be appointed due to non-fulfilment of paragraphs (a) and

(b) above, therefore the Dean of Faculty/Director of Centre/Institute shall be
appointed as the Chairman.
6.2.2 Co-Supervisor/Member of Supervision Committee shall be:-
(a) a University academic possessing a Doctoral Degree or Master Degree or an

individual from outside of the University/Industry having relevant expertise in
the student’s area of research; or
(b) a University academic or an individual from outside of the University who does
not fulfil paragraph (a) shall obtain the Senate’s approval.
6.2.3 The University academic who is currently pursuing his study at the Master Degree or
Doctoral Degree either full or part time shall not be appointed as Supervisor/Main
Supervisor/Co-Supervisor/The Chairman or a Member of Supervisory Committee.
6.2.4 A Supervisor who is transferred or ends his service shall neither be the Main Supervisor
nor the Chairman of Supervisory Committee.
6.2.5 Supervisor or a Member of Supervisory Committee shall not have any family relationship
with the student who is in his supervision.
6.2.6 A contract academic staff or Research/Lecturer Fellow shall supervise together with at
least a University academic holding a permanent post.
6.3 Change of Supervisor and/or Categories of Supervision
6.3.1 A student may apply:-
(a) to change Supervisor(s).
(b) to change the Categories of Supervision.
(c) to add member in the Categories of Supervision.
6.3.2 An application to change Supervisor and/or Categories of Supervision shall be made

within the first two (2) semesters of his candidature. An application may bemade after
the first two (2) semesters of his candidature if Supervisor/Main Supervisor/The
Chairman of the Supervisory Committee transfers/ends his service/retires.
6.3.3 Supervisor(s) may withdraw from the supervision within the first two (2) semesters of
the candidature. Faculty/Centre/Institute is responsible in appointing a new
Supervisor(s).
6.3.4 An application to change or modify stipulated in this rule shall be endorsed by the
Senate.
6.4 Student’s Progress Report (SPR)
6.4.1 Student shall fill in the Postgraduate Student’s Progress Report (PSPR) at the time
stipulated in the Academic Calendar.
6.4.2 Student with status “Active (Awaiting for Viva Voce) do not need to fill in the
Postgraduate Student’s Progress Report (PSPR).
6.4.3 Student will be given terminated from studies status if the Postgraduate Student Report
(PSPR) is Poor and is given a “Conditional Pass” status for a period of two (2)

consecutive semesters.
6.4.4 Supervisor is required to fill and certify the actual performance evaluation of student’s
research at the time stipulated in the Academic Calender.
6.4.5 The failure of the student to complete the Postgraduate Student Progress Report (PSPR)
within the stipulated time will cause the student can not registe in the next semester and
be given a status of Not Completion of Postgraduate Student Progress Report (PSPR).
PART 7 – THESIS
7.1 Thesis Writing
7.1.1 Student shall write the thesis by adhering to Universiti Malaysia Sabah
Thesis/Dissertation Submission and Writing Guideline, 2018 as prescribed by the Senate.
7.1.2 Student shall not re-use his thesis derived from his candidature at other university.
7.2 Notice of Thesis Submission
7.2.1 Student shall complete and submit the Notice of Thesis Submission to the Dean of Centre
for Postgraduate Studies within three (3) months prior to the submission of thesis for
examination.
7.2.2 The Notice is valid for six (6) months from the date of the Notice of Thesis Submission is
received by the Centre for Postgraduate Studies.
7.2.3 The inability of the student to submit the thesis within stipulated time shall render the
Notice submitted earlier is revoked, and the student is required to submit a new form.
7.2.4 Student shall be required to have a status of Active Student at the time of submission the
Notice of Thesis Submission.
7.3 Submission of Thesis for Examination
7.3.1 Student must have proof-read the text related to language usage in the thesis if
requested by the Faculty/Centre/Institute prior to the submission of thesis for
examination.
7.3.2 Master/Master of Philosophy Student shall submit three (3) copies of thesis and the
Doctoral Student shall submit four (4) copies of thesis to Centre for Postgraduate Studies
after the Senate ratifies the Examiners Committee.
7.3.3 Student shall submit one (1) Review of Plagiarism Report which is verified by the
7.4 Submission of Thesis after viva voce
7.4.1 Student shall submit the thesis after the correction has been carried out within the
stipulated time to Centre for Postgraduate Studies for format checking.
7.4.2 Student may only apply once (1) for an extension of the thesis submission. The
application shall be made through Supervisor/the Chairman of the Supervisory
Committee and submitted to the Dean of Centre for Postgraduate Studies for approval.

7.4.3 The failure to make the correction and submit the thesis within the stipulated time shall
be given a Fail.
7.5 Final Thesis Submission
7.5.1 Upon verification to the amendment and thesis formatting from Centre for Postgraduate
Studies, the student is required to submit one (1) copy of bound thesis with hard cover
and one (1) copy of compact disc to the Centre for Postgraduate Studies.
7.5.2 All thesis/dissertation is under the University property.
PART 8 – FINAL EVALUATION
8.1 Final Evaluation
8.1.1 The student’s final evaluation comprises of Thesis Evaluation and viva voce.
8.1.2 Thesis Evaluation shall be carried out by:-
(a) (i) one (1) External Examiner and two (2) Internal Examiners for a Doctoral
student.
(ii) two (2) External Examiners and one (1) Internal Examiner if the Doctoral
student is an employee of the University.
(b) one (1) External Examiner and one (1) Internal Examiner for a Master student.
8.1.3 Viva voce shall be carried out by the Viva voce Committee after an evaluation of the
thesis is carried out by Internal Examiner and External Examiner in accordance with
subrule 8.1.2.
8.2 Viva voce Committee
8.2.1 Viva voce Committee shall comprise of:-
(a) the Dean of Centre for Postgraduate Studies or representative appointed as the
Chairman.
(b) Internal Examiner and/or External Examiner in accordance with subrule 8.1.2
(c) the Dean of Faculty/Director of Centre/Institute or representative where the

student is registered.
8.3 Viva voce
8.3.1 Viva voce shall be convened upon receipt of all examiners’ report.
8.3.2 Viva voce shall be convened if the Chairman of the Thesis Examination Committee, the
Dean of Faculty/Director of Centre/Institute or representative or at least one (1)
examiner is present. The Supervisor, The Chairman of the Supervisory Committee and/or
other member(s) in the Supervisory Committee may be appointed as the observer(s).
Viva voce will be managed by the appointed secretariat.

8.3.3 The viva voce session may only be held if the members of the Viva Voce Committee
specified in subparagraphs 8.2.1 above are present.
8.3.4 Supervisor, Chairman of Supervisory Committees or other members of the Supervisory

Committee may be invited as observers.
8.3.5 If the viva voce chairperson is unable to attend due to unavoidable matters, the Dean of
the Postgraduate School is empowered to appoint a new Chairman.
8.3.6 Students shall be awarded a Pass if all the viva voce committee members are satisfied
with the student thesis and the student’s ability to defend their thesis.
8.3.7 Students who fail to attend viva voce without any reasonable ground is deemed as Fail
in the said examination.
8.3.8 Re viva voce shall only be allowed once (1) only.
8.4 Thesis Evaluation Result
8.4.1 Thesis evaluation is made after the Student has made a presentation in the viva voce
and shall be categorised as follows:-
(a) Thesis is accepted without correction.

The student’s thesis is accepted for the degree conferment without correction
other than typographical error(s).
(b) Thesis is accepted subject to minor amendment/correction and

modification within a maximum period of three (3) months.
The student’s thesis is accepted with minor corrections comprise of amendment
to the formatting, literature review, references and other corrections as deem
necessary by the Viva voce Committee. The student shall submit the amended
thesis and verified by the Dean of Faculty/Director of Centre/Institute within a
maximum period of three (3) months from the date of viva voce.
(c) Thesis is accepted subject to major amendment/correction and

modification within a maximum period of six (6) months.
The student’s thesis is accepted with major corrections comprise of the
changes/corrections to the research objectives, methodologies, research
analysis, discussion on the research findings and other major corrections as
deem necessary by viva voce Committee. The student shall submit the amended
thesis and verified by the Dean of Faculty/Director of Centre/Institute within a
maximum period of six (6) months from the date of viva voce.
(d) The result of viva voce is deferred and the student is required to re-
write within a maximum period of 12 months and submit the thesis for
second examination.
i. The student is required to re-write the thesis because it does not conform to
the scope of graduation, the research does not adhere to the research
objectives, methodologies, analysis and insufficient discussion of research
findings, the need to enhance the research or data collection and other
corrections as deem necessary by Viva voce Committee. The student shall
submit the amended thesis and verified by the Dean of Faculty/Director of
Centre/Institute within a maximum period of 12 months from the date of
viva voce.

ii. The student shall undergo another viva voce if decided by the viva voce
committee.
(e) The Thesis is accepted as a Master of Philosophy thesis and corrections

shall be done subject to the correction proposed by the Viva voce
Committee
The thesis does not achieve the level of scholarship of a doctoral degree and
requires improvement to its research objective, methodologies and rewrite the
discussion and its research findings.
(f) Fail and re submission of thesis for examination is not allowed.

The thesis fails to fulfil the level of scholarship of a Master/Doctoral Degree, or
elements of plagiarism are detected.
8.5 Appeal against viva voce result
8.5.1 An appeal against the viva voce result shall only be made if the student is not satisfied
with the result and must have a reasonable reason.
8.5.2 Student shall unlikely refute the declaration by the examiner which is based on academic
value.
8.5.3 An appeal shall be made to Dean of Centre for Postgraduate Studies within 30 days after
the date of the first viva voce.
8.5.4 Appeal decision is final and conclusive.
PART 9– CANDIDATURE STATUS
9.1 Candidature Status (Research Mode)
Student candidature is categorised as follows:
9.1.1 “Deferment of Candidature” a student who has been approved to defer his candidature
according to studies rules.
9.1.2 “Deferment of Candidature (Health Issue)” a student who has been approved to defer his
candidature due to health issue accordance with Rule 4.4.
9.1.3 “Suspension of Candidature” a student is suspended of his candidature in accordance to

Rule 4.5
9.1.4 “Withdrawal from Candidature” a student withdraws his candidature.
9.1.5 “Fail and Terminated” a student who fails and terminated:
(a) if a student fail in thesis evaluation in accordance to subrule 8.4.1(f);
(b) if a student fail to make corrections and submit the thesis within stipulated time;
(c) in accordance to subrule 7.4.3
9.1.6 “Terminated (Misconduct)” a student is terminated:

(a) if a student does not register for two (2) consecutive semesters (subrule 4.2.6);
(b) if a student fail to complete his candidature within stipulated time;
(c) if a student is dismissed from the University in accordance with the Universiti
Malaysia Sabah Rules (Student’s Disciplinary) 1999 (P.U.A 210).
PART 10– RE-ACTIVATION OF STUDENT’S STATUS OF CANDIDATURE
10.1 Re-Activation of Student’s Status of Candidature
10.1.1 A student who has been given a status of termination from his candidature in
accordance with subrule 4.2.6 and/or subrule 9.1.6 may appeal to continue his
candidature within two (2) weeks from the date of termination and shall pay:-
(a) application processing fees amounting RM300.
(b) tuition fees for the semester which is not registered.
10.1.2 In interpreting the above subrule 10.1.1 a student may only make such appeal only once
throughout his candidature.
10.1.3 The approval of student’s application to appeal is subject to the Senate’s approval.
PART 11– GRADUATION
11.1 Requirement for Degree Conferment
11.1.1 A student shall be conferred the Degree upon fulfilment of all requirements of
Postgraduate Study Graduation including:-
(a) fulfilment of all requirements stipulated by the Centre for Postgraduate Studies.
(b) pass the viva voce which is verified by the Postgraduate Study Committee and
endorsed by the Senate.
(c) submitted hard bound thesis and a copy of compact disc within the time
stipulated by Viva voce Committee Members.
(d) settle all debts and liabilities owed to the University throughout the candidature.
(e) fulfil the Rule 7.5 (Final Submission of Thesis).
(f) a Master Degree student shall submit at least two (2) articles consist of one (1)
refereed article and one (1) proceeding.
(g) a Doctoral of Philosophy Degree student shall submit at least three (3) articles,
consist of one (1) indexed article, one (1) refereed article and one (1)
proceeding.

(h) all the above requirements shall be fulfilled by the student prior to submission of
the hard bound thesis for the graduation purpose.
11.1.2 The subrule 11.1.1 (f) and (g) shall not apply to the students of cohort 2013/2014 and
preceding sessions.
11.2 Requirement for the Conferment of Posthumous Degree
11.2.1 A student shall be conferred the Posthumous Degree if the student has submitted the
draft of thesis for viva voce examination.
CHAPTER C– POSTGRADUATE STUDY BY COURSEWORK
PART 12–ADMISSION TO THE UNIVERSITY
12.1 Admission Requirements for Postgraduate Diploma
12.1.1 Candidate who wishes to pursue in a Postgraduate Diploma study programme shall fulfil
the following requirements:-
(a) attain a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent from any higher education institution
(b) attain a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent not meeting CGPA2.50, can be accepted
subject to minimum of five (5) years working experience in related area; or
(c) other requirements stipulated by the Faculty/Centre/Institute accepted by the

Senate.
12.2 Admission Requirements for Master Degree by Coursework
12.2.1 Candidate who wishes to pursue in a Master Degree study programme shall fulfil the
following requirements:
(b) attain a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent not meeting CGPA of 2.50, can be
accepted subject to minimum of five (5) years working experience in related
area; or
(c) pass APEL (subject to the approved programme(s) by MQA); or
(d) other requirements stipulated by the Faculty/Centre/Institute accepted by the

Senate.
12.2.2 Candidate who wishes to purse in a Master Degree study in Public Health programme
shall fulfil the following requirements:
(a) attain a Medical Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent from any higher education
institution recognised by the Senate and with a minimum CGPA of 2.5 or
equivalent; and have at least one (1) year of experience as a Medical Officer
(after posting) and as far as possible for at least one (1) year experience in
public health; or
(b) attain a Medical Bachelor’s Degree (MD, MBBS) or equivalent from any higher
education institution recognised by the Senate (Level 6, KKM); and CGPA less
than 2.5 and have five (5) years of experience (including posting) in the relative
field.
12.3 Admission Requirements for Master Degree by Mixed Mode (Coursework and
Research)
12.3.1 Candidate who wishes to pursue in a Master Degree study programme shall fulfil the
following requirements:-
(b) attain a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent with minimum CGPA of 2.50 and not
meeting CGPA of 2.75, can be accepted subject to rigorous internal assessment;
or
(c) attain a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent not meeting CGPA of 2.50, can be
accepted subject to a minimum five (5) years working experience in a relevant
field; or
(d) pass APEL(subject to the approved programme(s) by MQA); or
(e) other requirements stipulated by the Faculty/Centre/Institute accepted by the

Senate.
12.4 Admission Requirements for Doctoral Degree by Coursework or Mixed Mode
12.4.1 Candidate who wishes to pursue in a Doctoral Degree shall fulfil the following
requirements:-
a) a Master’s Degree accepted by the Senate; or
b) any other qualification equivalent to Master’s Degree accepted by the Senate.
12.5 Language Requirement
12.5.1 An international candidate from a country that does not use English language as its
medium shall at least:-
(a) Band 5 in an English language IELTS (International English Language Testing

System) or obtains score 500 (writing)/173 (on line) TOEFL test(Test of English
as a Foreign Language); or
(b) pass English Language course conducted by the University and obtains at least
grade B.
(c) the validity of the result in paragraph (a) and (b) shall not exceed two (2) years
from the date of the issuance of the result.
12.5.2 Subrule 12.5.1 is inapplicable for the candidate who obtains his Bachelor Degree from
higher education institution which uses English Language as its medium provided that
the candidate shall bring forth the supporting documents from the respective higher
education institution;

12.5.3 An international candidate obtains degree from any universities in Malaysia is not subject
to the subrule 12.5.1.
12.5.4 Subrule 12.5.1 is inapplicable for International candidates from countries which does not
use English as their main language and apply the programme of Master in Public Health
and Doctor in Public Health, shall have at least Band 6 in IELTS (International English
Language Testing System-Academic) or score 550 (written) or equivalent (on-line) in the
TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) test.
12.6 Conditional Offer of Admission
12.6.1 The candidate may be given a conditional offer if he does not fulfil Rules 12.1 or 12.2 or
12.3 but he is in the final semester of his undergraduate candidature subject to his CGPA
and equivalent final qualification acquired by him is deemed as fulfilment of the
requirements of admission.
12.6.2 The candidate who is given a conditional offer shall be given full admission offer upon
showing the proof that Rules 12.1 or 12.2 or 12.3 has been fulfilled before or on the
registration day.
12.6.3 The conditional offer shall be revoked if the candidate fails to show the required proof of
qualification within the prescribed time frame.
12.7 The Validity Period of Admission Offer
12.7.1 The admission offer shall be valid for the offered semester only.
12.7.2 The offer for the candidate who fails to register shall be revoked and the candidate has
to make a new application.
PART 13–STRUCTURE OF PROGRAMME
13.1 Course Component
13.1.1 A student shall take courses as determined by his respective programme of study
comprise of:-
(a) Core courses of the Faculty; and/or
(b) Core courses of the Programme; and/or
(c) Minor courses; and/or
(d) Elective courses.
13.1.2 The weightage between coursework and research that student shall take in a
postgraduate programme is as follows:-
(a) Postgraduate Diploma (100% Coursework).
(b) Doctoral degree and Master by Coursework (Ratio between Coursework:

Research is within range 70:30).
(c) Doctoral degree and Master by Mixed Method (Ratio between Coursework:
Research is within range 50:50).

13.2 Permitted Candidature
13.2.1 Subject to the approval of Malaysian Qualification Agency (MQA), permitted duration of
study is as listed in the table below and is inapplicable for Master in Public Health
Programme and Doctor in Public Health Programme.
Full Time Part Time

Level of Study
Postgraduate Diploma 2 semester 4 semester 3 semester 6 semester

Master Degree 2 semester 6 semester 4 semester 8 semester
Doctoral Degree 6 semester 10 semester 8 semester 12 semester
13.2.2 The failure to complete the study within the permitted time will render the student’s
status to be terminated without any written notification from the University.
13.3 Total Credit Hours To Graduate
13.3.1 A student shall pass a certain credit hours according to the structure of the programme
as stipulated by the Senate:
(a) Postgraduate Diploma minimum 30 credit hours.
(b) Master Degree minimum 40 credit hours.
(c) Doctoral Degree minimum 80 credit hours.
14.1 Admission Registration
14.1.1 A candidate who is being offered to pursue for Postgraduate programme shall register
within the stipulated time given by the University.
14.2 Course Registration
14.2.1 Student is required to pay fees and register courses each semester within two (2) weeks
from the date of registration stipulated by the University. Students who fail to confirm
the registration within the stipulated time without any reasonable reason will be charged
with fines.
14.2.2 Student who fails to confirm the registration within the stipulated time will be given
“Suspension of Candidature” status.
14.2.3 Student is responsible to ensure the registration of the course in each semester and shall
make corrections at the stipulated time.
14.2.4 All courses which have been registered in a particular semester shall be revoked if the
student has been allowed to postpone his candidature in the said semester as provided
by Rule 14.12.
14.2.5 Student who obtains CGPA less than 3.00 shall discuss with the Coordinator of the
Postgraduate Programme and has obtained approval from the Dean of Faculty / Director

of Centre/Institute prior to making any confirmation of course registration.
14.2.6 Student shall not be allowed to register in the subsequent semester until all outstanding
fees are settled.
14.2.7 Students who does not register after the fourth week in each semester shall be given the
status of suspension without any written notification from the University
14.2.8 Student who does not register for two (2) consecutive semesters shall be terminated
without any written notification from the University.
14.2.9 Subrule 14.2.5 is inapplicable for student in Master in Public Health Programme and
Doctor in Public Health Programme.
14.3 Pre Requirement Registration
14.3.1 A student whom prerequisite imposed shall take and pass with at least Grade B prior to
commencing the Degree subject to the requisite imposed by respective
14.3.2 The result for pre-requirement course(s) shall not be counted in calculating the
cumulative average grade for the student’s candidature.
14.4 Registration of Malay Language Course
14.4.1 All international students except students from Brunei and Indonesia shall register as
Audit and it is compulsory to pass.
14.4.2 An exemption may be given to the students who have pursued Malay Language Course
organised by any organisation or recognised by the University’s Senate in particular
cases.
14.5 Registration of Audit Course
14.5.1 A student may register to audit any course(s).
14.5.2 The course(s) registered as audit shall not be counted to determine the cummulative
grade value.
14.5.3 A student who audit the course(s) is required to fulfill the rule(s) concerning lecture
attendance, examination and others.
14.6 Late Registration
14.6.1 A student who does not comply with Rule 14.2 shall pay RM50 for each course that he
intends to register prior to obtaining approval from the Dean of Centre for Postgraduate
Studies or from the respective Dean of Faculty or Director of Centre/Institute.
14.6.2 A student who has been hampered from registering the course, for any grounds as
stipulated in this rule(s) or any related rules, is deemed as not registered and is given
the status of suspension of candidature.
14.6.3 The status of candidature suspension given by subrule 14.6.2 shall be counted in the
stipulated duration of candidature.

14.7 Total Credit Hours Taken
14.7.1 Student may apply to register the total of credit hours in a semester as in the tables
below:-
Level of Studies Full Time Part Time
Postgraduate Diploma 8 credit hours 16 credit hours 6 credit hours 10 credit hours
Master’s Degree 9 credit hours 20 credit hours 6 credit hours 12 credit hours
Doctoral Degree 10 credit hours 20 credit hours 8 credit hours 14 credit hours
14.7.2 The calculation of credit hours limit for the purpose of registration is not inclusive of
Dissertation/Research Project/Practicum/Internship/Teaching Training.
14.8 Duration for Drop and/or Add Course
14.8.1 Student may add and/or drop in any course(s) registered in week 2 to week 4 of each
semester.
14.9 Duration for Withdrawal from the Course
14.9.1 Student may apply to withdraw from any course(s) registered. The duration from
withdrawal commences from week 5 to week 8 in the respective semester. In this case
fees are not refundable.
14.10 Short Semester Registration
14.10.1 Student shall be allowed to register not exceeding nine (9) credit hours.
14.10.2 The Drop and/or Add Process of any course(s) is not permitted in short semester.
14.11 Repeat Course Registration
14.11.1 Student is allowed to register for repeat course(s) if :-
(a) a student who fails in any course(s) taken or may replace the said course with any
other course(s) if the course is an elective course; or
(b) obtains Grade B- or C+ for the course(s) which has already been taken to improve the
respective grade and it is only allowed once throughout the candidature.
14.11.2 Student is allowed to replace the said course(s) with any other course(s) if it is an
elective course(s).
14.11.3 Subrule 14.11.1 and subrule 14.11.2 are inapplicable for Master in Public Health
Programme and Doctor in Public Health Programme.
14.12 Deferment of Candidature
14.12.1 An application to defer may be made prior to the commencement of the new semester
or latest on the second week of the intended semester of deferment. An application
made after the second week shall only be considered on medical ground(s) only
provided it is certified by the Panel Doctor appointed by the University or any
government hospitals or other reasonable ground(s).

14.12.2 An application of deferment shall be supported by the Dean of Faculty/ Director of
Centre/Institute for the approval of the Dean of Centre for Postgraduate Studies.
14.12.3 A student is not allowed to defer his study more than two (2) consecutive semesters
throughout his candidature unless it is on medical ground(s) provided it is certified by
the Panel Doctor appointed by the University or any government hospitals or other
reasonable ground(s).
14.12.4 The approval for deferment of study is based the application from semester to
semester.
14.12.5 A student whose application of deferment is approved is deemed to be a non-active

registered student in the respective semester and is not entitled to use any facilities
provided by the University unless for gaining advice to resume his candidature.
14.12.6 The period of deferment of candidature shall not be counted in the calculation of
student’s candidature as provided in Rule 13.2.
14.13 Suspension of Candidature
14.13.1 A student shall be suspended from his candidature if:-
(a) fail to register in any semesters within the stipulated time; or
(b) is convicted by the University’s Students Disciplinary Committee and punished

under Rule 48(d) Universiti Malaysia Sabah Rules (Students’ Disciplinary) 1999
(P.U.(A) 210/1999).
(c) in breach of subsection 15D(1) and (7) Universities and Colleges Act 1971 (Act
30).
14.13.2 The period of suspension of study shall be counted in the calculation of student’s
14.13.3 A student whose candidature is suspended under subrule 14.13.1(a) shall activate the
status of his candidature in the subsequent semester by paying the processing fees of
the amount of RM300 and the tuition fees for the suspended semester.
14.13.4 A student may appeal against the suspension of his study only once throughout his
candidature.
14.14 Change of Mode of Registration
14.14.1 A Student may apply to the Dean of Faculty/ Director of Centre/Institute and notify
the Dean of Centre for Postgraduate Studies to change the mode of registration from
full time to part time or vice versa. The application is only once throughout the
stipulated period of candidature.
14.14.2 The approval is subject to the remaining maximum period of candidature for the Mode
of Registration applied.
14.14.3 International student shall not be allowed to change the Mode of Registration from full
time to part time.

14.15 Change of Programme of Study
14.15.1 Student may apply to change the Programme of Study within two (2) weeks in the
first semester.
14.15.2 The approval for the change of the Programme of Study is subject to the approval of
Postgraduate Studies Committee.
14.15.3 Student may only be made only once throughout his candidature unless on other
ground(s) approved by the Postgraduate Studies Committee.
PART 15 – CREDIT TRANSFER
15.1 Application for credit transfer
15.1.1 Student may apply to transfer the credit if the following requirements are fulfilled:-
(a) a student pursues for the similar Degree at other recognised university and the
transfer to the University is approved by the Senate; or
(b) a student who is involved in the outbound mobility may apply to transfer the
acquired credit in the equivalent course to the course that he has to take.
15.1.2 The transfer of credit is allowed for the course(s) which fulfil the requirements as
follows:-
(a) for a student who has transferred to the University;
i. the credit for course(s) which would be transferred shall already be taken at
the similar Degree and programme only;
ii. obtains at least Grade B for the course(s) taken at the similar Degree and
programme only.
(b) for a student who has changed programme within the Faculty/Centre/Institute
shall at least obtain Grade B for the related course(s).
15.1.3 The course(s) that may be transferred shall be from the accredited programme by MQA
and listed in MQR.
15.1.4 The application must be made within the first two (2) weeks of his candidature at the
University.
15.1.5 The content for the course(s) which had earlier been taken shall at least 80%
comparable with the course(s) intended to be transferred at the University.
15.1.6 The total for the approved credit to be transferred shall not exceed one third (1/3) of the
total credit of his study at the University.
15.1.7 Notwithstanding subrule15.1.6, the total transfer of credit hours may be approved for a
student who has transferred within the University is not restricted but subject to the
requirement for the transfer of credit in subrule 15.1.2(b).

15.1.8 A processing fee of RM300 is imposed upon each application for the transfer of credit for
each course.
PART 16– FEES
16.1 Payment of Fees
16.1.1 It is compulsory for the students to pay all related fees in each semester.
16.1.2 All fees shall be paid at the time of registration.
16.1.3 Student who has paid the tuition fees for the current semester yet the postponement of
study is approved in the said semester; hence the paid tuition fees shall be brought
forward to the subsequent semester.
16.1.4 The fees payable is subject to changes from time without any earlier notification from
the University.
16.2 Refund of Fees
16.2.1 Student who withdraws within the two (2) weeks of the first semester and approved by
Dean of Centre for Postgraduate Studies is entitled for the fees refund except for the
Registration Fees, Student Card, Insurance and Association Fees.
PART 17– EVALUATION AND EXAMINATION
17.1 Evaluation
17.1.1 Each course offered shall have method(s) for continuing evaluation and/or final
examination.
17.1.2 The evaluation for each course shall be made continuously based on coursework, final
examination and other forms in a semester of study in accordance with the rule as
determined by the respective Faculty/Centre/Institute subject to the Senate’s approval.
17.1.3 The evaluation for the Thesis/Research Project/Practicum/Internship/Teaching Training

in accordance with the rule as determined by the Faculty/Centre/Institute subject to the
Senate’s approval.
17.1.4 For the course(s) based on coursework together with the final examination of the
semester, the percentage of coursework shall not be less than 50% of total marks,
whilst the percentage of final examination shall be of a value not less than 30% and not
exceeding 50%.
17.1.5 For student who is pursuing a Master Degree by Coursework, each dissertation shall be
examined by at least one (1) Examiner.
17.1.6 For a student pursuing Master Degree by Mixed Mode or Doctoral Degree by
Coursework, each dissertation/thesis shall be examined by at least two (2) Examiners.

17.1.7 For a Doctoral Degree by Mixed Mode, each dissertation/thesis shall be examined by at
least two (2) Examiners and one (1) of them is an External Examiner.
17.2 Requirements for Examination
17.2.1 The Dean of Faculty/Director of Centre/Institute may prohibit a student from sitting an
examination if he is absent more than 30% out of the specified total attendance without
the permission of the Dean or Director of Faculty/Centre/Institute;.
17.2.2 The Senate may determine any means and in executing the final examination.
17.3 Postponement of Final Examination
17.3.1 Student who suffers health problem during the semester final examination shall apply to
the Dean of Faculty/Director of Centre/Institute to postpone the examination. The
application must be made within forty eight (48) hours after the examination is held. The
application shall be accompanied by the verification letter from the University’s medical
Officer or Government Hospital.
17.3.2 The parent(s) or guardian of a student suffering critical health problem during the final
examination may apply on behalf the said student by attaching the verification letter
from the University’s medical Officer or Government Hospital to the for the said student
to postpone the examination within reasonable time.
17.4 Replacement Examination
17.4.1 For any postponement case in Rule 17.3, the Faculty/Centre/Institute shall determine
the date for the replacement examination as deems suitable.
17.4.2 If the student is yet able to sit for the replacement examination on the specified day
without reasonable ground, thus the student shall be given grade F for the respective
course(s) and is required to re-register the course(s).
17.5 Submission of Thesis/Dissertation/Research Project/Practicum/Internship/Teaching

Training
17.5.1 A student who fails to submit Thesis/Research Project/Practicum/Internship/Teaching

Training on the specified date shall be given grade F or fail.
17.5.2 A student may re-register the said course and is only allowed only once throughout
candidature.
17.6 Result of Evaluation and Final Examination
17.6.1 Upon the Senate’s endorsement, the student shall be informed:-
(a) the grade for each course;
(b) CGPS and CGPA;
(c) status of candidature for each semester.
17.7 Review of Course Grade
17.7.1 Student may apply for the review of course grade to the Dean of Faculty/Director of
Centre/Institute where the course is offered, within two (2) weeks from the date of
announcement of the examination result.

17.7.2 Each application for the review is charged a processing fee of RM100 for each course.
17.7.3 An examination committee shall be set up for the purpose of reviewing the course grade.
17.7.4 The Dean of Faculty/Director of Centre/Institute where the course is offered shall
establish an examination committee comprises of:
(a) the Dean of Faculty/Director of Centre/Institute where the course is offered is the
Chairperson or the Deputy Dean carrying out the academic function in the event
whereby the Dean is unable to perform the tasks or having an interest in the
reviewed paper;
(b) the Head/Programme Coordinator for the course taken;
(c) one (1) other member appointed by the Dean or Director; and
(d) the initial examiner for the said course;
(e) Assistant Registrar of Faculty/Centre/Institute as the Secretary.
17.7.5 The examination committee shall review the calculation of the total marks for the
student’s evaluation (project quiz mid semester examination and others) including the
final examination answer script. The said answer script shall be reviewed.
17.7.6 The Senate’s decision pertaining the application to review the course grade is final.
PART 18– GRADE VALUE AND STATUS
18.1 Grade and Grade Value
18.1.1 The examination for all registered courses in a semester shall be given grade value.
18.1.2 The Grade and Grade Point given in a course is as follows:-
GRADE
GRADE PERCENTAGE STATUS
POINT
A 4.00 80 – 100 Pass with distinction
A- 3.67 75 – 79 Good Pass
B+ 3.33 70 – 74
B 3.00 65 – 69
Pass
B- 2.67 60 – 64
C+ 2.33 55 – 59
F 0.00 0 – 54 Fail
18.1.3 The Senate may determine the grade and grade point which may differ from the table in
subrule18.1.2 for any programme to suit the respective programme(s).
18.1.4 Subject to the provisions in this rule, a student who does not fulfil the requirement or sit
for any evaluation or sit for the final examination as stipulated in a course shall be given
Grade F for the total evaluation of the respective course.

18.1.5 Notwithstanding anything specified in subrule 18.1.4, Grade and Grade Value for Master
in Public Health Programme and Doctor in Public Health Program given in a course is as
follows:
(a) Grade and Grade Value which can be given for the final exam;
GRADE GRADE VALUE PERCENTAGE STATUS

A 4.00 80 – 100
A- 3.67 75 – 79
Pass
B+ 3.33 70 – 74
B 3.00 65 – 69
B- 2.67 60 – 64
C+ 2.33 55 – 59 Fail
F 0.00 0 – 54
(b) Grade dan Grade Value for supplementary exam;
GRADE GRADE VALUE PERCENTAGE STATUS

B 3.00 65-100 Lulus
F 0.00 0-64 Gagal
18.2 Code Status for Non-value Grade
18.2.1 Below is the status given without grade value:
SM In Progress
U Audit
TD Withdraw
TP Postpone of Examination
L/G Pass/Fail
TL Incomplete
X Absent (Registered but not attend any lecture and absent
from any evaluation)
XX Disciplinary Action Process
XD Not submitting dissertation
18.2.2 The interpretation of status without grade value is as follows:
(a) “SM” (In Progress) is used for any course having a

thesis/dissertation/practicum/project that requires more than a semester to
complete. The credit hour for the respective course is counted for the total
registration of the credit hours in a semester but not for the evaluaion
requirement. The credit hours and grade value is only taken into account for the
purpose of calculating the overall amount of credit hours upon the grade is
obtained.
(b) “U” (Audit) is given to the candidate who registers, attends the course and sits
for the examination in a course but the grade value is given and the symbol is
only recorded if the candidate passes the examination.
(c) “TD” (Withdraw) is given to the student who withdraws from a course with the
permission of the lecturer and the Dean of Faculty/Director of Centre/Institute
after week 5 to week 8 of lectures.
(d) “TP” (Postpone of Examination) is given to any student who applies to postpone
the examination on medical ground within the duration of forty eight (48) hours

after the examination is held. A Replacement Examination shall be held at the
nearest possible based on the student health condition.
(e) “L”/ “G” (Pass/Fail) is given to the course without grade.
(f) 'TL'(Incomplete) is given with the permission of the Dean of Faculty/Director of

Centre/Institute to a student who does not complete at least 50% of the course
requirement on reasonable ground. The student is given time to complete the
assignment not less than two(2) weeks after the semester final examination in
order to obtain full evaluation and grade.
(g) “X” is given to the student who registered for a course yet did not sit for any
evaluation requirement of this course. X value is equal to 0.0.
(h) “XX” (Disciplinary Action) is given to any student who is facing a disciplinary action
in for offences under academic dishonesty cases. If convicted, the course is
given grade F. If there is no conviction, the course grade given is based on the
marks obtained.
(i) “XD” (Not submitting Dissertation) is given to any student who fail to submit his
dissertation in accordance in rule 17.6.
PART 19 – CUMULATIVE GRADE VALUE
19.1 Calculation of Unit and Cumulative Grade Value (CGV)
19.1.1 The compulsory course(s) as stated in the Rule 14.2 is used to calculate the credit hours.
19.1.2 All courses taken are taken into account in determining the student’s CGPS and CGPA.
19.1.3 Course(s) which is graded “F” and status “XX” shall also be taken into account in
determining the CGPS and CGPA.
19.1.4 Generating CGPA for a student who repeats the course(s) which he fails is to substitute
the initial grade value to the new grade value, whichever is better and shall be made
without changing the CGPS for the semester which the course is taken. The changes in
the CGPA will be made in the semester when the repeat examination is taken.
19.2 The Methods of Calculating Cumulative Grade Value
19.2.1 Methods of Calculating the Semester Grade Point Average (CGPS) is as follows:
The total grade value in a current semester

CGPS =
The total credit hours for all courses in a current semester
19.2.2 Methods of Calculating the Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) is as follows:
The total cumulative grade value up to the current semester

CGPA =
The total cumulative credit hours up to the current semester

PART 20– CANDIDATURE STATUS
20.1 Candidature Status given to a student:-
20.1.1 “L” (Pass):
(a) given to student if obtains CGPA 3.00 and above;
(b) student is given the pass status, entitles to continue his candidature.
20.1.2 “LB” (Conditional Pass)
(a) student is given a conditional pass if obtains CGPA between 2.33 and 2.99;
(b) student given a Conditional Pass in two consecutive semesters shall be given the
status of Fail and Terminated.
20.1.3 “GB” (Fail and Terminated)
(c) student shall be given the Fail and Terminated (GB) status if the student get the
status of LB for two consecutive semesters;
(b) student shall be given the Fail and Terminated (GB) status if obtain CGPA less
than 2.33 in any of the semester(s);
(c) student with the status of Fail and Terminated (GB) will lose status and bring to
and end from being a students.
20.1.4 “Deferment of candidature” a student who is approved to differ his candidature

accordance to rules 4.4.
20.1.5 “Deferment of Candidature (Health Problem)” a student who is approved to differ his
candidature cause by health problem accordance to rule 4.4.
20.1.6 “Suspension of Candidature)” a student who is suspended from his candidature.
20.1.7 “Withdraw from the candidature” a student who is withdraw from his candidature.
20.1.8 “Terminated (Misconduct)” a student who is terminated from his candidature:
(a) if a student does not register for two (2) consecutive semesters (subrule 4.2.6);
(b) if a student fail to complete his candidature within stipulated time;
(c) if a student is dismissed from the University in accordance with the Universiti
Malaysia Sabah Rules (Student’s Disciplinary) 1999 (P.U.A 210).
20.2 Appeal to Continue Study
20.2.1 A student who is given the status of Fail and Terminated in accordance of subrule 20.2.3
(a) may appeal to the Senate by adhering to the requirements below:
(a) appeal shall be allowed only once throughout his candidature;
(b) a student shall pay the processing fees of RM300 as stipulated by the University;

(c) obtains permission to appeal from the Dean of Faculty/Director of Centre/Institute
within two (2) weeks from the date the status of Fail and Terminated is
announced;
20.2.2 The appeal shall be brought by the Faculty/Centre/Institute to Postgraduate Studies

Committee prior to present it for the Senate’s approval.
20.2.3 In considering an appeal from a student who is given the status of Fail and Terminated,
the Senate may -
(a) allow the student to resume his study, the student shall register in the next
semester and not in the semester which the appeal is presented. Nevertheless,
the semester which the appeal is presented shall not be taken into account as
part of the calculation of maximum duration of candidature; or
(b) dismiss the appeal
20.2.3 The Senate’s decision in subrule 20.3.3 is final and no further appeal can be made.
PART 21–GRADUATION
21.1 Requirements for the Conferment of Degree
21.1.1 A student shall be conferred the Degree upon fulfilment of all requirements of
Postgraduate Study Graduation including;
(a) fulfilment of all requirements stipulated by the Centre for Postgraduate Studies;
(b) fulfilment of the programme’s credit hours requirement and PASS all courses as
stipulated by the Faculty/Centre/Institute;
(c) student’s examination result shall be verified by the Postgraduate Studies

Committee and endorsed by the Senate; and
(d) settle all debts and liabilities owed to the University throughout his candidature.
21.2 Requirement for the Conferment of Posthumous Degree
21.2.1 Senate may confer the Posthumous Degree upon a student who passed away during the
candidature.
21.2.2 The conferment of the Posthumous Degree is subject to the following requirements:
(a) student has fulfilled at least 75% of the candidature requirement; and
(b) student has obtained CGPA 3.00 and above in each semester throughout the
candidature that he has completed.
21.2.3 Senate may give exemption to the requirements as stated in the subrule21.2.2.

CHAPTER D
PART 22– GENERAL PROVISIONS
22.1 General
22.1.1 This rule and all its interpretation made by the Senate shall be of immediate effect.
22.2.2 Senate has the powers to allow an exemption(s) as deems fit from the requirements of
this rule from time to time.
22.2.3 All research findings and publications made by the student throughout the candidature
shall be the intellectual property of the University.

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CONTENT PAGE

CHAPTER B – POSTGRADUATE STUDY BY RESEARCH

PART 2 – ADMISSION TO UNIVERSITY

PART 3 – DURATION OF STUDY

PART 8 – FINAL EVALUATION

Postgraduate Studies Rules UMS 2015 [2018 Amendment] i

PART 9 – CANDIDATURE STATUS

PART 10 – RE-ACTIVATION OF STUDENT’S STATUS OF CANDIDATURE

CHAPTER C – POSTGRADUATE STUDY BY COURSEWORK

PART 12 – ADMISSION TO THE UNIVERSITY

PART 13 – STRUCTURE OF PROGRAMME

PART 15 – CREDIT TRANSFER

PART 17 – EVALUATION AND EXAMINATION

Postgraduate Studies Rules UMS 2015 [2018 Amendment] ii

PART 18 – GRADE VALUE AND STATUS

PART 19 – CUMULATIVE GRADE VALUE

PART 20 – CANDIDATURE STATUS

PART 22 – GENERAL PROVISIONS

Postgraduate Studies Rules UMS 2015 [2018 Amendment] iii

1.1 Name, Commencement and Application

1.3.1 In these rules:-

“APEL” means Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning, which is an accreditation

“Faculty/Centre/Institute” means academic institution at the university which offers

“Degree” means Doctoral Degree or Masters Degree, Master of Philosophy Degree or

“Posthumous Degree” means a degree which may be conferred to a student who

“Academic Dishonesty” means offences committed by students under Rule 6

Postgraduate Studies Rules UMS 2015 [2018 Amendment] 1

“MQA” means Malaysian Qualification Agency, an agency established under Malaysian

“MQR” means Malaysian Qualifications Register, a source of references and guidelines

“Internal Examiner” means a university lecturer who is appointed by the University to

“External Examiner” means a lecturer/individual from external institution/university

Postgraduate Studies Rules UMS 2015 [2018 Amendment] 2

“Course Registration” means the registration of a course enrolled by a student

“Suspension of a Student” means a student who is penalised under Rule 48(d)

“Final Evaluation” means student’s thesis evaluation;

“Evaluation” means any form of measurement used to evaluate student’s performance

“Postgraduate Programme Coordinator” means a Lecturer who is appointed by the

“Supervisor” means a University lecturer or an individual from outside of the University

“Supplementary Exam” means an examination that need to be taken by Master in

“CGPS” means cumulative grade point semester acquired by a student in a semester;

“Programme of Study” means an academic programme as specified by the Senate

“Postgraduate Programme of Study” means a study programme either at doctoral,

“Repeat viva voce” means the repeat of oral examination;

“Senate” means the University’s Senate;

Postgraduate Studies Rules UMS 2015 [2018 Amendment] 3

“Postgraduate Student Information Systems” means an information management

“Structure of Study” means mode of study either by research or taught course;

“Structure of Programme” means curriculum components and candidature that

“Academic Year” means a period of twelve months whereby the dates of

“University” means Universiti Malaysia Sabah;

CHAPTER B – POSTGRADUATE STUDY BY RESEARCH

PART 2 – ADMISSION TO UNIVERSITY

2.1 Admission Requirements to Master’s Degree

(d) passes APEL (subject to the programme approval from MQA); or

(e) other requirements stipulated by the Faculty/Centre/Institute accepted by the

2.2 Admission Requirements for the Degree of Master of Philosophy

Postgraduate Studies Rules UMS 2015 [2018 Amendment] 4

(d) other requirements stipulated by the Faculty/Centre/Institute and accepted by

2.4 Language Requirement