Post Graduate Department

Master degree in Quality Management

• Minimum two years to study during which the students study 12 courses in four semesters (48 credit hours).
• Thesis should be completed in not less than one academic year.
• TOFEL (450) or IELTS equivalent is required before Final Dissertation. 

Grades

• By the end of each course, the total mark will be added and a grade will be assigned. The Institute uses a system of letter grades and grade honor point equivalents for evaluating coursework, as shown in the chart below.

• Grades are calculated as Grade Point Average (GPA) where they are calculated by dividing the number of grade points earned by the number of credits attempted. “I” grades are not computed until additional required work is fulfilled and an appropriate letter grade assigned. “W” (withdrawn) is not given a grade honour point and work recorded with this symbol is not used in calculating Grade Point Averages. The grades and credits of repeated courses are calculated in the Grade Point Average (GPA).

Incomplete Coursework

• If, after instructor and candidate have conferred, the candidate has presented a sufficient reason why coursework cannot be completed on schedule, and the instructor has assigned a date by which time all course requirements must be completed, the candidate receives a grade “I”. In the event the coursework remains incomplete on the assigned date the grade will be changed automatically to an “F” grade

Withdrawal of a Course

• A candidate may withdraw a course(s) but not after 3 weeks of the commencement of the semester so that they may be partially refunded.

Examinations

• Course examinations are given at the instructor’s discretion. Final examinations are given only during the scheduled examination period. If applicable, there will be exams during the 7th week and 16th week (final exam). Each exam is divided into the following:

• If a candidate fails a course, he/she cannot take a second examination until this course is retaken. If the candidate is absent for a good reason from a final exam and wants a credit for the course, after the instructor and candidate have conferred the candidate must complete a special exam before the end of the semester immediately following the absence.

Attendance

• Candidates are expected to attend each class session unless they have a valid reason for being absent. Candidates may be required at any time to account for undue irregularity in attendance. Any student who has been excessively absent from a course may be required to withdraw from that course without credit.

Transfer of Credits

• A transfer of credits means that a credit gained in previous graduate education will be transferred to the Productivity and Quality Institute graduate program and will substitute a similar Masters course.
• Only grades B (Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.0) or better may be transferred. Up to 9 credit hours (3 subjects) from a completed masters program may be transferred into a second master’s program.  No course may be transferred into the program of study that will be more than 7 years old at the time of graduation.

Academic Standards of Work

• To remain in good standing in the graduate program, a student must maintain a cumulative 3.0 (B) average in all courses taken at the Productivity And Quality Institute in order to graduate. No unresolved “I” grades may be part of the program of study. At the beginning of the final semester the student should revise the program of study as necessary and obtain approval to insure that all graduation requirements are met. The Institute uses the following system for graduation:

-         Less than 2.6     Failed

-         2.6-2.8                  Good

-         2.8 -3.4                Very good

-         3.4 -4.0                Excellent

Plan of Study

• The plan of study lists primary and related area that is chosen on the basis of the student’s interest and needs. The plan of study must be submitted to the Vice Dean PQI for postgraduate studies for approval. Although the plan of study may be modified (request for change to the Plan of Study) all requirements in its final form must be met before graduation.

Thesis (12 Credit Hours)

• The final step of the graduate program is to submit a thesis. There is more to the thesis than satisfying the Academy’s procedural requirements.
• The supervisor and members of the examination committee will help the candidate to meet the tangible requirements of an advanced degree and the intangible basics of conducting and communicating the results of original research in the area of specialization.

Procedures of Thesis Preparation and Discussion

• The candidate shall prepare the Thesis at the end of the study duration and submit it to the Institute in due course before holding the examination. The candidate shall attach to the Thesis a declaration stating that all the material included in the Thesis is the result of his/her own endeavour and not extracted from the works of others, whether published or not published.
• The candidate shall submit five bound, coverless copies of the Thesis for examination purposes.
• The Thesis must be written in English. 
• An abstract written in both Arabic and English shall be attached to the Thesis. The abstract shall comprise the objectives and conclusions of the research, the candidate used in the preparation of his research.
• After writing up the thesis (using guideline indicated at Educational Affairs section), the supervisor must fill the form “Thesis Submission” indicating that the thesis is ready for submission.
• Students are asked to conduct a seminar (using guidelines indicated at Educational Affairs section) before final submission of the thesis. The seminar outcome is essential for moving to the examination step.
• After the seminar, Vice Dean for postgraduate studies shall fix the date of the examination in coordination with the supervisor of the candidate and the examiners.
• If the Thesis is part of a joint research work conducted in collaboration with another research institute or institution, the part prepared by the candidate shall be marked out.
• The candidate’s supervisor may participate in discussing the research findings.
• If the examiners do not agree to the worthiness of the Thesis, the Examination Board may nominate another examiner and use majority vote in determining the result of the examination.
• If the candidate's defence of his work in the examination is not satisfactory, the Examination Board shall re-administer the examination within two months at most upon the recommendation of the viva voce examination board.
• After the examination, the candidate  shall make all the corrections and include all the remarks required by the board of examiners submit five final copies of the Thesis to the Institute, two of which shall be kept at the Institute, two in the Academy's Library, and the fifth copy shall be approved and returned back to the student.
• The examination board shall comprise three members at least nominated by the Institutes' Dean the Board shall comprise one external examiner, the supervisor(s) of the candidate, and one internal examiner from inside or outside the Institute

Copyright for a thesis

• If the thesis is to be copyrighted, the candidate must have a letter from his/her supervisor and the Dean of the Productivity and Quality Institute requesting that the thesis be copyrighted.

Using material protected by copyright

• When quoting extensively from copyrighted material, the candidate must obtain permission from the copyright holder and acknowledgements must be made.

Readmission

• A regularly admitted graduate candidate who has not been registered for two major semesters must apply for readmission.
• A candidate is not guaranteed continuing graduate status if the candidate does not enroll for a period of two consecutive major semesters.

Withdrawal

• An applicant who is obliged to withdraw from the program during the academic year or at the end of any semester may be granted the opportunity to return, however the period of withdrawal should not be for more than a period of two consecutive academic semesters.

Leave of absence

• The institute has established a leave of absence policy that assures the candidate the right to continue his/her education. The following principles govern the leave of absence policy:

1.     An applicant must make a written request for a leave of absence to the Dean. The request must include the reasons for the leave and the time the student plans to be away. Leave of absence will generally be granted for one or two academic semesters, however a leave may be extended upon application and approval of the Dean.

2.     An applicant who is granted leave of absence due to medical problems may be requested to submit a clinical evaluation to the program before consideration can be given for his/her return to the Institute.

Academic Integrity

• Candidates with different academic and cultural backgrounds may have different perceptions of what constitutes acceptable academic behaviour.
• The following specific comments should assist students in avoiding unethical practices when preparing their written works:
  • A candidate’s paper (examination, essay, theme, etc.) may not be prepared in whole or in part by someone else.
  • Candidate should never attempt to present another’s work, statements, ideas, etc. as their own, whet

Share This Page