ba mass communication & media arts student's handbook 2011-2012

7/28/2019 Ba Mass Communication & Media Arts Student's Handbook 2011-2012

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BA MASS COMMUNICATION & MEDIAARTS

STUDENTS HANDBOOK2011-2012

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Contents

Agreement Form 4 Introduction and welcome 5

SECTION 1 Queen Margaret University and AMC StudentsResponsibilities

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Matriculation 6 Fees 6 Participation 7 Examinations and Assessments 7 Plagiarism/Cheating 8

Turnitin 9 Referencing 9 Communication 10 Personal Academic Tutor 11 Academic Learning Centre 11 Regulations, Policies and Codes of Conduct 12 Extenuating Circumstances 12 Counselling Centre 13 Careers and Employability Centre 14

SECTION 2 The Modular Framework 16

The academic year- University calendar 2011-12 17 Key features ofundergraduate programmes 18

o modules 18o module level

Module descriptors 18 Key components of a module descriptor 18 Attendance regulations 19 Assessment 21

SECTION 3 Your Programme 22

Programme structure and supplementary information................................ 22 Programme management............................................................................ 33

o Student Staff Consultative Committee.............................................. 34o Programme Committee..................................................................... 34o The Board of Examiners................................................................... 35

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SECTION 3 Your Programme (continued)

Progression & Award Board ofExaminers............................. 35 Joint Board of Examiners....................................................... 36

o Subject Group Teams....................................................................... 36

o The School Board.. 36o Sources of advice/guidance.............................................................. 37o Information for students with special needs...................................... 37o International Students....................................................................... 37

QMU& AMC Student Union ...........................................................................38o The role and remit ofthe students representatives. 38o Required time commitment of student representatives.................... 39

SECTION 4 Procedures and Regulation for your Programme40

Criteria for assessment........................................................................ 40 General regulations for all students.........................................................45 Undergraduate programmes

o assessment regulations 45o continuation of study regulations 45o regulations for award 45

SECTION 5 University Sources & sources of Information 46

Harvard Reference System......................................................................46o Recognition of prior learning 46o Support Services and Organisations 47o Registry Services..........................................................................47o Health and safety arrangements...................................................48

Equal opportunities at QMU & AMC........................................................49 Academic appeals procedure..................................................................49

Appendices1. Data Protection Act 1998.........................................................................50

2. Assessment Regulations.51

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Agreement Form

Please complete this form and hand it in to the Course Leader seven days from receipt

of the Handbook.

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QUEEN MARGARET UNIVERSITY, EDINBURGH

AKMI METROPOLITAN COLLEGE, THESSALONIKI

BA in Mass Communication & Media Arts

I have received and read the Programme Handbook.

NAME (Please print):

PROGRAMME:

YEAR:

SIGNED:

DATE:

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Introduction and Welcome

Our handbook provides you with essential information about Queen Margaret University

and AMC. We have divided the handbook into five sections:

1. Your responsibilities as a student2. Information about the modular structure of your programme3. Information specific to your chosen programme of study4. Procedures and regulations for your programme of study5. University information

Queen Margaret University provides a range of electronic information and throughoutthis handbook you will find relevant links for further information which may be obtainedfrom the University web site http://www.qmu.ac.uk/ and other sources of information.

We have taken the greatest of care to try to ensure the information contained in thisHandbook is correct. We can therefore give no guarantee that it is completely free oferrors or omissions.

**Remember all the staff at QMU and AMC are here to help soif you are not sure please ask**
http://www.qmu.ac.uk/http://www.qmu.ac.uk/


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SECTION 1

A Queen Margaret University and AMC StudentsResponsibility

1. The Students Responsibility

This handbook is designed to help you get up to speed withUniversity life as quickly as possible. Throughout you will findinformation we hope you will find useful. As a student at QueenMargaret University and AMC you have certain responsibilities toyourself, your study, your colleagues, your community and yourSchool.

Matriculation

As a student of Queen Margaret University and AMC you are required to go through theprocess of matriculation which confirms you agree to the Universitys regulations,policies and codes of conduct. Matriculation basically means registering formally on yourprogramme of study.New students are currently required to matriculate in person at AMC during inductionperiod. You can get this information from your programme leader during your inductionsessions. The process of matriculating to the programme and taking a matriculationnumber for the Universitys records is personal. You have to refer to your programmeleader who sends the applications to QMU. The programme leader, the programme

team and the QMU head of School evaluate the candidates applications after thesuccessful completion of the second year of their IVT studies. An interview also takesplace through which the course leader investigates the students expectations of thedegree year programme. Candidates that are professionals or graduates from othereducational institutions or drama schools are auditioned. The enrolment period starts inJune and lasts till September every year.ON LINE MATRICULATIONhttp://www.qmu.ac.uk/portal/

Fees

Remember it is your responsibility to ensure your fees are paid, even if the funding iscoming from a third party. Not only the cost for attending the basic course of the

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programme but also the cost for attending extra seminar courses beyond the basiccourse of the programme is part of the fees.

In cases of financial difficulties please contact the Academic Advisor Peri [email protected] tel: 2310241010 or your programme leader, who can support you insuch cases

Participation

Benefits of student participation rather than attendance.

Participation; a move towards student ownership

Participation within group activity

Participation embedded in learning and teaching and module delivery

The philosophy of the programme aims at students participation and not only atstudents attendance. For this reason, learning is enhanced through group activities,tutorials, seminars, workshops, etc even in the theoretical modules. Consequently, the

active and steady participation is an inextricable part of your attendance in thisprogramme of studies.In cases of serious problems which make student unable to attend lessons, he/she hasto inform the course leader.For more information, see the relevant paragraph on extenuating circumstances whichfollows.

Examinations and Assessments

The Programme Leader will provide an examination schedule. The provision of thisinformation comes in two stages. The first being that examinations normally take place

in weeks 14 and 15 of each semester. The more detailed information relating to days,time and locations of examinations is published at least 2 weeks before the examinationdate.

It is your responsibility to ensure you attend the required examinations for the modulesyou are enrolled upon. Please ensure you find out exactly when and where yourexamination takes place well in advance. Students who require provision of specialexamination arrangements must inform their Programme Leader as soon as possibleand normally not later than four weeks before the first examination.

Instructions to candidates of examinations can be found at

http://www.qmu.ac.uk/quality/qm/AZindex.htm#e

You are also required to follow the coursework submission procedures and meet thenecessary deadlines. Note that late submission of assessments will be penalised.Any student who submits work to be assessed after the assessment submission date,without the prior agreement of the Programme Leader and the Module Co-ordinator, orwithout good or agreed cause, will have marks deducted according to the followingcriteria:

if submitted, in a first diet, after the due date but within one calendar week (i.e.

up to 6 days after submission date) a maximum mark of 40% can be achievedfor undergraduate programmes

if submitted, in a first diet, after one calendar week (i.e. 7 days or more) a

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mark of 0% will be awarded

if coursework is submitted after the due date for a re-assessment a mark of

0% will be awarded.

Always check when your assessments are due for hand in and plan your work

accordingly. This is your responsibility. Do not leave all assessments until the lastminute as this may place a lot of stress on you. You must keep a copy of all assessedwork handed in.

If you are unsuccessful in any of your assessments your reassessment arrangementsand resubmission details will be given by the Programme Leader. The resit examinationdetails and timetable will also be provided by the Programme Leader.

Plagiarism/Cheating

QMUs degrees and other academic awards are given in recognition of a candidatesown achievement. Plagiarism is defined as

The presentation by anyone of another persons ideas or work (in any medium,published or unpublished) as though they were his or her own

Along with other forms of academic dishonesty such as personation, collusion,falsification of data, computer and calculation fraud, examination room cheating andbribery, plagiarism is considered an act of academic fraudulence and is an offenceagainst University discipline.

Plagiarism includes:

Inclusion in your work of more than a single phrase from another persons work

without the use of quotation marks and acknowledgement of the source ofinformation.

Using another persons work by simply changing a few words or altering the order of

presentation without acknowledgement.

Copying the work of another candidate, with or without that candidates knowledge or

agreement.Prevention

All members of staff will explain to you at the start of each session that plagiarism andacademic fraud are unacceptable forms of cheating, which will be penalised severely.Such warnings will be repeated during the session and are especially necessary wheredissertations, projects or coursework are substantial elements of the curriculum.

These warnings will be accompanied by specific advice from Subject Areas about whatconstitutes plagiarism and academic fraud. For example, such advice will indicate the

distinction between legitimate and illegitimate use of acknowledged or unacknowledgedsources within that specific discipline; what is regarded as acceptable collaborationbetween students undertaking joint project work.

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Scrutiny of academic work should be sufficient to ensure that signs of plagiarism orunacceptable levels of co-operation, whether intentional or not, are detected at an earlystage and brought to students attention through tutorial guidance and in some casesperhaps by written warning.

Academic staff responsible for assessment and guidance should be aware of culturalrelativities that may affect some students approach to referencing. In providingguidance, staff will be expected to acknowledge cultural differences and to exerciseappropriate sensitivity.

Turnitin

Queen Margaret University and AMC can offer its students the opportunity to check theirown work against a huge database of other work via the Turnitin system. This is anonline service which enables students and staff to carry out electronic comparison of

students' work against electronic sources including other students' work. CurrentlyQueen Margaret Universitys and AMCs academic staff would not submit every piece ofstudent work through Turnitin but staff can use this system if they suspect plagiarismhas taken place.

For full details of the possible outcomes if you submit work that is plagiarised pleaserefer to the Universitys assessment regulations which can be found on the Quality website: http://www.qmu.ac.uk/quality/documents/plagiarism%20policy%202007.doc

Guidance on how to avoid plagiarism through good scholarship can be found by

following this link:- http://www.qmuc.ac.uk/goodscholarship/

This system can detect plagiarism in texts written in the English language. Thisprogramme run in the Greek medium, tutors have additional safety ways (searchengines) to prevent and avoid such incidents.

Referencing

The QMU Guide to the Harvard System of Referencing

This guide has been developed to provide staff and students with a common referencing

style to work with at Queen Margaret University. Some subject areas follow differentreferencing conventions so it is very important that you always check the guidelinesgiven to you by your tutors. This guide is based on the British StandardsRecommendations for references to published materials, BS1629 and Citing andreferencing published material, BS5605. It is QMUs interpretation of the standardHarvard system of referencing. You can view (or print out) a PDF version of this guidefrom:

Write and Cite: The QM Guide to the Harvard System of Referencing (190 KB)

http://www.qmu.ac.uk/lb/information/Guides/harvard_ref_guide.pdf

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Communication

It is the policy of the School to develop and encourage the use of the e-mail and forthe purposes of secure and speedy communication. All students are thereforerequired to regularly check and maintain their e-mail account as members of staff willregularly use your e-mail for communication purposes.

Academic Staff

Academic staff can be contacted via telephone AMC telephone center 2310-241010,email or during pre arranged surgery times.

Academic Staff

George Michalis, Course Leader, Political scientistDimitra Dimitrakopoulou, Political Communication, LecturerDimitra Kehagia, Political Communication, Lecturer

Maria Mavrommati, Research Methods, LecturerDimitris Koutsiabasakos, Director, LecturerNikos Tsoutsoulis, Director, Lecturer

School OfficePeri Papadimitriou

Generally students should contact the administration team via the AMC telephonecenter.

Alternatively, you can call into the School Office reception desk if you wish to speak to

one of the team face to face. The administration office staff will contact you via youremail or general updates and information will be sent by email. It is your responsibility tocheck your email on a daily basis as room changes, updates etc will be posted hereregularly.

In the School Office reception desk, you can be informed for any administrative issue oryou can arrange a meeting with your programme leader or one of your tutors for datesand hours that are not the given.

You can also contact your programme leader, the reception desk, the students advisorsand tutors via e-mails. You have to check your e-mail inbox regularly in order to getinformed of the programme leaders, tutors and Secretarys replies and announcements.It is your responsibility to check tour e-mail daily.

Administrative StaffGeorge Michalis DirectorMagdalene Remoundou Course Leader - Head of International DepartmentPeri Papadimitriou Academic Advisor

Students

Students should contact their peers via email or telephone.

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Change of address/personal details

If you have a change of home and/or term time address or personal details inform yourProgramme Leader and the School office reception desk.

Personal Academic Tutor

Every student is allocated a Personal Academic Tutor (PAT) for their time at QueenMargaret University and AMC. Your PAT is there to help you throughout your period ofstudy at AKMI. It is your responsibility to:-

To respond promptly to requests from their PAT for a meeting and to bring any

agreed notes or information to those meetings

To respect the times which the PAT has said they will be available

To keep the PAT informed of circumstances that may have an effect on their

studies

Please go to the Quality Website for further information Personal Academic Tutors role:

http :// www .qmu .ac .uk /quality /pm /default .htm

Academic Learning Centre

The Academic Learning Center is a unique friendly student-centered service thatprovides an intellectually stimulating approach to developmental instruction and generalacademic assistance to students who need extra help with their studies. At Athens

Metropolitan College, students are expected to perform well and thrive in anintellectually demanding environment. Hence, the Academic Learning Centre isdesigned to assist those students who lag behind in certain skills and need help inattaining academic excellence.

The Academic Learning Centre offers assistance to students in many and multifacetedlearning tasks, including:

improving academic writing skills improving study skills understanding research projects and research procedures

one on one paper consultation academic honesty plagiarism, paraphrasing and citation

Individual and small group tutoring is available to currently enrolled Athens MetropolitanCollege by appointment only. Appointments can be scheduled for one hour per day, anda student may receive up to 2 hours of tutoring per week.

Students may seek academic assistance on their own, or will need to attend tutoringsessions upon the request of their teachers, personal tutors and course leaders.

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Regulations, Policies and Codes of Conduct

None of us like to get bogged down in regulations, policies and codes of conduct but it isyour responsibility to ensure you have an understanding of how these can affect youand what you must do if you start to run into difficulties or need to speak to someoneabout personal problems that are, or may affect your performance.

The institutions regulations can be found on the Quality web site:http://www.qmu.ac.uk/quality/gr/default.htm

Here you will find regulations relating to: Assessment and examinations; Academicappeals; Board of Examiners

Codes of conduct relating to: Student discipline; Complaint procedure; EqualOpportunity Policy

Extenuating Circumstances

Of equal importance is the following link which will take you to our extenuatingcircumstances guidelines

http://www.qmu.ac.uk/quality/documents/Guidelines%20on%20Ext%20%20Circumstances%20Revised%200506%20(2).doc

It is accepted that, from time to time, circumstances beyond your control may affectyour ability to undertake assessment on time, or may affect your performance inassessment. It is also recognised that assessment periods can be stressful. However,you need to be able to plan and manage your time and workload, to meet deadlines, tocope with a certain level of stress, and to manage their University studies alongsideother responsibilities in life. It is also essential to recognise that illnesses and difficult lifeevents do occur, and that it is a normal part of life to have to manage these and continuewith work or study.

Extenuating circumstances are defined as:

circumstances beyond the students control which either prevent the student fromsubmitting a piece of course work or sitting an examination, or cause the student toperform less well in his or her course work or examinations than he or she mightotherwise have been expected to do (on the basis of other work).

If you know you will be unable to meet the deadline for coursework, or attend anexamination due to circumstances beyond your control you should submit a completedExtenuating Circumstances Claim form, along with supporting evidence, to yourProgramme Leader in good time, so that the potential implications can be considered.The Extenuating Circumstances Claim Form may be collected from the ProgrammeLeader Office or can be downloaded via the following link:

http ://www .qmu .ac .uk /quality /documents /ext%20 circumstances %20 form .doc

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Alternatively, arrangements will be made to post or email a copy of the form where youare unable to travel to the University for valid reason [e.g. illness, residence at adistance, work commitments].

In the case of course work, a request for an extension should also be submitted if required,

normally before and no later than the date the coursework assignment was due.

We recommend you take some time to familiarise yourself with the range of importantand essential information available via this link.http://www.qmu.ac.uk/quality/qm/default.htm

COUNSELLING CENTRE

Mission StatementThe AKMI Metropolitan College Counselling Centre aims to optimise the well-being ofstudents by providing them with support and with the opportunity to examine the issues

which prevent them from maximising their full potential.

Counselling CentreThe AKMI Metropolitan College Counselling Centre aspires to certain standards andgoals, including:

Having qualified psychologists and counsellors who are committed to ongoing

professional development

Ensuring that the services provided operate within ethical guidelines and specific

codes of behaviour for psychologists and counsellors

Maintaining a professional focus that is free of bias and discrimination

Establishing sound student feedback procedures in order to improve the type ofsupport services offered

AimsThe Counselling Centre aims to offer students:

Free, voluntary and confidential counselling

The opportunity to receive support and advice from trained professionals

Opportunities to attend structured group settings over a variety of counselling related

themes and topics

Counselling Centre Services

The Counselling Centre offers individual support and advice to students who are facedwith personal problems - for example anxiety, stress, depression, eating disorders andbereavement. The Counselling Centre can also help students with other issues such asfamily problems, relationship problems, making difficult decisions or choices andproblems adjusting to academic life and academic demands.

Who is the service for?The services of the Counselling Centre are available to all registered students of AKMIMetropolitan College

ConfidentialityAny information that students provide to staff at the Counselling Centre will be keptstrictly confidential and will not be revealed to any third parties, unless there is reason tobelieve that the student or others may be at risk.

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AppointmentsStudents wishing to make an appointment can complete and submit an appointmentrequest card, located outside the counselling centre. The counselling centre staff willcontact students as soon as possible in order to schedule a meeting. Alternatively, incases of emergency, students can call the counselling centre.

CAREERS AND EMPLOYABILITY CENTRE

The Careers and Employability Centre aims to provide high quality information, adviceand guidance to AKMI Metropolitan College students and graduates. We are committedto delivering this in a professional, impartial and accessible way and aim to equip ourstudents and graduates with the skills and knowledge to effectively choose and managetheir careers.

Our MissionOur purpose is to increase AMC students' & graduates confidence and abilities to

construct meaningful careers. We do this by delivering career development and jobsearch support to help AMC students & graduates build success on their own terms.

What we offerAs a user of the Careers and Employability Centre you can expect guidance and supportto help you:

Make realistic decisions about your next steps.

Explore comprehensive information about occupations, employers, postgraduate

training and vacancies.

Understand and assess the available opportunities.

Assess your own potential.

Choose wisely from all the options open to you.

Make and implement an agreed plan of action.

The Careers and Employability Centre offers information, advice and guidance inthe following ways:

DROP-IN SERVICE

1) Deciding what help you need

A Career Consultant will spend a few minutes with you to clarify your current stage ofcareer planning and give guidance on how we can best help you to move forward.Where confidential matters arise, or where a student indicates a need for privacy, aprivate room will be used.

2) Providing the most appropriate help

Beyond your initial guidance meeting the Consultant may:

Provide some relevant information or direct you to self help materials.

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Make an appointment with a Career Consultant, to discuss your career plans

in more depth.

Make an appointment with a Career Consultant to help you to find further

relevant information or to give advice on applications and interviews.

WORKSHOPS, TALKS, PRESENTATIONS

They are one or two hours in length and can help you clarify your career questions,connect with other students who share the same concerns and build lifelong skills.These sessions address specific aspects of the process of looking for work or decidingon career options. Topics covered by our workshops, talks and presentations include:

You and Your Career Options.

Career Choice and Your Personality.

Postgraduate study and ways of funding it.

Finding Work! Job Researching on the Internet.

CV and Cover Letter.

Interview Techniques.

Workplace Etiquette.

Young entrepreneurship.

How to Find Summer Work.

How to Find Part-Time Work.

VACANCIES

The Careers and Employability Centre has details of placements, internships andpermanent vacancies of relevance to our students and graduates. The Vacancydatabase is updated regularly with information notified to us direct from employers.

Guidance which is:

Free, impartial, and focused on the individual.

Unbiased towards particular education, training or employment.

Confidential within the Careers and EmployabilityCentre.

Guidance and assistance from staff who:

Treat you with respect.

Treat all members of the diverse College community with fairness at all times.

Are trained and experienced in the area of work in which they are involved.

Are aware of developments in education, training and employment and can

advise you appropriately.

Are part of wide network of experts who will collaborate to ensure the best

possible help.

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SECTION 2

THE MODULAR FRAMEWORK

2. The Modular Framework

The academic year

The academic year is split into two semesters. Normally, students would undertake halfof the required modules in the first semester and the other half in the second.

Undergraduate study is based on modules which are credit rated. A 10 credit module isbased on 100 student hours of work and a 20 credit rating module is based on 200student hours of work (including assessment).

A student must complete 120 credit points at each level of the course

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University Calendar of Key Dates 2010/11WeekBeginning

Weeknumber

3 October 2011 1 Induction 3 8 October 2011

10 2 10th October 2011 - SEMESTER 1 STARTS [STANDARD DATE COURSES]

17 3

24 4 Friday 28th October 2011 AMC closed (National Holiday)

31 57 November2011

6 Hand in the 1st assignment-script of Digital Filmmaking I

14 7 Hand in the 1st assignment essay Mass Media & Modern Society

21 8 Hand in the 1st assignments of Research Methods

28 9 Students receive feedback on the 1st assignment - script of Digital Filmmaking I

5 December2011

10 Hand in the 1st assignment essay Media Politics & Public Sphere

12 11 Students receive feedback on the 1stassignments of Research Methods-Mass Media & Modern Society-

Submission of the final assignment ofComputer Assisted Research &Reporting

AMC closes Friday, 16th December 2011

19 CHRISTMAS VACATION

26 CHRISTMAS VACATION

2 January 2012 CHRISTMAS VACATION

9 12 AMC re-opens Monday, 9 January 2012-Semester I continues.Students receive feedback on the 1st assignment of Media Politics & Public Sphere & onthe final assignment of Computer Assisted Research & Reporting. Submission of thefinal assignment of E-Journalism

16 13 Revision for modules with Semester 1 assessment

23 14 Revision/Assessment for modules with Semester 1 assessments**EXAMS**

Students receive feedback on the final assignment of E-Journalism

30 15 SEMESTER 1 ENDS 3RD FEBRUARY 2012. Exams (written & oral) of Research Methods-Mass Media & Modern Society-Media Politics & Public Sphere -Submission of 2nd assignment of Digital Filmaking ISubmission of final assignment of New Technologies on the Set & in the Post Production I

6 February2012

Free week

13 1 Students receive feedback on 2nd assignment of Digital Filmaking I & on final assignmentof New Technologies on the Set & in the Post Production ISEMESTER 2 STARTS

20 2

27 3 Monday 27th of February, AMC Closed (Bank Holiday)-

5 March 2012 412 5

19 6 Submission of the 1st assignment of New Technologies Applications in Mass Media

26 7

2 April 2012 8 Oral Presentation 1st assignment of Media law & Ethics -Students receive feedback on the1st assignment of New Technologies Applications in Mass Media

9 AMC closes for Easter Holiday-EASTER VACATION

16 EASTER VACATION

23 9 Monday 23 April 2012 - AMC re-opens

31 10 Students receive feedback on the 1st assignment of Media law & EthicsTuesday 1st of May, AMC Closed (Bank Holiday)

7 May 2012 11

14 12 Submission of the final assignment of Media Management -

Submission of assignments & final projects of Digital Filmaking I - New Technologies onthe Set & in the Post Production I

21 13 Exams- Submission of the final project 2nd assignment of New Technologies Applicationsin Mass Media

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28 14 Students receive feedback on assignments & final projects of Digital Filmaking I - NewTechnologies on the Set & in the Post Production I and the final project 2nd assignment ofNew Technologies Applications in Mass MediaFinal written exam of Media law & Ethics -Students receive feedback on MediaManagement-

4 June 2012 15 Students receive feedback on 2nd assignment of New Technologies Applications in MassMedia - Semester 2 ends

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1825 Exam board dates to be confirmed

2 July 2012

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Key Features of Undergraduate Programmes

Modules

Each standard module normally contributes either 10 or 20 credits towards your degree,and full-time undergraduate programmes contain study that equates to 120 credits peryear. This is usually, but not always broken down into 60 credits worth of study insemester 1 and 60 credits worth of study in semester 2. An undergraduate degreecomprises of 360 credits where a degree with honours comprises 480 credits. There areregulations about the number of credits that you need to achieve to be allowed toprogress from one year to the next (see Assessment Regulations in section 4 of thisHandbook).

There are some exceptions to the standard module size, for example final yeardissertations or projects and, on some programmes, supervised work experience.

These can be greater than the standard module size, but must be in multiples of 10credits. A module coordinator administers each module, but this may not be the personwho actually teaches the module. If you experience problems relating to a particularmodule you should discuss these first of all with the lecturer concerned.

Module levelThere are four levels of study within undergraduate degree programmes. Module levelsare normally equivalent to the year of study in a conventional full-time degree orHonours degree programme, i.e. level 7 is equivalent to the first year of study, level 8to the second year of study, and so on . However, in some cases students will havecombinations of different levels of modules in each year of study.

The University is a party to the SCOTCATS Tariff

The tariff for Undergraduate programmes is :Certificate of Higher Education120 credit points at SCQF Level 7Diploma of Higher Education +120 credit points at SCQF Level 8Degree +120 credit points at SCQF Level 9Degree with Honours +120 credit points at SCQF Level 10

Module descriptors

The syllabus content, information about assessments and other important details abouta module are contained in the module descriptor. You can receive all the moduledescriptors via the School Office Administration; if you require further information please

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do no hesitate to contact either the module coordinator or PAT.

Key components of a module descriptor.

Module number

This identifies the module and ensures the correct module descriptor is being used.

Module titleThis will normally be short and descriptive, giving a clear idea of the content of themodule.

Semester and mode of StudyThis lets you know when the module runs and if it delivered and available to both fulland/or part time students.

Credit RatingThis shows how many credits you will achieve if you successfully pass this module.Normally this would be either 10 or 20 but can sometimes be as much as 40 for largeprojects.

Module coordinatorThis gives the name of the member of staff who is responsible for the administration ofthe module (but is not necessarily the person who will teach the module).

Module TeamThis gives you the names of the teaching team, who may or may not include the module

coordinator.

PrerequisiteThis indicates if you are required to take and successfully complete a module beforeenrolling this one.

AimsThis is where the module coordinator outlines the aims of the module and identifies howthese aims are to be achieved.

Learning Outcomes

Here the module coordinator describes what you should know or be able to do uponsuccessful completion of the module.

Learning ExperiencesThis lists the learning experiences the student will engage with and includes anindication as to the workload involved. Normally a 10 credit module requires 100 hoursand a 20 credit module 200 hours of work to obtain a successful outcome.

Various types of work/learning may be specified.

Lectures: large classes led by a lecturer. The purpose of lectures is tointroduce/develop new concepts and to demonstrate their applications. Most lecturerswill provide student with notes whereas others will expect you to take notes during thelecture. It is always worth finding time at the end of each week to go through the weeks

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lecture notes to consolidate the material you were taught. Students may record lectureswhere appropriate; however students will be expected to speak with the lecturer inadvance.

Tutorials/Seminars: smaller group sessions in which students participate in groupdiscussion and may be asked to present a paper, or lead the discussion. In tutorials you

have the opportunity to ask about anything that you did not understand in lectures, or topractise or discuss examples of material covered in lectures. Most tutors require you toprepare something in advance. Tutorials and their advance preparation are vital toUniversity learning.

Practical: workshops led by lecturers or demonstrators in which you learn practicalskills.

Supervised assessment: formal assessments which require attendance at specifiedtimes and which are supervised normally examinations.

Student centred learning: work undertaken independently within the scope of themodule, for example reading on the subject, using computers/library facilities, thinking,writing, and revising.

Other: this covers forms of learning such as networked learning via the World WideWeb, or other computer learning packages.

Assessment patternThis section tells you what is involved in assessing the module and includes theindicative length of written work, and the relative weighting (%) which each assessed

element carries

ContentThis is a brief summary telling the reader what the module is about.

Main TextsHere the module coordinator will identify indicative key texts

Please note that students are required to supply their own working materials (forexample pen drives). Lecturers will advise students about what they have to buy.

Attendance Regulations1.1 Undergraduate full-time students are expected to register on twelve 10-creditmodules, or equivalent, in any one academic year. They may, with the approval of theprogramme's admission tutor, register on ten, eleven, thirteen or fourteen. They maywith the additional approval of their funding body register for eight.1.2 Undergraduate students studying seven or fewer 10-credit modules, or equivalent,will be governed by such of the University regulations as affect part-time students.1.3A student must attend elements of the programme where students' absence will bedetrimental, not only to his or her performance, which is his or her own responsibility, butwill also be detrimental to the performance of his or her fellow students; e.g. ininteractive group sessions such as tutorials, seminars and practicals and work which issubject to group assessment, like theatre performances and theatre scenes. Allstudents will have their attendance monitored for participatory/interactive sessions. Allattendance policies must be acknowledged by students.IONS

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1.4 Students are required to inform their Programme/Subject Leader or Year Tutor of:a. proposed absence, in advance;b. absence because of illness, completing the University certificate specifying the causeof absence;c. absence due to illness covering periods of assessments of over 6 days with a medicalcertificate. If the above information is not passed to the Programme/Subject Leader or

Year Tutor, the Programme Committee/Board of Study may require the student towithdraw.

AssessmentModules are assessed in different ways, e.g. through coursework and/or exams. Themodule descriptor indicates how each module will be assessed, the week in which theassessment takes place and the weighting of each assessment component in relation tothe overall mark for the module. Pay particular attention to when assignments are duefor submission. Assignments that are submitted late can only achieve the minimumpass mark and you are therefore disadvantaging yourself by not getting full credit forwork done. Please refer to Section 4 for detailed information in relation to assessment

submission.

An assessment schedule for each semester will be provided by the ProgrammeLeader. This gives you a clear picture of when each assessment is due and allowsyou to plan your workload appropriately.

Make sure that you read the Assessment Regulations carefully, particularly inrelation to late submissions.

If you are given Criteria for Assessment for general written assignments (essays or

reports) or for a specific assessment within a module, read these carefully as theyindicate the criteria that staff will use when marking that assessment.

Tutorial participation is important in all modules, but for certain modules itcontributes substantially to the learning outcomes and is therefore formally assessed,contributing to your overall mark for the module.

Ensure that you follow the Coursework Submission Procedures (and CourseworkStyle Notes).

Please refer to the University Calendar of Key Dates towards the beginning of this

section to find out which weeks your assessments will take place. Times, dates andlocations for examinations will be available on the Programme Leader Office.

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SECTION 3

YOUR PROGRAMME

3. Your Programme

This section provides you with important information about yourprogramme of study: what's covered and what you are expectedto achieve academically by undertaking this programme.Information is also provided about the relevant committees for theprogramme which have responsibility for managing theprogramme and making decisions about your assessment.

PART

Programme Structure and Supplementary Information

1 Awarding institution Queen Margaret University

2 Teaching Institution AKMI Metropolitan College

3 Final Award BA4 Programme Title BA in Mass Communication & Media Arts

5 SCQF Level 96 Mode of delivery and duration F/T (1 academic year) P/T (2 academic years)

7 Date of validation June 2011

Educational Aims of the programmeThe Educational aims of the programme are to produce graduates who:

I. Have an informed, critical and creative approach to understanding media, cultureand communications in contemporary society;

II. Have an informed, critical and creative approach to their own forms of media,communicative and expressive practice;

III. Are enabled to meet the challenges of employment (including self-employment) ina society in which the cultural, communications and public relations industriesplay an increasingly central role

11 Learning Outcomes of the Programme

A Knowledge and understandingOn completion of the programme, students will have gained knowledge and

understanding of:

1. the modernist and postmodernist theories in order to demonstrate their effect onculture and society 3.1.2

2. the impact of the media on society and the extent to which they are capable ofshaping social consciences 3.5.4

3. media content critically by treating media in general and news production in

particular in relation to the various discourses operating in our society 3.5.3,3.5.6,;

4. the methods and tools employed by political parties in their attempts to influencethe media and shape public opinion 3,1.9,

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5. the processes involved in the production of news and other media cultural forms3.3.3, 3.3.8

6. the role of censorship and propaganda in information management in all kindsof TV programmes and the cinema. The influence of censorship andpropaganda in media market.3.3.3

7. identify media institutions as businesses3.1.1, 3.1.38. the business side of the media and will appraise the demands placed on the

media industry by market competition3.2.39. issues pertaining to managing media organizations. 3.3.710. the nuances of the law as it relates to their profession3.3.6.11. the motives of industry processes and their effects on both market structure and

the consumer-citizen3.3.412. current economic and political debates surrounding each media technology3.1.213. processes and outcomes on how and why a new technology is

adopted.3.26,3.3.514. digital medium in order to yield personal expression of the technology3.3.515. good practice in e-journalism and various types of writing for the web.3.1.1,

3.1.5, 3.3.516. the challenges that the Internet and World Wide Web represent to the traditional

values and definitions of journalism and e-journalism in particular3.2.5, 3.3.517. current issues and debates within the online and interactive media by

recognizing that communication is an interactive process between sender andreceiver and thus displaying a greater understanding of visualcommunication3.3.2, 3.4.7

B Intellectual (thinking) skills

Skills of Intellectual Analysis

On completion of their programme graduates will demonstrate the ability to:

1. appraise reported research findings on the basis of their validity andreliability4.1.4,

2. organise the appropriate methods in order to estimate results in Mass Media4.1.3,4.1.5

3. the media as critical factors in the creation of subculture4.1.1, 4.1.24. be sensitised to the messages of the mass media with respect to decoding and

analysing them4.1.45. be provided with insight into the impact of the media on society and the extent to

which they are capable of shaping social consciences 4.1.3,6. be able to manage media content critically by treating media in general and news

production in particular in relation to the various discourses operating in oursociety4.1.3,

7. to demonstrate an ability to critically analyse the relationship between the media,politics and the public sphere in contemporary liberal democracies4.1.3

8. to critically evaluate current economic and political debates surrounding eachmedia technology4.1.4

9. To experiment with the new technologies by applying them on their projects andevaluate their effects.4.1.2

10. analyse and criticize visual design and layout by learning how to thinkcreatively4.1.4

11. to recognise some of the challenges that the Internet and World Wide Webrepresent to the traditional values and definitions of journalism and e-journalism inparticular, to distinguish and compare the modern values of journalism with thetraditional ones.4.1.1

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Demonstrate an ability to critically analyse the relationship between the media,

politics and the public sphere in contemporary liberal democracies 4.5.2

Analyse the methods and tools employed by political parties in their attempts to

influence the media and shape public opinion4.5.3

Evaluate the processes involved in the production of news and other media

cultural forms4.5.4 to assess the motives of industry processes and their effects on both market

structure and the consumer-citizen4.5.2

Transferable skills


will evaluate the way mass media operate within social frameworks and give rise

to new cultures or subcultures, or corrode national cultures on the way toestablishing a globalised cultural reality 5.3,5.9

To compose the previous technology with the modern one5.9

will be in position to schedule a sound plan of advanced effects and organise the

digital image in production and post-production.5.4

design a technically and artistically full film project in digital medium5.1,5.6, 5.7

to prepare complete products by using cutting edge technology in their field of

interest5.1,5.4

critically employ the knowledge gained for the purposes of promoting and selling

their work.5.4

experiment with new technologies5.9

be able to demonstrate ability to extract data in various formats and import them

in appropriate software for processing5.7

organise personal search strategies and prepare their own search abilities and/or

shortcomings5.9 be in a position to compose data of various formats from various sources and

process them for the purposes such as showing trends or testing a claim5.9

evaluate their findings in formats appropriate for use for a variety of purposes and

intended audiences.5.3

analyse and criticize visual design and layout by learning how to think

creatively.EJ5.9

Materialise a research project on an aspect of the host organisation and work as

professionals, in order to examine the different positions of the placements and toarrange the tasks undertaken.

present independent research in written form5.9

Teaching/learning methods and strategies

lectures

seminars

workshops

directed learning

independent study

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Assessment

academic essay

examination

written research report

oral presentation

practical or creative product (in appropriate medium)

The key elements in the approach to teaching and learning (and development anddelivery of the course according to the aims and objectives set by the courseteam) are:

1 An emphasis on student-centred training

2 The integration of specialist subject areas in the Media with appropriate

contributions by various specialists as visiting lecturers.

3 The incorporation of academic learning and an applied, vocational outlook so

as to allow a critical evaluation of working methods and tools.4 Cinema projections of historic films of the cinema.

5 Academic teaching methods include lectures, seminars, practical workshops,

rehearsals, tutorials, individual and group projects.

6 Obligatory participation of students in workplaces (internship) in order to build

and identify partnerships and collaborations with professional groups toensure that students are given access to the industry.

Programme structures and features, curriculum units (modules), credits and

award requirements (including any periods of placement)

In the third year of studies, the core modules combine the scientific direction of the MassMedia in relation to the media arts, society, media politics, law and the art ofcommunication and advertisement.

Students are familiarized with the research methods relating to the Mass Media.Concerning the two strands of the programme, students participate in laboratory coursesaccording to their specialization and are interns in TV & Film production companies, TVchannels, newspapers, magazines, radio stations, internet, theatres. Students can also

participate in special seminars.

Core Modules Credit Points

- Research Methods 10- Mass edia & Modern Society 10- Media, Politics & the Public Sphere 10- Media Management 10- Media Law & Ethics 10- New Technologies Applications In Mass Media 10

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Strand I: Film & Tv Directing

Digital Filmmaking I 10

Digital Filmmaking II 10

New technologies on the set and in the post production I 10

New technologies on the set and in the post production II 10

Internship 20

Strand : Journalism

Computer-assisted research and reporting 10

E-journalism 10

Internship 20

Internship programmeStudents placements are arranged during the end of semester winter of the third

year for the journalism strand and during the beginning of semester winter for thedirection strand. These periods have been chosen so as to allow students to

attain valuable working experience prior the start of their career. The responsibleemployers who supervise the students should:

Report the progress and attendance of students during their internship.

Communicate regularly with the AMC academic supervisors

Evaluate the students progress at the end of the internship with a written

report

Internships usually comprise a combination of research, writing and skillsacquisition, relative to the programme needs and the aims that are set by theintern. During internship, given the fact that the work on placement is the basis for

the final assignments of the students prior their graduation,the academicsupervisors are available to offer advice and guidance. Each student whoparticipates in the internship programme receives a completion certificate.Internship is not paid and is an obligatory module of 20 credit units which isgraded.

Programme structure & Assessment Schedule

Core Modules

Module Semester Credits Module Semester Credits

ResearchMethods Winter 10

MediaManagement Spring 10

Mass edia& ModernSociety

Winter 10

NewTechnologiesApplicationsIn MassMedia

Spring 10

Media

Politics &the PublicSphere

Winter 10 Media Law &Ethics

Spring 10

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Modules of JournalismStrand

Module Semester Credits Module Semester Credits

Computer-assistedResearch & Reporting Winter 20 Internship Spring 20

E-journalism Winter 20

Modules of Film &TV Directing Strand

Module Semester Credits Module Semester CreditsDigital Filmmaking I

Winter 10

DigitalFilmmaking II Spring 10

New technologies onthe Set & in the Post-Production I

Winter10

Newtechnologieson the Set & inthe Post-Production II

Spring 10

Internship Winter 20

3d Year

Core modules Credits Assessment

Research Methods 10 Written essay of research(50%) 1,500 -2,000 words.Written final exams (50%)

Mass edia &Modern Society 10 Written essay of research

(40%) 1,500 -2,000 words.Oral Presentation final exam(60%)

Media, Politics & the

Public Sphere 10

Written essay of research

(50%) 2,000 -2,500 words.Written final exams (50%)

Media Management10

Written essay of research2,000 -2,500 words (100%)

New TechnologiesApplications In MassMedia

10Written essay of research withan attached scenario ofapplication 2,000 words (60%)

Materialisation of the scenarioin digital format with duration00.30 -03.00 minutes (40%)

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Media Law & Ethics 10 Oral presentation (50%) withduration 12.00-15.00 minutes.Written final exams (50%)

Computer-assisted

Research &Reporting

10

Written essay of research

1,500 -2,000 words (100%)

E-journalism 10 Final written essay of research2,000 -2,500 words (100%)

Digital Filmmaking I 10 Submission of script (60%)Final Project (40%) storyboardor decoupage dvd withrehearsals & casting

New technologies onthe Set & in the Post-Production I

10Final written report editingplan (100%)

Digital Filmmaking II 10Final Project and a journalwith self evaluation report(100%)

New technologies onthe Set & in the Post-Production II

10Final written editing report(30%) Final Project (70%)

Internship 20 3 self-reports 3 evaluationreports (100%)

Assessment

The duration of the studies in BA in Mass Communication and Media Arts is oneacademic year of full time. At the end of the year, a Board of Examiners takes place.

An award will be conferred upon satisfaction of the following conditions:

the candidate was a registered student of the University at the time of hisor her assessment and has fulfilled all financial obligations to the University

and AMC;

the candidate has completed a programme approved by the University as

leading to the award being recommended;

the award has been recommended by a Board of Examiners convened,

constituted and acting under regulations approved by Senate.

Methods of students assessment

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As the main focus of the course is student centred learning, the principles thatunderlie module assessment methods are:

Assessment is part of the learning process and a means ofconfirming learning outcomes

Assessment is a means of providing feedback to students,

lecturers and employers Assessment confirms that students have acquired the necessaryskills and knowledge or offers insight into learning problems so that action canbe taken to achieve appropriate improvements

Assessment provides students with a sense of achievement andmotivation to develop further skills and knowledge as well as to transfer theseskills and knowledge to situations in life and work

Assessment provides present and future employers with evidence/ confirmation of students achievements, skills and knowledge.

Students are assessed on the basis of their progress in written essays and exams, oralpresentations, critical analysis, reports on their projects and in the final projects (film andTV programmes productions which are recorded in audio-visual digital format). Themethod of assessment and its weighting are contained in the Module Descriptor of eachmodule.

Assessment of a module

To pass an undergraduate module, a student must obtain at least 40% overall, and atleast 30% in each component of assessment as specified in the module descriptor. Thisregulation applies to the first attempt at the module only.

Student progression from one level of the programme to the next is at the discretion ofthe Board of Examiners taking into account students performance in all modules andthe amount of academic credit accrued during the year.

Reassessment

Reassessment is permitted in order to allow a student to make good an initial failure.This affords the student an opportunity to demonstrate the standard required topass modules, and ultimately to gain an award.

The Board of Examiners may at its discretion allow an undergraduate student to be re-assessed in up to eight taught modules (equivalent to 80 credits) in any oneacademic year. The Board of Examiners may at its discretion allow apostgraduate student to be re-assessed in up to four taught modules during thecourse of their studies.

The Board of Examiners shall decide on the form of the reassessment (e.g. writtenexamination, viva voce, or an additional assignment), taking into account thenature of the failed module and the nature of the failure. This may differ from theformat of the first assessment and need not be the same for all students provided

equity of experience is maintained. The Board of Examiners can allow for full orpartial reassessment of the components as appropriate.

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A student, who is reassessed for a module failure in an undergraduate module, wherethere are no clear extenuating circumstances, shall be awarded no more than 40% onpassing the re-assessment.

Criteria for Admission

Age on entryCandidates must be at least 19 years of age in the year of entry. This is the age ofgraduation from IVT studies.

Minimum Entry RequirementsThe entry requirements for the BA in MASS COMMUNICATION & MEDIA ARTS are asfollows:

1. Graduation (Lyceum) certificate with a total mark no less than 10 in the 0-20 mark scale

2. Successful completion of the two-year IVT AKMI Journalism or Film & TVDirecting Course (Media Department. All students who have successfully

completed the two-year IVT AKMI Journalism or Film & TV DirectingCourse can enter the BA in Mass Communication & Media Artsprogramme).

3. Interview with the Programme Leader and a member of the CourseCommittee.

4. Completion of an application form that is to be subsequently assessed bythe Departments Course Committee.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)All other candidates who do not come from IVT studies, like professionals withoutundergraduate studies or other special cases, will be evaluated by the ProgrammeLeader and the members of the Course Committee.The following candidates are also eligible for admission to the course:

University graduates

Transfers from Institutes of Post-Secondary and Higher Education offering similar

specialisations.

Professional journalists, directors, cameramen, editors with at least a three-year

experience in their profession.

It is stressed however that the final decision for entry to the programme of a candidatewith professional experience and/or prior learning is taken by Queen Margaret

University. All other qualifications will be mapped against the SCQF framework andQMU standards of the division of Media, Communication and Performing Arts and assuch will be dealt with on a case by case basis with credit being given if relevant.

Support for students and their learningThe programme provides the following student support:

Personal Academic Tutors

Student handbooks

Access to Student Learning Services, Library and IT support

Representation through Student-Staff Committees

Students consultants

Quality Assurance arrangements

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Methods for evaluating and improving the quality and standards of teaching andlearning mechanisms for review and evaluation of teaching, learning, assessment,the curriculum and outcome standards.

Module questionnaires and reviewAnnual staff and student review of programme leading to Annual Monitoring Report

External Examiner reportsModule evaluation formsStudent progression and employment rates

Committees with responsibility for monitoring and evaluating quality andstandards

Programme CommitteeStaff student Consultative CommitteeBoard of Examiners

Mechanisms for gaining student feedback on the quality of teaching and theirlearning experience

Staff Student Consultative CommitteeTutorials with academic staffModule Evaluation FormsInformal student meetings

Staff development priorities include

Appropriate researchContinual relevant development within the industry

The aim of these modules is to improve the students skills andqualifications in order to enhance and understand the disciplines of MassMedia on practice. Therefore they are supported throughout byprofessional directors and students on other programmes. This third yearof study builds on the previous two years of the IVT Diploma.

The Degree Level:

During the degree level, students have the opportunity to apply and exercise all theprevious obtained skills in order to emphasize them at a higher level. This will beachieved through the preparation of complete performances accompanied by writtenresponses in order that students can critically analyse their approaches and the methodsthey followed. All performances take place in professional stages, both indoors andoutdoors. Students will work with professionals in every step of the performancepreparation in order to demonstrate their skills in the best possible way. Students of BAin Mass Communication & Media Arts will be supported by the students of other IVTspecialties such as cameramen, Cinema & TV Directors, stage designers, make-upartists, hairdressers, photographers, graphic designers, etc. in order to complete theirprojects.

Theory is built into all the modules, but alongside the practical studies, there are alsostudies in theatre semiotics to help build students critical analysis skills.During the 3d

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level of studies, the educational procedure combines the personal study and individualeducation with the team education. This combination aims at the greatest developmentof the students competences. The progress of the educational process in the threelevels of studies is developed gradually.

Seminars Lectures by Visiting Lecturers

During the three-year study, a diverse range of master classes, seminars or workshopevents will be programmed throughout the courses by renowned visiting lecturers,established in their field, scientists, known journalists, theatre, TV and cinema scientists,directors, stage designers, musicians. The aim of these educational activities is theinformation and skills development of students through the contact and communicationwith the specialized people from the market

Programme ManagementThe BA in Mass Communication & Media Arts will be administered by the Dean of

School of Arts, Social Sciences and Management:

Dean: Dr Christine Bovis CnossenHead of Subject, Media Communication and Performing Arts and Senior Lecturer, Filmand Media : Dr Richard Butt.

Programme LeaderThe Programme Leader is George MIchalis Political Scientist & Director of AKMIMetropolitan College in Thessaloniki

Module Co-ordinatorsEach module is administered by a Module Co-ordinator through liaison with theProgramme Leader. Module Co-ordinators will be supported by external visiting lecturerswith expertise in the subject areas.

Personal Academic TutorsYou will be allocated to a member of staff for ongoing academic support. The role of thePersonal Academic Tutor is to:

Discuss and advise on modules, assessment extensions, problems withorganising workload

Offer adaptive strategies and dealing with academic problems or other student

difficulties including absences Liaise the Board of Examiners, programme committee or support staff on behalf

of the student as required Provide records of documentation (tutorial forms, letters relating to progress

through programme, extenuating circumstances) relating to students to SchoolOffice for storage with student file

Offer advice on career issues related to own professional expertise and providereferences.

Programme CommitteeThe Programme Committee is the major decision-making body and is the forum forpolicy concerning conduct, review and development of the programme and students.The Programme Committee for the BA in Mass Communication and Media Arts will bechaired by the Programme Leader. Its membership includes all of the full-time academic

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staff who teaches or assesses on the course, representation from the relevant subjectarea, and student representation from each year of the course. The chairperson mayinvite any non-member to attend a meeting and participate in the discussions.

Student/Staff Consultative CommitteeThe Student/Staff Committee will be chaired by one of the student representatives and

will meet twice per semester to ensure an adequate and effective opportunity fordiscussion between students and staff, and to facilitate full and wide studentparticipation. The function of the Committee is to provide a forum for constructivediscussion about the programme in general terms, the demands of the programme orscheme on students and possible developments.

Board of ExaminersThe Board of Examiners is chaired by the QMU Head of Subject concerned andappointed by the Senate.Queen Margaret University and AMC are committed to responding to the needs of itsstudents and there are two particular committees, which include student representatives.These are the Programme Committee and the Student Staff Consultative Committeewhich are an important means of having your voice heard.All programmes of the University have a number of committees responsible formanaging their operation and making decisions about students' academic performance,these are: Student Staff Consultative Committee The Programme Committee The School Board Boards of Examiners

Student Staff Consultative Committees

A Student Staff Consultative Committee operates for each programme of study toprovide a forum for students and staff to have constructive discussion about theprogramme in general terms such as the demands of the programme on students, andfuture and possible developments. It considers any matters directly related to theprogramme and to report or make recommendations as felt necessary to theProgramme Committee. The membership of the Committee is drawn from staff teachingon the programme and student representatives with more students than staff. Thestudent membership should cover the main subject areas and activities of theprogramme. It is appropriate for a student to convene the committee and a member of

staff to act as secretary.Each academic year there are 4 scheduled meetings of the Student Staff ConsultativeCommittee (2 in each semester) in order to review the educational procedures followedso far and find solutions to possible students difficulties. If there is a case of an urgentissue which needs to be immediately resolved then an extra meeting takes place. Theminutes of these meetings are attached in the Annual Monitoring Report to be discussedin the Board of Examiners at the end of the academic year.Minutes from this Committee are presented to the Programme Committee fordiscussion/review and action.

The Programme Committee

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The Programme Committee exercises the overall academic and operationalresponsibility for the programme and its development within defined policies, proceduresand regulations. This Committee is responsible for maintaining and enhancing theacademic standards of the programme through monitoring and evaluation of the aims,objectives and structure of the programme and to ensure the establishment anddevelopment of mechanisms to ensure student feedback is available in a timely manner.

Additionally this Committee reviews academic regulations, admissions policystatements, assessment instruments and the development of teaching and learningmethods.It is responsible to ensure that the programme is resourced to agreed levels byrecommendations to, and negotiations with, the Dean of School, and the Deans of anycontributing Schools and that the programme delivery is effectively managed. Thisincludes such detail as time-tabling, access to teaching rooms, access to specialistfacilities. It will monitor student admission, student progress and evaluate the provisionof student counselling and welfare provision as well as being responsible for the formalsubmission of the necessary documentation for the approval, accreditation or

assessment of the programme to the appropriate professional and accreditation bodies,in line with the Universitys established procedures.Minutes from this Committee are presented to the School Board.

Boards of Examiners

Boards of Examiners are responsible for making decisions about students' performanceincluding decisions about progression and award. Analytically, it is responsible foragreeing the level of performance for each student on each module under consideration,confirming marks for modules and deciding whether a student should be awarded apass or fail in any module within their jurisdiction and the mechanisms for re-assessmentespecially in cases of extenuating circumstances. The Board reviews the students'whole performance across all the modules and makes decisions. The Board, inreaching its decisions, is guided by the Universitys academic regulations and,exceptionally, any programme specific regulations approved at the time of validation andas laid out in the definitive programme document.Normally, there are at least two meetings of the Board of Examiners each year, one atthe end of Semester 2 and the other after the re-examinations prior the beginning of thenew academic year in order to decide on the students performance in the re-examinations.

Progression and Award Board of Examiners

The Profile Board of Examiners is responsible to the Academic Council of the University,via the School for reaching decisions about students' performance. It receivesconfirmed module marks and recommendations on pass and fail and information aboutextenuating circumstances for students. The Board reviews the students' wholeperformance across all the modules and makes decisions. The Board, in reaching itsdecisions, is guided by the Universitys academic regulations and, exceptionally, anyprogramme specific regulations approved at the time of validation and as laid out in thedefinitive programme document.

Joint Board of Examiners

After the completion of each academic year and prior to the beginning of the new

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academic year, a Joint Board of Examiners takes place which thoroughly analyses theAnnual Monitoring Report, a document written by the Programme Leader with theparticipation of the programme team where needed. The AMR consists of a review ofthe academic year that has just been completed, a report by the Programme Leader asa reply to the External Examiners report, which refers to the progress of the courseaccording to the Exam Board, the minutes of the Student and Staff Consultative

Committee meetings as well as a table with the issues that have to be resolved and thekind of action that will be taken. During this Board, final decisions are taken and start toget materialized by the responsible QMU Committees. The Head of School (convener),the Programme Leader, the Programme Team and the External Examiner take part inthe Joint Board of Studies.

Subject Group Team

Each Programme belongs to a Subject Group. The Programme Leader, within this groupis responsible for the day-to-day running of the programme. The Subject Group isresponsible for the overall management of the Programmes within its grouping. Theprogramme BA in Mass Communication & Media Arts belongs to the QMU School ofSocial Sciences, Media & Communication. The programme leader and the programmecommittee refer and report to the QMU Dean of the School of Social Sciences, Media &Communication.

The School Board

Programme Leader

George Michalis [email protected]

Module Leaders and members of the teaching team

CORE MODULES MODULE COORDINATOR MODULE TEAM

Research Methods Maria Mavrommati George MIchalis

Mass edia & ModernSociety

Dimitra Kehagia

Media Politics & the PublicSphere

Dimitra Kehagia

Media Management Dimitra Kehagia

New TechnologiesApplications In Mass Media Dimitra Dimitrakopoulou

Media Law & EthicsDimitra Kehagia

Internship George Michalis

STRAND JOURNALISMMODULES

Computer-assistedResearch & Reporting

Dimitra Dimitrakopoulou

Dimitra Dimitrakopoulou

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E-journalism

STRAND FILM & TVDIRECTING MODULES

MODULE COORDINATOR MODULE TEAM

Digital Filmmaking I & Dimitris Koutsiabasakos Iosifidis Anastasios

New technologies on the

Set & in the Post-Production I &

Dimitris Koutsiabasakos Iosifidis Anastasios

Sources of advice/guidance

If you have any queries about a particular module you should discuss these with theModule Coordinator concerned. If you have queries relating to the programme youshould speak to your Programme Leader. If you need general advice about Universityprocedures you should contact you Personal Academic Tutor. Your Personal Academic

Tutor is there to advise you throughout your time at University and you should get toknow him/her well. If you experience difficulties of a personal or practical/financialnature, you can discuss these with your Tutor, or you can seek help from a wide varietyof University counselling support services

Please follow this link to find out what your Personal Academic Tutor can do for you:http://www.qmu.ac.uk/quality/pm/default.htm

Information for Students with Special Needs

Queen Margaret University and AMC are committed to equality of opportunity andbelieves in a culture of diversity and inclusion. We offer flexible educational programmesto suit many different groups of students.

We aim to offer an accessible curriculum, which can be adapted to meet individualneeds in an environment where consideration is given to enabling everyone toparticipate in all aspects of academic and social life.

All Schools have a Disabled Students Co-ordinator to look after the interests of particularstudents. Full details of services available are provided in the University Student Diaryor via the Student Services Website which can be found at;-

http://www.qmu.ac.uk/services/student_services.htmhttp://www.qmu.ac.uk/prospective_students/student_services/default.htm

If a student, as a result of a disability, is unable through special needs to be assessed bythe prescribed method for the module, the Programme Committee/Subject Panel/Boardof Studies may determine alternative assessment methods, bearing in mind the need toassess the student on equal terms with other students. The Board of Examiners willratify any such decisions. Variations may include the following:

1. an extension of the normal registration period for completing an award

2. extra time being allowed for assessments

3. alternative or modified assessments

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http://www.qmu.ac.uk/services/student_services.htmhttp://www.qmu.ac.uk/prospective_students/student_services/default.htmhttp://www.qmu.ac.uk/services/student_services.htmhttp://www.qmu.ac.uk/prospective_students/student_services/default.htm


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Staff Student Consultative Committees Programme Boards

ElectionsProgramme Leaders are normally expected to open nominations for programme

representatives within the first two weeks of semester 1, but of course the programmewill be able to change its representative at a later date if it so wishes.

Required time commitment of Student Representatives

Representatives must commit sufficient time to prepare for and attend at least threeStudent Staff Consultative Committee meetings and three Programme Committeemeetings per academic year. They should also allow a few minutes each week/fortnightto get the views of students on the programme and to feed back information to themfrom other bodies.

SECTION 4

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PROCEDURES AND REGULATIONS FOR YOURPROGRAMME

4. Procedures and Regulations for Assessment & Award

This section is designed to provide you with important information about the assessmentprocedures and regulations for your programme. It is really important that you read andunderstand this section as you will have to be familiar with the standards set forpresentation and content of assessed work and the rules which govern your academicprogress.

Criteria for Assessment

Each module has a separate criteria for assessment which you will be given along withthe assessment itself. However, here is the University guidance to give you the generalidea of what is expected.

Assessment is primarily a matter of academic judgement, and the computational

structure is designed to facilitate consistent judgements. A students overall performance

on an undergraduate module will be given marks within one of seven grades as follows:

Grade Mark Interpretation Corresponding level in an Honsdegree classification

A 70% andabove

an outstandingperformanceexceptionally able

first class

B 60 69.9% very goodperformance

upper second

C 50 59.9% averageperformance

lower second

D 40 49.9% satisfactoryperformance

third class

E 30 39.9% fail fail

F 20 29.9% poor fail failG 19.9% or

belowbad fail fail

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ASSESSMENT CRITERIA FOR WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS LEVEL3

First Upper Second Lower Second Third Fail Bad Fail

Coverage of the

question

Covers all aspects of the

question.

Covers most aspects of the

question.

May not address some

major aspects of thequestion.

Fails to address a

number of majoraspects of the

question.

Addresses

relatively few of themajor aspects of the

question. May be

too short.

Addresses none of

the major aspectsof the question.

Probably too

short.

Knowledge of

relevant material

Evidence of extensive

independent reading including

books and recent journal articles(in addition to suggestedreadings).

Evidence of independent

reading including books and

journal articles.

Answer based mainly

on lecture material.

Some relevant

information from

lectures.

Little evidence of

relevant knowledge.

May cite personalanecdote.

Almost no

relevant

knowledge. Mayrely on personalanecdote.

Accuracy All the material is accurate. There are no major factual

errors.

There may be some

minor factual errors.

There may be some

major factual errors.

There may be many

major factual

errors.

Little or no factual

accuracy

Relevance All the material is directly

relevant.

Almost all the material is

directly relevant.

Some of the material

may not be directly

relevant.

Much of the material

may not be directly

relevant.

Little of the

material is directly

relevant.

Answers a totally

different question

to that set.

Clarity of expression All points expressed clearly and

succinctly.

Most points expressed clearly

and succinctly.

Some points may not be

expressed clearly.

Not always clear

what was intended.

Often difficult to

discern what wasintended.

Hardly ever

possible to discernwhat was intended

Organisation Excellent (possibly original)

organisation of the material.

Very clear organisation of

material.

Clear organisation of

material.

Some organisation

of the material

Little structure

apparent.

No structure

apparent

Evaluation of theory,

methodology and/or

empirical evidence.

Shows excellent appreciation of

the strengths and weaknesses of

theories, methodologies andempirical evidence and their

interplay. May show knowledgeof the historical development of

the field.

Shows good appreciation of

the strengths and weaknesses

of theories, methodologies andempirical evidence and their

interplay. Perhaps someindication of the history of the

area.

Makes some attempt to

evaluate theories,

methodologies andempirical evidence and

to justify claims.

Assertion with little

concern for

evidence.

Assertion without

concern for

evidence.

Assertion without

evidence


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Personal Contribution May present own (possibly

novel) view of the material,perhaps integrating evidence

from or drawing parallels with

other areas of the discipline.

May make insightful predictions

about the future development of

the area.

May present own view of the

material, perhaps integratingevidence from or drawing

parallels with other areas of

the discipline. May make

sensible predictions about the

future development of the

area.

May make some

attempt to present ownview of the material

showing some concern

for its justification.

May make some

attempt to presentown view of the

material but with

little concern for its

justification.

May present own

ba mass communication & media arts student's handbook 2011-2012

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