General information

Academic year 2011 - 2012

Special Examination Regulations

Version approved by the Academic Council on 13.05.2008

K.U.Leuven Examination Regulations 2008-2009

Preliminaries

These regulations are subject to the decree provisions governing higher education and the appurtenant executory provisions. The relevant texts may be accessed on www.kuleuven.be/admin/reglementen.htm.

All references to people and positions within these regulations shall be to persons of both sexes.

The mention of 'the faculty' in these regulations means for the Kortrijk campus that the subfaculty is authorized to take the relevant decision.

For definitions of the concepts mentioned in the present regulations, please consult Section I of the Education Regulations.

Section 1 - Special provisions relating to the dissertation or Master's test

Article  62 (faculty regulations, supervisor)

Each faculty shall lay down special regulations for the making and assessment of dissertations and Master's tests.

The supervisor of a dissertation or a Master's test is a member of tenured academic staff of K.U.Leuven or a member of the academic staff provided that the latter is a holder of a doctorate, delivered following the completion of a thesis.

Article  63 (evaluation)

The dissertation or Master's test shall be assessed according to the faculty regulations by an evaluation committee comprising at least three members. With respect of article 28, second alinea, third phrase of the general examination regulations the commission shall determine one final mark, be it as one joint mark, be it by joining the individual marks, if so weighted, by the members of the commission appointed according to the faculty regulations. The latter being the case, the examination committee will be posted of the individual marks given.

The members of the evaluation committee who are not members of the examination  committee must be consulted by the examination committee in accordance with the conditions set forth by the faculty regulations if a student or member of the evaluation committees makes a request to this effect.

Article  64 (vivas)

If the faculty regulations do not determine that dissertations or Master's tests are subject to a viva, they shall determine the way in which the student may prior to the meeting of examiners take cognizance of the remarks of the evaluation committee, and the way in which students who wish to do so, are to be heard by the president of the examination committee or a person appointed by him prior to the deliberation

Section 2 - Special provisions relating to teacher training courses

Article  65 (examination periods)

For course units pertaining to the teacher training exams can be taken in the first, second or third examination period, taking into account the rule that no examination can be taken more than twice each academic year.

Article  66 (exemptions and resits)
A student who has taken an examination on a course unit of the teacher training course and has passed c.q. obtained a credit, is exempt from taking that course unit in the academic teacher training course. In case the deliberation taking place in the same examination period of the same academic year, the marks obtained are used in both programmes.

For the taught out academic teacher training, a student who has taken an examination on a bridging course of the teacher training course as part of a second cycle in an undergraduate programme in which the student has passed, is exempt from taking that course unit in the academic teacher training course. In case of the deliberation taking place in the same examination period of the same academic year, the marks obtained are used in both programmes.

Article  67 (registration and participation in examinations)

Prior to each examination students must be registered at the secretariat of the academic teacher training permanent educational committee. Students who have registered may, for serious reasons to be judged by the chairperson of the examination committee, be granted permission not to take the examination.

Article  68 (announcement of examination marks)

The marks obtained at an examination shall be notified by the official lecturer of the course unit to the secretariat of the academic teacher training permanent educational committee to which the student belongs. The examination results shall be communicated to students by the secretariat after each examination period.

The examination marks shall be kept until the meeting of examiners, unless the student has resat an examination in keeping with the provisions set forth in Article 66.

Article  69 (meeting of examiners)

The examination committee shall in each examination period determine the results of the students that have sat examinations for all the course units.

The students from the specific teacher training Physical Education and Biomedical sciences will be assessed by the examination committee of the Teacher Training programme of the Biomedical Group. The students from the specific teacher training programmes Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Technology will be assessed by the examination committee of the Teacher Training programme Science and Technology. The students from the specific teacher training Economics, Behavioural Sciences en Societal Sciences and Philosophy will be assessed by the examination committee of the Teacher Training programme Behavioural and Societal Sciences. The students from the specific teacher training Languages and History, Arts and Music will be assessed by the examination committee of the Teacher Training programme in Arts. The students from the specific teacher training Religion will be assessed by the examination committee of the Teacher Training programme in Religion; its decision will be confirmed by the examination committee of the Teacher Training programme in Arts.

For the determination of the overall result for the teacher training programme course units will be weighed according to the number of credits attributed to them.

In deviation of article 36, 1st paragraph of the examination regulations no unsufficient mark can betolerated for the overall result of the internships. Succeeding for the internships is necessary for succeeding in the programme.

Student for the taught out academic teacher training programme have to be deliberated at the latest in 2008-2009. This period is extended with one, two or three academic years if it concerns a teacher training programme corresponding to a Master’s programme with a study load of 120, 180 or 240 credits respectively.

Article  70 (transfer of examination mark in case of failure)

Students are allowed to transfer their examination mark provided the terms set forth to complete the academic teacher training course as specified in Article 69 are complied with.
For the internship components, the transfer of examination marks is granted when an average of 10 points out of 20 has been obtained on all of the components.

Section 3 - Special provisions relating to advanced academic courses and post-Master's Master's programmes

Article  71

Contrary to Article 5, each Faculty council or faculty governing body shall determine the times at which the examinations for the advanced academic courses and post-Master's Master's programmes are to be taken within the same academic year.

Article  72 (inter-university courses)

Each agreement regarding the organization of an inter-university course shall also set forth which examination regulations shall be applicable. The provision shall be included in the programme guide.

Section 4 -Special provisions relating to postgraduate courses and other continuous education courses

Article  73

In the case of postgraduate courses and other continuous education courses for which the obtainment of a certificate depends on passing an examination, the faculty shall draw up specific educational provisions regarding the way and times of assessment, who may assess, and the way in which the results are calculated, communicated and discussed.

This arrangement shall be made clear to students enrolling in the training programme.

Students may lodge an appeal against the decision with the vice-president for Student Affairs no later than five calendar days following the written notification of the result.

Section 5 - Special provisions relating to the doctorate

Article  74 (obligation of the faculty)

The faculty shall lay down special regulations for the doctoral thesis examination.

Article  75 (composition of the examination committee)

The group or faculty appoints one supervisor or person with overall responsibility for a thesis project. The faculty may appoint besides the supervisor or person with overall responsibility one or more supervisors and/or co-supervisors.

The supervisor or person with overall responsibility belongs to 1. the full-time or part-time members of the tenured academic staff of the K.U. Leuven or 2. the full-time or part-time members of the tenured academic staff of any other university with which K.U. Leuven has entered into agreement for this purpose or 3. specific categories of researchers selected by the group or faculty. Supervisors should be holders of a doctorate, delivered following the completion of a thesis. Co-supervisors can be appointed on the basis of their specific competencies and do not necessarily have to be holders of a doctorate.

Professors and lecturers from university colleges associated with K.U. Leuven, as well as leading researchers from a scientific foundation are eligible for supervisorship or co-supervisorship.

In order to obtain a doctorate in the arts, other persons without a doctorate but with a special expertise in the research field may exceptionally be appointed as supervisor.
The supervisor/person with overall responsibility adheres to the profile of the good supervisor.

The examination committee shall be composed by the rector on the recommendation of the faculty; in addition to the people mentioned in the first paragraph, other experts may also be part of the committee. In any event, at least one member of the examination committee must be from outside K.U.Leuven.