Grading systems for postgraduate research degrees

All faculties which award grades in postgraduate award courses, whether research or coursework award programs, are asked to use the same grading system that is used University-wide for undergraduate programs (that is, the Fail, Pass, Credit, Distinction and High Distinction system).

In respect of research master’s degrees, a degree may be either awarded or not awarded at the end of the examination process, as for the PhD, and no provision should exist for research degrees to be awarded with any class or classes of honours or with merit or other distinction.

Provision should be made, however, for the thesis to be allocated a grade of Pass, Credit, Distinction or High Distinction so that faculties are able to award one of these grades as a thesis final result. This result will then be entered upon candidates’ transcripts of academic record and can be used for scholarships ranking.

Faculties need to inform examiners of the range of marks used by the University for awarding grades.