The Master of Arts (MA) degree normally requires at least one year of full-time, or its equivalent in part-time, study and entails completion of a thesis. The normal admission requirement is a Bachelor of Arts with Honours (BA(Hons)) degree in one of at least 24 subjects, but admission on the basis of alternative qualifications and experience is possible. Some degree candidates may be required to pass approved postgraduate papers before embarking on the thesis research, but will be advised of that before enrolment. The thesis is a major piece of supervised research on a topic of current interest. The primary aim of the programme is to develop in a candidate skills needed to identify a significant topic, design and implement an extended piece of research, and present the findings in a form acceptable to an expert readership. It prepares candidates for employment in education, regional and national government agencies, the private sector, and industry. The degree is also an entry qualification for the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD). Information Science refers to the study of computer-based information systems, problem-solving techniques, and the application of these to a wide range of commercial, scientific and industrial settings. Topics include the study of specific programming languages and environments, database design and implementation, information system development, human-computer interaction, distributed systems and the application of fuzzy systems, neural networks and spatial systems. Management issues relating to the development and operation of information systems are also studied. Structure of the Programme The programme of study shall consist of the preparation and submission of a thesis embodying the results of supervised research. A candidate who has obtained a three-year bachelor’s degree will be required to take and pass the fourth-stage papers listed in the Honours requirements for the subject concerned, in addition to completing a thesis. A candidate whose qualification for entry to the programme is the degree of Bachelor of Arts with Honours, or the Postgraduate Diploma in Arts Subjects in the subject of the degree, will be required to complete a thesis, although in some cases the candidate may also be required to take and pass approved papers, normally at 400-level, in addition to completing a thesis. A candidate shall, before commencing the investigation to be described in the thesis, secure the approval of the Head of the Department concerned for the topic, the supervisor(s), and the proposed course of the investigation. A candidate may not present a thesis which has previously been accepted for another degree. For a thesis, the research should be of a kind that a diligent and competent student should complete within one year of full-time study.