From 1 October there will be a gradual phasing in and staggered entry for new and continuing students. By 19 October all students will have started their courses both online and in-person lectures. You will receive the start date and updated information from your Institute some days before the start of the lectures. So be on the alert and check your mailbox frequently—all best wishes for the new academic year.
Clearly state Updated on 25 September 2020

MCAST sent you Circular 92/2020 by email on Wednesday 25 March 2020. This letter explains in full how learning and assessment are taking place online. All MCAST circulars and updates on COVID-19 can be found here: https://mcast.edu.mt/covid-19-preventive-measures/
Lecturers will indicate to students which platforms are being used for particular units. Classter is the most common and you can log in using your MCAST email address username and password through: http://mcast.classter.com Other platforms include:
  • MCAST Moodle VLE – for sharing of online material, fora and chats
  • Schoology (in case of the Institute for the Creative Arts where migration to Moodle is not yet complete)
  • Northumbria University Blackboard VLE (in case of Nursing students)
MCAST is striving to provide IT support to students needing this service. You can call the HELPLINE 2398 7100 to be redirected or you may contact IT Services directly on onlinesupport@mcast.edu.mt or call on 23987467.

Assignments that can be assessed remotely will be concluded by 10 July 2020. The remaining practical assignments or practical components/placement units will be completed by early October 2020. These dates apply for both continuing and progressing students.
Assessments, including synoptic, (with the exception of those including a practical component), will be held by the end of the academic year 2019-2020 that is 10th July 2020. Assessments will not be held on Campus during this time. Alternative assessments using technology will be used and could include take-home assignments. Assessments tackled online will address only those components of the unit that have already been taught or are being taught online.  Practical assessments will be tackled once MCAST reopens. Additional information about the assessment of practical components will be made available at a later stage. Only delivered units will be assessed. MCAST is doing its best to ensure that units are delivered and will be providing more information in due course. In case of difficulty, students are encouraged to contact the institute administration.
MCAST will be exploring ways of how to schedule all mandatory practical components/placements in September before the start of the new academic year.
Lecturers will indicate the assessments that will be taking place as TCAs.
The lecturer will indicate which documents are to be used for assessments.
Most synoptic assessments will take place by the 10th of July 2020. However, MCAST will also be exploring ways to close off all remaining synoptic assessments by September. In the case of certain ICA units, later dates are possible depending on the programme, cohort and unit task. Please ask your respective coordinator for your assessment schedule.

Results will be concluded by the end of October 2020. In the case of certain ICA units, later dates are possible depending on the programme, cohort and unit task. Please ask your respective coordinator for your result schedule.
Students can appeal academic decisions using the usual procedure. Students are requested to fill in the form that is available online through https://mcast.edu.mt/college-forms/. Forms are to be sent through an e-mail to the Institute Senior Administrative Officers.

Dissertations will follow set deadlines.  However, extensions can be allowed where the request is justified. The form can be downloaded through this link: https://mcast.edu.mt/college-forms/ Where possible, dissertations will be submitted as scheduled during the academic year 2019-2020. Lecturers will correct and submit the results by the first week of July. Students will be encouraged to submit their dissertation by the given deadlines. If this is not possible, due to practical components, students can submit as early as possible after the deadline by no later than 18th September or as agreed with the Director of Institute. Viva sessions will take place online in most cases. Degree Ratification Boards will also be held online in most cases. In the case of certain ICA dissertations whose justified requests for extensions are approved, a 16th October deadline is also being set. Thus, for ICA there will be 5 June, 18 September and 16 October deadlines depending on the nature of the dissertation and the justified requests for extensions made and approved.
The same procedure of online support for lecturing applies to dissertations. Students are encouraged to keep contact with their supervisors via email and/or any platform determined by the dissertation supervisor. Should they have any difficulty in doing so, they are requested to contact the institute administration.

Students at Level 1 who have failed in no more than 12 ECVET may progress to Level 2 with the option of repeating assessments for failed units during the new academic year to conclude the Level 1 qualification.

Students at level 1 who fail in more than 12ECVET can take the Initial Assessment Test for access to Level 2.

Students at Level 2 need to successfully complete units to a minimum of 30 ECVET in order to progress to Level 3.

MCAST is currently exploring, in collaboration with MEDE, the possibility to continue offering the Preventive Classes in Summer.

For Level 3 students   Level 3 students can choose between two options.  

Option 1 - Students who decide not to repeat the failed units at Level 3 alongside the first year of their level 4 qualification:

Students at Level 3 who have failed in not more than 12 ECVET (typically 2 units) may progress to Level 4. Students will then be able to continue their studies at second year as regular students ONLY if they successfully complete ALL units during their first year of the Level 4 course.

Students will then receive a transcript for the units completed in their Level 3 units in which they are successful.

Option 2 – Students who decide to repeat the failed units at Level 3 alongside the first year of their level 4 qualification:

Students can repeat assessments for failed units (with optional attendance and timetable permitting) during the new academic year in order to conclude their Level 3 qualification. If they successfully complete ALL the level 3 units, students can continue their studies at second year of their Level 4 as regular students provided that they satisfy existing regulations for continuation of studies at Level 4.

MCAST is currently exploring, in collaboration with MEDE, the possibility to continue offering the Preventive Classes in Summer.

Students who are in their 1st or 2nd Year of the programme (and are not in their final year will be able to continue their studies at Year 2/3 automatically provided that, they have not failed in more than 3 units as per current regulations.

Students who are in the final year and have failed in not more than 2 units (but not more than 12 ECVET), provided that they have attempted all the coursework and synoptic assessments and respected MCAST regulations including those related to attendance have two options to progress to the Degree course.

Option 1 – Students who decide not to repeat the failed units at Level 4 alongside the first year of their degree:

Students will be able to continue their studies at second year as regular students ONLY if they successfully complete all units (60 ECTS) during their first year of the Level 5/6 course. Students will then receive a transcript for the units completed in their Level 4 qualification.

Option 2 – Students who decide to repeat the failed units at Level 4 alongside the first year of their degree:

Students can repeat assessments for failed units (with optional attendance and timetable permitting) during the new academic year in order to conclude their Level 4 qualification. If they successfully complete ALL the Level 4 units, students can continue their studies at second year as regular students provided that they satisfy existing regulations for continuation of studies at Level 5 and 6.

Restrictions may apply to qualifications which lead to a regulated profession.

Progression from Level 5 Year 1 to Level 5 Year 2, and from Level 5 to Level 6 shall be automatic for students who have not failed in more than 2 units in a particular year and who will not be carrying more than 3 failed units in all.

In the next academic year, 2020-2021, students can recover the failed units by repeating unit assessment only (optional attendance and timetabling permitting).

The same procedure applies to students reading for the Bachelor of Engineering, Year 3 to Year 4.

All students will have the opportunity to finish this academic year and if successful, will graduate as planned. MCAST is exploring placements/practical components being completed as soon as MCAST re-opens its doors.

Plans are to hold graduation ceremonies in December 2020.

All MCAST students are expected to stop attending at their workplace until the present situation due to COVID-19 changes. MCAST will update you accordingly. MCAST has already informed all industry partners about this decision.

Students at Levels 1, 2 and 3 who have not completed their voluntary work component will be assessed only on the other two components.   Students at Levels 4 are expected to write a 300-word essay or event proposal.   Students at Levels 5 and 6 will be required to write a 400-word essay or event proposal.   Essays may be substituted by submitting a short video of between 3 and 5 minutes portraying themselves in an artistic/sports performance or showcasing hobbies such as photography, videography, etc.   Students who have already completed the voluntary work component will not be required to submit an essay and will be assessed on their related written reflection. Students will also receive separate certification as recognition for the voluntary work undertaken.   Lecturers will guide students at Levels 4 and 6 about the topics for their essay. Frequently Asked Questions

Students, who were on Erasmus and returned to Malta without completing the units, will follow MCAST units to make up for the missed units.

Where the receiving organization has provided for compensatory measures due to COVID-19, MCAST shall honour such measures and recognize any credits awarded by such institution. MCAST will offer the same online teaching and support to its Erasmus incoming students.

The same procedures that have been utilized so far will remain in place. The Institutes will contact IEU to discuss the arrangements that have to be in place. The IEU is trying to contact all students who require a reader and/or a scribe to ensure that such students have the required assistive technology software installed to support them during online Time Constrained Assignments.
The online support of the Learning Support Unit will be offered as usual to all students who are entitled to such additional one-to-one support.
The Student Support Services are available for all students who may require these services. The five main contacts of the Student Support Services are as follows:
  • Psychological Support for Malta – counsellors@mcast.edu.mt
  • Psychological Support for Gozo Campus – studentsupport-gozocampus@mcast.edu.mt
  • Career Advice – careerguidance@mcast.edu.mt
  • Student Liaison – marina.sceberras@mcast.edu.mt
  • Integration Support Unit – james.m.camilleri@mcast.edu.mt

Prospective students are to refer to the MCAST prospectus or website (https://mcast.edu.mt/full-time-programmes/) for specific entry requirements to courses.
    • Applicants with SSC&P Track 1 & 2 subjects or SEC predictive assessment results at Level 2 will be accepted to MCAST Level 1 or 2 study programmes following Initial Assessment Tests.
    • Applicants with SSC&P Track 3 subjects based on their performance from Year 7-Year 10 or with SEC Level 3 subjects based on the predictive assessment as performed by MATSEC, will be accepted either to MCAST Level 3 or to Level 4 study programmes, depending on specific entry requirements. In cases where a grade higher than 5/C at Level 3 is required, the student will be deemed eligible if his predictive results by MATSEC are issued at MQF level 3.
Candidates are required to have two SEC/SSC&P level 3 passes to join a Level 3 course depending on specific entry requirements.  Candidates applying for level 4 progammes will be accepted provisionally if they have three out of the four required SEC/SSC&P level 3 passes as per entry requirements set in the MCAST prospectus.  Students will then be able to continue their studies at second year as regular students only if 1.      They successfully complete ALL units during their first year of the Level 4 course or 2.      If by the beginning of the second year they satisfy the both entry requirements and the programme regulations of the particular Level 4 course (hence all four SEC/SSC&P level 3 subjects and number of units successfully completed).  Provisional students who do not meet either of the above conditions will need to repeat the first year of the course.   Updated on 13th May 2020.
MCAST will provisionally accept students studying at Matriculation level to MCAST Level 6 programmes, according to the specific entry requirements of the degree programme applied for. Students failing to obtain the necessary requirements by the re-sit session in December will be offered an undergraduate diploma after successfully completing all units of their first year of studies. Students will be able to continue their studies at second year as regular students in the Level 5 or 6 course if they successfully complete all units (60 ECTS) during their first year of their Level 5/6 course and having successfully obtained a minimum of 48 MCAST admission points as per MCAST prospectus (shown below): table Alternatively, students will be able to continue their studies at second year as regular students in the Level 5 or 6 course if they successfully complete the required Advanced and Intermediate level subjects as required for entry into the course before the start of the second year of studies.

  Updated on 13th May 2020.

Where possible, Masters programmes will commence at the end of November 2020 to enable candidates to be fully qualified.
Updated on 9th April 2020.