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Regulations

MATHEMATICS REGULATIONS

 These are specific regulations for programmes in the Department of Mathematics (MATH). The regulations shall apply in conjunction with Faculty of Science and Technology (FOST) regulations.

 MATH 1.00    Preamble:

 The Department of Mathematics offers degree programmes in Mathematics and Statistics, leading into B.Sc. Double Major, B.Sc. Single Major and B.Sc. Honours degrees as outlined in the foregoing.

 MATH 1.01    Single Major

 B.Sc. Mathematics

B.Sc. Statistics

 MATH 1.02 Double Major Degrees/ Major Minor

 B.Sc. Degrees

(i)          Mathematics and Computer Science

(ii)                Mathematics and Statistics

(iii)               Mathematics and Physics

(iv)              Mathematics and Chemistry

(v)                Statistics and Computer Science

 

MATH 1.03    Postgraduate Degree Programmes

a)  B.Sc. Honours in Mathematics

b)  M.Sc. Mathematics                 

MATH 1.04    Conversion Programmes

  Diploma in Statistics (proposed for 2009/2010 in place of Certificate in Statistics)


 MATH 2.00    Course Numbering:

MATH 2.01     Mathematics:

The numbering will consist of one letter M, to signify that a course is a Mathematics course. The letter will be followed by four digits where the first digit will be the year of study, the second digit will be the credit hours and the last two digits course number.

 

MATH 2.03                 Statistics:

The numbering will consist of two letters ST, to signify that a course is a Statistics course. The letters will be followed by four digits where the first digit will be the year of study, the second digit will be the credit hours, the third digit indicates the stream and the last digit is the running index. The grouping follows the following nomenclature

 

1&2.  Core Course

4.  Operations Research

5.  Production Statistics

6.  Social Statistics

7. Optional Course

8.  Service Course

9.  Project

 

MATH 3.00 General Regulations:

MATH 3.01 a)  Mathematics (M) or Statistics (ST) may be taken a major subject in a double major programme or as a single major subject.

b)  There are inter-department, inter-faculty programmes in the Faculty of Science and Technology, Faculty of Humanities and Education and the Faculty of Law and Social Sciences.

MATH 3.02     Unless otherwise stated in the specific programme of study or in a class course  outline, each course is assessed on the basis of a ratio of course work to final examination of 1:2. Normally, the course work is assessed on the basis of a ratio of 3:7 on assignments and tests respectively.

MATH 3.03 Unless otherwise stated in the specific programme of study, where a prerequisite course has been indicated, a grade of D or better in the prerequisite course is a condition for registration in the main course.

MATH 3.04     Unless otherwise stated in the specific programme of study;

a)  A pass or proceed in a year requires one to score a minimum of a D grade in at least 28 credit hours (CHS) taken in the particular year of study, and obtain at least an E grade in the remaining credit hours. 

b)  In addition for a double major programme, a student must obtain at least a D in at least 12CHS from the prescribed courses in each major.  In the case where the second major is in another department, students must satisfy the requirements of the other major as specified by that department.

MATH 3.05     In each year of study, all courses marked core and prerequisite must be passed with a minimum of D grade.

MATH 3.06     In general, all Mathematics majors must follow the B.Sc. programme in that subject, except where a choice of courses is stated.

MATH 3.07     In any year of study a student must obtain a minimum weighted average of a D in order to stay in the programme.

MATH 3.08     Since there are inter-faculty service courses, some courses have overlapping syllabi. Credit is only allowed for one of each of the overlapping pair of courses. For example, 

Mathematics:

M1431 and M1501

M1432 and M1502

M2451 and M2402

M2452 and M2404  

M2401 and CS2410 

Statistics:  

ST1311 and ST1381

ST2421 and ST2481

ST2442 and ST2482 

MATH 3.09 Unless otherwise stated in the specific programme of study, at the end of year II a student who has passed will be said to have completed Part I of the B.Sc. degree and the weighted year mean will be used for classification as 

OWM                                        Classification

75% and above                   First Class

70 - 74%                           Second Class First Division

60 - 69%                           Second Class Second Division

50 - 59%                           Pass

 

MATH 3.10 Students in a continuing year of study, other than year II, shall proceed according to the following classification; 

                        Weighted Year Mean            Classification

                   80% or above                      Proceed with Distinction

                   70-79%                              Proceed with Merit

                   50-69                                Proceed

MATH 3.11 After the final year the OWM shall be used to classify the B.Sc. degree as follows:

Classification                                                    OWM

I - First Class                                           75-100

II(i)-Second Class, First Division                  67-74

II(ii)-Second Class Second Division              60-66

III - Pass                                                50-59

F - Failure                                               0 -49

MATH 4.00    Supplementary Regulations:

MATH 4.01     A student shall normally not be allowed to supplement more than 16 CHS

MATH 4.02     A student who obtains a weighted year mean between 45% and 49% may be allowed to supplement courses in which an E grade has been obtained provided passes in some of them shall raise his/her overall weighted mean to 50% or more.

MATH 4.03     A student who obtains an overall weighted mean of less than 45% shall normally not be allowed to supplement any course.

MATH 4.04     A student who obtains a final course mark of 40% or above (grade “E”) may be allowed to supplement the course provided a pass in the course is required or a pass shall raise his/her weighted year mean to 50%.

MATH 4.05     A student who obtains a final course mark of an F grade which is 30% or better in not more than 4 CHS shall be allowed to supplement the credit hours provided such a student has a weighted year mean of at least 50%.

MATH 4.06     A student shall not be allowed to supplement with the sole purpose of raising his/her classification or weighted year mean.

MATH 4.07     A student shall normally not be allowed to supplement a course more than once in one academic year.

MATH 4.08 a) The final course mark of a student who supplemented a course shall be computed by combining the course work marks and supplementary examination marks in the ratio between 1:1 and 1:2.

b)  For the purpose of tabulating a student’s overall course marks, the higher of the two marks (formal examination marks and supplementary examination marks) shall be used.

MATH 4.09 Each supplemented course overall mark shall assume a maximum of 59%.

MATH 4.10     If a course has been passed by a supplementary assessment, the record and transcript shall indicate the marks of the supplementary assessment

MATH 5.00    Service Courses:

MATH 5.01     Year I:

Inter-Faculty and/or Inter-Department students shall take courses as follows:

a)  Students intending to take one of the disciplines in the department as a teaching subject must take Year I Mathematics [M1501 & M1502].

b)  Students in Economics and/or Business Administration, who may wish to take one of the disciplines in the department as their other double major or who are intending to pursue one of the inter-faculty professional degrees, are advised to take Year I Mathematics [M1501 & M1502] plus one of the relevant discipline.

c)  A student who has not passed High School Mathematics must register for Elementary Statistics course [ST 1381] and numeracy skills service course [M1330] in Year I. Both courses must be passed with at least a D grade.

d)  A student who has obtained a grade equivalent to the COSC D or 7 in mathematics may take any one of the following:

1.  ST 1381 and M1330 as in c) above, or

2.  ST 1381 and a service module for Economics and Business Administration. [M1431], or

3.  As in 2. above plus a service module for Economics and Business Administration. [M1432]. 

A grade of E in M1431 or M1432 may be treated as equivalent to a D in M1330.

e)  A student who has obtained a minimum grade equivalent to the COSC credit in Mathematics, must request an exemption from M1330 during registration.

Such a student is not allowed to take M1330, and may (if so wish) register in ST1381 only.

When the exemption is granted, a grade of D in Statistics alone is sufficient for programmes which require Statistics and M1330 only e.g. Humanities, Law and programmes without Business, Economics and Statistics.

The following are the options, depending on the student's programme:

1.  ST 1381  +  3 CHS equivalent

2.  M1431 ± ST 1381

3.  M1431+ M1432 ± ST 1381 

4.  M1501 + M1502 ± ST 1381

(M1502 may be replaced by M1432 in the second semester)

(A grade of E in M1501, M1502 or ST1311 may be treated as equivalent to a D in M1431, M1432 or ST1381 respectively).

MATH 5.02       Year II:

Students who wish to take Year II service courses [M2451 and/or M2452] must obtain the following minimum grades in year I courses:

For M2451 [D in M1431 or E in M1501]

For M2452 [D in M1432 or E in M1502]

(A grade E in M2402 or M2403 may be treated as equivalent to a D in M2451 or M2452 respectively)

MATH 6.00  Year I:

MATH 6.01     Entry Requirements:

In order to be admitted into year I:

a)  A student must have obtained a pass with credit in Mathematics in the COSC examinations or its recognized equivalent as well as a pass with credit in an approved science subject (Biology, Chemistry, Integrated Science, Physical Science or Physics).

b)  A Student with grade D or 7 or equivalent in English Language will be considered for admission.

c)  A Student with a grade D or 7 or equivalent, in the approved science subject, instead of a credit, will be considered for admission into the degree programmes which do not require students to register for Biology, Chemistry or Physics.

MATH 6.02     Students in the Department of Mathematics shall take year I courses as follows:

a)  Students in the degree programmes: B.Sc. Mathematics and B.Sc. Statistics, shall take the year I courses in Mathematics [M1501 & M1502], Computer Science [CS1401 & CS1402], Statistics [ST1311, ST1312 & ST1322], Business Administration [6 credits Hours] and Economics [6 credits Hours].

b)  FOST Common First Year (consult faculty regulations) for the degree programmes: B.Eng. Computer Systems & Networks, B.Sc. Computer Science and B.Sc.(double majors).

MATH 6.03 Students in other departments within the faculty who want to have a double major in Statistics shall take the year I courses in Mathematics [M1501 & M1502].  Year I Computer Science and Statistics courses [CS1401, CS1402, ST1311, ST1312 & ST1322] are highly recommended.

MATH 6.04 Students in other faculties who intend to major in Statistics shall take the year I courses in Mathematics [M1431 & M1432] and Statistics [ST1311, ST1312 & ST1322].

MATH 7.00 Single Major, Major Minor and Double Major: Years II, III and IV (B.Sc.)

MATH 7.01     A student in the faculty who has been allowed to proceed to Year II, may register for programmes in the department, provided such a student has passed Year I Mathematics [M1501 & M1502].

MATH 7.02 Students who want to pursue a single major, a major minor or a double major programme in the department must take all prescribed courses in each year of study.

MATH 7.03     To proceed to the following year a student must satisfy MATH 3.04, MATH 3.05 and MATH 3.07.

MATH 7.04     At the end of year IV the overall weighted mean (OWM) shall be calculated as the average of the weighted year means of years III and IV.

Special Rules & Regulations for Statistics Programmes

STAT 1:          Preamble

STAT 1.1:  The Statistics section of the department of Statistics and Demography working together with the Department of Mathematics - thereafter referred to as ‘the Department’, in the Faculty of Science and Technology - thereafter referred to as ‘the Faculty’ of the National University of Lesotho - thereafter referred to as ‘the University’,  in view of the Vision and Long Term Strategy of the University, recognises that the current curriculum and syllabi in the department do not meet optimally the training needs in Statistics in the country and as such need to be at least reorganised. The department ultimately inter alia aims to:

a)  make the training programmes more stake-holders needs oriented;

b)  make the training programmes centred on market needs rather than general training in Statistics, with one of the objectives being to make our graduates in Statistics more competitive in the labour market;

c)  inject more flexibility and choice for students in selecting courses;

d)  make the training programmes and courses more attractive to students in Statistics.

STAT 1.2:  As such the department has re-organised the curriculum and syllabi of its degree training programmes. Specifically, the training programmes have been restructured to introduce concentration streams in line with the aims above and in consideration of both the expected labour market trends and competing training programmes in Statistics expertise in Lesotho, Southern Africa and Africa at large. The general structure of the training programmes is as indicated in the attached REF:1, with the list of courses offered in the department as in the attached REF:2.

STAT 1.3:  The statistics courses in the specific structures of the different training programmes are as indicated in the attached REF:3, REF:4, and REF:5. The content of most of the department Core Courses has at the moment not changed.

STAT 2:          Programme Regulations

STAT 2.1:  The department offers training programmes leading to an award of the degree of Bachelor of Science in Statistics.

STAT 2.2:  The training programmes in the department will be composed of the following three groups of courses, that is to say:

STAT 2.2.1:     Statistics Core Courses for a given training programme, which will be courses a student in the given training programme is required to take in the semester and academic year as prescribed by the department for that training programme for the student to be considered to have fulfilled the requirement of the training programme.

STAT 2.2.2:     Concentration Stream Courses for a given concentration stream, which will be courses a student in the given concentration stream is required to take in the semester and academic year as prescribed by the department for that concentration stream for the student to be considered to have fulfilled the requirement of the concentration stream.

STAT 2.2.3:     Optional Courses, which will be courses other than the Statistics Core Courses or the Concentration Stream Courses, chosen and taken by a student to either fulfil the requirement of either the Department or the Faculty or the University. Any course taken by a student as an Optional Course will be normally with the approval of the Head of the department.

STAT 2.2.4:     There will be currently three concentration streams, that is to say:

a)  Operations Research, whose general objective is to have a graduate of the department with ability to formulate models for optimisation problems in various social- economic activities and establish their optimal solutions.

b)  Production Statistics, whose general objective is to have a graduate of the department with ability to compile data, analyse data, present results, and advise on policy and issues for optimal decisions in the production sector.

c)  Social Statistics, whose general objective is to have a graduate of the department with ability to compile data, analyse data, present results, and advise on policy and issues for optimal decisions in the service sector.

d)  Apart from the three concentration streams in the department, a student will be allowed with the approval of the Head of the department to choose to take a prescribed number of courses from every concentration stream, whereby the student will be considered to have taken the general statistics stream.

STAT 2.2.5:     The courses will have code numbers based on the following coding structure: STXXXX -- where X is a digit.

               a) The first digit indicates year of study (1, 2, 3, 4)

                b) The second digit indicates credit hours

                c) The third digit is used as follows:

                    i) 1 & 2 -- a programme core course

                    ii) 4 -- Operations Stream course

                    iii) 5 -- Production Statistics Stream course

                    iv) 6 -- Social Statistics Stream course

                    v) 7 -- optional course

                    vi) 8 -- service course

                    vii) 9 -- Research Project

                 d) The fourth digit is used as follows:

                    i) 0 -- course is offered both semesters

                    ii) odd -- course is offered first semester

                    iii) even -- course is offered second semester

STAT 2.2.6:     The statistics courses in each concentration stream for each of the training programmes are as indicated in REF:3 to REF:5.

STAT 2.2.7:     The department reserves the right to change the curriculum structure, in as far as the concentration streams and courses in the respective streams are concerned including when they are offered in a year and semester.

STAT 2.3:  The training programmes in the department are as follows:

STAT 2.3.1:     Single Major in Statistics Training Programme, whose Statistics courses are as indicated in REF:3. Every student in the Single Major in Statistics Training Programme will be required to take the following Statistics Core Courses, apart from the Statistics courses indicated in REF:3:

a)  M1501: Algebra, Trigonometry and Analytical Geometry (5 Credits)

b)  M1502: Calculus I (5 Credits)

c)  M2402: Linear Algebra (4 Credits)

d)  M2403: Calculus II A (4 Credits)

e)  M2404: Calculus II B (4 Credits)

f)   At least 10 credit hours of relevant courses from Computer Science.

REF: 3.

YEAR            List of Courses

1                 ST1311, ST1312, ST1322

2                 ST2412, ST2421, ST2422

3                 ST3321, ST3422, ST3323, ST3424, ST3326

4                 ST4411, ST4412, ST4422, ST4324, ST4690

STAT 2.3.2:     Double Major in Statistics Training Programmes. The other major can be any subject chosen by the student with the approval of the Head of the department, but specifically the following: Computer Science, Demography and Mathematics. The Statistics courses for the Training Programmes are as indicated in REF:4. Every student in any of the Training Programme under this sub-regulation will be required to take the following Statistics Core Courses, apart from the Statistics courses indicated in REF:4:

a)  M1501: Algebra, Trigonometry and Analytical Geometry (5 Credits)

b)  M1502: Calculus I (5 Credits)

c)  M2402: Linear Algebra (4 Credits)

d)  M2403: Calculus II A (4 Credits)

e)  M2404: Calculus II B (4 Credits)

f)   At least 7 credit hours of relevant courses from Computer Science.

REF: 4.

YEAR            List of Courses

1                 ST1311, ST1312, ST1322

2                 ST2412, ST2421, ST2422

3                 ST3321, ST3422, ST3424, ST3326

4                 ST4411, ST4412, ST4422, ST4324

STAT 2.3.3:     Major in Statistics with a Minor Training Programmes. The minor can be any subject chosen by the student with the approval of the Head of the department, but specifically the following: Business Administration; Computer Science; Demography; Economics; Mathematics; Political and Administrative Studies; and Sociology. The Statistics courses for the Training Programmes are as indicated in REF:5. Every student in any of the Training Programme under this sub-regulation will be required to take the following Statistics Core Courses, apart from the Statistics courses indicated in REF:5:

a)  M1501: Algebra, Trigonometry and Analytical Geometry (5 Credits)

b)  M1502: Calculus I (5 Credits)

c)  M2402: Linear Algebra (4 Credits)

d)  M2403: Calculus II A (4 Credits)

e)  M2404: Calculus II B (4 Credits)

f)   At least 10 credit hours of relevant courses from Computer Science Program.

REF: 5.

YEAR            List of Courses

1                 ST1311, ST1312, ST1322

2                 ST2412, ST2421, ST2422

3                 ST3321, ST3422, ST3424, ST3326

4                 ST4411, ST4412, ST4422, ST4324

STAT 2.4:  A student in other Departments in the Faculty enrolled in a Double Major Training Programme, who chooses to take Statistics as the other major, will take statistics courses as indicated in REF:4. In addition, such a student will be required to take the following Statistics Core Courses:

a)  M1501: Algebra, Trigonometry and Analytical Geometry (5 Credits)

b)  M1502: Calculus I (5 Credits)

c)  M2402: Linear Algebra (4 Credits)

d)  M2403: Calculus II A (4 Credits)

e)  M2404: Calculus II B (4 Credits)

STAT 2.5:  A student in other faculties enrolled in a Double Major Training Programme, who chooses to take Statistics as the other major, will take statistics courses as indicated in REF:4. In addition, such a student will be required to take the following Statistics Core Courses:

a)  M1431: Algebra I for Non-mathematics Majors (4 Credits)

b)  M1432: Calculus I for Non-mathematics Majors (4 Credits)

c)  M2451: Algebra II for Non-mathematics Majors (4 Credits)

d)      M2452: Calculus II for Non-mathematics Majors (4 Credits)

STAT 2.6:  Every student enrolled in the ‘Major in Statistics with a Minor’ Training Programme will be required to take at least 24 credits of courses in the respective minor for the student to be considered to have fulfilled the requirement of the training programme with that minor.

STAT 2.7:  A student enrolled in any of the training programmes cited in Program Regulation 2.3 above can elect into any of the concentration streams ‘Operations Research’, ‘Production Statistics’ , ‘Social Statistics’, and ‘General Statistics’ cited in Programme regulations 2.2.4 and 2.2.5, provided the following are met:

STAT 2.7.1:     A student enrolled in any of the ‘Double Major in Statistics’ Training Programmes will be allowed to take only the ‘general statistics’,  in which case the student will be required to take at least 12 credits overall constituted from at least one course from each of the three concentration streams ‘Operations Research’, ‘Production Statistics’ and ‘Social Statistics’.

STAT 2.7.2:     A student enrolled in the ‘Single Major in Statistics’ Training Programme who elects to follow any of the concentration streams ‘Operations Research’, ‘Production Statistics’, ‘Social Statistics’, will be required to take at least 20 credits overall constituted from courses in the respective concentration stream for the student to be considered to have fulfilled the requirement of the training programme in that concentration stream, and in case the student elects to follow the ‘general statistics stream’ the at least 20 credits overall will be constituted from at least two courses from each of the three concentration streams.

STAT 2.7.3:     A student enrolled in the ‘Major in Statistics with a Minor’ Training Programme who elects to follow any of the concentration streams ‘Operations Research’, ‘Production Statistics’, ‘Social Statistics’, will be required to take at least 15 credits overall constituted from courses in the respective concentration stream for the student to be considered to have fulfilled the requirement of the training programme in that concentration stream, and in case the student elects to follow the ‘general statistics stream’ the at least 15 credits overall will be constituted from at least one course from each of the three concentration streams.

STAT 2.8:  Every student enrolled in the ‘Single Major in Statistics’ and ‘Major in Statistics with a Minor’ Training Programmes will be required in the final year to take the course ST4690 (Research Project in Statistics) which will involve the following:

STAT 2.8.1:     Identification and choice of a relevant research topic. The identification of the topic can be either by the student or by the department through the Instructors in the department. In case of a topic identified by the department, it will be  left to the student’s choice to take the topic.

STAT 2.8.2:     There will be a Project Coordinator recommended by the department Head at the beginning of the academic year among the Instructors in the department for the purpose, whose function inter alia would be to oversee and coordinate the running of the course.

STAT 2.8.3:     Every student will be assigned a Supervisor by the department Head from among the Instructors in the department, whose function will be to guide the student through the  research project.

STAT 2.8.4:     Every student will be required to prepare and write a research proposal on the chosen topic, in accordance to the guidelines prescribed by the Statistics Program. The Research Proposal will constitute the Continuos Assessment for the course, and will be assessed in accordance to the rules prescribed by the department. A student scoring below 20 out of 33 points on his/her Research Proposal will not be allowed to continue with further stages of the Research Project, but he/she may be allowed to rewrite and resubmit the Proposal.

STAT 2.8.5:     Carrying out the proposed research by the student under guidance of his/her Supervisor, at the end of which the student will be required to submit a written Research Project Report, in accordance to the guidelines prescribed by the department. The Research Project Report will constitute the Final Examination for the course, and will be assessed in accordance to the rules prescribed by the department.

STAT 2.9:  A student enrolled in a Double Major Training Programme of the department can opt to take the course ST4690, whereby Program Regulation 2.8 above will apply.

STAT 2.10:      All third year and  fourth year statistics courses require a student to take mathematics courses in algebra and calculus. It is therefore desirable requirement in the department that the students have obtained at least a credit in mathematics or equivalent at COSC level before being admitted into the training programmes mentioned above.

STAT 2.11:      Any graduate from the Diploma in Statistics Training Programme of the department, who either had an overall performance of a credit or higher, or  had an overall performance of a pass and has acquired two years relevant working experience after graduation, when admitted into any of the degree training programmes of the department, will be exempted from all courses in the first year, and can be registered in  second year of the training programme.

STAT 2.12:      The regulations of the Faculty and the Department governing supplementary, repeat of failed courses, discontinuation and/or exclusion from the Faculty/the Department and/or the University will be applicable to all training programmes in the department. This also applies to continuous assessment/final examination weighting, timing of examinations in the University, as well as degree award classification.

B.Sc. Honours In Mathematics

MATH 8.00   Preamble:

MATH 8.01 A B.Sc Honours degree in Mathematics may be conferred upon a person who has:

a)  satisfied the requirements for admission into the programme of studies for this degree as specified by the Board of Post-Graduate Studies (PGS), and approved by Senate and

b) attended thereafter the approved courses of study for a full year and

c)  passed the examinations and satisfied all other requirements prescribed for the said degree 

MATH 9.00   Admission Requirements:

MATH 9.01The minimum requirement for admission into the B.Sc.Honours programme in Mathematics shall normally be a B.Sc. General Degree Second Class Second Division with a minimum average of C in Mathematics as a major subject. Students with equivalent qualifications from other Universities and/or academic institutions may be admitted into the B.Sc. Honours degree programme subject to the approval of the Board of Post-Graduate Studies. 

MATH 10.00 Registration Procedures:

MATH 10.01 Registration: A student shall file in the office of the Dean of Post-Graduate Studies a completed academic registration form setting out the programme of studies for the academic year. This form must be approved by the Head of the department of Mathematics prior to admission into the programme. The registration procedure shall be completed within such dates as are announced in the calendar.

MATH 10.02 Registration Changes: Any registration changes shall be subject to approval by the Head of Mathematics and the Dean of PGS.

MATH 10.03 Cancellation Of Registration: Any withdrawals from the B.Sc Honours programme after six weeks of registration shall be subject to prior consultation with the Head of Mathematics and the Dean of PGS. 

MATH 11.00 Academic Performance:

MATH 11.01  Department of Mathematics shall require written examinations from time to time for the evaluation the students progress. The assessment of the courses will be based on course work ( which will include tests & assignments ) and written final examinations. 

Letter grades shall be used in the transcripts to designate performance in individual courses. Such grades shall be based on the numerical grades submitted by the examiners.  

The students academic performance shall be reported in the same manner as for the B.Sc General Degree.

MATH 11.02  A student who receives a numerical grade of less than 50% in any course shall be deemed to have the course and the programme.

MATH 11.03  Final Examinations Dates: The final examination for the B.Sc Honours in Mathematics shall be held at the end of the first and/or second semester.

MATH 11.04  Supplementary Examinations: A candidate who fails the final examination may be allowed to take a supplementary examination in the failed courses provided (s)he has scored at least 40% in the failed courses and the total number of the faile credit hours do not exceed one third of the total number of credit hours taken for the programme.

MATH 11.05  Except with the permission of the Board of PGS, a candidate shall not resit examinations more than once or later than two years after the first failure. Such a candidate shall not be awarded a B.Sc Honours higher than Class III. 

MATH 12.00 Grading of the Final Examination and Degree Classification:

MATH 12.01  The grading of the final examination at the end of the year shall be based on all courses of the B.Sc Honours programme. The student=s overall standing in the programme shall be based on the Weighted Average of his/her grades in all the courses taken.

MATH 12.02  The classification of the B.Sc Honours in Mathematics shall be as follows: 

Classification                                                 Weighted Average

I - First Class Honours                                       75-100

II(i) - Second Class Honours, First Division             67-74

II(ii) - Second Class Honours, Second Division         60-66

III - Third Class Honours                                     50-59

F - Failure                                                        0-49

MATH 13.00      Departmental Review:

MATH 13.01  The Department of Mathematics shall review the performance of each student at the end of the first semester to ensure satisfactory progress in the Honours Programme.

MATH 14.00 The Course Structure

MATH 14.01  The programme of study for the B.Sc. Honours Degree in Mathematics shall consist of  several modules of specialisation in Pure and Applied  Mathematics  from which student will select courses equivalent to at least  thirty six credit hours.

MATH 14.02.The  modules of specialisation in mathematics may include the following:

1.  Pure Mathematics:

PM5601 - Abstract Algebra.

PM5602 - Measure Theory and Integration.

PM5603 - General Topology.

PM5604 - Functional Analysis.

PM5605 - Complex  Analysis.

PM5606 - Differential Geometry.

PM5607 - Set Theory & Logic.

PM5608 - Differential Topology

PM5609 - Representation Theory of finite groups

2.  Applied Mathematics: 

AM5601-Numerical Solution of Differential Equations.

AM5602- Partial Differential Equations.

AM5603-Mathematical Modelling. 

AM5604- Introduction to Continuum Mechanics.

AM5605-Advanced Mathematical Methods. 

AM5606-Fluid Mechanics.

AM5607: Calculus of Variations and Optimisation. 

3.  Pure Mathematics & Applied Mathematics:

A combination of Pure Mathematics & Applied Mathematics courses from module 1 & 2  mentioned above.

4.  Modules of specialisation from Statistics and Computer Science are also possible.

In general, any module will be offered subject to availability of staff. The choices of the courses within the module will be guided by the department.

COMPUTER SCIENCES REGULATIONS

These are specific regulations for the Department of Computer Sciences (CS). The regulations shall apply in conjunction with Faculty of Science and Technology (FOST) regulations.

COMP1.00:  Preamble

a)  The department offers degree programmes leading into B.Sc. Double Major, B.Sc. Single Major and/or professional degrees.

b)  The department also runs postgraduate degree and non-degree programmes either as conversion degrees or as specialisation in its discipline or in any inter-disciplinary areas, subject to staffing situations.

c)  In order to realise the above objectives, the department will employ innovative teaching strategies including both the part-time and full-time methods of tuition.

COMP1.01:  Single Major/Professional Degrees

                (i)      B.Sc. Computer Science

                (ii)      B.Eng. Computer Systems and Networks

               (iii)      B.Sc. Information Systems

COMP1.02:  Double Major Degrees

Students may major in Computer Science and:

a)      Mathematics

b)      Physics

c)      Statistics

d)      Chemistry

COMP1.03:  Postgraduate Diploma/Conversion Programmes

Realising the acute shortage of skills in the ICT area, the department offers several conversion degrees, diplomas and certificates and short-term courses using full time and/or part time methods of tuition. The programmes are:

a)      Postgraduate Diploma in Information Systems

b)      Cisco Certified Networking Associate – CCNA

COMP2.00:  Course Numbering

The numbering will consist of two letters CS, to signify that a course is a Computer Science course. The letters will be followed by four digits where the first digit will be the year of study, the second digit will be the credit hours, the third digit indicates the stream and the last digit is the running index. The grouping follows the following nomenclature

0.  General

1.  Theory

2.  Architecture and Operating Systems

3.  Information Systems and Software Engineering

4.  Communications and Networks

COMP3.00:  General Regulations

COMP3.01  (a)      Computer Science (CS) may be taken as a major subject in a double major programme or as a single major subject.

               (b)      There are inter-department, inter-faculty programmes in the Faculty of Science and technology, and Faculty of Social Sciences.

COMP3.02      :  Unless otherwise stated in the specific programme of study or in a class course outline, each course is assessed on the basis of a ratio of course work to final examination of 40:60. Normally, the course work is assessed on the basis of a ratio of 3:7 on assignments and tests respectively.

COMP3.03      :  Unless otherwise stated in the specific programme of study, where a prerequisite course has been indicated, a grade of D or better in the prerequisite course is a condition for registration in the main course.

COMP3.04      :  Unless otherwise stated in the specific programme of study:

(a)    A pass or proceed in a year requires one to score a minimum of a D grade in at least 28 credit hours (CHS) taken in the particular year of study, and obtain at least an E grade in the remaining credit hours. 

(b)   In addition for a double major programme, a student must obtain a minimum of a D in at least 12 CHS from the prescribed courses in each major. The student must also satisfy the requirements of the second major as specified by the department offering that major.

COMP3.05      :  In each year of study, all courses marked core and prerequisite must be passed with a minimum of D grade.

COMP3.06      :  In general, all Computer Science majors must follow the B.Sc. programme in the subject, except where a choice of courses is stated.

COMP3.07      :  In any year of study a student must obtain a minimum weighted average of a D in order to stay in the programme.

COMP3.08      :  Since there are inter-faculty service courses, some courses have overlapping syllabi. Credit is only allowed for one of each of the overlapping pair of courses. For example:

CS2301 and CS1301

CS2410 and M2401

CS2420 and P238

COMP4.00:  Supplementary Regulations

COMP4.01      :  A student shall normally not be allowed to supplement more than 16 CHS

COMP4.02      :  A student who obtains a weighted year mean between 45% and 49% may be allowed to supplement courses in which an E grade has been obtained provided passes in some of them shall raise his/her overall weighted mean to 50% or more.

COMP4.03      :  A student who obtains an overall weighted mean of less than 45% shall normally not be allowed to supplement any course.

COMP4.04      :  A student who obtains a final course mark of 40% or above (grade “E”) may be allowed to supplement the course provided a pass in the course is required or a pass shall raise his/her weighted year mean to 50%.

COMP4.05      :  A student who obtains a final course mark of an F grade, which is 30% or better, in not more than 4 CHS (except in first year where up to 5 CHS are allowed) shall be allowed to supplement that course provided such a student has a weighted year mean of at least 50%.

COMP4.06      :  A student shall not be allowed to supplement with the sole purpose of raising his/her classification or weighted year mean.

COMP4.07      :  A student shall normally not be allowed to supplement a course more than once in one academic year.

COMP4.08:  a) The final course mark of a student who supplemented a course shall be computed by combining the course work marks and supplementary examination marks in the ratio between 1:1 and 1:2.

b)  For the purpose of tabulating a student’s overall course marks, the higher of the two marks (formal examination marks and supplementary examination marks) shall be used.

COMP4.09:  Each supplemented course overall mark shall assume a maximum of 59%.

COMP4.10      :  If a course has been passed by a supplementary assessment, the record and transcript shall indicate the marks of the supplementary assessment.

COMP4.11      :  Subject to faculty regulations, a student in BSc Computer Science or in BSc Information Systems maybe allowed to supplement first year courses.

 

COMP5.00:  Service Courses

Inter-Faculty and/or Inter-Department students shall take courses as follows:

(a)    Students in Economics and/or Business Administration, who may wish to take Computer Science as their other double major or who are intending to pursue one of the inter-faculty professional degrees, are advised to take Year I Mathematics [M1501 & M1502] plus one of the relevant Computer Science course.

(b)   Students who are not taking Computer Science as one of their majors should take and pass the computer literacy course [CS1301 or its equivalent]. A grade E in CS1401 or CS1402 is equivalent to a D in CS1301.

(c)    Students who can provide evidence of having done a computer course that qualifies them as computer literate may be granted an exemption from CS1301 or its equivalent. 

(d)   The department may administer a computer literacy competency test at the beginning of each academic year to students who have computer background but without documentation of a recognized equivalence. This test can be used for the purpose of exemption.

COMP6.00:  Year I

COMP6.01      :  General Entry Requirements

In order to be admitted into year I:

a)  A student must have obtained a pass with credit in Mathematics in the COSC examinations or its recognized equivalent as well as a pass with credit in an approved Science subject (Biology, Chemistry, Integrated Science, Physical Science or Physics).

b)  A Student with grade D or 7 or equivalent in English Language will be considered for admission. However, some inter-faculty programmes may require that the prospective student have a credit instead of a pass in English Language.

c)  A Student with a grade D or 7 or equivalent, in the approved Science subject, instead of a credit, will be considered for admission into the degree programmes which do not require students to register for Biology, Chemistry or Physics.

COMP6.02:

a) Students in the Department of Computer Sciences shall take Year I as prescribed by the department, or follow the FOST Common First Year.

b) In general, B.Sc. Information Systems and B.Sc. Computer Science students are advised to take the department’s Year I courses; whereas B.Eng. Computer Systems & Networks, B.Sc. Computer Science and B.Sc. (double majors) students are advised to take FOST Common First Year courses.

COMP6.03:

a)      Students in other departments within the faculty who want to have a double major in Computer Science shall take the year I courses in Mathematics [M1501 & M1502].  Year I Computer Science [CS1401 & CS1402] are highly recommended.

b)      Students who could not take Year I Computer Science courses in their first year of study should take CS1401 in their second year of study.

COMP6.04:  Students in other faculties who want to have a double major in Computer Science shall take the year I courses in Mathematics [M1501 & M1502] and year I courses in Computer Science [CS1401 & CS1402].

COMP7.00:  Single Major and Double Major: Years II, III and IV (B.Sc.)

COMP7.01:  A student in the faculty who has been allowed to proceed to Year II, may register for programmes in the department, provided such a student has passed Year I Mathematics [M1501 & M1502].

COMP7.02:  Students who want to pursue a single major or a double major programme in the department must take all prescribed courses in each year of study.

COMP7.03      :  To proceed to the following year a student must satisfy COMP3.04, COMP3.05 and COMP3.07.

COMP7.04:  At the end of year IV the overall weighted mean (OWM) shall be calculated as the average of the weighted year means of years III and IV.

COMP8.00:  B.Eng. Degree in Computer Systems and Networks

COMP8.01      :  Entry Requirements

a)  The normal entry into B.Eng. in Computer Systems and Networks will be a successful completion of Year II in the subject combination: Mathematics, Physics and Computer Science programme or its equivalent. However, admission will be at the discretion of the department based on merit and the courses taken by the individual student.

b)  Holders of diploma in Electrical and/or Electronic Engineering or equivalent shall be considered for admission into the Bachelor of Engineering programme. However, Diploma holders in other engineering disciplines may be considered for admission based on their background in Physics, Mathematics and/or Computer Science determined by the respective programmes.

c)  Diploma holders will normally be considered for admission into the second year of study.

COMP8.02      :  Degree Structure

a)  In order to be promoted to the following year, a B.Eng. student must satisfy COMP3.04.

b)  The classification for the students completing BEng year II will be the same as for BSc Year II.

c)  In year III and IV, the weighted year mean will be computed over 36 credit hours.

d)  In year V, the weighted year mean will be computed over 18 credit hours.

e)  In year V, the students will attend an industrial attachment, which shall be assessed as either pass or fail, and it must be passed. 

               f)  At the end of year V the OWM is calculated as the weighted average of the weighted year means of years III, IV and V.

COMP9.00:  B.Sc. Degree in Information Systems

COMP9.01      :  Entry Requirements

a)      Students must satisfy COMP6.01. However, admission will be at the discretion of the department based on the merit of the individual student.

b)      In addition, students must have a credit in English Language in order to take courses in Business Administration.

COMP9.02:  Degree Structure

a)      A student who has been allowed to proceed to Year II, and who had registered according to COMP5.00(a) may be admitted into the B.Sc. Information Systems, provided such a student has passed Year I Mathematics [M1501 & M1502], Statistics [ST1311& ST1312], Economics [EC161 & EC162] and Business Administration [ACC161 & MGM162] and satisfied COMP3.07.

b)      Second year students must register for all prescribed year II courses.

c)      To proceed to the following year a student must satisfy COMP3.04, COMP3.05 and COMP3.07.

d)      At the end of year IV the overall weighted mean (OWM) shall be calculated as the average of the weighted year means of years II, III and IV.

COMP10.00:  Part-Time Postgraduate Diplomas in Information Systems (PGDIS)

COMP10.01:  General

a)      The Part-Time Postgraduate Diploma in Information Systems (PGDIS) consists of 8 taught courses and a project which must be completed within the period of 3 academic years.

b)      The PGDIS programme shall not normally be offered if there are fewer than ten (10) candidates in the programme.

c)      The numbering will consist of three letters and four digits. The letters will be DCS. The D signifies that a course is for a diploma programme. The CS is the generic naming for all the computing courses in the Computer Sciences. The first digit will be 9, the second digit will be credit hours and the last two digits will be the course index number.

COMP10.02:  Entrance Qualifications and Registration Procedures

                  (i)      Entrance qualifications for a PGDIS programme shall be a Bachelor’s Degree of NUL or of any other university recognized by NUL Senate.

                  (ii)      Interested candidates must apply in writing to The Head, Department of Computer Sciences, National University of Lesotho.

                  (iii)      There shall be a non-refundable application fee, which will be paid to the university bursary.

                  (iv)      Exemptions, up to the maximum of 4 courses, may be granted on equivalent courses already done by the prospective student.

 

COMP10.03:  Degree Structure

The PGDIS shall be made up of the following list of courses:

DCS9401        Computer Organization

DCS9402        Programming Basics

DCS9404        Principles of Database Design and Data Management

DCS9405        Management Information Systems

DCS9406        System Analysis and Design

DCS9407        Human Computer Interaction

DCS9409        Entrepreneurship and E-Business Development

DCS9410        Networks and Telecommunications Management

DCS9400        Information Systems Project

COMP10.04:  Examinations

                  (i)      At the end of each course there shall be a formal externalised examination.

                  (ii)      A project does not have a formal examination. A project report and oral presentation will take place of a formal examination.

COMP10.05:  Assessment

                  (i)      The final course marks in each formally examined course shall be obtained by combining Course Work Marks and Formal Examination Marks in the ratio 40: 60

                  (ii)      To complete a course, one has to obtain a minimum of 50% in the course.

                  (iii)      For purposes of calculating the OWM per year, a cumulative weighted average of courses taken and/or completed shall be used.

                  (iv)      A student who does not satisfy COMP10.05 (b) shall be deemed to have failed the course (after supplementary examinations, if taken) and in such a case the result shall be: Repeat the failed course.

                  (v)      A student who does not satisfy COMP10.01 (a) shall be deemed to have failed the programme (after supplementary examinations, if taken) and in such a case the result shall be: Fail and Discontinue from the programme.

COMP10.06:  Supplementary Regulations

a)      Supplementary Examinations shall be given four to six weeks before  the beginning of a new academic year.

b)      A student shall not be allowed to supplement with the sole purpose of raising his/her diploma classification.

c)      Each supplement course shall assume a maximum of 59%.

d)      A student shall normally not be allowed to supplement more than four courses in one academic year.

e)      The final course mark of a student who supplemented a course shall be computed by combining the course work marks and supplementary examination marks in the ratio 40:60. For the purpose of tabulating a student’s overall course marks, the higher of the two marks (formal examination marks and supplementary examination marks) shall be used.

f)        If a course has been passed by a supplementary assessment, the record and transcript shall indicate the marks of the supplementary assessment.

COMP10.07:  Classification

A Student’s overall Postgraduate Diploma in Information Systems classification shall be based on a cumulative OWM as follows:

      Classification                                    Weighted Average

Distinction                                   75% and above

Merit                                          70% to 74%

Credit                                         60% to 69%

Pass                                           50% to 59%

 


News

NUL Launches the International IDEA Project
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The National University of Lesotho through the Department of Political and Administrative studies launched a project on “Democratic Accountability in Service Delivery of Policing in Lesotho”.

Publication’s Day kicks off to a good start
9/11/11 -

The National University of Lesotho on Thursday 1st September 2011 invited government officials, stakeholders and staff to its first Publication’s Day.

NUL to build a new teaching facility valued at M10 million
9/11/11 -

The National University of Lesotho has received a grant to the value of M10 million from the government of Lesotho, through the Ministry of Education of Training.

 
 
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