Faculty of Arts Radboud University

Education and Examination Regulations 2015 – 2016

Master’s degree programme

Linguistics (research)
Specialisation
- Language and Communication
Table of contents

Part 1: General ...................................................................................................................................... 4

Section 1 – General provisions ............................................................................................................ 4
Article 1 – Applicability of regulations ........................................................................................... 4
Article 2 – Definitions ..................................................................................................................... 4
Article 3 – Master’s degree programmes ........................................................................................ 5
Article 4 – Programme objectives ................................................................................................... 5
Article 5 – Programme type ............................................................................................................ 5

Section 2 – Preliminary and final examinations .................................................................................. 6

Article 6 – Final examination .......................................................................................................... 6
Article 7 – Types of examination .................................................................................................... 6
Article 8 – Examination period and frequency ................................................................................ 6
Article 9 – Validity period............................................................................................................... 6
Article 10 – Assessment and notification of examination results.................................................... 6
Article 11 – Right of inspection and review .................................................................................... 7
Article 12 – Exemptions from course examinations ....................................................................... 8
Article 13 – Fraud and cheating/plagiarism .................................................................................... 8
Article 14 – Retention period .......................................................................................................... 8
Article 15 – Final examination ........................................................................................................ 8
Article 16 – Distinctions.................................................................................................................. 9
Article 17 – Degree ......................................................................................................................... 9
Article 18 – Examination board guidelines and rules...................................................................... 9

Section 3 – Conduct of the studies, supervision and academic counseling ......................................... 9

Article 19 – Conduct of the studies and supervision (guidance and support) ................................. 9

Section 4 – Transitional and final provisions .................................................................................... 10

Article 20 – Honours Programme and Honours Academy ............................................................ 10
Article 21 – Publication ................................................................................................................. 10
Article 22 – Entry into force .......................................................................................................... 10
Part 2: Programme Specific Regulations .......................................................................................... 11
Section 5 – General provisions .......................................................................................................... 11
Article 23 – Applicability of general provisions ........................................................................... 11
Article 24 – Programme objectives ............................................................................................... 11
Article 25 – Language of instruction ............................................................................................. 11

Section 6 – Composition of the programmes .................................................................................... 11

Article 26 – Composition .............................................................................................................. 11
Article 27 – Practical exercises ..................................................................................................... 12

Section 7 – Programme examinations ............................................................................................... 12

Article 28 – Sequence of examinations ......................................................................................... 12
Article 29 – Weighing of components........................................................................................... 12

Section 8 – Programme admission requirements .............................................................................. 12

Article 30 – Admission to the master’s programme ...................................................................... 12
 Education and Examination Regulations 2015 - 2016

Part 1: General

Section 1 – General provisions

Article 1 – Applicability of regulations

1. These education and examination regulations apply to the initial faculty programmes and outline
the applicable procedures, rights and obligations concerning teaching, interim examinations and
course examinations. Part 1 of these Regulations includes provisions applicable to all Master’s
programmes; Part 2 includes additional specific provisions for each listed Master’s programme.
2. These Regulations are adopted or amended by the Dean on the advice of the programme
committees and with consent of the Joint Student-Staff Council.

Article 2 – Definitions
1. The terms used in these regulations which are also used in either the structure regulations or the
Higher Education and Research Act (Wet op het hoger onderwijs en wetenschappelijk onderzoek;
hereinafter to be referred to as ‘the Act’) will have the same meaning as these terms have in the
structure regulations and the Act respectively.
2. In these Regulations, the following definitions apply:
a. Act: the Higher Education and Research Act ("WHW");
b. Programme: the Master's degree programme, as referred to in the Act;
c. Student: anyone enrolled at Radboud University Nijmegen for participation in a degree
programme and/or in the course and final examinations of a programme;
d. (Master’s) specialisation: a track within a Master's programme;
e. Component: course unit, as defined in the Act;
f. Practical: a practical exercise as referred to in Art. 7.13(2)(d) of the Act, in one of the
following forms:
- Writing a thesis;
- Conducting a literature review;
- Participating in fieldwork or an excursion;
- Completing a project or assignment;
- Completing an internship;
- Participating in another educational activity to acquire certain skills;
- Completing the tasks prescribed by the professor in preparation for a seminar;
g. Examination Board: the Examination Board of the Faculty of Arts. See also the structure
regulations;
h. Examiner: the person designated by the Examination Board to administer the course
examination;
i. Course examination: an examination testing the knowledge, understanding and skills of the
student in relation to a certain unit of study as well as an assessment of the results of that
examination by at least one examiner designated by the Examination Board;
j. Interim examination: an examination administered prior to the end of an academic term.
Unless otherwise stated in these Regulations, the terms course examination and interim
examination are interchangeable. The validity period of an interim examination is determined
by the individual faculty;
k. Final examination: a review of the student's academic achievements, in which the
Examination Board determines whether or not all examinations that are part of the Master's
programme have been successfully completed. The Examination Board may determine that

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 Education and Examination Regulations 2015 - 2016

this review may need to include testing the candidate's knowledge, understanding and skills by
the Examination Board itself and assessing the results of that test;
l. Admissions committee: committee which determines whether a student has met the
requirements for admission to the Master’s programme;
m. Credit (abbreviated EC): credit in accordance with the European Credit Transfer System, 1 EC
is equal to 28 hours of study;
n. Working days: Monday to Friday, except statutory holidays and other days marked by the RU
as collective holidays;
o. Study Guide: programme guide containing programme specific information;
p. Institution: Radboud University;
q. Fraud: actions or omissions by a student which make it impossible, in whole or in part, to
render a valid assessment of his1 or another student's acquired knowledge, understanding and
skills;
r. Plagiarism: presenting the ideas or words that have been produced by someone else, either
directly (copying) or indirectly (paraphrasing), and submitting them for assessment as one's
own without acknowledgement of sources. This includes improper acknowledgement of
sources in making the assignments, essays and other written tests by wholly or partially
copying or paraphrasing texts of other authors without adequate acknowledgment or clear
indication of a beginning and end to the quotations.

Article 3 – Master’s degree programmes

1. The Faculty offers the following 60-EC graduate Master's programmes:
a. Communication & Information Studies
b. History
c. Art & Culture
d. Literary Studies
e. North American Studies
f. Classics & Ancient Civilizations
g. Linguistics
2. The Faculty offers the following 120-EC graduate Master's programmes:
a. European Studies
b. Linguistics (Research), Language and Communication
c. History (Research), Historical Studies: Ideology, Mentality and Social Practice
d. Arts and Culture Studies (Research), Art and Visual Culture in a historical perspective
e. Literary Studies (Research), Literature and Literary Studies: Modern Philology

Article 4 – Programme objectives

Programme objectives are as follows:
a. Acquisition of knowledge, skills and insights in the relevant field of study
b. Development of academic competences
c. Preparation for future career success

Article 5 – Programme type

All Master’s programmes are full-time.

1
The terms "his" and "him" in these Regulations shall refer to both male and female individuals.

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 Education and Examination Regulations 2015 - 2016

Section 2 – Preliminary and final examinations

Article 6 – Final examination

The Master's programme concludes with a final examination.

Article 7 – Types of examination

1. The course examinations of the components mentioned in Article 26 are written examinations.
2. The Examination Board may require an examination be administered in a form other than that
aforementioned.
3. Oral examinations are, in principle, not public and are therefore usually administered to one
student at a time.
4. Oral examinations are administered in the presence of a second examiner or observer appointed by
the Examination Board. In special cases, the Examination Board may require that the oral
examination be recorded.
5. Students with a disability may be eligible for special examination arrangements. The Examination
Board, if necessary, is to seek expert advice and counsel prior to rendering its decision.
6. Where a course examination is administered on a subject not taught in the Master’s programme,
the relevant Education and Examinations Regulations shall apply.

Article 8 – Examination period and frequency

1. For each component there are two course examination opportunities during an academic year. The
dates of both examinations shall be announced minimally one month before the first examination
is to take place. With regard to the Master Thesis, internships and other components that are not
concluded with a course examination the department can decide otherwise in part 2 of these
regulations.
2. Students shall be provided at least one extra opportunity to sit for an examination of a course that,
for the first time, was not offered during that academic year.
3. Where a programme or professor has not set a deadline for a project or assignment, the project or
assignment shall be submitted no later than 12 months following the end of the course to which
the project or assignment belonged. Projects and assignments must be submitted to the examiner at
least 30 days prior to the examination date.
4. A student who successfully passes a course examination may not re-sit this examination without
the explicit authorisation of the relevant Examination Board. If such authorisation is granted, the
later mark shall apply.
5. Where a student does not pass a course examination and re-sits this examination, the mark
obtained on the re-sit shall apply and determine whether the student has passed the examination.

Article 9 – Validity period

1. The validity period of a two-year Master's programme component is 36 months.
2. Notwithstanding the provision of the first paragraph, if the validity period has expired, the
Examination Board may extend this period based on substantive grounds.

Article 10 – Assessment and notification of examination results

1. The examiner shall, within 10 working days of the date an oral examination was administered,
submit the result and provide the Faculty Secretarial Office with the necessary supporting
documents for the issue of a written statement of the result to the student.

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 Education and Examination Regulations 2015 - 2016

2. The examiner shall, within 15 working days of the date a written examination was administered,
submit the result of said course examination, and shall provide the Faculty Secretarial Office with
the necessary information for the issue of a written statement of the result to the student.
3. Notwithstanding the provisions of the first and second paragraphs, the examiner(s) shall submit
fourth period course examination results within five working days of the end of the examination
period.
4. The Master's thesis supervisor shall assign a final grade to the Master's thesis within the period
referred to in Article 10.2.
5. The written statement of the course examination result shall inform the student of his right of
inspection (see also Art. 11) and right to appeal to the Examination Appeal Board, as outlined in
Art. 7.61 of the Act.
6. Examination grades are expressed in full or half grades with a 6.0 as the lowest passing grade.
Rules for rounding off are:
- Up to .25 will be designated a .0;
- From .25 to .75 will be designated a .5;
- .75 and up will be rounded up to the next whole number.
When rounding off numbers after the second decimal place will be ignored.
7. Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph 6, the final result of a course examination result may
not be assessed at 5.5. Anything lower than 5.5 shall be rounded down to 5; anything equal to or
higher than 5.5 shall be rounded up to 6. When rounding off numbers after the first decimal will
be ignored.
8. Interim examination results may be expressed in numbers rounded to one decimal place. Grades
will be rounded off according to the following rules:
- If the second decimal place is lower than 5, the first decimal place remains unchanged
- If the second decimal place is 5 or higher, the first decimal place is raised with 1 decimal point
When rounding off numbers after the first decimal place will be ignored

Article 11 – Right of inspection and review

1. Following publication of an oral examination result, a discussion between the student and
examiner shall take place during which the result shall be explained.
2. Within four weeks following publication of a course examination result other than an oral
examination, the student may request access to review and inspect all graded work and discuss the
same with the examiner. The examiner shall determine the time and place for this discussion.
3. The examiner shall set the date, time and place of the inspection or review and provide the student
with at least two different inspection or review dates. If the student establishes that he is unable to
attend the inspection or review as a result of force majeure, then another date and time shall be set
in accordance with Paragraph 2 of this Article.
4. Due to the limited amount of time between Exam Period 4 and its re-sit period, inspection of these
exam results shall take place on the day the result is published.
5. If a joint review takes place, the student may submit a request in accordance with Paragraph 2 of
this Article if that student was unable to attend as a result of force majeure, or if he attended the
joint review but substantiates his reasons for such a request.
6. The provisions of Paragraph 5 of this Article shall apply where the Examination Board or
examiner allows the student to compare his course examination results with model answers.
7. During the period referred to in Paragraph 2 of this Article, any party involved may inspect the
course examination questions and instructions and, where possible, the course examination
grading standards.

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 Education and Examination Regulations 2015 - 2016

Article 12 – Exemptions from course examinations

1. Upon request, the Examination Board may exempt the student from the requirement of taking a
course examination (subject to the provisions provided in Paragraph 3 of this Article) if that
student:
a. has passed a course examination in a relevant subject at a university or institute of higher
vocational education (HBO); or
b. can demonstrate that he has acquired sufficient knowledge and skills related to the course
through relevant work experience.
2. To be eligible for a Master's degree, a student may be exempted from a maximum of half the
examination credit requirements.
3. No exemptions shall be granted with respect to the Master's thesis.

Article 13 – Fraud and cheating/plagiarism

1. If an examiner or supervisor suspects or finds proof of fraud, cheating/plagiarism, or malpractice
during the course examination or while assessing the course examination or written assignment,
the examiner or supervisor shall inform, in writing, both the relevant programme Examination
Board and the student concerned.
2. Within 10 working days, the Examination Board shall assess whether fraud or plagiarism has
indeed been committed and if so, what measures shall be taken. The Examination Board may not
render its decision before the student has been heard or given the opportunity to be heard. A
written report of this hearing shall be made.
3. Where there is a case of suspected or proven fraud or plagiarism during a course examination, the
student shall be excluded from further participation in the examination and no grade shall be
entered in the student's record for this examination.
4. In accordance with Art. 7.12b(2) of the Act, the Examination Board may bar the student from
sitting for a course examination for a maximum period of 12 months.
5. In case of serious fraud, the Executive Board can terminate the student’s enrolment at the
university, if so advised by the Examination Board.
6. Where there is a case of plagiarism, the relevant Examination Board may, in addition to the
measures listed under Paragraph 3 of this Article, require the student to complete a new
assignment, on a subject to be determined by the examiner responsible for that course
examination.

Article 14 – Retention period

The examiner shall retain all course examination scripts and related papers (assignments or otherwise)
for a period of two years following the date the examination was administered. Master's theses shall be
retained for a period of seven years.

Article 15 – Final examination

1. The Examination Board shall determine the result of the final examination after the student has
submitted sufficient proof of having passed the required course examinations.
2. Prior to determining the result of the final examination, the Examination Board may evaluate and
assess the knowledge of the student with respect to one or more components or aspects of the
programme.

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 Education and Examination Regulations 2015 - 2016

Article 16 – Distinctions
1. With due observance of the provisions set out in this article, the board of examiners is the body
responsible for the decision whether a distinction will be awarded and if so, which distinction will
be awarded.
2. The distinction
a. “cum laude” will be awarded if the weighed average result of the final assessment of the
components referred to in paragraph 3 equals or is higher than 8.0, or
b. “summa cum laude” will be awarded if the weighed average result of the final assessment of
the components referred to in paragraph 3 equals or is higher than 9.0.
3. The distinction will be calculated on the basis of all components of the examination programme
for which a mark has been awarded on a scale ranging between 1 and 10, excepting extra-
curricular components.
4. The number of ECs of the component referred to in paragraph 3 will serve as the weighing ratio
for the calculation of the weighed average result, unless provided otherwise in the programme-
specific part of these regulations.
5. The distinction will not be awarded if more than 10 per cent of the total study load of the
examination programme (being one or more components) has been resat and if interim
examinations have been resat more than once, notwithstanding the board of examiners’ authority
to decide otherwise, stating reasons therefore.
6. The distinction will not be awarded if fraud was established in one of the entire examination
programme’s components.
7. Contrary to the provisions mentioned above, the distinctions regulation that applied on 1
September 2014 will apply until 1 September 2017 for students who have at least been registered,
without any interruptions, as from 1 September 2013 for the degree programme.

Article 17 – Degree
1. Students who successfully pass the final Master's examination shall be awarded a Master of Arts
(MA) degree.
2. The degree awarded shall be indicated on the diploma.

Article 18 – Guidelines and rules

1. The Faculty Board is responsible for guaranteeing the quality of course and final examinations.
2. In the Reglement Examencommissie Faculteit der Letteren the Faculty Board sets rules with
regard to the procedures concerning course examinations and with regard to necessary actions
which need to follow
3. The Faculty Board may provide examiners with guidelines and instructions to determine
examination results and assess the candidate sitting for an examination.

Section 3 – Conduct of the studies, supervision and academic counseling

Article 19 – Conduct of the studies and supervision (guidance and support)

1. The faculty dean is charged with the responsibility of recording student results and may, upon
request, provide the student with an overview of the conduct of the study within a reasonable time
of this request.
2. The faculty dean is charged with the responsibility of providing adequate counseling.

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 Education and Examination Regulations 2015 - 2016

Section 4 – Transitional and final provisions

Article 20 – Honours Programme and Honours Academy

Exceptional students enrolled in a Faculty of Arts Master's programme may be offered a position in
the Honours Programme (for Master's students) of the Radboud Honours Academy.

Article 21 – Publication
The Director of Education is charged with the responsibility of publishing these Regulations and any
amendments thereto.

Article 22 – Entry into force

These Regulations shall come into force on 1 September 2015.
Thus established by decision of the Dean of the Faculty of Arts on 1 August 2015.

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 Education and Examination Regulations 2015 - 2016

Part 2: Programme Specific Regulations

Section 5 – General provisions

Article 23 – Applicability of general provisions

The General Provisions of these Regulations shall apply to the Master's programmes unless otherwise
stated in these Regulations.

Article 24 – Programme objectives

The aim of the Master’s programme is to enable students to acquire profound knowledge,
understanding and skills in the field of Language and Communication so that, upon completion of the
programme, the students will have received proper academic training, and be sufficiently prepared to
conduct independent academic research, to prepare a PhD thesis, or to work in positions in society that
require specialist knowledge and the highly developed skills necessary to understand and manage
knowledge-intensive activities.

Article 25 – Language of instruction

1. The Master's programme is taught in English and examinations are, in principle, administered and
completed in English.
2. A sufficient command of the English language is required to participate in the programme and sit
for the examinations. If a student according to the Admissions Committee cannot show a sufficient
command of English he has to pass the TOEFL, a language proficiency test, with a score of at
least 600 on the paper-based version, a score of 250 on the computer-based version or a score of at
least 100 on the internet-based version of this test. The language proficiency test should be passed
no longer than 2 years before application for the programme.

Section 6 – Composition of the programmes

Article 26 – Composition
1. The programme is composed of the following components and associated workload. For more
information on individual components, see the Study Guide: studiegids.science.ru.nl/2015/arts/:

Linguistics: Language and Communication EC

Year 1:
Foundations of Language and Communication 6
Corpus and Experimental methods 6
Research Orientation 3
Four Specialization Courses 24
Skills/Methods Courses 9
Lab Rotation I 6
Term Paper 6
Year 2:
Lab Rotation II 9
Grant Proposal Writing 6
Valorization A 3
Valorization B 3
One Specialization Course 6
Skills/Methods Course 3

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 Education and Examination Regulations 2015 - 2016

Master Thesis 30

2. a. Attendance is compulsory for all seminars

b. Students who attend at least 50% but less than 80% of the lectures of a component will be
excluded from the second opportunity to take the course examination or the practical
c. Students who attend less than 50% of the lectures of a component will be excluded from both
opportunities to take the course examination or practical. In that case the course cannot be
finished.

Article 27 – Practical exercises

All components of the Master’s programme, as mentioned in Article 26, involve education in the form
of lectures, tutorials and research training

Section 7 – Programme examinations

Article 28 – Sequence of examinations

1. Examinations and associated practical exercises that may only be done when all first-year
components have been successfully completed:
Not applicable.
2. With regard to an examination of a component that is part of a different programme, the Education
and Examination Regulations of that programme will apply.

Article 29 – Weighing of components

The Examination Board establishes weighing ratios applying to the components passed for the
calculation of the average result in accordance with article 16.4.

Section 8 – Programme admission requirements

Article 30 – Admission to the master’s programme

1. Admission requirements for the Master's programme for Bachelor’s students
Bachelor’s students who meet the following criteria will be admitted to the programme:
1. those who have passed the final examination of a Bachelor's programme in a relevant
discipline, such as Communication Studies, Linguistics, or a modern language, and
2. have an average score of 7.5 in the second and third year of their completed Bachelor's
programme, and a minimal score of 8 on their final Bachelor's thesis, or equivalent scores for
these study units in a non-Dutch higher education system, and
3. have sufficient talent, affinity and motivation with respect to doing scientific research, as
demonstrated in the Bachelor’s thesis (or a comparable essay), or in a dedicated research
proposal, and
4. have sufficient knowledge of the English language in accordance with the provisions of
Article 25.2;
2. To students who have successfully completed a Master’s or a comparable final academic
examination in a relevant discipline, the Admissions Committee proposes a reduced programme
which, according to the Admissions Committee, warrants successful completion of the
programme, with all exemptions from units of study taken into account (exemptions are subject to
approval by the Examination Board).

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