The University offers a wide range of full-time and part-time taught postgraduate programmes, ranging from one to three years in length. They operate on a semester system and candidates' academic progress is normally assessed by a combination of written examinations and project assignments throughout the year. For most taught master's degrees, candidates must also submit a dissertation, which will constitute a significant portion of the work of the degree. Candidates may be required to attend an oral examination and to give a presentation on the dissertation.