The education in the off-campus Work-Integrated learning and collaborative programmes is characterized by person-centered approach where the rigour and standard are maintained on par with Institute's system of education on-campus. These programmes judiciously combine the flexibility and ingenuity of the off-campus educational system with all the regular features of the on campus education system. Also, the learning and evaluation process draws upon the successful and established methodologies followed by the Institute.

The work learning environment of a student under the Off-campus Work-Integrated Learning and Collaborative programmes consist of two broad-based facets:

• Academic Environment created by Pilani-based and off-campus centre based Instructors who are BITS faculty drawn from different disciplines;
  
  

• Student's own Work Environment from which assignments, projects, seminars etc., may emerge to integrate theory and practice. A (locally-based) Mentor imparts structured guidance and conducts certain evaluation components (see Role of Mentor' below);
  

Central to the educational philosophy of the Institute being the dialectical link between theory and practice, the student's own work environment provides an ideal ground where theory could be meaningfully combined with practice through Assignments, Case Studies, Laboratory-Oriented Projects, Work Experience, Inservice Training, Internship, Thesis-Seminar and Dissertation. These evaluation components and courses search for evidence of self-study, time planning, conceptual understanding and application of the concepts in a real-life situation, self-reliant articulation, enthusiasm for, awareness of and participation in new pedagogy. One of the distinctive features of this system is the complete formalization of pursuit of education at the work-learning environment. An organization creates a work learning environment by providing academic sponsorship for the candidates as well as infrastructural facilities such as place for conducting formal classes/mentor interactions/examination apart from library, computer and laboratory access. The work learning environment form a strict requirement in order to infuse a strong component of teacher-student contact through course instructors as well as Mentor (a senior officer of the student's own organization). Thus work-learning environment is a very important component of the person-centered learning process. There is in the design, a clear arrangement of periodic personal discussion in the work-learning environment with the students so that their progress is directly monitored by planned interaction. Further, the students at the work-learning environment receive help from mentors. Throughout the student's learning process, which is conducted in his own work place, through systematic self-study, and self-learning process, the student remains continually in contact with the course instructors for any clarifications. Thus the operation is an imaginative combination of the contact hours and tutoring of the on-campus system with the student-centered self-study feature of the off-campus system and an organizational and pedagogic commitment of the collaborating organizations. The student is at once, a full- time student as well as full-time employee.

For each course offered by the Institute, there would be an Instructor, who is a BITS faculty, drawn from the relevant discipline who is charged with the responsibility of the conduct of that course. This will be in terms of preparing question papers, evaluation of answer papers and answering student's queries apart from preparing instruction manuals, question bank, supplementary notes, etc. wherever required in order to strengthen the course.

For each course, there will be a handout, which will spell out the plan of study and evaluation scheme, prescribed text book / suggested reference books apart from other details. The evaluation schedule is also announced in the beginning of the semester itself. All details pertaining to the operation of the course including grading procedures are shared with the students through this document. It is the responsibility of each student to acquire textbooks and other reference materials recommended for each course in the course handout.

• Achieving the set of academic objectives enunciated by the instructors;
  
  

• Verifying if a student is indeed sticking to the plan of study given in the handout;
  
  

• Monitoring involvement of the student in self-study, time planning, understanding of concepts and their use, developing self-reliant articulation, awareness of and enthusiasm for new pedagogy, responsibility to meet deadlines, developing familiarity with the library, etc.
  
  

• Conducting certain evaluation components like Seminar, Assignment, Project, Case Study, etc.

• While the students who are admitted to on-campus degree programmes may be permitted to transfer to off-campus degree programmes, the reverse is normally not possible since the admission modalities for the two degrees are not the same. However, all off-campus degrees are equivalent to the corresponding degree of on-campus and for admissions to the Institute for any higher degree programmes the off-campus degrees will not be distinguished from on-campus degrees.
  
  

• In any examination, as far as possible, the direct interactive process of the evaluation would be made at a place nearest the working place of the candidates. Wherever there is not adequate number of candidates, the Institute will be free to demand that all candidates come to Campus or other Off-Campus centers for this purpose.
  
  

• A student who is admitted to the Institute because of sponsoring from an organization will cease to be a student if he discontinues employment from the organization. However, his case will be entertained without prejudice if the new organization in which he is employed agrees to sponsor him for the degree. However, if the person becomes unemployed he may not be continued because of the requirement of work learning environment for the degree, which may no longer, be available to the student.
  
  

• Any student admitted to a programme may be allowed to transfer to another programme provided he is eligible for the same and is supported by his work environment and sponsorship of his employer.
  
  

• Since every student admitted to off-campus degree programme is treated as a full-time student and a full time employee, it is essential that such a student be not enrolled for any degree or diploma programme, part-time or otherwise, in any other university. If it is found that a student is admitted/registered in some other university for degree programme, then his admission / registration will be cancelled.
  

• A course is a component of knowledge, which serves as the irreducible minimum building block in the curriculum or syllabus.
  
  

• A programme of studies is a set of courses constituting the requirements of a degree.
  
  

• A regular student is one who is enrolled for a degree.
  
  

• A collaborating organization is an organization that helps the Institute in setting up the necessary facilities and in the running of classes and laboratories for all students. Such an organization may simultaneously be also a sponsoring organization.
  
  

• A sponsoring organization is an organization, which fulfills one or more of the following features:
  
  a. The organization is the employer of the student and pays fully / partly the fees/dues of the student and also provides facilities required for the learning process.
  
  b. The organization is an employer of the student but does not pay the fees/dues of the student. Nonetheless the organization agrees to encourage and actively participate in the special nature of the educational process for the mutual benefit of the organization and the employee.
  
  

• An associate student is one who is allowed to register in any of the courses offered in each semester with an ultimate goal of obtaining a diploma/degree or without any such ambition. The treatment of these students will be different from that of the casual students in that these students will be registered on credit and not on audit basis and may be admitted for a degree or a diploma, if situation so warrants. Further, admission procedure and the fee structure may also differ in contrast to the casual students. Presently the Institute considers only sponsored candidates from structured collaborative programmes for Admission as Associate Student.