OFF CAMPUS Ph.D (Ph.D ASPIRANTS SCHEME)

Under the Ph.D. aspirants scheme, BITS offers a unique opportunity for experienced personnel and professionals employed in various fields to work towards the Ph.D. degree in the settings of their respective work environments. The topic of research can emanate from the inhouse R & D needs of the host organisation and a senior professional of high academic standing from the organisation can be proposed as the supervisor. Under the scheme, professionals can seek permission to take the Ph.D. qualifying examination even before formalities of admission are completed.


Eligibility

  1. As per the current rules, only those working professionals either possessing any BITS degree or working at a collaborating organization of BITS, Pilani are eligible to apply for off-campus PhD. Professionals eligible as per this rule, may apply as higher degree holder or through the M. Phil (Applied) route.

  2. M.Phil. (Applied) Route: Candidate of high academic standing and proven competence not holding a degree equivalent to a higher degree of BITS, provided he can submit technical and professional documents giving evidence indicating that he has acquired knowledge equivalent to one of the higher degrees of the Institute, and acceptance of the same by the Institute


Admission Modality

  1. The Candidate has to apply in the prescribed application form available from the Admissions Officer, BITS, Pilani. For more details on, how to apply, please Click here!

    Following information and documents have to be enclosed with the application form:

    i) Candidates holding a formal higher degree of BITS or its equivalent (M.E./M.Pharm./M.Phil./M.S.) and opting to take Qualifying Examination on the course package of this degree should submit the following:

    • Marksheet, the list and syllabus of each course prescribed for the fulfillment of the higher degree, if already completed.
    • List of prescribed textbooks for each course.
    • Final examination question paper for each course to enable to judge the level of subject treatment

    2. ii) Professionals of high standing and proven competence holding only a first degree and not holding a higher degree(M. Phil. Apply Route).


    • Should identify the Higher Degree of BITS and its prescribed course package in which Ph.D. qualifying examination is to be taken and to which the professional standing can be notionally equated. As per past experience it is observed that the M.Phil. (Applied) degree of BITS is most suited for many candidates in this category. A list of courses for this degree is given below : and a minimum number of Nine courses are to be chosen from the list.

      Course No.

      Course Name

      BITS E511

      Computer Application I

      BITS E512

      Computer Application II

      BITS E521

      Technical Communication I

      BITS E522

      Technical Communication II

      BITS E531

      Social, Behavioral & Economic Science I

      BITS E532

      Social, Behavioral & Economic Science II

      BITS E533

      Modern Experimental Techniques I

      BITS E534

      Modern Experimental Techniques II

      BITS E535

      Management Methods & Techniques I

      BITS E536

      Management Methods & Techniques II

      BITS E537

      System Sciences and Engineering I

      BITS E538

      System Sciences and Engineering II

      BITS E541

      Chemical and Life Science I

      BITS E542

      Chemical and Life Science II

      BITS E543

      Instrumentation Engineering I

      BITS E544

      Instrumentation Engineering II

      BITS E545

      Project & Consultancy I

      BITS E546

      Project & Consultancy II

      BITS E547

      Public Administration I

      BITS E548

      Public Administration II

      BITS E551

      Physical and Mathematical Sciences I

      BITS E552

      Physical and Mathematical Sciences II

      BITS E561

      Use of English for Professional Purposes I

      BITS E562

      Use of English for Professional Purposes II

      BITS E571

      Methods & Planning & Development I

      BITS E572

      Methods & Planning & Development II

      BITS E573

      Study in Advanced Topics I

      BITS E574

      Study in Advanced Topics II

      BITS E583

      Case Studies I

      BITS E584

      Case Studies II

      BITS E591

      Science & Technology Development I

      BITS E592

      Science & Technology Development II

      BITS E593

      Reading Courses I

      BITS E594

      Reading Courses II

      SKILL G661

      Research Methodology I

      SKILL G662

      Research Methodology II

      Read the course descriptions for above courses in Section VI of BITS Bulletin to arrive at the correct course package.

    • For each of the course identified in the above package, technical documents, published papers and reports prepared by the candidate in his/her professional capacity have to be compiled and submitted. The course-wise documents are examined and a pronouncement of suitability for the purpose of Ph.D. Qualifying examination is made. These documents together with some prescribed readings will broadly form the syllabus.

    Additional Information to be Submitted :

    a) The proposed place of work and availability of facilities for research work along with organizational consent. Normally this has to be the place of work of the candidate.

    b) Summary of your high professional standing and research competence. List papers and books published.

    c) Tentative details of proposed topic of research and supervisor in the format given below:

    • Name of the candidate
    • Organization proposed as place of work
    • Proposed supervisor

      • Name :

      Qualification :

      Designation :

      Organization :

      his/her affiliation with the candidate's organization :

    • Proposed topic of research
    • Objective of the proposed research
    • Background of proposed research
    • Methodology/work plan
    • Literature references
    • Major facilities needed for research work

    d) Bio-data of the proposed supervisor, his/her consent and no objection from his/her organization.

  2. Normal last dates for submission of completed application forms are:

    For I Semester admission : 5.00 PM on 30th May

    For II Semester admission : 5.00 PM on 30th November

  3. If found suitable, the candidate may be asked to come for interaction before being permitted to appear in the Ph.D. Qualifying Examination consisting of written and / or viva.

  4. If a candidate passes the qualifying examination , he has to immediately seek admission to the Ph.D. programme and register in each semester thereafter.

Qualifying Examination

All candidates have to pass the Ph.D. Qualifying Examination, normally held at Pilani. The Ph. D. qualifying examination consists of three written papers (open book) , each normally of 3 hours duration, and viva. The examination will test the student's knowledge, grasp of fundamentals and his/her ability to use them in unknown situations. It is designed to be equivalent to the standard, content and intent of the comprehensive examination of the named higher degree courses.

Sample Question Papers of some courses may be seen to know the type of questions asked in the qualifying examination.

Dates of qualifying examination can be seen Here!!!

For On Campus students, the admission to the PhD programme shall be provisional in the first instance and will be confirmed only after passing the qualifying examination within the prescribed time. Whenever a candidate is unable to pass the qualifying examination within the prescribed time, he will automatically be disqualified from the programme.


Topic of research

Topic of research can evolve from the nature of work involvement of the candidate in his/her own organization.

Supervisor is normally a person who is holding a Ph.D. degree from a reputed institution or who has research publications in reputed national and international journals to his/her credit. He has preferably supervised doctoral level research work. Proposed supervisor should to be a person from the candidate's own organization or an associated organization located in the same city. Only one supervisor is stipulated by the Academic Regulations and there is no provision for co-supervisor.

Course Structure

Pattern 1: Semester-wise Registration Programme for On-campus Candidates and admitted after clearing qualifying examination (For Full time scholars holding Higher Degree and Faculty Members under Faculty Development Scheme)


Year

First Semester

Units

Second Semester

Units

I

BITS C797T Ph. D Seminar

BITS C791T Teaching Practice I

 

1

1

BITS C797T Ph .D Seminar

BITS C792T Teaching Practice II

BITS C799T Ph. D Thesis

1

1

10

II

BITS C797T Ph. D Seminar

BITS C799T Ph. D Thesis

1

10

BITS C797T Ph. D Seminar

BITS C799T Ph. D Thesis

1

10

III

BITS C797T Ph .D Seminar

BITS C799T Ph. D Thesis

1

10

BITS C797T Ph. D Seminar

BITS C799T Ph. D Thesis

1

10

Pattern II: For Ph.D. candidates holding First Degree and doing courses before becoming eligible for Qualifying Examination (For Full time scholars on the Campus)


Year

First Semester

Units

Second Semester

Units

I

BITS G 659 Technical Communication

BITS G 649 Reading Course

BITS G 644 Development and Use of Computer Software

4

5

 

5

BITS G 620 Professional Practice I

BITS G 529 Research Project I

BITS G 513 Study in Advanced Topics

3

6

5

II

BITS G 621 Professional Practice II

BITS G 539 Research Project II

BITS G 511Advanced Project

3

6

5

BITS C797T Ph. D Seminar

BITS C791T Teaching Practice I

 

1

1

III

BITS C797T Ph. D Seminar

BITS C792T Teaching Practice II

BITS C799T Ph. D Thesis

1

1

10

BITS C797T Ph. D Seminar

BITS C799T Ph. D Thesis

1

10

IV

BITS C797T Ph. D Seminar

BITS C799T Ph. D Thesis

1

10

BITS C797T Ph. D Seminar

BITS C799T Ph. D Thesis

1

10

V

BITS C797T Ph. D Seminar

BITS C799T Ph. D Thesis

1

10

BITS C797T Ph. D Seminar

BITS C799T Ph. D Thesis

1

10



NOTE:
  • Registration in Ph.D. Thesis is done only after the Topic of Research, locale of research work and Supervisor are approved by the Research Board. Registration in Thesis can be advanced/postponed depending on the approval by the Research Board. Registration has to be continued till the submission of thesis.

  • Before submission, the exact title of the thesis has to be approved by DCC and subsequently by the Research Board.

A minimum of 60 units are to be completed to fulfill the eligibility requirements of a higher degree of BITS.


Duration

No minimum time limit is prescribed. Registration in prescribed minimum number of units and components normally requires 4-6 semesters depending on the time of approval of topic/supervisor and locale of research work by the Research Board.

An upper limit of ten semesters for submission of thesis starting from the semester subsequent to passing the Qualifying examination is normally considered.