COURSE HANDOUTS AND GUIDELINES

FOR
FIRST DEGREE THESIS
(Course Number: BITS F421T/BITS F422T/BITS F423T/BITS F424T)

Contents

• Calendar of Events
• Course Handouts
• Check – list of items for FINAL REPORT
• Formats of cover/Title Page & Certificate from supervisor
• Operational Details
• TS-1 Form
• Mid-Semester Evaluation Form
• Final Evaluation Form
• Attendance Sheet

ACADEMIC UNDERGRADUATE STUDIES DIVISION

BIRLA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY AND SCIENCE, PILANI
K K BIRLA GOA CAMPUS
 CALENDAR OF EVENTS
1. THESIS COURSE

I Sem II Sem Item From To

AUG 30 JAN 09 Detailed outline of work Student Supervisor

SEP 05 FEB 15 Viva – I Student Supervisor

Mid. Semester written report
OCT 09 MAR 11 Student Supervisor
and presentation

OCT 12 MAR 14 Mid. Semester Grade Supervisor AUGSD

NOV 15 APR 15 Viva- II Student Supervisor

NOV 28 APR 30 Thesis abstract (2 Student Supervisor

copies)
Final thesis report
NOV 28 APR 30 Student Supervisor
submission
(1copy)
DEC 01-09 May 01-09 Final Viva Student Examiner
Final Thesis Report, Final
Evaluation Form, Thesis
DEC 16-18 May 6-16 Supervisor AUGSD
Abstract and Attendance
sheet(1 copy each)

N.B. if any of the above date happens to be a Sunday or a holiday, the immediate next date will
be the calendar date. FINAL THESIS REPORT should invariably be submitted on or before the
above-mentioned date.
 BIRLA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY AND SCIENCE, PILANI
K K BIRLA GOA CAMPUS
AUGSD DIVISION

FIRST/ SECOND SEMESTER

COURSE HANDOUT: BITS F421T/ F422T THESIS

1. SCOPE AND OBJECTIVE OF THE COURSE

The aim of the thesis course is to train a student in the methodology of research, to cultivate a
logical and creative thinking and to make them express their findings in the form of a
scientific report. It also gives an opportunity to the student to comprehend his/her subject
knowledge and apply it to the given problem.

2. OPERATION OF THE COURSE

a) The student should immediately chalk out a plan of work in consultation with his supervisor.
The objectives and expected rate of progress will be spelt out by the supervisor. Literature
survey should be carried out to ascertain the current state of work in the proposed area of
thesis. The detailed out- line of the work must include a time schedule with clearly indicating
the intermediate milestones and the estimated time to reach the same.
b) Within Two weeks of registration, the student should give his/her thesis particulars to the
AUGSD Division in TS-1 Performa.
c) Two typed/ word processed copies of final thesis are to be submitted to the supervisor on or
before the last day of class work in the semester.
d) ONE typed /copy of Thesis Abstract should be submitted to the AUGSD Division through the
supervisor along with the Final Report. The ABSTRACT should also be a part of the Bound
Report in the same format. The format is given below.

Format for submission of Thesis Abstract

Thesis Title :

Supervisor :

Semester : First/ second Year

Name of the student : ID No.

Abstract

e) Separate thesis topic has to be assigned to an individual student. Wherever the broad area is
same, the aspects to be researched by an individual candidate should be clearly focused and
spelt out

f) Utmost care should be taken in the preparation of the Final Report. A check – list of
various items is provided and students should carefully go through these. Supervisors
are also required to examine the draft of the FINAL REPORT keeping in view the
items in the check-list. Title of the thesis should be proper and should be indicative of
the type of work done.
 3 EVALUATION

Evaluation in this course is essentially individual oriented. The various components of

evaluation along with the weightage of each component and the due day/week are given
below:

Component weightage week in which due

Viva – I 15 5th week

Mid - sem. Written report 15 10th week

Mid - sem. Presentation 15 10th week

Viva – II 15 15th week

Final thesis* 25 Last day of class work

Final viva-voce* 15 First week of December (for

1st semester) and first week
of May (for 2nd semester)

* Final Thesis and Final viva are to be jointly evaluated by the supervisor and the
examiner appointed by the supervisor.

The evaluation will recognize the day-to –day work involvement and punctuality of the
student in the thesis work. Evaluation in various components shall take into account work
progress and achievements, technical/professional competence, documentation and
expression, initiative and originality, punctuality and reliability, self-reliance, and
acquisition of special skills.

The student should extend full cooperation to his/her supervisor and interact with him/her
in-advance about the time, venue and mode of each evaluation. They should regularly
meet the supervisor and present their work periodically. Proposed examiners may also be
invited to attend mid semester presentation and viva session.

4. GRADING PROCEDURE

Grading will be done mainly on the basis of the progress made towards attaining the
overall objectives of the Thesis. The supervisor shall evaluate various prescribed
components of evaluation before the submission of final thesis.
The final thesis and performance in the final viva are to be jointly evaluated by the panel
consisting of supervisor and examiner appointed by the supervisor. Supervisor should
make the Final thesis report available to the examiner well in advance, before sending he
should check the contents of the report. Evaluation in various components can be done on
the basis of marks or grades.
However, the recommendations for the final award shall invariably be made in terms of
one of the following prescribed letter grades, given in table along with corresponding
grade points. The thesis carries 16 credit units for the nominal duration of 1 semester,
during which students will NOT be permitted to do other coursework.

Letter Grade A A- B B- C C- D E

Grade Point attached

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 2
(on a scale of 10)

The students will have to defend the work appearing in his /her thesis before the panel of
examiners. Detailed outline of work and the mid semester written report submitted by the
student should be made available by the supervisor to the examiner. Before giving
recommendations for the final grade in the thesis, the examiners will evaluate the
candidates as indicated through the various reports (mid-semester & final thesis) and
performance in the viva, shall guide the recommendations for the final award.

Immediately after the viva, the supervisor shall submit ONE copy of the Final thesis
report in hard copy and Soft copy in CD, thesis abstract, attendance sheet and final
evaluation form of Thesis and seminar course to the AUGSD Division in a sealed cover.
The other copy will be retained by him. The student should ensure with his supervisor, so
that the evaluation forms reach the division well before the last date of comprehensive
examination. He should also verify all items of check-list.

5. MID- SEMESTER GRADING

This will be announced by the supervisor to his/her student as per date mentioned above.

6. MAKE-UP POLICY

Since thesis is a full time involvement, there is no scope of any make up in this course.

7. ATTENDANCE AND ROUTINE MATERS

a) Thesis is a full time involvement and it is the responsibility of the student to be in full
attendance. He should be available for interaction as frequently as desired by
supervisor. In his mid-semester report, the student should state quantitatively his
attendance for all the working days falling in the period of the report. A student is
liable to be awarded NC if he does not cooperate with his supervisor.
b) Every student has to sign his attendance regularly with the supervisor or as per the
alternative arrangement made by the supervisor. An attendance sheet is being
provided for this purpose to the supervisor. The candidate should apply and seek prior
permission of his supervisor for going on leave for any genuine needs.
c) If the leave or absent exceeds SEVEN days in the entire semester, the recommended
final grade by the examiners may be revised by the instructor-in-charge in
consultation with the supervisor.
d) For routine matters such as work place, laboratory help, contingency expenditure etc,
the concerned Department HOD may be contacted through the supervisor.
e) For using central facilities like Computer centre, CAD, Instrumentation, workshop,
IMA lab various stores etc; students must follow the procedures laid down by the
respective In-charges of the facility.
f) For field trips out of Goa, a complete plan indicating purpose, duration and place of
work should be given through the supervisor to Faculty in-charge, AUGSD Division
in advance for his approval. (Also consult Academic Regulations 6.21).
g) The final viva cannot be held before the date on which comprehensive exam begins.
The exact dates of final viva should be scheduled spanning within the comprehensive
examination period. However, depending on the emergencies of individual situation,
these dates may be changed. Therefore, the students should plan in such a manner so
that they are available till the last date of comprehensive examination in the semester.
If the Thesis is not submitted on the last day of class work as stipulated and
examiners do not have sufficient time to read the Report, student will only be
responsible for any delay in holding the viva on the announced date.
h) The format of thesis cover/Title page and ‘certificate from the supervisor’ are
appended.

NO OTHER FORMAT SHOULD BE USED. Abstract of the thesis should invariably

be included in the thesis in the prescribed format. A suggested sequence for the
organization of the Final Thesis is given below:

i) First page (inner cover)

ii) Acknowledgement
iii) Certificate from the supervisor
iv) List of symbols & Abbreviations used
v) Thesis Abstract
vi) Table of contents
vii) chapters 1, 2, 3, etc
viii) conclusion
ix) Appendices
x) Bibliography/References (in standard format)
xi) List of publications / conference presentations, if any

Each student is expected to learn the standard methodology of presenting references

and bibliographical details through library/self study work. Standard format should be
used while reporting the same in Thesis. Mere reproduction from the books/papers
should be avoided and relevant portion should only be referred.

8. CHAMBER CONSULTATION HOURS

Each student is expected to fix up consultation hours with his supervisor. He/She can meet
the undersigned or the in- charge, FDT in AUGSD with a prior appointment.
CHECK LIST OF ITEMS FOR FINAL REPORT OF FIRST DEGREE THESIS

1. Is the Report ‘cover/ Title page’ in proper format?

2. Is supervisor’s certificate in proper format? Has it been signed?
3. Is ‘Abstract’ included in the Report? Is it in proper format?
4. Does the ‘contents’ page include page numbers?
5. Does the Report contain a summary of the literature survey?
6. (a) Are the pages numbered properly ?
(b) Are the figures numbered properly?
(c) Are the tables numbered properly?
(d) Are the figures and tables titled properly?
(e) Are the appendices numbered?
7. Does the Report contain ‘conclusion’ of the work?
8. Are References / Bibliography given in the Report?
9. Have the ‘References’ been cited in the Report?
10. Is the citation of ‘References and Bibliography’ in the standard format?

Attention should be paid on the above items while preparing the FINAL REPORT.
Supervisors are also requested to ensure that their candidates (s) have prepared the
FINAL REPORT properly.
 Format of the cover/ Title page of the Thesis

(Title of the Thesis)

THESIS

Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements of

BITS F421T/422T Thesis

by

(Author)
ID No- ( )

Under the supervision of

Name and Designation of supervisor

Emblem

BITS, PILANI –K K BIRLA GOA CAMPUS

Date

I Format of ‘certificate from the supervisor ‘

CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that the Thesis entitled,

is submitted by ID No .

in partial fulfillment of the requirements of BITS F421T/422T Thesis embodies the

work done by him/ her under my supervision.

Signature of the supervisor

Name
Date Designation
 OPERATIONAL DETAILS

The operational details for Instructors of the Thesis course are out lined below:

Thesis course

1. Please ask your student to supply their particulars to AUGSD Division in Proforma TS-
1 given directly to him.
2. Please suggest a panel of Two examiners for evaluation of the Thesis. You are
requested to inform the proposed examiners and obtain their consent. Efforts will be
made to choose one examiner from the panel. You may invite the proposed examiners
for the Mid semester and other presentation components.
3. Details of the evaluation are given in the Handout. The marks/grades obtained in each
of the component should be entered in the Final evaluation form. The record should be
kept ready for examination at a very short notice. The Final Thesis and viva
performance should be jointly evaluated by you and the Examiner appointed by the
supervisor
4. After the Final viva, one copy each of the Thesis, the Final evaluation form and the
Thesis abstract should be returned to the AUGSD Division. Thesis should reach the
AUGSD Division within three days of the Final viva. The other Thesis copy and
Evaluation Form should be retained by the supervisor.
5. The grades in Thesis are in terms of A/A-/B/B-/C/C-/D/E.
6. If the leave of absence exceeds SEVEN days in a semester the recommended final
grade may be revised by the Instructor- in- charge in consultation with the supervisor.
Supervisors are requested to verify the number of days a student has been on leave or
on approved field trips.
Routine matters

1. Every student has to sign his attendance regularly with his supervisor in the attendance
sheet. The signed attendance sheet should be returned to the AUGSD Division along with
the Final Evaluation Form.

2. A student should not take more than SEVEN Days of leave in a semester. The
supervisor may directly sanction him/her leave. If his absence exceeds more than seven
days, his/her overall recommended grades may be revised by the Instructor- in –charge,
AUGSD in consultation with the supervisor.

3. If the performance of the student is below expectation and if he is not cooperating, the
supervisor should hold discussions and counsel him/her on this aspect. If he still does not
improve, a written warning should be given to him/her with a copy endorsed to the
Faculty in-charge, AUGSD Division.

4. Supervisors should send the recommended Mid-semester evaluation form to the

AUGSD Division latest by 10th week. The recommended mid semester grade may be
announced by the supervisor to his student directly.

5. For field trips of students outside Goa, a complete plan indicating purpose, duration
and place of work should be given to Faculty in-charge, AUGSD in advance for his
approval.

6. One copy of all reports sent to AUGSD Division should be retained. Entry in the
evaluation form should be made regularly

7. Student should be kept informed of his/her performance in various components of

evaluation.

8. The supervisor is requested to adhere to the dates given in the calendar of Events.

9. In Final THESIS REPORT specified formats of cover/Title page, supervisor’s

certificate, have to be adhered. Thesis has to be word processed/typed on A4 size white
paper. References should be cited in a standard manner. Title of thesis should be proper
and should be indicative of the type of work.

10. Supervisor should check the contents of the thesis and sign the ‘certificate page
before sending it to the examiners and AUGSD division.

11. Classify the Thesis topic in one of the following Areas of Research given in the
Bulletin:
 AREAS OF RESEARCH

1. Biological sciences & Biotechnology

2. Chemical Engineering

3. Chemistry

4. Computer science and Information systems

5. Economics, Finance and management

6. Electrical, Electronics, Microelectronics, control & Instrumentation

7. Language & Humanistic studies

8. Mathematical and physical science

9. Mechanical Engineering & manufacturing system

10. Science and society

11. Educational Innovation and institutional Development

12. Materials Science & Technology

13. Renewable Energy & Environment studies

14 Robotics and Intelligent systems

15. Software Engineering & multimedia

 BIRLA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY AND SCIENCE, PILANI
K K BIRLA GOA CAMPUS
AUGSD DIVISION
PARTICULARS OF THESIS

The student should correctly fill in this proforma immediately after all the changes (in topic,
supervisor or both) are finalized

A. Personal particulars

ID No. Name

Local address: Mobile No

Permanent Home address

& Tel. No. if any

B. Thesis particulars
Name of Supervisor

Thesis Topic:

Research Area (consult Bulletin):

Date Signature of student

Panel of Examiners (To be suggested by the Supervisor)

S.No. Name of Faulty Dept/Div./Unit

1.

2.

Date:
Signature of Supervisor
 OUTLINE OF FIRST DEGREE THESIS PROJECT

(Attach extra sheet, if necessary)

Aim and objectives:

Background of work:

Plan of work:

Bibliography & References:

Signature of Student Signature of Supervisor

 BIRLA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY AND SCIENCE, PILANI
K K BIRLA GOA CAMPUS-AUGSD DIVISION
FIRST/SECOND SEMESTER 20 - 20
MID SEMESTER EVALUATION FORM

PARTICULARS (TO BE FILLED BY STUDENT AND RETURNED TO SUPERVISIOR)

Semester

ID No Name of student

Name of supervisor

Section II

EVALUATION DETAILS (TO BE FILLED BY SUPERVISOR)

A. THESIS:

S.No Evaluation Component Max. Marks Marks Awarded

1 Viva- 1 15
2 Mid. Sem. Presentation 15
3 Mid.sem.Written Report 15
Total 45

Recommended Mid. Sem. Grade in Thesis(A/A-/B/B-/C/C-/D/E) :

Report (NC/I/w), if any:

Date: Signature of Supervisor

N .B. Supervisor should announce the mid sem. Grade to his student directly and return
the form to the AUGSD Division.
 BIRLA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY AND SCIENCE, PILANI
K K BIRLA GOA CAMPUS
AUGSD DIVISION
FIRST/SECOND SEMESTER 20 - 20

FINAL EVALUATION FORM: FIRST DEGREE THESIS

ID No. Name of Student

Name of Supervisor

Title of Thesis (as on thesis)

1. EVALUATION IN THESIS
Marks
S.No. Evaluation Component Max Marks
Awarded
1. Viva-1 15
2. Mid Semester presentation 15
3. Mid Semester Report 15
4. Viva- II 15
5. Final thesis report 25
6. Final viva 15
Total 100

RECOMMENDED FINAL GRADE IN THESIS (A/A-/B/B-/C/C-/D/E) :

Report (NC/W), if any:

Date Signature of Examiner Signature of Supervisor

Semester Name of Examiner Name of Supervisor

 BIRLA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY AND SCIENCE, PILANI
K K BIRLA GOA CAMPUS
AUGSD DIVISION
ATTENDANCE SHEET FOR FIRST DEGREE THESIS - FIRST/SECOND SEMESTER

1. PARTICULARS
Name of student ID No Supervisor

Hostel Room No

11. Attendance (Student to sign his Initials)

Total
Days
DATES Working
absent
Month days
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16

Aug/Jan 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

Sep/Feb

Oct/Mar

Nov/Apr

Dec/May

NOTE: Supervisor may decide to keep this sheet with him or with the Department/Division office (in consultation with the in charge)
and ask the student in sign on each working day before a particular specified time. This sheet should be returned to AUGSD division
along with the Final Evaluation Form.
Date: Supervisor Signature