4 (four)
(Subject 1): Compulsory: Algorithms.
(Subject 2 & 3): From your own Research Area.
(Subject 4): From any Area other than your Research Area.
400 (100 marks per subject).
(i) A student will select 2 Research Areas from choices available at this [Link].
Note that: The First Research Area, let's call this RA1 here, should match with your planned area of research (always in discussion with your supervisor, of course). The Second Research Area, let's call this RA2 here, can be any other available on the link provided above.
(ii) Now (a) select 2 subjects from RA1; (b) select 1 subject from RA2; (c) Algorithms is the compulsory 4th subject to be written by all students.
(iii) Full marks for each subject will be 100 with the following break-up:
Written - 75 marks; Viva - 25 marks;
Available at this [Link].
At least 50% marks jointly in the two subjects chosen in your research area and at least 50% marks jointly in Algoithms and the subject chosen outside of your research area.
Please check the AGSRD website for eligibility to appear for the qualifiers. The PhD qualifiers will be conducted only once every semester. The DRC committee (from drc.csis@goa.bits-pilani.ac.in) will send an official email to all the PhD students regarding the qualifiers. The students interested to appear for the qualifiers in that semester need to respond to the email within a week’s time with the choice of their 4 subjects along with the student’s BITS Id. The examiners will be chosen by the DRC committee.
The final dates would be announced by DRC convenor
- (i) Download all relevant forms available under the appropriate header at this [Link].
- (ii) Create a Google Drive Folder with the following format "[Name]_[StudentID]_PhDQualifier".
- (iii) Now put all filled in forms and other relevant documents in this folder.
- (iv) Send an email to the DRC convener, cc to CSIS office and your supervisor, providing the link to this folder for further processing.
- (v) Note: When sending the email, you will be prompted to provide edit/view rights; please provide 'Edit' rights to all addressees (including cc).
(Note: All materials available at this link are maintained by the AGSRD. If you find any issue with any content, please approach the AGSRD, not the CSIS DRC/Office.])
Officially, it takes a few weeks before the AGSRD office notifies you about the outcome of your exam.
Note that it is the AGSRD who declares your results; Not the DRC.
For students joined on or after Jan 2024, the coursework has to be completed within one year of joining. The qualifiers have to be cleared within one year of completion of the course work. For example, if a student joined in Jan 2024 and completed the course work by end of June 2024, the student will have to clear the qualifiers on or before July 2025.
The exams would be conducted approximately around the time of the mid-semester exams of the on-campus undergraduate students. The PhD students may refer to the academic calendar of the current academic year to know the exact weeks. The qualifier exams would be held on 3 consecutive days within this week - In the first two days, written tests will be conducted and on the third day, vivas will be conducted.
For any further questions, the first point of contact is csis.office@goa.bits-pilani.ac.in
Any ongoing PhD student has an option to re-register for the PhD under exceptional circumstances. However, the student has to then clear the coursework and qualifiers again. Comment end