read the attached content of my PhD thesis guidelines and advise me on 25 most important points I need to know in this. I have gone through document
Please note that efforts are needed to follow BU Thesis Writing Manual where structure and headings titles are given, in addition to how should be written all, which is available on your CMS download section in the document 'PhD Rules 2023'"These Rules called “PhD Rules” shall apply to all HEC approved PhD degree programmes (Level 8) conducted in the Constituent and Affiliated Units of Bahria University (BU). These Rules shall be read in conjunction with the general rules/regulations of the University. In matters where these rules are silent, rules/regulations and procedures of BU shall apply. In case of any doubt regarding the interpretation of these Rules and in matters not clearly covered under these and other rules/regulations of BU, the matter shall be referred to the HERC and/or Academic Council for the final decision. Furthermore, PhD requirements set out by the HEC from time to time shall be complied with and shall take precedence over these Rules should there be a conflict. 

2.	Definitions

2.1	In these Rules, unless otherwise specified, or unless there is anything repugnant to the Act and Statutes of BU, the expressions used in these Rules shall have the meaning as elucidated in the ensuing clauses.
2.2	“Candidate” means a person seeking admission in PhD programmes at BU.
2.3	“Co-Supervisor” means a member of academic and/or research staff of the university/industry with PhD degree who may be appointed to provide academic/technical and/or administrative assistance whenever there is a requirement/need.
2.4	“Comprehensive Examination” means an examination, in the field of study, conducted after the successful completion of the coursework of a PhD programme, to ascertain the suitability of a scholar to undertake research work. The examination carries no credit.
2.5	“Department” means a Department of a Constituent Unit/Faculty of the
University in which a scholar is enrolled for his/her studies.
2.6.	“Defence” means an oral examination of the scholar in the research work conducted usually in the form of presentation and/or demonstration, before the panel of Examiners, entailing arguments and points supporting the fundamental concepts having been advanced within the thesis.
2.7.	“Equivalence Committee” means a three-member committee carved out of the DRC temporarily to ascertain equivalence of the courses applied for
 

Transfer of Credit/Exemption by the scholar against certain number of courses present in the curriculum of the PhD programme of the BU.
2.8.	“Exemption” means the scholar is not required to take a similar course if a scholar has already completed it within the BU or at any HEC recognized University. When granted Exemption, credits for that course earned previously are not counted towards credits or CGPA requirements for the degree. The scholar shall be required to take another course to make up for the total number of credits or CGPA required to meet the degree requirements.
2.9.	“External Examiner” means a PhD qualified person with a field of research like that of the scholar, appointed to conduct thesis defence of the scholar, but is not an employee of the BU at the time of examination.
2.10.	“External Evaluator” means faculty member/researcher outside BU (as per HEC policy in vogue), appointed to evaluate thesis of the scholar.
2.11.	“Form” means the letters/forms/formats annexed to this booklet, bearing identification numbers PhD-1 to PhD-23, designed for executing the PhD programme activities.
2.12.	“Internal Examiner” means a person with PhD qualification with a field of research similar to that of the scholar, appointed to conduct thesis defence of the scholar, and is a regular/adjunct faculty member of BU at the time of examination.
2.13.	“Principal Supervisor” means a person with PhD qualification with a field of research similar to that of the scholar’s PhD research, appointed to supervise the research work of a scholar, and is a regular/adjunct faculty member of the BU (as per HEC policy in vogue).
2.14.	“Programme” means an academic programme in PhD studies being run at
the BU.
2.15.		“Research” means the process leading to the production of original scholarly work in the form of a thesis for the purpose of obtaining PhD degree.
2.16.	“Scholar” means a person enrolled in a PhD programme at BU.
2.17.	“Statement of Purpose” means the detailed declarative version of topic of the research thesis which indicates objectives of the thesis and gives the reader a precise understanding of what the thesis will cover. It is the statement of purpose around which the entire thesis revolves (as per HEC policy in vogue).
 

2.18.	“Thesis” means a written description/document of the research work prepared in the format prescribed by BU and submitted as partial requirement of the PhD degree.
2.19.		“Transfer of Credits (TOC)” refers to a process of granting credits to a scholar enrolled in PhD programme at BU for the course(s) undertaken by the scholar at another HEC recognized higher education institution which is(are) equivalent to certain course(s) being offered by BU in the programme scholar is enrolled in, after having carried out the equivalency ascertaining process. When TOC granted for any course, the credits earned previously for that course are counted towards total credits requirement fulfillment for that scholar at the BU but not added to the CGPA of the degree.
2.20.		“Time Bar/Barred” is the Programme/Degree status indicating that the scholar has been unable to complete the degree requirements within the Maximum Programme Duration.
2.21.	“Time Late” means the time-period after the completion of the Maximum Programme Duration during which a PhD scholar may apply for Waiver to Time-Bar.
2.22.	“Viva Voce" means an oral examination of the scholar following his/her presentation at the thesis defence, conducted in the form of interview and discussion aimed at ascertaining evidence and sufficiency of knowledge of the scholar about the research work the scholar has worked on.
2.23 “Waiver” means removal of the Time-Bar status for a specific period in terms of regular semesters or time-period to enable the student to complete the shortfall in degree requirements.

3.	Research/Related Committees

BU has constituted various research committees, as per details in articles 4 to 11. Their functional domains range from policy making to policy implementing and facilitating the postgraduate programmes of the university.

4.	Higher Education Research Committee (HERC)

4.1.	Composition
a.	Rector	President
b.	Pro-Rectors (RIC, Academics, HS)	Member
 

c.	Registrar	Member
d.	DGs CUs	Member
e.	All Deans & Associate Deans	Member
f.	Professors	Member
g.	Director Academics	Member
h.	Controller of Examinations	Member
i.	Director Quality Assurance	Member
j.	Director CUs	Member
k.	All Principals & HODs (all CUs)	Member
l.	Director Post Graduate Programmes	Member
m.	PGP Coordinators	Members
n.	Director R&D/ORIC	Member/Secretary
o.	Head of Research Centers	Members
p.	Additional Co-opted	Members (as required)

4.2.	Terms of Reference
a.	Give policy guidelines and directions regarding all major research issues of the faculty members and scholars of the constituent/affiliated units.
b.	Monitor quality of research outcomes and theses, both at the PG levels.
c.	Specify guidelines and weightage to the publications by the faculty members.
d.	Approve R&D projects that may be undertaken to contribute towards economic development of Pakistan or for fund generation for the University.
e.	Approve collaboration with established research groups in Pakistan and abroad.
f.	Maintain database of national and international research groups/centers and well-known professors/researchers with their consent to become external Examiners for PhD scholars.
g.	Enlarge its scope and charter in parallel with new academic disciplines and new requirements of contemporary research.
h.	Meet at least twice a year.
 

5.	Faculty Research Committee (FRC)

5.1.	FRC be constituted by the Registrar and headed by Dean of the Faculty. It shall comprise Core and Elective Members.

5.2.	Composition – Core Members
There shall be 13-15 (minimum) core members of the FRC including all HODs. Where an HOD is not a PhD, a PhD faculty member from the department shall be included into the committee along with the HOD. The senior most HOD, or the Dean’s nominee, shall act as Secretary of FRC.

5.3.	Composition – Elective Members
There shall be a maximum of six elective members of the FRC including Director PGP, Director ORIC, Director QA, and three members from other Higher Education Institutions, and industry with expertise relevant to the candidates’ research-work, provided their qualification is not lower than the candidates’ programme.

5.4.	Terms of Reference
a.	Approve the Supervisors, Co-Supervisors and Advisory Committee Members for the PhD students/scholars at the time of student’s registration/enrollment based on the recommendation of DRC and RAC.
b.	Recommend and Maintain lists of Evaluators (as Internal and External Examiners) for Thesis Evaluation, Defence and Viva Voce Exam of PhD students/scholars after approval from the Rector via HERC.
c.	Conduct/arrange PhD Comprehensive Examination through PGP Coordinator.
d.	Approve the topic of the PhD thesis on recommendation of the Principal Supervisor before/at the time of Proposal Defence. Approve/ratify any major/minor changes in the topic of the PhD thesis on recommendation of the Principal Supervisor/Examiners/Evaluators post Proposal Defence without changing the main theme.
e.	Approve the examiners (Internal and External) for the proposal defence of the PhD scholar.
 

f.	Evaluate the quarterly progress reports of all PhD scholars forwarded by PGP Coordinators through HOD/DRC and present the progress in HERC.
g.	Recommend the external evaluators for the review/evaluation of the thesis of PhD scholar for onward approval by the Rector.
h.	Recommend the examiners for the final thesis evaluation/viva-voce of the of PhD scholar for onward approval by the Rector.
i.	Form the Relevance Assessment Committee (RAC) for the PhD students/scholars and recommend the committee’s approval from the Rector via HERC.
j.	Form Ethical Review Committee (ERC) to investigate ethical dimension of research of PhD students/scholars in compliance with HEC policy in vogue.
k.	Ensure plagiarism check on the candidate’s thesis as per HEC policy in vogue.
l.	Approve exemptions/transfer of credits of PhD candidates’ cases.
m.	Recommend and approve the 7th year extension of the PhD scholars based on the completion of stipulated milestones.
n.	Recommend the 8th year extension of the PhD scholars based on the completion of stipulated milestones.
o.	Review the time bar cases of PhD students/scholars who have extended beyond maximum duration of programs under force majeure events (i.e., delay on account of circumstance beyond the control of student). Suggest corrective measures to stop such cases from recurrence. Recommend the case with extended duration for the approval of the Rector.
p.	Undertake any other research related responsibility assigned by the Head of the Committee
q.	FRC shall meet at least twice a year, (preferably in February/March and July/August); the quorum of a meeting being the half of the core members. However, special FRC could be held whenever needed. FRC shall maintain the minutes of its meetings, containing clearly documented decisions, and forward its copy to Director PGP.
r.	Decisions of the committee shall be made by consensus and, if that is not possible, by majority vote. Only core members shall be entitled to exercise vote.
s.	FRC will further act as Research Review Committee for post graduate programs in Medical Sciences and will also appoint Supervisor(s) for students.
 

6.	Departmental Research Committee (DRC)

6.1	DRC shall be constituted by Dean of the Faculty and headed by the HOD. PGP Coordinator shall act as the Secretary of the DRC.

6.2.	Composition – Core Members
All regular/adjunct PhD qualified faculty members of BU. Those faculties where PhD is not available due to any reason, MS/MPhil/Equivalent qualified faculty could be core members after formal approval by the HERC.

6.3.	Composition – Elective Members
There shall be two to three elective members including from non-teaching departments of the BU and from other Higher Education Institutions, and industry with expertise relevant to the candidates’ research-work, provided their qualification is not lower than the than the PhD.

6.4.	Terms of Reference

a.	Propose Supervisor(s) and Examiners/Evaluators to FRC for PhD students/scholars.
b.	Evaluate the quarterly progress reports of PhD scholars submitted by the Supervisors to HOD/PGP Coordinator and forward it to FRC for review.
c.	Recommend exemptions, transfer of credits of PhD candidates’
cases to FRC.
d.	Recommend the 7th and 8th year extensions of PhD scholars to FRC after a thorough review of completion of stipulated milestones.
e.	Review the time bar cases of PhD students/scholars who have extended beyond maximum duration of programs under force majeure events (i.e., delay on account of circumstance beyond the control of student) and recommend to FRC.
f.	Undertake any other research related responsibility assigned by the Dean/Principal/HOD.
g.	DRC shall meet at least twice a year; however special DRC could be held whenever needed. The quorum for a meeting of the DRC shall be half of the total number of core members, a fraction being counted as one. DRC shall maintain the minutes of its meetings and forward to the PGP Directorate.
 

h.	Decisions of the committee shall be made by consensus and, if that is not possible, by majority vote. Only core members shall be entitled to exercise vote.

7.	Admissions Committee

7.1.	Composition
The Admissions Committee shall be constituted by the Director/DG Campus comprising at least three regular/adjunct faculty members/research staff holding PhD degrees and headed by the HOD/Principal.

7.2.	Terms of Reference:
a.	Determine/assess the suitability of PhD candidates through written test/interviews and courses undertaken. It will also assess the eligibility of candidates’ intradisciplinary admissions and accordingly recommend the deficiency courses of 6-9 credits of level 7 for PhD programs.
b.	Scrutinize the documents according to eligibility criteria required for admission in respective programme including the GRE/HAT General/Equivalent admission test results and equivalency certificate of all foreign degrees/certificates issued by the HEC.
c.	Forward the case of recommended candidates through Principal/Director Campus to the Directorates of Admissions and PGP for final interviews by the Rector and subsequent approval.

8.	Advisory Committee for PhD Scholars

8.1.	Composition
Minimum three PhD faculty members/researchers including supervisor, co- supervisor (if any) and experts from field of research appointed by the HOD/DRC for each PhD scholar. Advisory Committee members can be external to the BU and, in some cases, a committee member from industry or professions may be appropriate.

8.2.	Terms of Reference
a.	Support the Supervisor in his/her role and provide additional advice to the PhD scholar in technical and research related matters.
 

b.	Oversee the research progress of PhD scholar to ensure that the overall progress of the thesis is on track and satisfactory and that any issues affecting progress are identified and addressed.
c.	Meet biannually to assess progress of the scholar and submit report to PGP Directorate and Dean/FRC through HOD, Principal.

9.	Ethical Review Committee (ERC)

9.1.	Composition
Three or more suitable members selected by the Dean from within or outside BU depending upon kinds of expert opinion needed in the research work.

9.2.	Terms of Reference
a.	Review the research proposals involving human or other living subjects, whether individuals or communities, before the study begins, and ensure that the conditions that could affect the rights of subjects during a study are approved for the study to begin.
b.	Identify ethical issues or concerns posed by research involving human subjects and undertake sufficient assessment of proportionality of risks and benefits for the individuals and community involved by those issues in order to secure the individuals’/community well-being by maximizing possible benefits while minimizing risks.
c.	Ensure the subjects of research are clearly aware of the nature of the research work and their position in respect of it.
d.	Protect potential participants in the research from being coerced or manipulated to participate in the research work especially those whose capacity is impaired, not capable of giving voluntary consent, or who are in some way dependent or vulnerable to the research revealing. And ensure that the consent being secured is valid, preferably in writing, and the participants are sufficiently informed and have adequate time to decide without pressure.
e.	Ensure subjects shall be able to easily withdraw from a research protocol without giving reasons and without suffering any penalty or alteration in their relationship with providers of services, if any.
f.	Ensure respect for the research participants through protecting their individual autonomy, especially those who are not capable of taking
 

autonomous decisions and maintaining confidentiality of the data and information collected.
g.	Ensure protection of the research subject against any possible serious bodily harm.
h.	Examine and evaluate the process, printed documents and other tools that shall be employed for collecting data.
i.	Assess the incentives that shall be given to the participants to ensure that no unethical consideration is involved in the incentives being offered.
j.	Attempt to reduce and resolve the ethical issues involved in the research as much as possible.
k.	Ensure the integrity of academic research ethics in the PhD thesis.
l.	Provide guidance to the PhD Supervisor/Co-Supervisor and Students/Scholars on academic misconduct, where necessary.
m.	Promote data privacy and forbid unauthorized access to private and sensitive data.
n.	Ensure that the plagiarism has been tested by the licensed software and HEC guidelines in vogue are followed in true spirit.
o.	Conduct periodic appraisal of the research being undertaken to ensure subjects of research are protected from harm, their confidentiality is maintained, and their rights are respected. Serious adverse events shall be reported promptly to the FRC.
p.	The ERC may withdraw approval of the research work if it is not satisfied with the level of adherence to the basic ethical guidelines by the student.
r.	Confidentiality of the ERC’s proceedings shall be preserved.



10.	Grievance Management Committee

10.1.	Composition
Three PhD faculty members excluding supervisor appointed by the DRC after approval of FRC for all of the PhD scholars. The committee will be fully aware of grievance processes and appropriately competent to ensure that the processes are consistently applied.

10.2.	Terms of Reference
 

a.	Support the students or potential students to launch complaints without fear of discrimination.
b.	Respect the behavior of all parties when handling grievances.
c.	Communicate effectively in a timely manner to keep all parties up to date with the progress of grievances.
d.	Ensure that all information is held at the utmost confidence.
e.	Ensure that the principles of natural justice are applied.
f.	Ensure that grievances are resolved to the satisfaction of all parties.
g.	Ensure the compliance with the grievance management system attached at Annex-E.

11.	Relevance Assessment Committee (RAC)

11.1.	Composition
Minimum Five PhD faculty members including respective Dean as head of committee, and Director QA, two relevant external members of Professor/Associate Professor Level and HOD/PGP Coordinator/FM involved in preparation of SAR will form the RAC. RAC will be recommended by the FRC and subsequently approved by the HERC.

11.2.	Terms of Reference
a.	Appoint the relevant PhD Supervisor and Co-Supervisor (if any) of the PhD student based on bachelor, master and PhD degree, research including supervised thesis/dissertations and published articles, teaching and administrative experience
b.	Submit the appointment report with detailed reasons and rational for the assessment decision to the FRC for subsequent approval by the HERC.
 

12.	Post Graduate Programmes (PGP) Directorate

12.1.	PGP Directorate ensures smooth and efficient implementation and progression of PG Programmes at BU in line with HEC instructions and BU Statutes/Rules and policies.

12.2.	Terms of Reference
a.	Responsible for the quality of graduate degree programs and research conducted under these programs at BU as per Annex A.
b.	Develop policies and Rules for PG programmes and ensure their effective implementation
c.	Plan measures/strategies to continuously enhance enrolment in PG programmes in line with practices followed by research-led universities
d.	Ensure induction/admission of quality PG scholars by working proactively through the Deans and the HODs.
e.	Ensure all changes suggested by the statutory and regulatory bodies (HEC, etc.) are incorporated in the PG Rules.
f.	Formally responsible for the monitoring of the progress of PG scholars throughout the academic programme, to deal with any issues arising, whether academic or personal.
g.	Ensure the development of a framework and mechanism for evaluating the effectiveness of PG programmes
h.	Create database of quarterly progress reports of PG scholars in consultation with their supervisors
i.	Develop and maintain records of current and planned PG programmes in all the departments of CUs
j.	Guide Constituent Units regarding the progress, monitoring and feedback of PG scholars
k.	Search and disseminate the information concerning funding/scholarship opportunities relevant to PG programmes
l.	Develop and upgrade webpage of PG Programmes
m.	Act as PG Scholar Affairs office for withdrawal, temporary suspension, transfer of credit, extensions, exemptions etc.
n.	Participate in the orientation of new PhD faculty members and PG scholars
o.	Attend FRC/DRC meetings or other statutory meetings
p.	Perform any other duty assigned by the Rector.
 


13.	Post Graduate Programme (PGP) Coordinator

13.1.	PGP Coordinator for each Department, whose appointment based on the recommendations of the HOD and Principal shall be notified by the Registrar after due approval of the Rector. Each PGP Coordinator must hold a PhD degree.

13.2.	Terms of Reference
a.	Ensure that PG-Rules are being followed by the Department.
b.	Act as secretary of the DRC so as to ensure holding of timely meetings, preparation of its agenda items, preparation/issuing of minutes of the meetings, (with the approval of chairperson DRC) and monitoring progress on implementation of the decisions taken.
c.	Maintain complete record of research scholars undergoing PG programmes including:
(1)	Complete details of their educational documents.
(2)	Subject and General test results.
(3)	PG courses completed so far.
(4)	PhD synopsis/proposals and its approval from the competent authority.
(5)	Progress reports of the scholars submitted by the Supervisors.
(6)	Any other additional information such as registration, freezing of semester and dropping of courses, transfer cases etc.
(7)	Details of foreign evaluations along with evaluation reports and details of foreign evaluators relevant to his/her department.
d.	Interact with the research scholars and their supervisor(s) and update/report to FRC/DRC about their progress and guide the scholars accordingly.
e.	Submit progress reports of each PG scholar to the FRC and PGP Directorate through the HOD.
f.	Maintain a close working relation with PGP Directorate for overall monitoring of PG Programmes.
 

14.	Eligibility

Eligibility criteria for PhD Programmes shall be as under, unless changed or modified by the HEC:

Requirement	Description

















Academic Qualification	MS/MPhil/Equivalent degree as described in HEC GEP 2023 with CGPA of 3.0/4.0 or 60% in annual system, whether such degree was obtained from Pakistani or foreign universities. If the CGPA/Percentage is not mentioned on the transcript, the candidate must produce equivalent weightage from the parent university. The students having CGPA lower than 3.0 or 60% marks (in the annual system) but greater than or equal to 2.5 with strong demonstrated interest in obtaining PhD degree in the most recent degree obtained, may be admitted to a PhD program after fulfilling the following requirements:
a)	He/she must study additional courses of 9-12 credits of level 7, taking a zero semester at BU and score minimum 3.0/4.0 CGPA.
b)	The admission committee is satisfied that the applicant’s knowledge of primary area (level 7) has sufficiently prepared him or her to undertake the course of studies of the doctoral program.
c)	These requirements shall be in addition to any other requirements already set for admission to a PhD program.
OR

Students pursuing MS/MPhil studies and interested in continuing to PhD may be granted provisional admission upon satisfaction of Admission Committee, subject to the fulfilment of the following conditions within a period of one year from the date of provisional admission:
d)	Award of MS/MPhil degree, as prescribed in this policy.
e)	Clearance of the admission test, as prescribed in this policy.
*The admitting university has the right to accept or reject a
candidate based on an MS degree without research
 

	For intradisciplinary admissions, the applicant has a strong interest in pursuing PhD in a different discipline. He/she has passed GRE-Subject/Equivalent Test with minimum 50% marks in the discipline of admission and has taken 6-9 CH of deficiency courses of level 7.
*Intra-disciplinary refers to sub-disciplines that occur within one of the ten broad disciplines defined by UNESCO's International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED-F-
2013).
Attestation	HEC's attestation on the candidate's local degrees (on the back
of the original degrees).
Equivalency	HEC's equivalency   certificate   for   the   candidate's   foreign
degrees.




Admission Test	Test equivalent to GRE/HAT General developed at the University, with a passing score of 60%.

OR
Test equivalent to GRE/HAT General, conducted by testing bodies accredited by HEC, with a passing score of 60%.

In addition, University may conduct subject test for admission in PhD programs, if required.








Statement of Purpose	Applicants shall be required to submit a statement of purpose (SOP), which shall form an integral part of the application. The admissions committee shall use the information provided to ascertain the preparedness and interest of the candidate in pursuing doctoral studies, and whether the department has the requisite resources to train and supervise the doctoral candidate in the subspeciality in which the applicant is interested. A statement of purpose shall, at least, include the following:
a)	Title of the potential research proposal.
b)	Clear articulation of the current understanding of the intended field and ideas for potential research.
c)	Explanation of the intended impact of the proposed research.
d)	The prospective candidates shall demonstrate passion
and enthusiasm for the area of research.
 

15.	Selection, Admission & Registration Procedure

15.1.	Admission application on the prescribed form, supported with relevant documents mentioned in the application form, shall be submitted to the Admission Office of the Campus/Constituent Unit.
15.2.	Applications shall be scrutinized by the Admission Committee of the Department along with all documents including equivalence certificate for the foreign certificates/degrees issued by the HEC, to determine eligibility of the candidates for admission.
15.3.	The Admission Committee shall interview eligible candidates and evaluate their research proposals to assess their suitability for the PhD programme. Any further selection procedure, including a test, may also be used to assess the suitability of the candidates.
15.4.	The Admission Committee shall also examine the statement of purpose of the research work submitted by the candidates along with the admission application for its relevance and strength. Admission interview evaluation shall be done on the prescribed format (PhD-1A and PhD-1B). The Committee shall verify the availability, consent, and relevance of potential supervisor on the prescribed format (PhD-1C).
15.5.	Names of the candidates recommended by the Admission Committee for admission to the PhD programme shall be forwarded by the HOD to the PGP Directorate through the Director Campus/Principal, which shall process the case for approval of the Rector.
15.6.	Admission letters to the selected candidates shall be issued by the Directorate of Admissions on the prescribed format (PhD-1D) with copy to the Dean, Director Campus, Director PGP and the Principal/HOD. The selected candidates shall be required to register on or before the date given in the offer letter, the failure to do so shall result in cancellation of admission.
15.7.	Upon registration, DRC shall recommend suitable Principal Supervisor (based on the approval of RAC), Co-Supervisor (if required) and Advisory Committee, which shall be presented to the FRC for approval. Subsequently, the HOD shall notify Principal Supervisor (PhD-2A) and Co-supervisor (PhD-2B). Constitution of Advisory Committee shall be specified using (PhD-3).

16.	Programme Credit Hours

Credit hours of the PhD Programmes shall be as follows:
Course Work (in alignment with National Qualification Framework): 18 credit hours
 

Research Work:	36 credit hours

16.1	The courses shall be offered through regular classes (i.e., classes taught on campus by full-time faculty members of the university).
16.2	The courses shall be of 800 level. The deficiency courses for PhD should be of 700 level.

17.	Duration of the PhD Programmes

17.1	Minimum duration of the PhD programmes shall be 3 years. During the first year (2 semesters) coursework shall be carried out by the scholars, followed by a Comprehensive Examination. Research work shall be carried out in the remaining 2 years (4 semesters).
17.2.	Maximum duration of the programmes shall be 8 years. At the completion of 6th year, the performance each scholar must be carefully monitored by the FRC for subsequent extensions/waivers for 7th and 8th years, subject to the fulfillment of following conditions, as follows:
a)	The7th year extension/waiver will be approved by the FRC subject to the processing (thesis submission or review)/conduct of Internal Thesis Defense (ITD). However, if the scholar has not been able to meet the prescribed condition, FRC will investigate the matter, give a time frame to scholar to submit thesis accordingly. Post submission of thesis for ITD, the extension will be granted by the FRC.
b)	The 8th year extension/waiver will also be approved by the Rector subject to processing (thesis submission or review) of foreign evaluation (FE) and/ or final PhD Thesis defense (FTD). However, if the scholar has not been able to meet the prescribed condition, FRC will investigate the matter, give a time frame to scholar to submit thesis accordingly. Post submission of thesis for FE/FTD, the extension will be recommended by the FRC for subsequent approval by the Rector.
c)	The waiver request shall be initiated by the student on the prescribed form (PhD-4).
d)	Beyond the Maximum Duration, the scholar shall become Time-Barred. If he/she is unable to complete the PhD degree within the prescribed timeframe, waiver to the Time-Bar may be granted under force majeure events (i.e., delay on account of circumstance beyond the control of student). Under such circumstances, the waiver request shall be initiated by the
 

student on the prescribed form (PhD-4). The case will be forwarded by FRC to the HERC. Beforehand, FRC will thoroughly deliberate on the case, find out the reasons for the delay, suggest the corrective measures and recommend the case with extended duration for the approval of the Rector in the HERC.
e)	If the waiver (/s) is granted, the student shall be required to pay the required fee(s) applicable to the additional semester.

17.3.	Programme duration shall be counted from the date of registration/enrollment in the programme up to up to the issuance of the final PhD notification. Time taken by the thesis evaluation process after the thesis submission for ITD shall be counted into the programme duration. The scholars shall be charged a fee during the extended period as per notified BU fee policy. The scholar shall pay the requisite fee till submission of Final Thesis after incorporating the observations highlighted in Final PhD Thesis Defence.
17.4.	Registration in every semester is mandatory for Scholars even after completion of minimum duration and completion of research credit hours. After minimum duration the scholars shall be charged fee as per following schedule:

Years in PhD Program	Fee per Semester
4	Rs.20,000/-
5	Rs.25,000/-
6	Rs.30,000/-
7th onward (in case extension is granted)	Rs.40,000/-

18.	Migration in and out of the University

18.1.	Scholars migrating from the other HEC recognized Universities (with Uniform Semester Examination System) shall be required to complete the residency requirements (minimum 50% time of the regular duration).
18.2.	Scholars may also ask for migration to another University or termination of programme at any stage. In such cases the scholars shall only be entitled to receive the transcript mentioning the courses completed and not mentioning any research work partially completed.

19.	Exemption and Transfer of Credits
 

19.1.	The FRC, on the request of the DRC, may approve Transfer of Credits or Exemption of Courses in respect of any PhD programme course(s) provided that:
19.1.1	The scholar has obtained a CGPA of 3.0/4.0 or 60% aggregate (where CGPA is not given) in the coursework at the time of migration into the BU.
19.1.2	TOCs and Exemptions will be considered on the basis of course contents, Credit Hours, basic eligibility criteria and a minimum of B grade according to the BU grading system in the courses for which TOC or Exemption are being sought.
19.1.3	The Exemptions/TOCs do not exceed the total coursework credit hours of the PhD Programme offered at the BU.
19.2.	The final transcript of the scholar shall be endorsed as follows:
19.2.1	TOCs: In the result column, the words "Credits Transferred" shall be endorsed against the TOC course(s).
19.2.2	Exemption(s): A foot-noted list, titled "Additional Courses Completed" shall be added.
19.3.	The scholar shall apply for TOC/Exemption on the prescribed format (PhD-5) and pay the TOC/Exemption processing fee as per the BU policy.
19.4.	The DRC shall constitute a three-member Equivalence Committee from its own members to ascertain equivalence of the course(s) applied for TOC/Exemption with the course(s) applied against. The Equivalence Committee shall process the case and give its findings on the prescribed format (PhD-6). Based on the findings of the Equivalence Committee, the DRC shall make the recommendation to the FRC.

20.	Course Withdrawal

20.1.	Scholars may withdraw from a registered course till the end of the seventh week of the semester. No withdrawal of course shall be allowed after this time. To withdraw from a registered course, the scholar shall have to apply to the HOD through the PGP Coordinator on the prescribed format (PhD-7).
20.2.	If the course is withdrawn within two weeks after commencement of classes, the course withdrawn shall not be recorded on the transcript. However, in case the course is withdrawn between the third and the seventh week of the semester the letter “W” shall be recorded on the transcript against the course withdrawn.
 

21.	Semester Freeze

21.1.	Scholars are allowed to freeze their semester due to illness or circumstances beyond their control by giving a written application to the HOD on prescribed format (PhD-8).
21.2.	Scholars can apply for semester freeze till three weeks before commencement of the final examinations. No semester freeze shall be allowed after this time.
21.3.	Scholars can freeze more than one semester either consecutively or staggered, while remaining within the Maximum programme duration.


22.	Refund/Adjustment of Fees for Course Withdrawal, Semester Freeze and Allied Reasons

22.1.	Course Withdrawal and Semester Freeze
22.1.1	Full amount of tuition fee shall be refunded/adjusted to next semester if the course is withdrawn/semester frozen up to 7th day of convening of classes.
22.1.2	Half (50%) fee shall be refunded/adjusted to next semester if course is withdrawn/semester frozen from 8th to 15th day of convening of classes.
22.1.3	No fee shall be refunded/adjusted to next semester if course is withdrawn/semester frozen from 16th day of convening of classes.
22.2.	Cancellation of Course(s) or Programme
22.2.1	Full amount of tuition fee shall be refunded to the scholars if the courses after being offered are cancelled by the University for any reason.
22.2.2	In case a programme is cancelled, the entire charges including admission fee shall be refunded to the scholar.
22.3.	Drop Cases
A Scholar dropped from the degree programme after grant of admission on hope certificate for the reason of not meeting the admission requirements, shall be refunded all charges except admission fee.
22.4.	Maximum Time Period for Refund Claims
Refund claims shall normally be entertained up to a maximum period of one year after the date of leaving. The BU shall not entertain any claim or refund after this period.
22.5.	Conflict Resolution
 

In case of any conflict or interpretation of the aforementioned rules on refund of fee and other charges, the matter shall be referred to the Rector through the Registrar whose decision shall be final.

23.	Probation, Chance and Dropout
23.1	The student shall be placed on Probation if his/her CGPA falls below 3.0/4.0 (GPA if it is the first semester) for the first time. After each Probation, a formal warning letter is to be issued to the student by the concerned HOD and a copy of the same – duly signed/ acknowledged by the student – is to be retained in the respective HOD office for record purposes.
23.2	The student shall be placed on another Probation if his/her CGPA falls below 3.0/4.0 for the second time. Students with two consecutive Probations must NOT register for a new course/new semester without the prior approval of the concerned Principal, through respective HOD.
23.3	The student shall be dropped from the programme if his/her CGPA falls below 3.0/4.0 after two consecutive Probations.
23.4	If dropped from the programme, a transcript mentioning courses completed with the status endorsed as "PhD Incomplete" may be issued by the Controller of Examination to the student. Migration letter may also be issued to the student by the Controller of Examination, on request.

24.	Assessment Modalities for Coursework

24.1.	Credited Work


Assessment Head & Mode	Weightage	Timeframe

Subjective Quizzes from Course Contents, Home/Classroom Assignments and Presentations	

30%	
Through-out Semester
Mid-Term Examination, a subjective examination from Course Contents/Case Study/Book Review/Critical Review of Journal Articles/Literature review for research paper(s)	

30%	

Mid-Semester

Final Examination, a subjective examination from Course Contents	
40%	
End of Semester
 




24.2.	Non-Credited Work


Assessment Head & Mode	Timeframe
Comprehensive Examination (as defined in these rules)	
On completion of the Coursework

Research Proposal Defence	After clearing Comprehensive Examination
Research Article/Paper published in an HEC recognized journal based on the HEC criteria	Any time after the Proposal Defence and before submission of the thesis for Internal Thesis Defence (ITD)
Internal Thesis Evaluation and Defence	Before the submission of Thesis for Foreign evaluation

Foreign Evaluation	Any time after clearing the Internal Thesis Evaluation and Defence

Final Thesis Defence	
Any time after clearing Foreign Evaluation

25.	Comprehensive Examination

25.1.	After having completed the coursework with minimum CGPA 3.0/4.0, the scholars shall be required to pass a written Comprehensive Examination based on the coursework completed at graduate level before being entitled to start research work. The exam should be based on recapitulation of the conceptual knowledge of the discipline to which the student is admitted. The exam shall be conducted on one composite question paper. The department shall conduct Comprehensive Examination in March and August for scholars completing their course work in Fall and Spring Semester, respectively. Scholars passing comprehensive examination in Spring semester shall be eligible to register for research till the eighth week into the semester. Comprehensive Examination on other dates may be conducted by the department in very special circumstances with the approval of Dean.
25.2.	A panel of four-six (4-6) Examiners drawn from the PhD faculty of BU in relevant field by the Dean/FRC, shall prepare the Comprehensive Examination and
 

award a "Pass"/"Fail" grade to the scholar. HOD shall write letter of nomination to the Examiners on the prescribed format (PhD-9).
25.3.	Passing marks in the Comprehensive Examination shall be 60%. The Comprehensive Examination shall be conducted by the PGP Coordinator.
25.4.	The Comprehensive Examination results along with examination paper and marked answer script shall be submitted by the HOD to the Examination Department, within 2 weeks from the date of Comprehensive Examination, on a prescribed format (PhD-10) under intimation to the Dean/FRC, Controller of Exams and the PGP Directorate.
25.5.	If the scholar passes the Comprehensive Examination, the PGP Directorate shall inform him/her on the prescribed format (PhD-11), with permission to start the research work.
25.6.	The scholar shall be given two chances to pass the Comprehensive Examination within preferably two years from registration/enrollment in the PhD programme. If the scholar fails comprehensive examination twice, he/she shall be dropped from the programme. Transcript may be issued to the scholar mentioning the coursework completed with the status endorsed as "PhD Incomplete". Migration letter may also be issued to the scholar by the Examination Department, on request.

26.	Research Proposal Defence

26.1.	The scholar shall prepare the research proposal under guidance of the Supervisor and submit it to the HOD, within six months of having passed the Comprehensive Examination. The research area should correspond to community needs at regional and local levels and comply with the priority national research agenda. It should reflect the basic and pure research. It should signify emerging areas of research that coincide preferably with sustainable development goals (SDGs).
26.2.	The research proposal shall be submitted as per the prescribed format of the faculty. The word count for PhD research proposal shall preferably range from 8000 to 15000 excluding bibliography.
26.3.	The scholar shall also submit the filled Ethics Review Form (PhD-12) along with the proposal for evaluation. Ethical Review Committee shall review the proposal before conduct of the research proposal defence if the scholar has declared that his/her research work shall involve human subjects. ERC may invite the scholar to attend meetings of the ERC when his/her study is being reviewed.
26.4.	The FRC shall appoint one internal and two external examiners to conduct the thesis proposal defence of the scholar. Internal Examiner shall be drawn from the regular/adjunct PhD faculty of BU in relevant field whereas the relevant External
 

Examiners shall be appointed from the HERC approved list of External Examiners. If a suitable Internal Examiner is not available in BU, all Examiners shall be selected from outside BU by the FRC. Same panel of examiners appointed for the proposal defence should preferably be invited for the ITD and FTD of the scholar. Dean will chair the proposal defence.
26.5.	PGP Coordinator with the consent of HOD shall announce and circulate the schedule of the thesis proposal defence and make necessary arrangements. Copy of the schedule shall also be sent to the Dean, PGP Directorate and Controller of Examination.
26.6.	The scholar shall defend the proposal by giving a multimedia presentation before the Examiners. The Examiners shall assess the proposal on a prescribed Research Proposal Evaluation format (PhD-13A). The scholar shall have to secure a minimum 60% score on the assessment sheet from majority of the Examiners on the panel to get the proposal approved. If the proposal is approved, the scholar shall be allowed to start research work under the Supervisor (PhD-13B). Letter in this regard shall be written to the scholar by the HOD. If rejected, the FRC may ask the scholar to improve the existing proposal or submit a fresh one. In such a case, the PGP Coordinator shall communicate the reasons of rejection given by the Examiners to the scholar under intimation to the FRC, PGP Directorate and Controller of Examination. In case the scholar does not appear in the defence without prior authorization, the proposal shall be considered rejected.
26.7.	The scholar shall be given two chances to get the research proposal approved. If the proposal is rejected twice or if the scholar fails to complete the coursework, comprehensive exam and research proposal defense in first six semesters (3 years) from the date of registration/enrollment in PhD program, FRC shall recommend termination of candidacy of the scholar and shall refer the case to HERC for approval under the guidance of PGP Directorate. If the HERC is not due to meet within one month, the FRC's recommendation of termination of scholar’s candidacy shall be forwarded to the Rector through PGP Directorate for approval; the HERC shall subsequently ratify the Rector’s decision.
26.8.	If termination of the candidacy is approved, transcript mentioning courses completed with the status endorsed as "PhD Incomplete" may be issued by the Examination Department to the scholar along with the Comprehensive Examination result. Migration letter may also be issued to the scholar by the Examination Department, on request.
26.9.	Further, a post graduate diploma certificate in same discipline could be awarded to such a scholar upon completion of 18 credit hours of coursework. Besides, he/she could be awarded an MS/MPhil degree after further completion of additional
 

12 credit hours with or without thesis. For such cases, the roadmap will be forwarded by the FRC for subsequent approval of HERC on case to case basis.
26.10.	In an event of force majeure i.e., noncompliance to completion of coursework, comprehensive exam and research proposal defense within stipulated time on account of circumstances beyond the control of student, FRC will thoroughly review on the case, find out the reasons for the delay, suggest the corrective measures and recommend the case of extension for the approval of the Rector through HERC.

27.	Supervisors

27.1.	The scholars shall be assigned Principal Supervisor and Co-supervisor (if needed) by the FRC after the approval of Relevance assessment Committee (RAC) at the time of their registration/enrollment in the PhD programme. The Principal Supervisor should hold PhD degree from an HEC recognized national/international university and shall be a regular/adjunct faculty member of BU in the relevant field. The research supervisor shall be allocated to a doctoral student from the date of enrollment. Whereas Co-Supervisor should also hold a PhD degree from an HEC recognized national/international university and shall be a PhD faculty member or a researcher in R&D organization in the relevant field. However, in the case of a non- faculty PhD supervisor, who otherwise meets the criteria of being a PhD supervisor, shall be taken as an adjunct faculty member, for a period not less than the minimum time required to complete the student’s PhD research, prior to assigning a PhD supervision. Such a person shall also provide an NOC from the parent organization. The supervisory remuneration shall be divided between the Principal Supervisor and the Co-Supervisor in the ratio of 2:1.
27.2.	The Principal Supervisor should have taken and qualified course(s) on MS/MPhil/PhD Supervision, which have contents on research ethics, publications, patents, etc. Such courses may include certified self-paced MOOCS, or a course designed/offered by National Academy of Higher Education (NAHE) or by BU.
27.3.	If the Principal Supervisor is not available for any reason, FRC must assign a new Principal Supervisor to the scholar by not later than 4 weeks. Meanwhile Co- Supervisor or the HOD may act as Principal Supervisor in compliance to the clause 2.13.
27.4.	The Principal Supervisor shall not be changed except under extraordinary circumstances. In case of a serious problem between a scholar and the Principal Supervisor, the scholar may request the HOD to change the Principal Supervisor. The HOD shall examine the matter and submit report to the FRC. The FRC shall take the final decision on the matter by not later than 4 weeks.
 

27.5.	The supervisory workload of supervisors should be determined based on the nature of the institution, availability of teaching and research facilities, and the academic standing of supervisors. However, it is mandated that the maximum supervisory load shall not exceed five PhD students at one time. Moreover, the supervisory load of Deans, Principals and HODs should preferably not exceed more than two PhD students and two MS/MPhil students at one time, due to the administrative load associated with the position.
27.6.	Fresh PhDs can supervise MS/MPhil and co-supervise PhD students, while a PhD faculty member, after two years of obtaining a PhD degree, can supervise one PhD student in 3rd year, two PhD students in 4th year and maximum up to 5 PhD students from 5th year onward, subject to fulfillment of conditions provided in of HEC GEP 2023.
27.7.	In addition, a PhD supervisor must publish research articles in the HEC’s recognized research journals and in the relevant category specified in the HJRS for the publication year. These conditions are different for different disciplines and aim to ensure that the potential PhD supervisor is an active researcher:
a)	Specific Requirements for Science and Technology (For indigenous and foreign PhDs):
i.	Within the last 3 years after PhD: at least one research publications in W category journal.
OR
ii.	Within last 5 years after PhD: at least five research publications in X category journal.
b)	Specific Requirements for Social Science, Arts and Humanities and Business Education (For indigenous and foreign PhDs):
i.	Within the last 3 years after PhD: at least one research publication in W category journal.
OR
ii.	Within the last 5 years after PhD: at least five research publications in X and Y category journal.
c)	Specific Requirements for Regional and National Languages (For indigenous and foreign PhDs):
i.	Within the last 3 years after PhD: at least one research publication in X category journal.
OR
ii.	Within the last 5 years after PhD: at least five research publications in X or Y category journal.
27.8 Supervision Manual, which includes the eligibility, roles, responsibilities of supervisor and supervisee, is attached at Annex D. Besides it includes supervisory process and timespan, advisory committee and grievance handling.
 


28.	Research Work Progress Report

28.1. The Principal Supervisor shall submit quarterly research work progress report on the prescribed format (PhD-14) of the scholars to the PGP Coordinator for onward submission to the HOD. Likewise, the Advisory Committee of the scholar shall also submit biannual report (on PhD-14) to the HOD. The HOD, in turn, shall submit a consolidated progress report of all PhD scholars to the Dean, Principal and PGP Directorate on quarterly basis.
28.2 The academic year with respect to research work in PG programmes shall be divided into four quarters. The duration of these quarters and the timeline for submission of progress report by respective supervisor in respect of PhD Scholar(s) for each quarter shall be as follows:

Quarter	Timeline for Submission of Progress Report
September - November	15th December
December – February	15th March
March – May	15th June
June – August	15th September

The first progress report of scholars, starting their research work in Spring semester, shall be submitted from March-May quarter.
28.3.	If the scholar gets an unsatisfactory report twice during the programme, the FRC may ask the scholar to change the research topic. If the change of research topic does not help either and the scholar’s performance is again reported unsatisfactory, the FRC shall recommend to the HERC under guidance of the PGP Directorate, the termination of candidacy of the scholar. If the HERC is not due to meet within one month, the FRC's recommendation of termination of scholar’s candidacy shall be forwarded to the Rector by the PGP Directorate for approval; the HERC shall subsequently ratify the Rector’s decision.
28.4.	If termination of the candidacy is approved, transcript mentioning courses completed with the status endorsed as "PhD Incomplete" may be issued by the Examination Department to the scholar along with the Comprehensive Examination result. Migration letter may also be issued to the scholar by the Examination Department, on request.
 

29.	Thesis Submission Requirements Before Internal Thesis Defence (ITD)

29.1.	The PhD thesis/dissertation should reflect relevance, credibility, effectiveness, and legitimacy of the research. The thesis must be an original and innovative contribution to knowledge that contributes to solving socioeconomic problems. The thesis should correspond to the needs of communities at regional and local levels and must comply with the priority national research agenda. It should include basic and pure research. It must be aligned with the UN’s sustainable development goals (SDGs).
29.2.	The reporting quality of thesis should reflect following characteristics:
a)	The document is well written.
b)	The contents are balanced, well organized, appropriately styled; clearly structured, and well cohered.
c)	The document is free from grammatical and spelling errors and flawed terminology.
d)	Minor shortcomings such as inaccurate use of acronyms and clumsy looking sentence structure have been addressed.
e)	Quantitative research proposals must include a valid statistical design for data analysis.
f)	Formatting shall be compatible with international standards.
29.3.	The methodological quality of thesis to ensure the technical soundness should comply to following guidelines:
a)	Guidelines Ensuring the Quality of Qualitative Research:
A PhD thesis based on the Qualitative Research methods should satisfy, at least, the following questions:
i.	Does the research, as reported, illuminate the subjective meaning, actions and contexts of those being researched?
ii.	Is there evidence of the adaptation and responsiveness of the research design to the circumstances and issues of real-life social settings met during the study?
iii.	Does the sample produce the type of knowledge necessary to understand the structures and processes within which the individuals or situations are located?
iv.	Is the description provided detailed enough to allow the researcher or reader to interpret the meaning and context of what is being researched?
v.	How are the different sources of knowledge about the same issue compared?
 

vi.	Are subjective perceptions and experiences treated as knowledge in their own right?
vii.	How does research move from a description of the data through quotation or examples to an analysis and interpretation of the meaning and significance of it?
b)	Guidelines Ensuring the Quality of Quantitative Research
A PhD thesis with Quantitative Research methods should satisfy, at least, the following questions:
i.	Reliability – are the results repeatable?
ii.	Validity – does it measure what it says?
iii.	Internal validity – do the research results indicate what they appear to be?
iv.	External validity – can the results be generalized to other settings (ecological validity) and to other populations (population validity)?
v.	Replicability – are the results of the study reproducible?
c)	Appropriateness of the Methods to the Aims of the Study
To achieve the research objectives, the alignment of the research approach and methods is necessary. Therefore, a PhD thesis, at least, shall:
i.	Reflect a fair proportion of latest knowledge of contemporary techniques and methods in relation to study objectives.
ii.	Contain detailed and easily comprehensible discussions regarding the applied methods and techniques.
iii.	Justify the use of methods and techniques to achieve study objectives.
iv.	Show evaluation of obtained results in relation with study objectives.
v.	The methods and techniques used should justify the results obtained.
vi.	The obtained results should support the study objectives.
d)	Relevance to the Policy and Practice
The research should have significantly answered questions related to policy and practice in that area, establishing its usefulness and usability. Accordingly, a PhD thesis, at least, shall:
i.	Reflect judicious evaluation of study results in relation with policy related aims and goals undertaken while starting the research.
ii.	Discuss the practical implications of the study results in association with the developing practices in that area.
iii.	Establish usefulness of the study results for devising policy as stated in the beginning.
iv.	Discuss how the resulting policy would be useful for the organization/society.
v.	The study output should be significant enough to be published or patented.
 

vi.	The assessment of the results performed by the author must not be superficial and lack substance.
29.4.	The thesis should have been developed on the prescribed format (Annex - ‘B’ & ‘C’). Any other type of format specific to research if intended to be used, it must be approved by the FRC. However, the contents as mentioned in prescribed format (Annex - ‘B’ & ‘C’) must be fulfilled.
29.5.	The word count should preferably range from 40,000 to 80,000 excluding tables, figures and bibliography.
29.6.	Plagiarism test shall be conducted through HEC recognized plagiarism testing software by the PGP Coordinator and report placed in the outset of the research proposal and thesis. The overall similarity index and the similarity from a single source must conform to HEC’s Plagiarism Policy/Rules in vogue. Scholar’s own publication produced from the PhD research work shall be excluded while generating the similarity index report, if published work is properly cited by the scholar in his/her thesis. Furthermore, BU Plagiarism Rules are subject to HEC Plagiarism Rules in vogue. Any changes in HEC Plagiarism Rules shall be applicable to BU Plagiarism Rules.
29.7.	Approval for Examination (PhD-15) by the Principal Supervisor, Author’s Declaration (PhD-16A) and Plagiarism Undertaking (PhD-16B) shall be placed in the outset of the thesis.
29.8.	Evidence of publication of at least one research article in W-category HEC approved journal or two research articles in X-category HEC approved journals for Science disciplines, and one research article in X-category HEC approved journal or two research articles in Y-category HEC approved journals for Social Science disciplines. The publication must be relevant and based on the scholar’s PhD research work. However, the acceptance of the research article is mandatory prior to internal thesis defence (ITD), and publication of the research article is mandatory prior to final thesis defence (FTD). The scholar must be the first author for the required article followed by the Supervisor/Co-Supervisor. Affiliation with BU shall be mentioned as well. The Principal Supervisor, Co-Supervisor (if any) and Advisory Committee will ensure the relevance of the research publication with the PhD research on prescribed format (PhD-16C), while Dir QA and Dir ORIC will ensure the authenticity of the Journal as per HEC HJRS and online presence of publication.
29.9.	Publication requirements are subject to HEC publication criteria for PhD degree requirements. Any change in these requirements shall be applicable as per HEC criteria/guidelines for relevant discipline.
29.10.	Internal thesis evaluation and defence (ITD) for the PhD scholar shall be carried out prior to proceeding with foreign evaluation. There shall be a committee of examiners constituted by respective Deans comprising of 2 external examiners (from HERC approved list) and one internal examiner. The same panel of examiners appointed for the proposal defence should preferably be invited for the ITD and FTD
 

of the scholar. The committee of examiners will be endorsed by the Pro-Rector RIC. Internal defence (ITD) shall be open to all those interested other than committee members. The defence shall be in the form of a multimedia presentation by the scholar, followed by a Viva Voce Examination/Question-Answer session before the panel of Examiners. The examiners shall submit internal thesis evaluation and defence report using prescribed forms (PhD-20A and PhD-20B). Changes suggested in internal thesis evaluation and defence report must be incorporated and verified by the supervisor before submission of thesis for foreign evaluation. The committee may recommend re-internal defence given the thesis requires major revision. The scholar will be given a maximum of three chances to qualify for the ITD, in case of a failed attempt. Pro-Rector RIC will chair the ITD. The maximum time for the examiners to review the thesis for the ITD is 4 weeks.
29.11.	Submission of dues clearance letter from the Accounts Department of Bahria University.

30.	Thesis Submission for External Evaluation

Scholar shall submit two (2) hardbound copies of the thesis and one digital copy on CD to the PG Coordinator inclusive of plagiarism report in compliance with. Clause 28.3. The PGP Coordinator shall issue acknowledgement on the prescribed form (PhD-17).

31.	Selection of External Evaluators for Thesis

31.1.	Thesis shall be evaluated by two (2) External Evaluators (from HERC approved list of local/foreign evaluators) who are PhD faculty members from the world top 500 universities ranked by the Times Higher Education or QS World Ranking in the year corresponding to the thesis evaluation year.
OR
31.2.	Pakistan-based Distinguished National Professors, Meritorious Professors from any national university; or professors from top universities ranked by HEC; or professors from any Pakistani University having a minimum H-Index 30 for Sciences, 15 for Social Sciences or 8 for Art & Humanities as determined by Web of Science. OR.
31.3.	Thesis shall be evaluated by at least one external evaluator who qualifies any one of the conditions mentioned at clause 31.1, if the PhD scholar publishes his/her research article in a peer-reviewed journal that is classified by the HEC in category W for Sciences and X or above for Social Sciences.
31.4.	The FRC shall select four (4) names of external evaluators from the HERC approved list of external (local/foreign) evaluators after due consultation with the
 

Principal Supervisor. After having secured consent of the selected Evaluators, the FRC shall forward those names to the Rector through the PGP Directorate for approval (PhD-18A). As the FRC recommends the names of external evaluators for approval from HERC, following guidelines to be followed while recommending the evaluators:
a)	Relevance of Expertise: in the same or related fields as in the thesis.
b)	No Conflict of Interest: in personal, financial, or professional stakes in a particular decision or outcome.
c)	Objectivity: capable of making unbiased evaluations.
d)	Diversity: in terms of geography, culture, professional backgrounds etc.
e)	Reputation: must be good in the field, with a track record of fair and thorough evaluations.
f)	Availability: should have the time and availability to review the thesis.
g)	Professionalism: capable of conducting themselves in a professional and respectful manner throughout the evaluation and defense process (if applicable).
h)	Communication: capable of providing clear and constructive feedback on the thesis.
i)	Confidentiality: capable of maintaining confidentiality and protecting the intellectual property of the thesis.
j)	Compatibility: well-versed with the research methodology, approach, and theories used in the thesis.
31.5.	The Rector shall approve two (2) names of Evaluators from the list of four names recommended by the FRC.
31.6.	The PGP Directorate shall send a copy of the thesis to each External Evaluator on a prescribed format (PhD-19) along with the prescribed Thesis Evaluation Report Form (PhD-21). The Foreign Evaluators shall be requested to evaluate the thesis and send their evaluation report within eight (8) weeks of receipt of the thesis. Where an Evaluator is unable to meet the original or a revised deadline, the Rector may appoint another Evaluator out of the rest of FRC recommended Evaluators.
31.7.	All communication with the Foreign Evaluators after having sent them the thesis shall be carried out by the PGP Directorate.

32.	External Thesis Evaluation Process

32.1.	The evaluation reports shall be received by the PGP Directorate, and after hiding the name or other identity of the Evaluators, shall be passed over to the HOD/PGP Coordinator with information to the Principal and Faculty Dean. The HOD/PGP Coordinator shall then handover the evaluation reports to the scholar.
32.2.	The Evaluators can evaluate thesis and make recommendations thereon in any one of the following ways (Form PhD-21 refers):
 

a.	“The thesis meets all the requirements of international standards. No changes are required. The candidate may proceed for thesis defence.” This shall be construed as Thesis Approved.
b.	“The thesis requires major/minor changes, as pointed out in the detailed report. These changes be incorporated into the thesis. There is no need to send the thesis to me for reassessment; I authorize BU to ascertain the compliance and carry out reassessment through its own system before the thesis defence.” This shall be construed as Thesis Conditionally Approved (A).
c.	“The thesis requires major/minor changes, as pointed out in the detailed report. These changes be incorporated and the revised thesis be sent to me, along with a compliance report, within  	 weeks for reassessment. This shall also be construed as Thesis Conditionally Approved (B).
d.	“The thesis is unacceptable. Detailed analysis is given on a separate sheet.” This shall be construed as Thesis Not Approved.
32.3.	The "Approved", "Not Approved" or "Conditionally Approved" evaluations will result in a number of combination situations as tabulated, and shall be addressed as elucidated in the ensuing articles:
Case #	Evaluation
One Examiner	Other Examiner
		
1	Approved	Approved
2	Approved	Conditionally Approved(A)
3	Approved	Conditionally Approved(B)
4	Conditionally Approved	Conditionally Approved
5	Conditionally Approved	Not Approved
6	Approved	Not Approved
7	Not Approved	Not Approved

32.4.	Case 1: Approved + Approved
The Scholar shall qualify for the thesis defence & viva voce examination.
32.5.	Case 2: Approved + Conditionally Approved(A)
The scholar shall make the suggested changes and have them endorsed by the Principal Supervisor on behalf of the Evaluator. The thesis shall then be deemed to be "Approved", and the scholar will qualify for the thesis defence & viva voce examination.
32.6.	Case 3: Approved+Conditionally Approved (B)
The scholar shall make the suggested changes and have them endorsed by the Principal Supervisor. The PGP Directorate will send the amended thesis back to the Evaluator. This process shall continue until ‘Approved’ or ‘Conditionally Approved
 

(A)’reports are received from the Evaluator. Subsequent actions shall be as per articles
32.4	or 32.5 depending on the re-evaluation report.
32.7.	Case 4: Conditionally Approved+Conditionally Approved
32.7.1	Actions shall be as per articles 32.5 and/or 32.6, as the case(s) may be.
32.7.2	If both the Evaluators ask for changes which are mutually conflicting, the Principal Supervisor shall provide the necessary guidance to the scholar. If either or both Evaluators have asked for resubmission of thesis (Case B), a separate "Compliance Report" shall be sent to the Evaluators(s) who asked for resubmission along with the revised thesis, clearly identifying the conflicting changes/requirements.
32.8.	Case 5: Not Approved+Conditionally Approved
The thesis shall be sent to a third Evaluator for evaluation and subsequent actions shall depend on the report of the third evaluator:
32.8.1	If the third Evaluator evaluates the thesis as "Approved", it becomes
an "Approved+Conditionally Approved” case, in which case articles
32.5	and/or 32.6 shall apply, as applicable.
32.8.2	If the third Evaluator evaluates ''Conditionally Approved", it becomes a "Conditionally Approved+Conditionally Approved" case. Article 32.7 shall apply.
32.8.3	If the third Evaluator evaluates ''Not Approved", two of the three Evaluators would have evaluated the report “Not Approved”. It thus becomes the “Not Approved+Not Approved” Case. Article 32.10 shall apply.
32.9.	Case 6: Approved+Not Approved
The thesis shall be sent to a third Evaluator for evaluation. The report of the third Evaluator shall be considered as final. Action shall be as follows:
32.9.1	If the third Evaluator reports "Approved", the scholar shall qualify for the thesis defence and viva voce examination.
32.9.2	If the third Evaluator evaluates ''Conditionally Approved", it becomes “Approved+Conditionally Approved” case; actions shall be per paras 32.5 and/or 32.6, as applicable.
32.9.3	If the third Evaluator reports "Not Approved”, the situation will become tantamount to both reports evaluated “Not Approved”. Article 32.10 shall apply.
32.10.	Case 7: Not Approved+Not Approved
It shall be construed that the Scholar has failed in producing an acceptable thesis. Candidature of the scholar shall be decided as below:
 

32.10.1	The FRC may ask the scholar to re-register in the programme and carry out the research work on a new topic from the scratch. However, coursework shall not be required in such a case.
32.10.2	If the scholar does not want to re-register in the programme, the programme shall be considered as "Terminated". The FRC shall inform the PGP Directorate in this regard. The Controller of Examination may issue the transcript to the scholar mentioning courses completed with the status endorsed as "PhD Incomplete" along with the Comprehensive Examination result. Migration letter may also be issued to the scholar by the Examination Department, on request.

33.	Final Thesis Defence Examiners

33.1.	There shall be constituted a panel of three examiners, one internal and two external, having at least Three Years Post PhD experience of teaching/research, to conduct the thesis defense and viva voce examination of the scholar. Internal Examiner shall be drawn from the FRC whereas the External Examiners shall be appointed from the list of HERC approved External Examiners. If a suitable Internal Examiner is not available, all Examiners shall be selected from outside the BU by the FRC.
33.2.	The FRC shall recommend two names of the Internal and four names for External Examiners (Same panel of examiners appointed for the proposal defence should preferably be invited for the ITD and FTD of the scholar), after having secured their consent, to the Rector for approval through the PGP Directorate (PhD-18B). The Rector shall select one internal and two external examiners. The identity of the Examiners shall be kept confidential from the scholar.
33.3.	The PGP Directorate shall send a copy of the thesis to each Examiner along with the prescribed Thesis Defence Evaluation Report Form (PhD-21). Besides, the comments from the foreign evaluators will be sent as well. The scholar will be given three chances in total to rewrite the thesis, in case of a failed attempt. All communication with the Defence Examiners shall be undertaken by the PGP Directorate after having sent them the copy of thesis. The maximum time for the examiners to review the thesis for the FTD is 4 weeks. For a successful FTD, the scholar must be passed by the majority of examiners.
 

34.	Final Thesis Defence & Viva Voce Examination
34.1.	PGP Directorate shall announce and circulate the schedule of the thesis defence with consultation of the HOD/PGP Coordinator. HOD shall ensure necessary arrangements to conduct the thesis defence and also publish the announcement on the department website. Copy of the schedule shall also be sent to the Principal and Faculty Dean.
34.2.	The thesis defence shall be in the form of a multimedia presentation by the scholar, followed by a Viva Voce Examination/Question-Answer session before the panel of Examiners. The two may be held on the same day or the later may be deferred after mutual consent.
34.3.	The Principal Supervisor/Co-Supervisor and Advisory Committee members shall remain present throughout the thesis defence. The presentation part of the thesis defence shall be open to all those interested, but the Viva voce Examination may be conducted by the panel of Examiners in the presence of the Principal Supervisor/Advisory Committee under the neutral chair of Rector/Pro-Rector RIC or any other designee by the Rector. FRC Chair and the Principal/HOD may also remain present if necessary.
34.4.	In case of a handicapped scholar, thesis-work may be presented through a third person with the consent of the Dean and the PGP Directorate.
34.5.	The Examiners shall evaluate the thesis defence of the scholar on the Thesis Defence Evaluation Report Form (PhD-22).
34.6.	The thesis defence evaluation reports along with certificate of approval (PhD- 23) shall be received by the PGP Directorate and shall be passed over to the Controller of Examination under information and copy to the Dean and HOD/PGP Coordinator.
34.7.	The scholar shall be given three chances (in total) to defend the thesis successfully. After a failed attempt, the panel of Examiners shall specify the time period within which the scholar shall be required to defend the thesis again. If the scholar is not able to defend the thesis in the third attempt even, the candidature of the scholar shall be decided in light of provisions of Article 32.10.
34.8.	In case the scholar does not appear in the defence without prior permission, the thesis shall be considered failed.

35.	Submission of Thesis Revision

35.1	Time Lines for Minor Corrections
All minor corrections recommended during foreign evaluation, ITD and FTD be incorporated within 3 months after receiving of the evaluation reports. Principal
 

Supervisor shall verify the required corrections in the form of written report within given time period.
35.2	Time Lines for Major Corrections
All major corrections recommended during foreign evaluation, ITD and FTD be incorporated within 6 months after receiving of the evaluation reports. Principal Supervisor shall verify the required corrections in the form of written report within given time period.
35.3	Failure to incorporate the changes and submit revised thesis
If a scholar fails to incorporate and submit the changes within the stipulated given time period mentioned in para 35.1 and 35.2, following rules will be applicable:
a.	Scholars who are not time-barred can apply for an extension in submission deadline on the prescribed form. Dean may approve the extension of maximum 2 months from the last given deadlines as mentioned in para 35.1 and 35.2.
b.	Scholar who has completed the maximum duration of PhD programme shall request for extension in accordance with Article 17.2.
c.	If a scholar is not able to submit the revised version of the thesis with a duly approved compliance report within a timeframe as specified in para 35.1, 35.2 & 35.3a, the scholar shall be required to pay the complete fee against the thesis credit hours for a semester. The scholar may further need to pay the fee against the thesis credit hours for upcoming semester till the submission of revision within maximum duration of the program.

36.	Honorarium for Examiners

Suitable honorarium shall be paid to the thesis Evaluators, and Examiners (Internal, External) for Proposal Defence, External Evaluation, Internal and Final Thesis Defence, as decided by the University from time to time.

37.	Award of the Degree

37.1.	After fulfilment of all the requirements for the given degree program, as laid down in these Rules, the scholar shall be entitled to receive the degree. The Controller of Examination shall complete other formalities.
37.2.	The award of degree and transcript shall be subject to the approval of the HERC/Rector. In case of approval of the Rector, it shall be ratified by the HERC. As soon as the approval is granted by the HERC/Rector, the "Letter of Completion" shall be
 

awarded to the scholar along with the transcript. The actual degree shall be conferred at the convocation.

38.	Forms for PhD Programme

All PhD related activities shall be executed and concluded using PG Forms, templates of which are added next. These forms are to be reformatted and reproduced on A4 sized paper. Under no circumstances, any information is to be added to or deleted from the forms. Should such a need arise, a request for amendment is to be processed. The forms and their purpose/title are listed:

Form #	Purpose/Title
PhD-1A	Admission Evaluation Form
PhD-1B	Grading Rubrics of Proposal
PhD-1C	Supervisor’s Consent & Relevance Certificate
PhD-1D	Response to Admission Request
PhD-2A	Appointment of Principal Supervisor
PhD-2B	Appointment of Co-Supervisor
PhD-3	Appointment of Advisory Committee
PhD-4	Request for Waiver of Time-Bar
PhD-5	Application for Transfer of Credits/Exemption
PhD-6	Comparison Statement/Equivalence Chart for Transfer of Credits
PhD-7	Request for Withdrawal of Courses
PhD-8	Request for Semester Freeze
PhD-9	Appointment of Examiners for Comprehensive Examination
PhD-10	Submission of Comprehensive Examination Result
PhD-11	Approval to Start Research Work
PhD-12	Ethical Review Form
PhD-13A	Research Proposal Evaluation
PhD-13B	Approval of Research Proposal
PhD-14	Quarterly Progress Report of PhD Scholar
PhD-15	Approval for Examination
PhD-16A	Author’s Declaration
PhD-16B	Plagiarism Undertaking
PhD-17	Acknowledgement Receipt of Thesis
PhD-18A	Foreign Evaluation of (Scholar Name) PhD Thesis
PhD-18B	Final Defence of (Scholar Name) PhD Thesis
PhD-19	Request for Thesis Evaluation for PhD Programme
PhD-20	Internal Thesis Evaluation and Defence Report
PhD-21	Thesis Evaluation Report
PhD-22	Thesis Defense & Viva Voce Evaluation
PhD-23	Certificate of Approval
 




Annexures:

A.	Quality Monitoring of Attributes of PhD Scholar
B.	Format & Guidelines of Research Proposal and Thesis
C.	Thesis Writing Manual
D.	PhD Supervision Manual
E.	Grievance Management System
 
 

 

Admission Evaluation Form
 
PhD-1A
 
Semester:		Date:  	
S.No:	Application No.	Program Applied for:  	
Applicant ‘s Name: 	
Department:		Campus:  	

Eligibility Criteria:

1.	18 years education (CGPA/Percentage	)

2.	GAT(Subject)/BU Entry Test Marks (	)

3.	University last attended	Yes Yes	

No	No

4.	HEC attested copies of all degrees (local)	
Yes		
No
5.	HEC Equivalency Certificate for foreign degree	Yes		No
6.	Last Degree CGPA > 3.00/400	Yes		No

Scholar Signature
S.
No	Description	Marks Allocated	Marks Awarded
1	Initial Research Proposal/Statement of purpose of
research	40	
2	Teaching / Industrial Experience	10	
3	Communication Skills	15	
4	Question Asked by the panel	25	
5	Aptitude toward research (prior publications etc)	10	
	Total Marks:	100	
	Marks Obtained:	
□ Recommended	□ Not Recommended
If not-recommended, please mention reasons for it:

If recommended, mention name of Potential Supervisor: 	

Member	Member	Member

Head of Department
 
 

PhD-1B
Grading Rubrics of Proposal
(Applicant’s Name & Application #	)

(This form to be attached with PhD-1A while filling Sr. No. 1)

Attributes	Poor (0-2)	Satisfactory (3-5)	Good (6-8)	Excellent (9-10)
Title	Title is very naive	Title contains the broad area but lacks the proposed methodology and research
elements.	Title contains the broad area but lacks research elements.	Title contains the broad area including the proposed methodology and research elements.
Abstract	Abstract does not depict any clear knowledge about research problems and proposed methodology and expected outcomes.	Abstract gives the picture of research area in general but lacks the in- depth perspective and proposed methodology is missing as well.	Abstract gives the detailed picture of research problem parameters, and the proposed methodology is well aligned with strong correlation, however the expected outcomes with social and practical implementation are discussed
as well.	Abstract gives a detailed picture of research problems including the parameters to be worked upon. The proposed methodology is well aligned with strong correlation and the expected outcomes with social and practical implementation are discussed as well.
Literature Review and Research Problem	The literature review is conducted with unrelated and
old	The literature review is conducted with related, but not recent
references.	The literature review is conducted with related and recent
references.	The literature review is conducted with 100% related and recent references.
The derived
 
 

	references. The derived problem statement is
not clear.	The derived problem statement is not clear.	However, the problem statement is not clear.	problem statement is very clear and understandable.
Research Methodology and Expected Outcomes	Proposed research methodology is very well explained and fitted on the research problem. The expected outcomes are not presented in comparison to the standard techniques.
The social and industry applications are correlated
as well.	Proposed research methodology is marginally explained in contrast with the research problem. The expected outcomes are not presented. The social and industry applications are not discussed.	Proposed research methodology is well explained in contrast with the research problem. The expected outcomes are presented.
However, the social and industry applications are not discussed.	Proposed research methodology is very well explained and fitted on the research problem. The expected outcomes are well presented in comparison to the standard techniques. The social and industry applications are correlated as well.
Total	
 
 

PhD-1C
Supervisor’s Consent & Relevance Certificate

I, Name, Prof/ASP/AP, Dept., School, Campus, has my PhD degree in Area, from University Name in 20XX. I am an HEC approved PhD Supervisor via letter #. My certificate is valid till XX.XX.XXX. My research areas are as under:
•
•
•
•
•
In last five years, I have published following papers in relevant research areas. Further, I have taught following relevant courses at PG Level. Besides, I have received following relevant fundings.
Research Area:
•	Paper1
•	Paper 2
•	Paper 3
•	Paper 4
•	Paper 5
Research Fundings:
•	Funding 1
•	Funding 2
•	Funding 3
 
 

•	Funding 4
•	Funding 5
Courses Taught:
•	A
•	B
•	C
•	D
•	E
Existing Supervisory Load PhD Scholars
Sr.
No.	Scholar Name
(Enrollment)	Thesis Title	Research
Stage	Remarks
				
				
				
				
				
MS/MPhil Scholars

Sr.
No.	Scholar Name
(Enrollment)	Thesis Title	Research
Stage	Remarks
				
				
				
 
 

				
				

I would like to take Student Name, Intake Semester as my PhD Scholar with the research topic entitled “……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..”
Supervisor (Signature & Date)

Endorsement By:

PGP Coordinator (Signature & Date)	HOD’s (Signature & Date)	Principal (Signature & Date)


Approved By RAC Members:
Concerned Dean (Signature with Stamp & Date)	Dir QA (Signature with Stamp & Date)





External Member 1(Signature with Stamp & Date)	External Member 2(Signature with Stamp & Date)





Additional Member (Signature with Stamp & Date)
 
 

 

Response to Admission Request
 
PhD-1D
 

 

(Candidate's Name and Address) Dear Applicant
With   reference   to   your   application   for   admission   in   the    	
programme   being   offered   by   the   Department   of	at
Islamabad/Karachi/Lahore Campus, the Admission Committee examined your case on merit and has reached the following decision:
•	You are recommended for admission. Please complete the required admission formalities latest by	, after which the admission will be offered to the next Candidate in the merit list.
OR
•	You are offered provisional admission, subject to the fulfillment of the following requirements:



OR
•	It is regrettably informed that you do not qualify for admission with respect to the standards set for admission in the given programme at this university at present. Please re-apply in future when you meet admission requirements.


Date:  	

(Director Admissions)
Distribution:
Director Campus ISB/KHI/LHR Director Postgraduate Programmes Controller of Examinations
Dean of Respective Faculty
 
 

PhD-2A
Appointment of Principal Supervisor

Name/Designation	

Department/Campus	

Dear Sir/Madam,

The Faculty Research Committee (FRC) of the Faculty of	BU is pleased to appoint you as the Principal Supervisor for the following PhD scholar:

Scholar's Name:  		 Registration No:  		 Programme:		 Entry Session / Semester:  	

During the period of research work, you are requested to send us the quarterly Progress Report on the specified form, available with the department. Your presence at the time of Proposal/Thesis Defense is mandatory. To acknowledge your contribution, you will be paid remuneration as per BUs policy for supervision of PhD research work. Kindly send us your acceptance in writing, or through email (signed scanned copy), so that formal intimation may be sent to Post Graduate Programs Directorate.

We hope our scholar will greatly benefit from your valuable research experience towards completing his/ her research work in time.


Date:  	

(Head of Department)

Distribution:
1. Registrar	2. Dean
3. Director PGP	4. Scholar’s File (with the PGP Coordinator)
5. Scholar’s Copy
 
 

 

Appointment of Co-Supervisor
 
PhD-2B
 


 



Dear Sir/Madam,

The Faculty Research Committee (FRC) of the Faculty of	BU is pleased to appoint you as the Co-Supervisor for our following PhD scholar:

Scholar's Name:  		 Registration No:  		 Programme:		 Entry Session / Semester:  	

During the period of research work, you are requested to guide the scholar in consultation with the Principal Supervisor. Your presence at the time of Proposal/Thesis Defense is mandatory. To acknowledge your contribution, you will be paid remuneration as per BUs policy for supervision of PhD research work. Kindly send us your acceptance in writing, or through email (signed scanned copy), so that formal intimation may be sent to Post Graduate Programs Directorate.
We hope our scholar will greatly benefit from your valuable research experience towards completing his/her research work in time.

Date:  	

(Head of Department)

Email:  	
Distribution:
1. Registrar	2. Head of Constituent Unit
3. Dean	4. Director Examinations
5. Director PGP	6. Scholar’s File (with the PGP Coordinator)
7. Scholar’s Copy
 
 

 

Constitution of Advisory Committee
 
PhD-3
 

SCHOLAR INFORMATION
Scholar's Name:	Enrolment No.  		 Programme:	Discipline:		 Faculty/Department:			 Area of Research:  		

ADVISORY COMMITTEE
FRC of Faculty of	in its  	
meeting   held   on	is pleased   to   constitute   an   Advisory
Committee comprising of following PhD faculty members/researchers for the above PhD Scholar:
Research Supervisor/Committee Chair
Name:	_ Dept/Campus:  	
Co-Supervisor (if appointed)
 
Name:  	
Additional Committee Members
 
Organization/Dept:  	
 
1.	Name:	Organization/Dept:  	
2.	Name:	Organization/Dept:	 The role of Advisory Committee Shall be as under:
a.	Support the Supervisor in his/her role and provide additional advice to the PhD scholar in technical and research related matters.
b.	Oversee the research progress of PhD scholar to ensure that the overall progress of the thesis is on track and satisfactory and that any issues affecting progress are identified and addressed.
c.	Meet biannually to assess progress of the scholar and submit report to PGP Directorate through HOD and Dean.


Head of Department
Distribution:
1.	Registrar	6. Scholar’s File (with the PGP Coordinator)
2.	Dean	7. Scholar’s Copy
3.	Director PGP	8. Each member of advisory committee
4.	HOD
 
 

PhD-4
Request for Waiver of Time-Bar
HoD  	
BU	(Campus) Date:  	

Respected Sir/Madam,

The relevant details are as under:
Name:	Enrolment No:
Programme (Prog):	Prog Start Date:
Regular Prog End Date:	Extended Prog Duration End Date:
Due to the following reason(s), I am/will be unable to submit my thesis in time:




I shall be highly obliged if extension of one year to submit the thesis, is granted to me.



(Scholar’s Signature)
(For official use only)
		
Recommendation of the Principal Supervisor:	Recommended	Not Recommended
Decision of the FRC:
(For 1st year)	Approved	Not Approved
Recommendation of the FRC:
(For 2nd year)	Recommended (Case Forwarded to DPGP)	Not Recommended
 


Distribution:
1.	Registrar
2.	Dean
3.	Director Examinations
4.	Director PGP
5.	Head of Constituent Unit
6.	Scholar’s File
7.	Scholar’s Copy
 
(Please circle & initial the appropriate box.
Attach FRC minutes)
 
 

PhD-5

Application for Transfer of Credits/Exemption

Department:	Campus:			 Scholar's Name:  			 Programme Applied for:		Disciplines:  			


S. No	TOC/
Exemption of
courses at BU	Courses applied for TOC/ Exemption	Name of University	Grade/ Marks Obtained
				
				
				

I have read the rules for TOC/Exemption carefully as given in handbook on PhD Rules, and have attached all the required documents given in the checklist given below.

Receipt of fee of Rs	Paid on	vide Challan No	is attached.



Signature of Scholar:		Date:  	

Check List
a)	Attested copy of Transcript.
b)	No Objection Certificate (NOC) or Migration Certificate from the parent University.
c)	Receipt of Processing Fee.
d)	Copies of outlines of the courses applied for TOC/Exemption.
e)	Grading policy of the previous university/institute.
 
 

 

Part – I
 
PhD-6
 
COMPARISON STATEMENT/EQUIVALENCE CHART FOR TRANSFER OF CREDITS

Name of Scholar:	Reg No.	Programme:

COURSES ATTENDED AT		EQUIVALENT COURSES AT BAHRIA UNIVERSITY
Course
Code	Subject	Credit
Hours	Grade/
%age		Course
Code	Subjects	Credit
Hours	Grade/
%age
								
								
								
								
								
								
								
								
								


a.	Total	(	)   credit    hours    are
recommended for transfer.
b.	The scholar, during his/her studies at the previous HEI earned a CGPA of  	 which is equivalent to a CGPA of	at the BU, according to the CGPA calculation table attached.



 
Member:	 Member: 	
 
Member: 	
 

(Equivalence Committee)
 
 

Part – II
CGPA CALCULATION TABLE


Name of Scholar:	Reg No.	Programme:


COURSE
Code	
SUBJECT	GRADE AT PREVIOUS UNIVERSITY	GRADE AS PER BU GRADING
SYSTEM	
GRADE POINT	
CREDIT HOURS	
PRODUCT
						
						
						
						
						
						
						
						
						

CGPA (as per BU Grading System) =




 

Member:	 Member: 	
 

Member: 	
 

(Equivalence Committee)
 
 

 

BAHRIA UNIVERSITY	CAMPUS
 
PhD-7
 


 



The Head of Department
Bahria University	Campus
 
Registration #  	  Enroll #  	 Class/Section:  	 
 

 

Dear Sir,
 
REQUEST FOR WITHDRAWAL OF COURSE(S)
 

I,		S/D/W/o		 scholar of class/section			would like to drop the following course(s) during Spring / Fall 20	, as semester:


S. #	Course Code	
Course Title	Course Instructor
Name	Course
Instructor’s Sign
(For info)
i				
ii				
iii				

Above-mentioned course(s) is/are pre-requisite(s) of following course(s):

S. #	Course
Code	Course Title	Course belongs
to semester	Remarks
i				
ii				
iii				

The reason for dropping this course is  	
 
 

Declaration:

1.	I understand that the management reserves the right to offer this course(s) I am going to withdraw as and when suits to the university depending upon the availability of faculty and other required facilities.
2.	I understand that in order to take the course(s) I am going to withdraw, I might have to enroll for an extra semester to take up this course(s) for which management will not be responsible, affidavit.
3.	I understand that I have to complete my all degree requirements within the given maximum allowed period for the program I am enrolled in and for the course(s) I am going to withdraw no extra time will be allowed to me.

Tel # (Res)	Mob #	Email:  	
 
Date:  	
 
Scholar’s Sign  	
 

 
HOD’s Office use only
The name of the above scholar has been entered in the withdrawal candidates list.

Approved with full fee adjustment	Approved with half fee adjustment

Approved without fee adjustment


Date:	Scholar Advisor PG Coordinator    Head of the Department


SCHOLAR’S RECEIPT
REQUEST FOR COURSE(S) WITHDRAWAL (MS/MPHIL/PHD)
Note: (Scholar should preserve this slip till such time he/she receive his/her Final Transcript) I,		S/D/W/o			 Reg #	scholar of class/section		would like to drop the following course(s) during Spring / Fall 20	, as semester:
Course Title: 1.	2.	3.


 
Approved with full fee adjustment Approved without fee adjustment
 
Approved with half fee adjustment
 

   	 
Date:	Scholar Advisor PG Coordinator   Head of the Department
 
 

 

BAHRIA UNIVERSITY	CAMPUS
 
PhD-8
 

 



The Head of Department
Bahria University	Campus
 
Registration #  	  Enroll #  	 Class/Section:  	 
 

 

Dear Sir,
 
REQUEST FOR SEMESTER FREEZE (MS/MPHIL/PHD)
 

I,		S/D/W/o		 scholar of class/section			would like to drop the following course(s) during Spring / Fall 20	, as semester:

Tel # (Res)	Mob #	Email:  	

UNDERTAKING:

 
1.	I have qualified the previous semester with CGPA    	 transcript/website result is attached).
 
(copy   of
 
2.	I have deposited tuition fee of the semester I am going to freeze. (copy of paid fee slip is attached).
3.	I understand that the management reserves the right to offer the semester I am going to freeze as and when suits to the university depending upon the availability of faculty and other required facilities.
4.	I understand that I have to complete my all degree requirements within the given maximum allowed period for the program I am enrolled in and for the semester I am going to freeze no extra time will be allowed to me.
5.	I understand that full fee and half fee will be adjusted to the next semester if the semester is frozen within first and second week respectively. For the semester frozen afterward (till third week from the final examination). No fee will adjusted to the next semester.
6.	I understand that I have to resume the studies in the next semester otherwise my name would be struck off from the university roll.

 
Date:  	
 
Scholar’s Sign  	
 
 

HOD’s Office use only


The name of the above scholar has been entered in the semester freeze list.



Date:	Scholar Advisor PG Coordinator    Head of the Department

SCHOLAR’S RECEIPT
REQUEST FOR SEMESTER FREEZE (MS/MPHIL/PHD)
Note: (Scholar should preserve this slip till joining the next semester and till such time he/she receive his/her Final Transcript)

I,			S/D/W/o		 scholar of		class/section	would like to freeze Spring/Fall 20	.

The reason for dropping this semester is _ 	




Date:	Scholar Advisor PG Coordinator    Head of the Department
 
 

PhD-9
NOTIFICATION
Appointment of Examiners for Comprehensive Examination
1.	The	Faculty	Research	Committee	(FRC)	of	the	Faculty	of
 	is pleased to constitute a committee of the following Faculty Members to make a paper for the Comprehensive Examination for the PhD in
 	programme:

(1)  	

(2)  	
(3)  	

2.	Names of the Candidates are as follows:

i.	 	

ii.	 	

iii.	

3.	The Comprehensive Examination Committee is requested to make a quality examination paper. The paper may preferably contain MCQs, SEQs and FIBs. The Panel may ask descriptive questions also wherever required. The paper is to be made from the courses the candidate has undertaken during his/her coursework. The CONFIDENTIALITY of the paper is to be maintained and the paper is to be submitted to HOD in a sealed envelope duly signed by all Examiners. The list of courses undertaken along with course outlines is attached herewith.

(Signature) Name: 	
Date:		Designation:  	

Distribution:
•	Director PGP
•	All Examiners
•	PGP Coordinator
 
 

PhD-10
The Director Examination Bahria University
ISLAMABAD	Date:  	

Submission of Comprehensive Examination Result

Dear Sir,

Mr/Mrs/Ms		, a PhD scholar having Registration     No.	, has cleared the Comprehensive Examination, after having completed the required coursework. The details are as follows:

(1)	Programme:  	
(2)	Faculty:	Department:	_ Campus:  		
(3)	Coursework completed with	CGPA.  	
(4)	Comprehensive Examination Result:  	


Date of Examination	Marks Obtained	Status (Pass/Fail)	No. of Attempts
			



(Head of Department)
Encl:
1.	Examination Paper
2.	Answer Sheet

Distribution (without enclosures):
1.	Registrar
2.	Dean
3.	Director PGP
4.	Head of Constituent Unit
5.	Scholar’s File (with the HOD/PGP Coordinator)
6.	Scholar’s Copy
 
 

 

Approval to Start Research Work
 
PhD-11
 

Mr/(Miss/Ms/Mrs/			 Registration No.		Session:	 Department:  	


Dear PhD Scholar,

I am pleased to inform you that having passed the Comprehensive Examination held on
 	; you can start your Research Work. As per policy of this University, you will have to spend a minimum of two years to complete your research work and submit your thesis. The maximum time period allowed for the PhD programmes is six years. You will be required to produce a quality research paper, as per the HEC/BU requirements, during your research period.

You are required to submit the research proposal as soon as possible, but not later than six months from the date of issuance of this letter. You can continue your thesis work only once you have successfully defended your research proposal before the designated panel of experts.





 
 
Dated:  	
Distribution:
•	Registrar
•	Dean
•	Controller of Examinations
•	Director PGP
•	Head of Constituent Unit
•	Scholar’s File (with the HOD/PGP Coordinator)
•	Scholar
 
(Director Postgraduate Programmes)
 
 

PhD-12
Ethical Review Form Part-I
This Form is designed to ensure that the departmental research operates an ethical review process that falls within the University guidelines. Any scholar undertaking research on live human subjects needs to fill this Form. If all questions in this Form are answered ‘No’, ethical approval shall automatically be granted. In such case Part-II of this Form shall not be filled by the scholar. If any of the questions is answered ‘Yes’, the scholar shall be required to fill Part- II of this Form. This part of the Form shall be reviewed by the Ethical Review Committee (ERC). Scholars shall be informed of the decision of the ERC as soon as possible. If needed, the scholar may be asked to submit further information and appear before the ERC for discussion meeting.

Scholar’s Name:	
Reg. No:	
Faculty/Department	
Programme:	
Title of the Thesis:	
Principal Supervisor:	

Name of Supervisor:	
Faculty/Department	
Designation:	

Name of Co-Supervisor:	
Faculty/Department	
Designation:	

 
 

Please answer all of the questions below by ticking ( ) ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ in the box provided

		Yes	No

1.	Does the   study   involve   participants   who   are   particularly
vulnerable or unable to give informed consent? (e.g. people under the age of 18, people with disabilities etc.)		
2.	Will it be necessary for the participants to take part in the study
without their knowledge and consent?		
3.	Does the study involve audio or visual recording of people in
public places?		

4.	Will the study involve the discussion of sensitive topics? (e.g. sexual activity, drug use, illegal activities, death, whistle-blowing
etc.)		

5.	Does the research involve the use of drugs, radiation agents experimental surgical / harmful procedures, blood or tissues
samples		

6.	Is physical pain or psychological stress being part of this research
work is likely to cause harm or negative consequences to the participants?		
7.	Will the study involve prolonged or repetitive testing on the
participants?		
8.	Will financial inducements be involved in the study and (other
than expenses) be offered to participants?		
9.	Will the study involve recruitment of patients or staff?		


If you have answered ‘yes’ to any of these questions, please fill in Part-II as well. Otherwise, simply submit Part-I of the form.


Scholar	Verified by Principal Supervisor

Signature:		Signature:  	

Date:		Date:  	
 
 

Part-II
A.	In consultation with the supervisor, the scholar is required to give following information:

Scholar’s Name:	
Reg. No:	
Faculty/Department	
Programme:	
Detail reason of answering ‘yes’ to one or more of the questions in Part-I of the Form, and the plan to address	the
ethical/financial issues. (attach additional sheet if required).

*The ERC for Faculty of Health Sciences may ask further information if required.	
Supervisor’s Comments


Principal Supervisor Signature: 	 Date: 	
 
 

B.	Scholar is also required to do the following:
1.	Prepare an information letter for their participants. The letter needs to introduce the scholar and provide a simple explanation of the research. It needs to make clear what the participants are asked to do, how long the research work will take. The letter shall also include whether it will be/not be anonymous and/or confidential and who will have access to the data.
2.	Prepare a Consent Form containing the phrases “I agree to participate in the research work	and I understand my information will be/will not be treated as confidential, and/or anonymous.”




Scholar

Name:	 	

Signature:  	

Date:	 	
 
 

PhD-13A
Research Proposal Evaluation (PART-I)
Scholar's Name:	Reg. No.  		 Programme:	Discipline:		 Faculty/Department:			 Proposed title of Research:  			 
 		_ Date of Research Proposal Defense:  		 Assessment Report
(Range of Marks: 3 = Excellent; 2= Good, 1= Just Acceptable; 0= Unsatisfactory)
Evaluation Criteria	Marks (0-3)
(1) Research Topic:	
Clarity	
Depth	
Justification w.r.t. degree programme and background study	
(2) Quality of the written Proposal:	
All essential elements (significance, literature review, problem definition, etc.)	
Academic writing quality	
(3) Comprehension of Subject matter:	
Knowledge of background literature	
Ability to form a hypothesis and objectives	
(4) Knowledge of Method:	
Methodology of work presented with intelligibility	
Awareness of modern techniques, hardware/ software tools	
(5) Presentation of the Proposal:	
Demonstration of professionalism	
Level of confidence	
Answers to questions	
Total Marks (Out of 36)	
(Minimum Passing score 60% of 36=21.6 Marks)

Based on my above assessment: (Please initial any one appropriate box) Research proposal is recommended without any change.
Research proposal is recommended with minor changes verified by Supervisor Research proposal is recommended with Major changes verified by Supervisor/ Examiner
I am not convinced and do not recommend the research proposal.

 
 


Research Proposal Evaluation
(PART-II)

Please provide section wise comments on PhD Research Proposal:




















 
Expert’s Name:  	
 
Signature:  	
 

Date:  	
 
 

PhD-13B

Approval of Research Proposal
Mr/(Miss/Ms/Mrs/			 Registration No.	Session:	 Department:  		

Dear PhD Scholar,

I am pleased to inform you that your research proposal on  	
has been approved. You may, therefore, continue you research on this theme and produce a quality thesis, as per the HEC requirements.

I take this opportunity to remind you that you must complete your thesis, and defend it successfully, by	; this is the date which marks the end of the Extended Duration of your programme.

I wish you every success.



Dated:		(Head of Department)

Distribution:
•	Registrar
•	Dean
•	Controller of Examinations
•	Director PGP
•	Head of Constituent Unit
•	Scholar’s File (with the PGP Coordinator)
•	Scholar
 
 

 

Quarterly Progress Report of PhD Scholar
 
PhD-14
 
(To be filled by the Scholar, verified by the Principal Supervisor and sent to the PGP Directorate through the PGP Coordinator/HOD)

Scholar's Name:	Registration No.  		 Entry Session:	Name of Supervisor:  			 Faculty/Department:	Campus:			 Title of Thesis:		_

Report for Research Period From:	To:  	

Research work carried out by scholar during the reporting period: (a. Please include the progress of Research Paper(s) publication, if any. b. Use extra sheet if necessary)







 
Scholar’s Signature:  	
 
Date:	_
 

Comments/Assessment by Supervisor:






As per my assessment, the progress during the period is: (Please initial the appropriate box)

 
a.	Excellent
 
b.	Satisfactory
 
c.	Unsatisfactory
 

Principal Supervisor’s Signature:  	

Affiliation:		Date:  	
 
 

PhD-15
 
 

PhD-16A


Author’s Declaration



I,	 	    hereby	state	that    my	PhD	thesis	titled
“ 	

 	”

is my own work and has not been submitted previously by me for taking any degree from this university


(Name of University)	or anywhere else in the country/world.

At any time if my statement is found to be incorrect even after my graduation, the University has the right to withdraw/cancel my PhD degree.






Name & Signature of Scholar:  	  Date:  	
 
 

PhD-16B

Plagiarism Undertaking


I,	solemnly	declare	that	research	work	presented	in	the	thesis	titled

“ 	



 	”

is solely my research work with no significant contribution from any other person. Small contribution / help wherever taken has been duly acknowledged and that complete thesis has been written by me.

I understand the zero tolerance policy of the HEC and Bahria University towards plagiarism. Therefore I as an Author of the above titled thesis declare that no portion of my thesis has been plagiarized and any material used as reference is properly referred / cited.

I undertake that if I am found guilty of any formal plagiarism in the above titled thesis even after award of PhD degree, the university reserves the right to withdraw / revoke my PhD degree and that HEC and the University has the right to publish my name on the HEC / University website on which names of scholars are placed who submitted plagiarized thesis.




Scholar / Author’s Sign with Date:  	

Name of the Scholar:  	
 
 

PhD-16C

Verification of Publication

Scholar Name (Enrollment No.)

Title of Publication	
Online Link	
DOI	
Authors’ Detail with
Affiliations	
Thesis Title
(Approved via FRC #, Agenda #)	


It is stated that the above-mentioned publication is based on PhD scholar’s own
research work.

Scholar’s Name (Signature with Date)	
Supervisor’s Name (Signature with Date)	
Advisory Committee Member (Signature with Date)	
Advisory Committee Member (Signature with Date)	
Advisory Committee Member (Signature with Date)	
 
 

PhD-17

Acknowledgement Receipt of Thesis

This   is   to   acknowledge   that   Mr/Ms	Reg. No
 	has submitted four (4) hard copies and one softcopy of the thesis to this department. The other pertinent details are as follows:

Title of Thesis	
Degree	
Programme	
Principal Supervisor	
Faculty	
Department	
Campus	
Date of Admission with Batch	
Date of Comprehensive
Examination	
Date of Research Proposal Defense	
Due Date of Submission:	
Publication (HEC category)	





Date:		(PG Coordinator)

Distribution: Dean Director PGP HOD
Scholar’s Copy
 
 

PhD-18A
The Director PG Programmes Bahria University
ISLAMABAD	Date:  	

Foreign Evaluation of (Scholar Name) PhD Thesis
Dear Sir,
1.	Mr/Ms	, Reg. No.	, has submitted four hard copies and one digital copy (CD) of his/her PhD thesis after successful Internal Defence and incorporation of suggested revisions. Pertinent details are as follows:
Title of Thesis:  	 Degree & Programme:  		
2.	You are requested to:
a.	Obtain the Competent Authority's approval for two foreign Thesis Evaluators.
b.	Send one copy each to the Thesis Evaluators. On receipt from the Evaluators, send the Evaluation Report to the Head of Department at the relevant campus.
3.	The details of four probable foreign External Thesis Evaluators approved by the FRC/Dean, are as follows:

Sr.	Name	University/Organization	Country	Approved in HERC
#, Agenda #
1.				
2.				
3.				
4.				

 
 
Date:  	
Encl:
1.	Four Hard Copies of the Thesis
2.	One Digital Copy (CD) of the Thesis
3.	Plagiarism Report
 
(Head of Department)
 
4.	Internal Defence Report along with Corrections Duly Verified by Supervisor
5.	Published Research Paper in HEC Recognized Journal
6.	Approval of Examiners by FRC/Dean
 
 

PhD-18B
The Director PG Programmes Bahria University
ISLAMABAD	Date:  	

Final Defence of (Scholar Name) PhD Thesis
Dear Sir,
1.	Mr/Ms	, Reg. No.	, has submitted four hard copies and one digital copy (CD) of his/her PhD thesis thesis after successful foreign evaluation and incorporation of suggested revisions. Pertinent details are as follows:
Title of Thesis:  	  Degree & Programme:  	
2.	You are requested to:
a.	Obtain the Competent Authority's approval for two External and one Internal Examiners.
b.	Send one copy each to the Thesis Examiners and invite the Examiners for Viva Voce Examination.
3.	The details of four probable External and two Internal Examiners, approved by the FRC/Dean, are as follows:

Sr.	Name	University/Organization	Type	Approved in HERC #, Agenda #
1.			External	
2.			External	
3.			External	
4.			External	
5.			Internal	
6.			Internal	

Date:  		 	
(Head of Department)
Encl:
1.	Four Hard Copies of the Thesis
2.	One Digital Copy (CD) of the Thesis
3.	Plagiarism Report
4.	Foreign Evaluation Reports along with Corrections Duly Verified by Supervisor
5.	Approval of Examiners by FRC/Dean
 
 

PhD-19







Request for Thesis Evaluation for PhD Programme

Dear Sir/Madam,


1.	After getting your kind consent, I am pleased to forward you the thesis of Mr/Ms
 	, Reg No.   	 for your assessment/evaluation. The scholar is registered in PhD programme in the Faculty
 
of	 	 Campus. Other pertinent details are as follows:
 
at	the	Islamabad/Karachi/Lahore
 

a.	Title of Thesis:  	

b.	Name of Programme:  	

2.	You are requested to provide your valuable assessment on the form attached herewith. We shall be extremely grateful if your assessment report can reach us in three weeks. For quick processing of the matter, you may email, to me only, a scanned copy of your duly signed assessment report. However, you are requested to follow it up with the actual report through courier or registered mail.

3.	The University is thankful to you for sparing your precious time for the required assessment.

Date:  		 	
(Director Postgraduate Programmes)
Encl:
1.	One Hard Copy of the Thesis
2.	One Digital Copy (CD)
3.	The Assessment Form
 
 

PhD-20
PhD Internal Thesis Evaluation and Defense Report
(To be completed by the Department)
Candidate’s Name:
Enrollment No:	Registration No:
Faculty/Department:
Title of Thesis:
Date of Thesis Submission:	Date of Internal Defense:
The Examiner
(To be completed by the Examiner)
Name of Examiner:	
Faculty/Department:	
Campus:	
Part 1 - Detailed Evaluation Report
General Rating Parameters:
Sr
#	Rating	Points
Range	Interpretation
1	Excellent	9-10	Very satisfied. No changes required.
2	Good	7-8	Well Satisfied. A very slight work may be carried out.
3	Average/Acceptable	5-6	Acceptable. Minor observation. Improvement is required.
4	Below Average	3-4	Major observation. Substantial extra work must be carried out.
5	Poor	0-2	Unacceptable for award of degree.
Numerical Assessment: (Please award the points in “points awarded” column based on the “points range” and the given” guidelines”)
Sr.
#	Category	Points
Range	Guidelines	Points
Awarded
			Problem and gaps in scientific knowledge have clearly	
			been defined with strong justification for the current	
		9-10	research. The Candidate has clear understanding of the	
			research undertaken, and knows what has been done	
			and why.	

a.	Introduction/ Problem Definition	
7-8	Problem is well defined and introductory chapter is quite adequate in contents. The Candidate has good
background knowledge of the research undertaken.	
			Research problem   is   satisfactorily   defined.   The	
		5-6	introductory chapter has minor deficiencies and minor	
			improvements required.	
			Research problem is not clearly defined, almost vague.	
		3-4	The Candidate   lacks   in   conceptualization   of   the	
			research problem. Major improvements required.	
 
 

		
0-2	Research problem is completely vague and confusing. The introductory chapter seriously lacks in contents.
Needs rewriting for substantial improvement.	







b.	





Literature Survey/ Review	
9-10	Literature survey/review has been done exceptionally well, in a chronological and effective manner. All the previous work has been properly referenced. It justifies
the scope of work undertaken in the thesis.	
		
7-8	Literature survey/review has been done well. Most of the relevant previous literature have been critically
analyzed.	
		5-6	Literature survey/review has been satisfactorily done,
with a room for improvement through minor changes.	
		
3-4	Literature survey/review has not been carried out extensively. Previous work has not been properly
referenced. Requires major improvement.	
		
0-2	Literature survey/review has been done poorly, with no proper references provided. It is hard to find out the
research problem currently undertaken.	






c.	






Methodology	

9-10	Methodology very well demonstrated. All the software/ hardware tools used very well presented. Research design, measures, data collection techniques and standard analytical tools appropriately employed.
Relevant professional standards well utilized.	
		7-8	Proficient knowledge of methodology demonstrated
and justification for selection of method given.	
		5-6	The methodology demonstrated is understandable, but
needs minor improvement.	
		3-4	The methodology demonstrated is hardly understood;
major changes required.	
		0-2	The methodology is not appropriate for study and understanding is not demonstrated.	







d.	






Results/ Analysis	
9-10	Results interpreted in the light of proposed research question and existing literature. Includes alternative explanations and instructional tables and graphs. The
interpretations based on analysis are quite convincing.	
		
7-8	Results clearly summarized, discussion of results focused and tied to research question. Subsequent analysis based on results is more than adequate.	
		

5-6	Results adequately summarized, discussion of results reasonably focused and tied to research question. Subsequent analysis is about right. Minor changes considered in order.	
		
3-4	Results produced have either little or no connection vis- à-vis the actual research problem undertaken.
Subsequent analysis has little value.	
 
 

				
		
0-2	Results are vague. Presentation lacks focus, tables are unorganized, and results produce no insight into proposed question.	





e.	




Conclusion
/Implications	9-10	Conclusion, theoretical & practical implications, and
recommendations are tremendously well documented.	
		7-8	Conclusion, research implications/recommendations
are good written with clarity of research undertaken.	
		5-6	Conclusion, implications and recommendations are
written satisfactory. Little improvement is required.	
		
3-4	Conclusion, implications and recommendations have not been well elaborated. Major improvement is
required.	
		
0-2	Conclusion,	implications	and	recommendations seriously lacks academic and scientific knowledge.
Needs rewriting.	





f.	




References	9-10	References are properly mentioned and are in right number. Latest references have been provided	
		7-8	References are properly mentioned. The number of
references is neither too low nor too high.	
		5-6	References are adequately mentioned. Their number is
either a little too high or too low.	
		
3-4	References are provided but several of them are incomplete. Most of the references are related to
internet websites.	
		
0-2	Most of the references are too  old and improperly provided. Vital information in several references is
missing.	






g.	



Overall Quality of Thesis	

9-10	The thesis presents a master piece work. Ideas expressed with exceptional clarity, logic and conciseness. The material has been provided in an organized manner. The thesis is free of grammatical
and structural errors.	
a+b+c+d+e+f 6
=
		7-8	The thesis is good and nicely presented.	
		5-6	The thesis is generally of a satisfactory standard. There
are minor grammatical or structural errors.	
		
3-4	The overall quality of the thesis is less than adequate. It contains numerous grammatical and/or structural
errors.	
		0-2	The thesis is full of errors. The sentences are vague and
ambiguous. Not worth reading.	
 
 

Suggestions/Comments: (Please provide your Chapter-wise comments/feedback on thesis. Please you may use extra sheet, if required)

Chapter #	Suggestions/Comments
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	


Signature of Examiner:	Date:  	
 
 

Part 2 - Abridged Evaluation Report
Having examined this thesis and provided detailed assessment in Part-1, my recommendation to Bahria University is as follows (please initial/sign only one option on the basis of overall thesis quality marked in Part 1 (g)):

Sr
#	Rating	Grading
Points	Options	Signature

1	
Excellent	
9-10	The thesis meets all the requirements. No changes required and foreign evaluation be processed.	

2	
Good	
7-8	The thesis requires slight amendments. Foreign evaluation be processed subject to compliance of
amendments by the supervisor.	




3	


Average/ Acceptable	



5-6	The thesis requires minor changes as pointed out in the detailed assessment report which needs to be incorporated. There is no need to send the thesis to me for reassessment; I authorize supervisor to ascertain the compliance and carry out reassessment. Foreign evaluation be processed if the Supervisor/University is satisfied
with the compliance.	




4	



Below Average	



3-4	The thesis requires major changes as pointed out in the detailed report. These changes be incorporated and the revised thesis be sent to me, along with a compliance report, within   	 weeks for reassessment.
a)	Foreign evaluation be processed if recommended in my reassessment report. OR
b)	Re-defense be conducted.	
5	Poor	0-2	The thesis is unacceptable for foreign evaluation.	

(Please tick only one box against each assessment criteria)
Presentation Skills:	□ Excellent	□ Satisfactory	□ Unsatisfactory
Viva Voce:	□ Excellent	□ Satisfactory	□ Unsatisfactory




Examiner’s Signature:  	
Date: 	
 
 

PhD-21
PhD Thesis Evaluation Report
(To be completed by the Department)
Candidate’s Name:
Enrollment No:	Registration No:	
Faculty/Department:
Title of Thesis:
Date of Submission:	Due Date of Report:	

The Examiner
(to be completed by the Examiner)
Name of Examiner:	
Faculty/Department:	
Institution/University:	


Part 1 - Detailed Evaluation Report
General Rating Parameters:
Sr
#	Rating	Points
Range	Interpretation
1	Excellent	9-10	Very satisfied. No changes required.
2	Good	7-8	Well Satisfied. A very slight work may be carried out.
3	Average/Acceptable	5-6	Acceptable. Minor observation. Improvement is required.
4	Below Average	3-4	Major observation. Substantial extra work must be carried out.
5	Poor	0-2	Unacceptable for award of degree.

Numerical Assessment: (Please award the points in “points awarded” column based on the “points range” and the given” guidelines”)
Sr.
#	Category	Points
Range	Guidelines	Points
Awarded



a.	

Introduction/ Problem Definition	

9-10	Problem and gaps in scientific knowledge have clearly been defined with strong justification for the current research. The Candidate has clear understanding of the research undertaken, and knows what has been
done and why.	
		
7-8	Problem is well defined and introductory chapter is quite adequate in contents. The Candidate has good
background knowledge of the research undertaken.	
 
 

		
5-6	Research problem is satisfactorily defined. The introductory chapter has minor deficiencies and minor
improvements required.	
		
3-4	Research problem is not clearly defined, almost vague. The Candidate lacks in conceptualization of the
research problem. Major improvements required.	
		
0-2	Research problem is completely vague and confusing. The introductory chapter seriously lacks in contents.
Needs rewriting for substantial improvement.	







b.	





Literature Survey/ Review	
9-10	Literature survey/review has been done exceptionally well, in a chronological and effective manner. All the previous work has been properly referenced. It justifies
the scope of work undertaken in the thesis.	
		
7-8	Literature survey/review has been done well. Most of the relevant previous literature have been critically
analyzed.	
		5-6	Literature survey/review has been satisfactorily done, with a room for improvement through minor changes.	
		
3-4	Literature survey/review has not been carried out extensively. Previous work has not been properly
referenced. Requires major improvement.	
		
0-2	Literature survey/review has been done poorly, with no proper references provided. It is hard to find out the
research problem currently undertaken.	






c.	





Methodology	

9-10	Methodology very well demonstrated. All the software/ hardware tools used very well presented. Research design, measures, data collection techniques and standard analytical tools appropriately employed.
Relevant professional standards well utilized.	
		7-8	Proficient knowledge of methodology demonstrated and justification for selection of method given.	
		5-6	The methodology demonstrated is  understandable,
but needs minor improvement.	
		3-4	The methodology demonstrated is hardly understood;
major changes required.	
		0-2	The methodology is not appropriate for study and
understanding is not demonstrated.	




d.	


Results/ Analysis	
9-10	Results interpreted in the light of proposed research question and existing literature. Includes alternative explanations and instructional tables and graphs. The
interpretations based on analysis are quite convincing.	
		
7-8	Results clearly summarized, discussion of results focused and tied to research question. Subsequent
analysis based on results is more than adequate.	
		5-6	Results adequately summarized, discussion of results
reasonably focused and tied to research question.	
 
 

			Subsequent analysis is about right. Minor changes
considered in order.	
		
3-4	Results produced have either little or no connection vis-à-vis the actual research problem undertaken.
Subsequent analysis has little value.	
		
0-2	Results are vague. Presentation lacks focus, tables are unorganized, and results produce no insight into
proposed question.	






e.	




Conclusion
/Implications	
9-10	Conclusion, theoretical & practical implications, and
recommendations	are	tremendously	well documented.	
		7-8	Conclusion, research implications/recommendations
are good written with clarity of research undertaken.	
		5-6	Conclusion, implications and recommendations are
written satisfactory. Little improvement is required.	
		
3-4	Conclusion, implications and recommendations have not been well elaborated. Major improvement is
required.	
		
0-2	Conclusion,  implications  and    recommendations seriously lacks academic and scientific knowledge.
Needs rewriting.	





f.	




References	9-10	References are properly mentioned and are in right
number. Latest references have been provided	
		7-8	References are properly mentioned. The number of
references is neither too low nor too high.	
		5-6	References are adequately mentioned. Their number is either a little too high or too low.	
		
3-4	References are provided but several of them are incomplete. Most of the references are related to
internet websites.	
		
0-2	Most of the references are too old and improperly provided. Vital information in several references is
missing.	






g.	



Overall Quality of Thesis	

9-10	The thesis presents a master piece work. Ideas expressed with exceptional clarity, logic and conciseness. The material has been provided in an organized manner. The thesis is free of grammatical
and structural errors.	
a+b+c+d+e+f 6
=
		7-8	The thesis is good and nicely presented.	
		5-6	The thesis is generally of a satisfactory standard.
There are minor grammatical or structural errors.	
		
3-4	The overall quality of the thesis is less than adequate. It contains numerous grammatical and/or structural
errors.	
		0-2	The thesis is full of errors. The sentences are vague and
ambiguous. Not worth reading.	
 
 

Suggestions/Comments: (Please provide your Chapter-wise comments/feedback on thesis. Please you may use extra sheet, if required)

Chapter #	Suggestions/Comments
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	




Signature of Examiner:	Date:  	
 
 

Part 2 - Abridged Evaluation Report

Having examined this thesis and provided detailed assessment in Part-1, my recommendation to Bahria University is as follows (please initial/sign only one option on the basis of overall quality of thesis marked in Part 1 (g)):


Sr
#	Rating	Grading
Points	Options	Signature

1	
Excellent	
9-10	The thesis meets all the requirements. No changes required and further process be
conducted.	


2	

Good	

7-8	The thesis requires slight amendments. Further process be conducted and compliance of amendments by the supervisor
be ensured afterwards.	




3	



Average/ Acceptable	



5-6	The thesis requires minor changes as pointed out in the detailed assessment report which needs to be incorporated. There is no need to send the thesis to me for reassessment; I authorize Bahria University to ascertain the compliance and carry out reassessment through its own system. Further process be conducted, and Supervisor/University should
endorse the compliance afterwards.	



4	


Below Average	


3-4	The thesis requires major changes as pointed out in the detailed report. These changes be incorporated, and the revised thesis be sent to me, along with a compliance report, within
         weeks for reassessment. Final defence be
conducted if recommended in my reassessment report.	
5	Poor	0-2	The thesis is unacceptable.	




Examiner’s Signature:	Date: 	
 
 

 

Thesis Defense & Viva Voce Evaluation
 
PhD-22
 

Candidate’s Name	Reg No:	
Faculty/Department	Campus:	
Title of Thesis :
Date of Defense :
RECOMMENDATION:
When the final thesis defense of the scholar has concluded and all other requirements have been met, We
a.	Recommend that the candidate be awarded the degree of Doctor of Philosophy
b.	Recommend that the candidate be awarded the degree of Doctor of Philosophy subject to the major/minor correction in the thesis
c.	Recommend that the candidate should reappear in the thesis Defense/viva- voce after incorporating major/minor corrections in the thesis
d.	Do Not Recommend that the candidate be certified to the faculty for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy
Additional Comments (if any):
 

Name of Examiners	Presentation Skills	Viva Voce	Depth of Knowledge	Signature
1. Internal Examiner:				
2. External Examiner:				
3. External Examiner:				
(Excellent, Satisfactory, Unsatisfactory) Dean of Concerned Faculty(Name): _________________________
Signature/Date 	
Distribution:

1.	Original Copy to Controller of Examinations for Scholar’s Personal file.
2.	Director PGP and Head of Department’s office for record.
 
 

 

Certificate of Approval
 
PhD-23
 

This is to certify that the research work presented in this thesis, entitled	_

 
 
was conducted   by   Mr.    	
 	_.
 
under   the   supervision   of
 

No part of this thesis has been submitted anywhere else for any other degree. This thesis submitted to the	(name of the Department of university)	in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in field of
 
 	(subject	name)	
 	at Bahria University.
 
at	department	of
 

Scholar Name:		Sign:  	

Examination Committee:

a)	External Examiner 1: Name:	Sign:	 (Designation & Office Address)




b)	External Examiner 2: Name:	Sign:	 (Designation & Office Address)




c)	Internal Examiner: Name:	Sign:	 Designation & Office Address





Supervisor Name:		Sign:  	

Name of Dean/HOD:	Sign:  	
 
 

Annexure-A
QUALITY MONITORING OF ATTRIBUTES OF PhD SCHOLAR
Name:	Enrollment No.:  	

Semester:	Department:  	

School:	Campus:  	

Sr #	Quality Measure	Remarks (Concerned PGP
Coordinator)	Remarks (Concerned
Dean/Principal)	Remarks (PGP Dte)
1	Admission Test			
2	SOP/Proposal			
3	Supervisor Relevance			
4	Coursework			
5	Comprehensive Exam			
6	Proposal Defence			
7	Research Publication			
8	Research Thesis
Submission			
9	Internal Thesis
Defence (ITD)			
10	External Evaluation of
Thesis			
11	Final Thesis Defence
(FTD)			
12	Time Bar Extension (if
any)			
13	Final Notification			
*Documentary proof should be attached where necessary. PGP Coordinator will maintain a dossier and get it endorsed by concerned Principal/Dean and PGP Dte every semester.
 
 

Annexure-B
FORMAT AND GUIDELINES FOR RESEARCH PROPOSAL AND RESEARCH THESIS


Format of Research Proposal


SECTION 1:	INTRODUCTION
This section should provide descriptions of the innovative research title i.e. what this study is all about?, background, research gap/rationale (theoretical, contextual, methodological gap/analysis), problem statement, research questions, objectives, significance/ contribution of the study.

SECTION 2:	LITERATURE REVIEW/ THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
This section should provide critical discussion of literature in the context of identified research gap, research questions and objectives (where applicable). This section may cover all variables’ conceptual, theoretical, logical relationship with all independent, mediating and moderating variables used for development of research hypothesis/framework. There must be a logical flow in literature discussion including characteristic, attributes, dimension and conceptional/operational definitions.

SECTION 3:	RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
This section should explain proposed research design and methodology for undertaken research, and provide justification of adopted research philosophy, methodological choice & type, time horizon, instrument development, experiment design, population, sampling strategy, unit of analysis, data collection method, analysis techniques and research ethics.

REFERENCES	[For	references,	formatting	and	other	documentation requirement, follow		BU Thesis]
ANNEXURES       [Timeline, Questionnaire, Additional Data etc. can be inserted here]
 
 

NOTE:
1.	Additional information into relevant sections can be added based on research requirements of respective Faculty. No further section should be added.
2.	This format will help the scholars to develop innovative research proposal with clear directions and smooth transformation into a Thesis.
3.	Guidelines for writing Research Proposal are also provided in annexure which should be followed in true letter and spirit. The same may be further augmented as per requirements of respective Faculty, duly endorsed by the relevant FRC/Dean.
 
 

Format of Research Thesis


ABSTRACT
The abstract must cover all aspects of the study in a logically flow including research problem, research gap, objectives, methodology, key finding and significance of the study. Keywords of the study should also be given at the end of abstract.

CHAPTER 1:	INTRODUCTION
This chapter should provide descriptions of the innovative research title i-e what this study is all about?, background, research gap/rationale (theoretical, contextual, methodological gap/analysis), problem statement, research questions, objectives, significance/ contribution of the study, which should have synchronization with the findings of the study..

CHAPTER 2:	LITERATURE REVIEW/ THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
This chapter should provide critical discussion of literature in the context of identified research gap, research questions and objectives (where applicable). This chapter may cover all variables’ conceptual, theoretical, logical relationship with all independent, mediating and moderating variables used to test research hypotheses. There must be a logical flow in literature discussion including characteristic, attributes, dimension and operational definitions. The recent theoretical/empirical studies quoted in literature should relevance to the findings of the scholar’s research thesis.

CHAPTER 3:	RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
This chapter should explain proposed research design and methodology for undertaken research, and provide justification of adopted research philosophy, methodological choice & type, time horizon, instrument development, experiment design, population, sampling strategy, unit of analysis, data collection methods, analysis techniques and research ethics. The methodological contribution scholar’s research should be highlighted (if any).

CHAPTER 4:	DATA ANALYSIS/RESULTS/FINDINGS
This chapter should cover analysis/explanation/evaluation/discussion/validation of all the collected data which may include, reliability/validity, descriptive/factor analysis and experimental results, hypotheses/model fitness results, etc.

CHAPTER 5:	DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION
 
 

This chapter should cover scholarly discussion on key findings and implications (Theoretical, Practical, Policy etc.) based on research questions/hypotheses of the study (where applicable), in addition to limitation of the study, future research directions and conclusion.

REFERENCES	[For references, formatting and other documentation
requirement, follow BU Thesis Writing Manual]

ANNEXURES       [Code, Questionnaire, Additional Data etc can be inserted here]


NOTE:
1.	Additional information into relevant chapters can be added based on research requirements of respective Faculty. No further chapter should be added.
2.	Guidelines for writing Research Thesis are also provided in annexure which should be followed in true letter and spirit. The same may be further augmented as per requirements of respective Faculty, duly endorsed by the relevant FRC/Dean.
 
 

Guidelines for Research Proposal

Initial pages of the document should be as per BU Thesis Writing Manual.


SECTION 1:	INTRODUCTION
Introductory paragraph with descriptions of the innovative research title i.e. what this project is all about?
1.1	Background: Background of the research shows the impact and implication of the innovative topic (the specific set up in which you are studying the issue). It should be well elaborated. It should include current facts and figures in the background. The scholar should also explain it in the context with the work already done on the topic.
1.2	Research Gap/Rationale – Why this research is needed? Gap should come from following three critical domains:
1.2.1	Theoretical Gap (Compulsory): At least 8-10 future research recommendations from the most recent empirical studies published in top tier journals.
1.2.2	Contextual Gap/Analysis (Compulsory): The scholar should support the arguments in detail with empirical evidences.
1.2.3	Methodological Gap/Analysis: The scholar should highlight the methodological gap analysis and significance of the gap to be addressed.
1.3	Problem Statement: Problem statement should be crisp, logical and holistically highlight the issue to be addressed through research being conducted by the scholar.
1.4	Research Question(s): The research questions should be clear and measurable.
1.5	Objectives: The research objectives should be clear and achievable. The research questions, research objectives and problem statement should be logically aligned.
1.6	Significance of the Study: The novelty of research should be highlighted which should be driven from the aforementioned sections (1.2 to 1.5).

SECTION 2:	LITERATURE REVIEW/ THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
All discussion of literature should be critical and within the context of identified research gap, research questions and objectives based on recent studies on the topic. All conceptual, theoretical, logical relationship with all independent, mediating and moderating variables
 
 

need to be discussed. The underpinning theory must be very logically presented and justified to support hypotheses and theoretical framework/research model.

SECTION 3:	RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Explain research methodology of the research and provide justification covering the undermentioned subsets as applicable to the relevant Faculty:
3.1	Research Epistemology: Explain and justify the research paradigm/philosophy and ontological approach.
3.2	Research Approach: Explain and justify research approach which should clearly highlight theory building and/or testing i.e. induction, deduction, experimentation and abduction, as per the requirement of concerned Faculty.
3.3	Research Strategy: Explain and justify research strategy i.e. Survey methods, Grounded theory, Experimental, Narrative inquiry etc. It should also explain and logically justify i.e. Data sets suitability and applicability, timeframe, etc.
3.4	Population and Sampling: Explain the target population and logically justify how the target population would be the best choice for this study? Also explain the proposed sample and logically justify the sampling strategy/technique. The unit of analysis should also be clearly and logically identified, as applicable.
3.5	Data Collection and Data Analysis: Explain and discuss the methods of data collection and data analysis techniques along with the software with proper justifications. This may also include information of adapted, adopted or new developed instrument used for data collection, as applicable. The analysis should be based on clearly identified unit of analysis, as applicable.
3.6	Research Ethics: Research ethics followed during the conduct of this research should be clearly mentioned.

REFERENCES	[For	references,	formatting	and	other	documentation requirement, follow		BU Thesis]
ANNEXURES       [Timeline, Questionnaire, Additional Data etc. can be inserted here]

NOTE:
1.	Additional information into relevant sections can be added based on research requirements of respective Faculty. No further section should be added.
2.	This format will help the scholars to develop innovative research proposal with clear directions and smooth transformation into a Thesis.
 
 

3.	Guidelines for developing Research Proposal are also provided in annexure which should be followed in true letter and spirit. The same may be further augmented as per requirements of respective Faculty duly endorsed by the relevant FRC/Dean.
 
 

Guidelines for Research Thesis

Initial pages of the document should be as per BU Thesis Writing Manual.

ABSTRACT
The abstract must cover all aspect of the study in a logically flow including research problem, research gap, objectives, methodology, key finding and significance of the study should be crisply mentioned. Keywords of the study should also be given in the abstract.


CHAPTER 1:	INTRODUCTION
Introductory paragraph with descriptions of the research title i.e. what this project is all about?
1.1	Background: Background of the research shows the impact and implication of the innovative topic (the specific set up in which you are studying the issue). It should be well elaborated. It should include current facts and figures in the background. The scholar should also explain it in the context with the work already done on the topic.
1.2	Research Gap/Rationale: Why this research is needed? Gap should come from following three critical domains:
1.2.1	Theoretical Gap (Compulsory): At least 8-10 future research recommendations from the most recent empirical studies published in top tier journals.
1.2.2	Contextual Gap/Analysis (Compulsory): The scholar should support the arguments in detail with empirical evidences.
1.2.3	Methodological Gap/Analysis: The scholar should highlight the methodological gap analysis and significance of the gap to be addressed.
1.3	Problem Statement: Problem statement should be crisp, logical and holistically highlight the issue to be addressed through research being conducted by the scholar.
1.4	Research Question(s): The research questions should be clear and measurable.
1.5	Objectives: The research objectives should be clear and achievable. The research questions, research objectives and problem statement should be logically aligned.
1.6	Significance of the Study: The novelty of research should be highlighted which should be driven from the aforementioned sections (1.2 to 1.5).
 
 


CHAPTER 2:	LITERATURE REVIEW/ THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
All discussion of literature should be critical and within the context of identified research gap, research questions and objectives based on recent studies on the topic. All conceptual, theoretical, logical relationship with all independent, mediating and moderating variables need to be discussed. The underpinning theory must be very logically presented and justified to support hypotheses and theoretical framework/research model

CHAPTER 3:	RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Explain research methodology of the research and provide justification covering the undermentioned subsets as applicable to the relevant Faculty:
3.1	Research Epistemology: Explain and justify the research paradigm/philosophy and ontological approach.
3.2	Research Approach: Explain and justify research approach which should clearly highlight theory building and/or testing i.e. induction, deduction, experimentation and abduction, as per the requirement of concerned Faculty.
3.3	Research Strategy: Explain and justify research strategy i.e. Survey methods, Grounded theory, Experimental, Narrative inquiry etc. It should also explain and logically justify i.e. Data sets suitability and applicability, timeframe, etc.
3.4	Population and Sampling: Explain the target population and logically justify how the target population would be the best choice for this study? Also explain the proposed sample and logically justify the sampling strategy/technique. The unit of analysis should also be clearly and logically identified, as applicable.
3.5	Data Collection and Data Analysis: Explain and discuss the method of data collection and data analysis technique along with the software with proper justifications. This may also include information of adapted, adopted or new developed instrument used for data collection, as applicable. The analysis should be based on clearly identified unit of analysis, as applicable.
3.6	Research Ethics: Research ethics followed during the conduct of this research should be clearly mentioned.

CHAPTER 4:	DATA ANALYSIS/RESULTS/FINDINGS

This chapter should cover analysis of all the collected data and findings covering following aspects:
4.1	Descriptive & Demographic analysis
 
 

4.2	Reliability and validity analysis
4.3	Experimental/Factor analysis
4.4	Hypotheses/Model fitness test etc
4.5	Result/Findings of hypotheses/experiments

CHAPTER 5:	DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION
This chapter should cover scholarly discussion covering following aspects:
5.1	Sequence of discussion should be experiment/hypotheses-wise.
5.2	Implications of the study
5.2.1	Theoretical implications
5.2.2	Practical implications
5.2.3	Policy implications (where applicable)
5.3	Limitations of the study
5.4	Future research directions
5.5	Conclusion

REFERENCES	[For references, formatting and other documentation
requirement, follow BU Thesis Writing Manual]

ANNEXURES	[Code, Questionnaire, Additional Data etc can be inserted here]


NOTE:
1.	Additional information into relevant chapters can be added based on research requirements of respective Faculty. No further chapter should be added.
2.	Guidelines for writing Research Thesis are also provided in annexure which should be followed in true letter and spirit. The same may be further augmented as per requirements of respective Faculty, duly endorsed by the relevant FRC/Dean.
 
Annexure – C


BU THESIS WRITING MANUAL

for


Post Graduate Degrees










Directorate of Postgraduate Programs
Bahria University, Islamabad


2019
 




Table of Contents
 
CHAPTER 1	106
ORGANISATION OF THE THESIS	106
1.1	Definition of a Thesis	106
1.2	Organization of the Thesis	106
1.3	Title Page	107
1.3.1	Thesis Title	108
1.3.2	Statement of Award for the Thesis	108
1.4	Approval of Examination	108
1.5	Author’s Declaration	108
1.6	Plagiarism Undertaking	108
1.7	Dedication Page (optional)	109
1.8	Acknowledgement (optional)	109
1.9	Abstract	109
1.10	Table of Contents Page (s)	109
1.11	List of Tables	109
1.12	List of Figures	110
1.13	List of Symbols/Abbreviations/Notations/Terminology	110
1.14	List of Appendices	110
1.15	Text	110
1.15.1	Citation in the Text	111
1.15.2	Quotations in the Text	111
1.15.3	Tables in the Text	111
1.15.4	Figures in the Text	112
1.16	References	113
1.17	Appendix	113
CHAPTER 2	114
SIZE AND FORMAT	114
2.1	Paper and Size	114
2.2	Margin	114
2.3	Pagination	114
2.4	Numbering the Chapters and Sub-sections	115
2.5	Typing	116
2.6	Spacing and Format	116
2.7	Computer Printed Copy	117
2.8	Lettering and Drawing	117
2.9	Maximum Limits	117
2.10	Binding	117
2.10.1	Cover Colour and Writing	118
2.10.2	Front Cover	118
2.10.3	Spine	118
CHAPTER 3	119
REFERENCE STYLE	119
3.1	Introduction	119
3.2	Author and Year System	119
3.2.1	Citing in the Text	119
3.2.2	List of References	121
3.2.3	Writing Style for Authors’ Names in the List of References	121
3.2.4	Writing Style for Various Types of Publication Materials in the List of References	122
3.3	Number System	127
3.3.1	Citing in the Text	127
3.3.2	Writing Style for Various Types of Publication Materials in the List of References	128
3.4	Reference from Internet	131
CHAPTER 4	132
NOTES AND FOOTNOTES	132
4.1	General Guidelines	132
4.2	Reference Style	132
CHAPTER 5	134
ELECTRONIC THESES AND DISSERTATIONS (ETD)	134
5.1	Introduction	134
5.2	Definition of Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETD)	134
5.4	Contents of ETD	135
5.4.1	Pre-access File	135
5.4.2	Full Text File	135
5.5	Preparation Guideline	135
 

CHAPTER 1




ORGANISATION OF THE THESIS



1.1	Definition of a Thesis
Thesis in this manual refers to a documented report of the process followed and the results of original research conducted by a student in fulfilment of the requirements for a post graduate degree. The thesis should be presented in a manner that will reflect credit on the student, the faculty, and the University. The term thesis used throughout this manual refers to PhD and MS/MPhil theses.
1.2	Organization of the Thesis

A thesis is made up of three main parts namely preliminary pages, text and references. These are arranged as in Table 1.1.

Table 1.1: Arrangement of parts in a thesis


Section	SUBJECT	STATUS	EXAMPLE (APPENDIX)	REMARKS
1.3	Title page	compulsory	A	without page number but counted as (i). Do not use BOLD letters.
1.4	Certificate of Approval for
Examination	compulsory	B	page number using Roman numeric (ii)
1.5	Author’s
Declaration	compulsory	C	page number using Roman numeric (ii)

1.6	Plagiarism Undertaking	compulsory	D	page number using Roman numeric (ii)
1.7	Dedication	optional	E	page number using
				Roman numeric (if any)
 
1.8	Acknowledge- ments	optional	F	page number using Roman numeric (if any)
1.9	Abstract (English)	compulsory	G	page number using Roman numeric
1.10	Table of Contents	compulsory	H	page number using Roman numeric
1.11	List of Tables	compulsory	J	page number using Roman numeric
1.12	List of Figures	compulsory	
K	page number using Roman numeric
1.13	List of Symbols/ Abbreviations / Notation/ Terminology	compulsory	
L	page number using Roman numeric
1.14	List of Appendices	compulsory

(if any)	M	page number using Roman numeric (if any)
1.15	Text	compulsory	N,P,Q,R,S	page number using Arabic numeric starting with page 1
1.16	References	compulsory	-	page number using Arabic numeric continue from the text
1.17	Appendices	optional	-	page number using Arabic numeric continue from the text



1.3	Title Page


Title page must contain information listed in the following order: Title of the thesis;
Student’s full name (as per registration in BU) ;

Statement of award for the thesis (see Appendix A);
 
Name of Department/Faculty/Campus/Centre where the student registered; Name of the University; and
Month and Year of submission (Month and Year of submission of hard bound copy of the thesis).
See example in Appendix A.


1.3.1	Thesis Title

The title should be a short and snappy description of the main topic of the thesis. Not more than 16 words. Redundancies such as ““On the …”, “Some ,,,”, and “Toward a …” must be avoided. Thesis title should not contain formulas, symbols or subscripts, Greek letters, or other non-alphabetical symbols; rather word substitutes are used.


1.3.2	Statement of Award for the Thesis

This statement should be written on the Title Page. It should state the purpose and the award for which the thesis is submitted. Examples of statements for various purposes and awards are listed in Appendix A.

1.4	Approval of Examination


This page should contain declaration by the Principal Supervisor regarding approval of thesis for examination. The page should be signed by the Principal Supervisor. See example in Appendix B.

1.5	Author’s Declaration

This page should contain declaration by the student on originality of the thesis stating that it is his/her own work and has not been submitted previously by him/her for taking any degree. The declaration should be signed by the student. See example in Appendix C.

1.6	Plagiarism Undertaking
 
This page should contain declaration by the student on plagiarism. The undertaking should be signed by the student. See example in Appendix D.

1.7	Dedication Page (optional)


The dedication must be brief, not more than one paragraph, and must not contain any number, chart or photograph. See example in Appendix E.


1.8	Acknowledgement (optional)


The student may acknowledge the assistance of various individuals or organizations in successfully producing the thesis. This should be written in one page. Example can be seen in Appendix F.


1.9	Abstract

Abstracts must be written in English. The abstract should be brief, written in one paragraph/page and not exceed 500 words. An abstract is different from synopsis or summary of a thesis. It should state the field of study, problem definition, methodology adopted, research process, results obtained and conclusion of the research. The abstract can be written using single or one and a half spacing. Examples can be seen in Appendix G (English).

1.10	Table of Contents Page (s)


The Table of Contents page (s) must start on a new page. It should list all sections, chapters and sub-headings. The titles must be written using the same words as those written in the text. See example in Appendix H.


1.11	List of Tables
 
This page should list all the tables found in the thesis. The page number of the table must also be included. The table numbers should be arranged according to the chapters. See example in Appendix J.

1.12	List of Figures


Diagrams, photographs, drawings, graphs, charts and maps are included as figures. The list should be written similar as the List of Tables. See example in Appendix K.


1.13	List of Symbols/Abbreviations/Notations/Terminology

All symbols or abbreviations or notations or terminology found in the text should be listed on this page. They are listed in the following order:
Roman letters	-	alphabetical order
Greek letters	-	alphabetical order
Superscripts	-	alphabetical order
Subscripts	-	alphabetical order See example in Appendix L.


1.14	List of Appendices


All appendices should be listed on this page. See example in Appendix M.


1.15	Text

A thesis must be divided into chapters. A title must be given and it should reflect its content. A new chapter must begin on a new page. A chapter must be divided into sections. These sections must be given appropriate titles and numbered. See example of numbering a chapter and sub headings in a chapter in Appendix N.
Texts must be written in paragraphs. Long paragraphs should be avoided. Each paragraph must describe an issue or subject. There must be continuity between paragraphs of chapters. See example of page continuation in Appendix p.
The text should contain:
 
(i)	an introduction, background, and problem statement of the study or research;
(ii)	a detailed description of the study or research which include theories, models, and materials and methods used;
(iii)	the data collection and analysis techniques.
(iv)	the main results and discussions; and
(v)	the conclusions and significance of the findings.


1.15.1	Citation in the Text

Citation means formally recognizing within the text, the resources from which the information or idea were obtained. The purpose is to acknowledge the work of others, to demonstrate the body of knowledge in which the work is based on and to lead others for further information. Citation in the texts must be written according to any one of the styles described in Chapter 3.


1.15.2	Quotations in the Text

A quotation must be written in a separate paragraph. If the quotation is in a different language, it must be written in italic. Example of writing a quotation is shown in Appendix Q.


1.15.3	Tables in the Text

All tables must be numbered using English numeric. A caption should be positioned at the top of the table. If the caption is written in a single line, it should be centered. If the caption is written more than one line, it should align to the left and justified. Preferably, long tables should be reduced to fit on a single page unless the oversized materials are absolutely necessary for clarity and understanding. Tables must be numbered with respect to the chapter. For example, Table 4.3 is the third table that appears in chapter 4. See example in Appendix R.
 
A table should be positioned after it is being cited for the first time in the text. All tables in the chapter can also be grouped together and positioned at an appropriate location. All tables must be listed in the List of Tables page.


1.15.4	Figures in the Text

Illustrations such as maps, charts, graphs, drawings, diagrams, and photographs are referred as figures. All figures must be clear and of high quality. Figures must be numbered using English numeric. A caption should be located at the bottom of the figure. If the caption is written in a single line, it should be centered. If the caption is written in more than one line, it should aligned to the left and justified. Figures are numbered with respect to the chapter. For example, Figure 4.3 is the third figure that appears in chapter 4.


A figure should be positioned after it has been cited for the first time in the text. All figures in the chapter can also be grouped together and positioned at an appropriate location. All figures must be listed in the List of Figures page.

Illustrations in the form of CD’s, slides, and others should be placed in specially made pockets glued to the inner side of the back cover. Oversized illustrations in the form of plans, maps, charts, graphs, and others should be reduced to fit a single page unless the oversized materials are absolutely necessary for clarity and understanding. For illustrations other than above, please refer to the following guidelines;
(i)	Photographs
Photographs should be digitally embedded in the text unless absolutely impossible.
(ii)	Newspaper Cuttings or Similar Materials
Copies of newspaper cuttings or similar materials should be of high quality.
It is advisable to scan all illustration materials using a scanner and printing them using a high quality colour printer. See example in Appendix S.
 
1.16	References


References are detailed description of items from which information were obtained in preparing the thesis. All references must be listed at the end of the text. They should be arranged using one of the methods discussed in Chapter 3.

1.17	Appendix


Appendices are supplementary materials to the text. These include tables, charts, computer program listings, and others. The following should be noted:
(a)	Appendix is not a must in a thesis. If necessary, data used for analysis, example of questionnaires, maps, photographs and other materials which are lengthy to be included in the text or materials that are not required implicitly to clarify matters discussed can be accompanied as appendix.
(b)	Appendix can be named as Appendix A, Appendix B, and so on, depends on types and quantity to be included. Specific titles can also be given.
 


CHAPTER 2





SIZE AND FORMAT






2.1	Paper and Size


White simile 80 gram high quality A4 size papers (210	297 mm) should be
used.


2.2	Margin


All pages should be set with the same margin. The left margin should be at least 3.5 cm (for binding purposes) and 2.5 cm for the top, right and bottom margins.

2.3	Pagination


Each page of a thesis must be counted and numbered. Pages should be numbered consecutively as shown in Table 1.1. The page numbers should be printed at the top right-hand corner, at least 1.00 cm from the top edge and 2.5 cm from the right edge. Numbering should be as follows:
 
(i)	Preliminary pages of a thesis, starting from the title page should be numbered using small letter Roman numeric (i, ii, iii, etc.); the texts should be numbered using English numeric (1, 2, 3, etc.).
(ii)	The first page should be the title page. This page should be counted “í” but page number should not be printed.
(iii)	The first page of the text (Chapter 1) should be counted “1”.


2.4	Numbering the Chapters and Sub-sections

All chapters and their sub-sections must be labelled and numbered. The chapters are numbered using English numeric, i.e. Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, and so on. The sub-sections should not be indented but arranged in a structured manner not more than four levels as follows:

2	First level (Title of the chapter)
2.1	Second level (Title of the sub-section)
2.1.1	Third level (Title of the sub-sub-section)
2.1.1.1	Fourth level (Title of the sub-sub-sub-section)

If the length of a title of a chapter or any level is more than one line, single line spacing as in the text should be used. Sub-sections beyond level four should be labelled using characters. Examples are shown in Appendices P and Q.

If a thesis is divided into parts, separation sheets should be used to separate them. The separation sheets should be printed with capital letters, i.e. PART 1, PART 2, PART 3, and so on.
 
2.5	Typing

A thesis should be typed using MS Word or text processor. Font type and size that are commonly used for printed academic materials should be used. The same font type should be used throughout the thesis. The character size should not be less than 0.2 cm for capital letters and 0.15 cm for small letters. If Microsoft Word is used, font type Times New Roman with font size 12 or bigger should be used. One and a half line spacing should be used in the text. The text must be printed on one side only.

The title of a chapter should be typed using capital letters and centered. A new chapter must start on a new page. Chapters and their sub-sections must be given titles. The titles should be typed using bold letters and should not be underlined. See examples in Appendices P and Q.


2.6	Spacing and Format


The following guidelines should be observed:
(i)	The spacing between the top margin and the chapter number should be 2.5 cm;
(ii)	The spacing between the chapter number and the title, and between the title and the first line of a text should be at least two (2) line spacing;
(iii)	The spacing between the last line of a text with the title of a sub- section should be at least two (2) line spacing;
(iv)	The spacing between the title of a sub-section and the first line of a text should be two (2) line spacing;
(v)	The spacing between paragraphs should be at least one (1) line spacing;
(vi)	The number and the title of sub-section should be aligned with the left margin;

(vii)	The alignment of text in entire thesis should be justified.

(viii)	The spacing between the last line of a text and a table, or a figure or an illustration should be two (2) line spacing;
(ix)	The spacing after a full stop should be one (1) character spacing.
(x)	The spacing after a full stop (.) and a comma (,) should be one (1).
 
2.7	Computer Printed Copy


A thesis should be typed using word or text processors for fast and easy editing. Hardcopy should be produced using a laser printer or similar quality machines.


2.8	Lettering and Drawing


Lettering and drawing must be clear and should be reproducible satisfactorily without loss of any information.

2.9	Maximum Limits


The maximum number of pages for a dissertation/thesis are as follows:


MS/MPhil Dissertation/Thesis	:	200 pages (OR 10,000-30,000 words) Doctorate Thesis	:	300 pages (OR 40,000-80,000 words)

These limits include tables, figures and other illustrations in the text but do not include references and appendices.


2.10	Binding

A thesis must be bound properly. A thesis should be temporarily bound for the purpose of examination. A thesis for final submission must be permanently bound with hard cover.
 
2.10.1	Cover Colour and Writing

A thesis submitted to the University must be permanently bound. A Buckram type cover must be used and written with golden/silver ink for the lettering. The minimum size of the letters should be 18 point. The cover colours should be as follows:


Thesis	Colour	Lettering
(i)	PhD Degree
	a.	Faculty of Management Sciences	Maroon	Golden
	b.	Faculty of Engineering Sciences	Dark Blue	Golden
	c.	Faculty of Psychology	Dark Green	Golden
	c.	Faculty of Health Sciences	Black	Golden

(ii)	MS/MPhil Degree
	a.	Faculty of Management Sciences	Maroon	Silver
	b.	Faculty of Engineering Sciences	Dark Blue	Silver
	c.	Faculty of Psychology	Dark Green	Silver
	d.	Faculty of Health Sciences	Black	Silver



2.10.2	Front Cover

The front cover should be written with the title of the thesis, the STUDENT’S NAME and BAHRIA UNIVERSITY with “CAMPUS” name using capital letters. An example is shown in Appendix T.


2.10.3	Spine

On the spine should be written the student’s name, the degree (MS/MPhil/PhD), the year in which the thesis is approved (the year in which final bound thesis submitted) and BU Campus as in Appendix U.
 



CHAPTER 3





REFERENCE STYLE






3.1	Introduction


The details of the references cited in the text, published or unpublished should be located in the List of References. The list should be placed at the end of the thesis, a listing of sources actually cited, compiled either alphabetically (APA System) or numerically (Number System) as per the requirement of respective Faculty. The style selected must be used consistently throughout the thesis.


3.2	Author and Year System


This system is also known as APA System.


3.2.1	Citing in the Text

The references cited in the text should be indicated using the name of the author and the year of publication. Examples are as follow:
 
(a)	If the name of an author is written as part of a sentence, the year published should be written in parentheses.

“Works by Yao (1993) have shown that in order to maintain the behavioral link between the off springs and their parents, the use of crossover operator should be avoided.”

(b)	If the name of an author is not written as part of a sentence, both the name and year published should be written in parentheses.

“ANN offers useful properties and capabilities such as non-linearity, input and output mapping, adaptability and fault tolerance among others (Haykin, 1999).”

(c)	If there are two authors for a cited reference, both names should be written.

“In designing the model for non-linear system, the parsimonious principle (Soderstrom and Stoica, 1989) is critical because a non- linear model involves an excessive number of parameters.”

“Syu and Chang (1999) successfully used neural networks to adaptively control Penicillin acylase fermentation.”

(d)	If there are three authors for a cited reference, all three names should be written first time. Subsequently, use et al. after the name of the first author, if same reference is cited in text more than once.

“In designing the model for non-linear system, the parsimonious principle (Soderstrom, Mortin and Stoica, 1989) is critical because a non-linear model involves an excessive number of parameters.”

“Soderstrom et al (1989) successfully used neural networks to adaptively control Penicillin acylase fermentation.”
 
(e)	If there are more than three authors for a cited reference, use et al.
after the name of the first author.

“The algorithm can be calculated by applying Gram-Schmidt procedures as described by Korenberg et al. (1988).”

(f)	If more than one reference materials by the same author in a same year are cited, use small letter alphabets (a, b, c, and so on) to distinguish them.

(g)	“Some of the basic principles widely used by many researchers are Lagrange-Euler (LE) equations (Uicker, 1965; Bejczy and Paul,1981), Newton-Euler (NE) equations (Luh et al., 1980a) and d’Alembert (G- D) equations (Lee et al., 1983).”

(h)	“Luh et al. (1980b) presented an example of an acceleration control of robot arm/manipulator.”

(i)	Cross referencing in not allowed in a thesis. Only primary sources should be used.


3.2.2	List of References

All references cited should be listed in the List of References at the end of the last chapter. List the references alphabetically. If more than one published material by the same author are cited, these materials should be listed chronologically. For example, an article by Scholfield published in 1964 should be listed before the one published in 1967.



3.2.3	Writing Style for Authors’ Names in the List of References

Generally, authors’ names are listed using surname followed by their initials.
 
The followings are examples of writing style according to the name of the author:

(i)	Single and multiple authors


Example (single author) :



Veres, S. M. (1990). Structure Selection of Stochastic Dynamic Systems.

New York: Gordon and Breach Science Publishers.


Example (two or more authors):
Soderstrom, T., and Stoica, P. (1989). System Identification. United Kingdom: Prentice Hall International Ltd.

Luh, J. Y. S., Walker, M. W., and Paul, R. P. (1980b). Resolved-Acceleration Control of Mechanical Manipulators. IEEE Trans. Automatic Control. 25(3): 468-474.

(ii)	Editor

Example:
Martin, A. M. (Ed.) (1991). Peat as an Agent in Biological Degradation of Waste. London: Elsevier

Lees, R. H. and Thomas T. R. (Eds.) (1974). Chemical Nomenclature Usage. Chichester: Ellis Horwood.

(iii)	Corporate author/editor

Example:
Engineers Joint Council (1969). Thesaurus of Management Sciences and Scientific Terms. New York: Engineers Joint Council.


3.2.4	Writing Style for Various Types of Publication Materials in the List of References
 
Frequently, different types of publication materials are cited in a thesis. The style of writing details on cited publication in the List of References should be as follows:

(i)	Book


Author (Year). Title. (Edition). Placed published: Publisher.

Example:
Theusen, G. J. and Fabrycky, W. J. (1984). Management Sciences Economy. (6th ed.) Englewood Cliffs, N. J.: Prentice Hall.

(ii)	Article in a book


Author of the article (Year). Title of the article. In author or editor of the book. Title of the book. (page). Place published: Publisher.

Example:
Hussein, S. B., Jamaluddin, H., Mailah, M. and Zalzala, A. M. S. (2000). An Evolutionary Neural Network Controller for Intelligent Active Force Control. In Parmee, I. C. (Ed.) Evolutionary Design and Manufacturing (pp. 351 –362). London: Springer-Verlag.

(iii)	Journal articles


Print format
Author (Year). Title of the article. Title of the Journal. Volume (Issue no.), page.

Example:


Billings. S. A. (1980). Identification of Nonlinear Systems: A survey. Proc.

IEE, Part D. 127(6), 272-284.


Electronic format
 
Author (Year). Title of the article. Title of the Journal. Volume (Issue no.), page. Publisher

Example:
Borman, W. C. (1993). Role of Early Supervisory Experience in Supervisor Performance. Journal of Applied Psychology, 78, 443 – 449. American Psychology Association.

(iv)	Conference articles


Author (Year). Title of the article. Name of the conference. Date of the conference. Place, page.

Example:
Sheta, A. F. and De Jong, K. (1996). Parameter Estimation of Nonlinear Systems in Noisy Environments Using Genetic Algorithms. Proceedings of the 1996 IEEE International Symposium on Intelligent Control. 15-18 September. Dearborn, Michigan: IEEE, 360 - 365.

(v)	Thesis


Author (Year). Title of the thesis. Thesis awarded. University, Place published.

Example:
Adnan bin Hassan (2002). On-line Recognition of Developing Control Chart Patterns. Ph.D. Thesis. Bahria University, Islamabad.
 
(vi)	Standards


Name of the institution (Year). Standard number. Place published: Publisher


Example:
British Standards Institution (1990). B.S. 764. London: British Standards Institution.

(vii)	Patent Print
format
Author (Year). Patent number. Place published: Official source.

Example:
Smith, I. M. (1988). U.S. Patent No. 123, 445. Washington DC: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Electronic format
Author (Year). Patent number. Retrieved on date, year, from URL address of the patent database.

Example:
Ulrich, K. (2001). European Patent No. EP1162184. Retrieved on March 7, 2002, from fttp://ep.espacenet.com/


(ix)	Brochure


Name of organization (Year). Title [Brochure]. Place published: Publisher.

Example:
Research and Training Center (1993). Guidelines for Reporting and Writing About People with Disabilities. [Brochure]. Lawrance, KS: Macmillan


(x)	Unpublished materials
Author (Year). Title. Unpublished note, Name of organization.
 
(xii)	Newspaper article


Print format


No author
Title of article. (Year, date). Name of newspaper, page. Example:
Gearing up to meet new challenges. (2000, February 22). The Star. p. 2.


Author
Author. (Year, date). Title of article. Name of newspaper, page.

Example:


Izatun Shari (2000, April 18). K-economy: draft out in October. New Straits Times. p. 2-4.


(xii)	Magazine


Author. (Year). Title of article. Name of magazine, Volume/Issue no., page Example:
Smith, B. L. (1994). Biofeedback. Science, 62, 673 – 675.

(xiii)	CD-ROM


Author. (Year). Title of article. [CD-ROM]. Title of Journal,, Volume, page.
Publisher.


Example:
 
Ivry, R. B. (1995). Perception and production of temporal intervals across a range of durations. [CD-ROM]. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 21, 3-18. American Psychological Association.

Example of a List of References using author and year system is shown in Appendix V.


3.3	Number System


3.3.1	Citing in the Text
All references cited in the text must be assigned numbers using Arabic numeric. The first cited reference should be assigned with number 1. Subsequent cited references should be given consecutive numbers. One of the methods below can be used when citing:

(i)	If the name of an author is written as part of a sentence, the reference number should be inserted in parenthesis or square brackets or superscript after the author’s name, for example:

“Genetic algorithm was introduced by Holland (1) and was extensively explored by Goldberg (2).”
OR
“Genetic algorithm was introduced by Holland [1] and was extensively explored by Goldberg [2].”
OR
“Genetic algorithm was introduced by Holland1 and was extensively explored by Goldberg2.”
 
(ii)	If the name of an author is not part of a sentence, the reference number should be inserted in parenthesis or square brackets or superscript at the appropriate location; for example:

“Recently, evolutionary programming has been applied to various optimization problems (1) and it offers many advantages such as having global search characteristics.”
OR
“Recently, evolutionary programming has been applied to various optimization problems [1] and it offers many advantages such as having global search characteristics.”
OR
“Recently, evolutionary programming has been applied to various
optimization problems1 and it offers many advantages such as having global search characteristics.”


3.3.2	Writing Style for Various Types of Publication Materials in the List of References

In the list of references, the numbers assigned to the source of references cited in the text are listed in incremental order. The style of writing details on cited publication in the List of References are as follows:

(i)	Book


Author. Title of the book. Edition (if not the first). Place published: Publisher. Year

Example:
[1]	Theusen, G. J. and Fabrycky, W. J. Management Sciences Economy. 6th. ed. Englewood Cliffs, N. J.: Prentice-Hall. 1984
 
(ii)	Article in a book


Author. Title of the article. In: Author of the book. Title of the book. Place published: Publisher. page; Year.

Example:
[2]	Hussein, S. B., Jamaluddin, H., Mailah, M. and Zalzala, A. M. S. An Evolutionary Neural Network Controller for Intelligent Active Force Control. In: Parmee, I. C. ed. Evolutionary Design and Manufacturing. London:
Springer-Verlag. 351-362; 2000

(iii)	Journal articles


Author. Title of the article. Title of the Journal. Year. Volume (number): page.

Example:
[3]	Billings. S. A. Identification of Nonlinear Systems: A Survey. Proc. IEE Part

D, 1980. 127(6): 272-284.


(iv)	Conference articles


Author. Title of the article. Name of the conference. Date of the conference. Place published: Publisher. Year. page.

Example:
[4]	Sheta, A. F. and De Jong, K. Parameter Estimation of Nonlinear Systems in Noisy Environments Using Genetic Algorithms. Proceedings of the 1996 IEEE International Symposium on Intelligent Control. September 15-18, 1996. Dearborn, Michigan: IEEE. 1996. 360-365.
 
(v)	Thesis

Author. Title of the thesis. Thesis award. Name of Institution; Year

Example:
[5]	Adnan bin Hassan. On-line Recognition of Developing Control Chart Patterns. Ph.D. Thesis. Bahria University Islamabad; 2002

(vi)	Standards


Name of the Institution. Title of the standard. Place published, Standard number. Year

Example:
[6]	British Standards Institution. Tongued And Grooved Software Flooring.
London, BS 1297. 1987

(vii)	Patent


Owner’s name. Title of the patent. Patent number. Year.

Example:
[7]	Lindgren, E. A. Screen Room Air Inlet and Wave Guard. U.S. Patent 2, 925, 457. 1960.

(viii)	Commercial catalogue


Name of distributor. Title. Place published: Note. Year

Example:
[8]	Howick Partitioning Ltd. Howick: Partitioning in Business. Redhill (U.K.): Trade brochure. 1984.
 
Example of a List of References using Number System is in Appendix W.


3.4	Reference from Internet


Although internet provides a large source of references, the information from internet are not permanent and are up-dated periodically. Thus, these are unreliable sources of reference. Internet should only be used to retrieve primary sources of reference.
 






CHAPTER 4





NOTES AND FOOTNOTES




4.1	General Guidelines


Notes are supplementary information provided in a writing. Notes such as footnotes, final notes, and others, are mostly not allowed for theses in the field of Science and Technology. However, limited use of footnotes is allowed for theses in the field of Humanities and Social Sciences. Footnotes are used to elaborate or provide additional information regarding matters discussed in that page. Footnotes are recorded using Arabic numeric and numbered consecutively. Raised superscript numerals in the text refer to explanatory notes and documented sources appearing either at the bottom of the page as footnotes or at the end of the thesis as endnotes in a notes section. The advantage of using notes is that explanatory type of information can be presented along with source citations on the same page or place.


4.2	Reference Style


Footnotes for references are written differently in the aspect of author’s name and the use of punctuation. The author’s name should be written in full. Comma or quotation mark should be used to separate author’s name, title of the article and publication details. The font size used should be two (2) points smaller than the text.
 
Style for writing reference as footnotes:


numeral	Author, “Title of article.” publication details, year, page.


Example:


10	Mary Duncan Carter, Wallace John Bonk, and Rose Mary Magrill, “Building Library Collections.” Fourth edition. (Metuchen, N. J.: Scarecrow Press, 1974), pp. 61 - 66.
 





CHAPTER 5






ELECTRONIC THESES AND DISSERTATIONS (ETD)





5.1	Introduction

All postgraduate students are to submit a copy of Thesis in digital form beside the normal bound hardcopy after approval. Students are required to submit Four (4) bound hardcopies and One (1) CD containing digital thesis.
The main purpose of implementing digital thesis is to enable theses submitted to Bahria University be accessible through the Internet. This is in-line with development in digital technology and globalization. With this implementation, Bahria University hopes to be projected as a leading university in research and graduate studies.



5.2	Definition of Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Electronic Theses and Dissertations or ETD are documents that record results of research or scholarship of graduate students. These documents are prepared in the form
 
that can be accessed globally through the Internet. An ETD is the same as the original paper document that has been approved by the panel of examiners and Senate.


5.4	Contents of ETD

An ETD must consist of two (2) files, namely pre-access file and full text file. Both files should be in word as well as in PDF format. Scanned copy of plagiarism report duly signed by the Principal Supervisor should also be added in the CD (PDF).


5.4.1	Pre-access File

Pre-access file is a file that contains information about the brief content of the thesis. By reading this file, a reader will be able to assess the relevance of the document to the reader’s research interest. If a reader wishes to access the whole thesis, the reader should contact the librarian for the full text file. The pre-access file should include all the preliminary pages and the first ten pages of the introduction as arranged in the bound thesis.



5.4.2	Full Text File

A full text file consists of all contents of the thesis that has been approved by the examiners and relevant statutory bodies. This includes all preliminary pages, main contents of the thesis and all appendices as submitted to the panel of examiners and approved. Writing style as the original bound hardcopy must be retained as presented in Chapters 1 to 4. All these pages must be saved into one (1) file only.


5.5	Preparation Guideline

The following guidelines must be observed:
 
i.	The electronic version must be the same as the final bound thesis as approved by the examiners/statutory bodies;

ii.	Convert the thesis into PDF format. Use the latest version of Adobe Acrobat PDFMaker. Do not set Document Security;

iii.	All pages which contain signatures of student and supervisor must be scanned;


iv.	Two files must be generated. The first file is for the purpose of pre-access that will be made accessible to the public. The second file is the full text file. The files should be named as follows:

<name><registration.no><d><yy><f><c>.pdf


Code description
<name> is the student’s first name (without surname or father’s name)


<registration.no> is the student’s registration number allotted by the BU


<d> is the name of degree for which thesis was submitted

<yy> is the year in which thesis approved

<f> is the file type
p – pre-access file t – full text file
<c> is the campus of BU
 


Example 1:
Muhammad Adnan Hassan, is a MS(CS) student at Bahria University, Lahore Campus. His thesis is approved in the year 2017. His registration number is 25875. Therefore:

<name> = Muhammad Adnan Hassan
<registration.no> = 25875
<d> = MS(CS)
<yy> = 2017
<f> = t
<c>=BULC


The files should be named as follows: muhammadadnanhassan25875ms(cs)2017pbulc.pdf	(pre-access file) muhammadadnanhassan25875ms(cs)2017tbulc.pdf	(full texts file)

Example 2:
Samina Khalid, is a PhD(CE) student at Bahria University, Islamabad Campus. Her thesis is approved in the year 2019. His registration number is 10158. Therefore:

<name> = Samina Khalid
<registration.no> = 10158
<d> = PhD(CE)
<yy> = 2019
<f> = t
<c>=BUIC

The files should be named as follows: saminakhalid10158phd(ce)2019pbuic.pdf	(pre-access file) saminakhalid10158phd(ce)2019tbuic.pdf	(full texts file)
 





2.5 cm	APPENDIX A
Example of a title page


2.5 cm


ON-LINE RECOGNITION OF DEVELOPING CONTROL CHART PATTERNS USING ARTIFICIAL NEURAL NETWORKS














MUHAMMAD ADNAN HASSAN
01-281121-007


3.5 cm	2.5 cm

A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the award of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Computer Engineering)


Department of Computer Engineering


BAHRIA UNIVERSITY ISLAMABAD



AUGUST 2019



138
 
APPENDIX B
Sample of a Certificate of Approval for Examination






Approval for Examination



Scholar's	Name:	 		Registration	No.

Programme	of	Study:

Thesis	Title:




It is to certify that the above scholar's thesis has been completed to my satisfaction and, to my belief, its standard is appropriate for submission for examination. I have also conducted plagiarism test of this thesis using HEC prescribed software and found similarity index at	and from single source is
 	that is within the permissible limit set by the HEC for the PhD degree thesis. I have also found the thesis in a format recognized by the BU for the PhD thesis.


Principal Supervisor’s Signature:


Date:  	
Name: 	
 
APPENDIX C
Sample of Author’s Declaration





Author’s Declaration



I,	 		hereby	state	that	my	PhD	thesis	titled
“ 	

 	”

is my own work and has not been submitted previously by me for taking any degree from this university


(Name	of
University)	


or anywhere else in the country/world.


At any time if my statement is found to be incorrect even after my graduation, the University has the right to withdraw/cancel my PhD degree.




Name of scholar:  		 Date:  	
 
APPENDIX D
Sample of Plagiarism Undertaking






Plagiarism Undertaking


I,	solemnly	declare	that	research	work	presented	in	the	thesis	titled “ 											


 	”

is solely my research work with no significant contribution from any other person. Small contribution / help wherever taken has been duly acknowledged and that complete thesis has been written by me.

I understand the zero tolerance policy of the HEC and Bahria University towards plagiarism. Therefore I as an Author of the above titled thesis declare that no portion of my thesis has been plagiarized and any material used as reference is properly referred / cited.

I undertake that if I am found guilty of any formal plagiarism in the above titled thesis even after award of PhD degree, the university reserves the right to withdraw / revoke my PhD degree and that HEC and the University has the right to publish my name on the HEC / University website on which names of scholars are placed who submitted plagiarized thesis.



Scholar / Author’s Sign:  	

Name of the Scholar:  	
 
APPENDIX E
Sample of a dedication page





















To my beloved mother and father
 



2.5 cm	APPENDIX F
Example of acknowledgement page


2.5 cm


ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

4 lines

1.27 cm (0.5 inci)
In preparing this thesis, I was in contact with many people, researchers, academicians, and practitioners. They have contributed towards my understanding and thoughts. In particular, I wish to express my sincere appreciation to my main thesis supervisor, Professor Dr. Mohd Shariff Nabi Baksh, for encouragement, guidance, critics and friendship. I am also very thankful to my co-supervisors Professor Dr. Awaluddin Mohd Shaharoun and Associate Professor Dr. Hishamuddin Jamaluddin for their guidance, advices and motivation. Without their continued support and interest, this thesis would not have been the same as presented here.

3.5 cm	2.5 cm
Librarians at Bahria University also deserve special thanks for their assistance in supplying the relevant literatures. My fellow postgraduate students should also be recognised for their support. My sincere appreciation also extends to all my colleagues and others who have provided assistance at various occasions. Their views and tips are useful indeed. Unfortunately, it is not possible to list all of them in this limited space. I am grateful to all my family members.



























143
 



2.5 cm	APPENDIX G
Example of an abstract in English


2.5 cm


ABSTRACT


 


1.27 cm (0.5 inci)
 
4 line spacing


The purpose of this study is to investigate the application of genetic
 
algorithm (GA) in modelling linear and non-linear dynamic systems and develop an alternative model structure selection algorithm based on GA. Orthogonal least square
(OLS), a gradient descent method was used as the benchmark for the proposed algorithm. A model structure selection based on modified genetic algorithm (MGA)
has been proposed in this study to reduce problems of premature convergence in
3.5 cm	simple GA (SGA). The effect of different combinations of MGA operators on the	2.5 cm
performance of the developed model was studied and the effectiveness and shortcomings of MGA were highlighted. Results were compared between SGA, MGA and benchmark OLS method. It was discovered that with similar number of dynamic terms, in most cases, MGA performs better than SGA in terms of exploring potential solution and outperformed the OLS algorithm in terms of selected number of terms and predictive accuracy. In addition, the use of local search with MGA for fine-tuning the algorithm was also proposed and investigated, named as memetic algorithm (MA). Simulation results demonstrated that in most cases, MA is able to produce an adequate and parsimonious model that can satisfy the model validation tests with significant advantages over OLS, SGA and MGA methods. Furthermore, the case studies on identification of multivariable systems based on real experimental data from two systems namely a turbo alternator and a continuous stirred tank reactor showed that the proposed algorithm could be used as an alternative to adequately identify adequate and parsimonious models for those systems.






2.5 cm

144
 



2.5 cm	APPENDIX H
Sample of a Table of Contents page


2.5 cm


TABLE OF CONTENTS


4 baris


CHAPTER	TITLE	PAGE

 








3.5 cm
 
DECLARATION	ii
DEDICATION	iii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS	iv
ABSTRACT	v
ABSTRAK	vi
TABLE OF CONTENTS	vii
LIST OF TABLES	xii
LIST OF FIGURES	xiv
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS	xix
LIST OF SYMBOLS	xxi
1	ORGANISATION OF THE THESIS	1
1.1	Definition of a Thesis	1
1.2	Organisation of the Thesis	1
1.3	Thesis Status Declaration	1
1.4	Declaration	3
1.4.1	Supervisor’s Declaration	4
 








2.5 cm
 


	2	NOTES AND FOOTNOTES	6
	2.1	General guideline	6
	2.2	Consistency	11
	
REFERENCES	
125

2.5 cm	Appendices A - Y	136 -162
	145	
 



2.5 cm	APPENDIX J
Example of a List of Tables


2.5 cm


LIST OF TABLES


4 line spacing


	TABLE NO.	TITLE	PAGE	
		The role of statistical quality Management Sciences tools		
	2.1	and methodologies	
16	
	2.2	Basic ANN models used for control chart pattern recognition	
47	
	2.3	General design strategies/structures for CCPR	49	
3.5 cm	3.1	The overall research plan	70	2.5 cm

3.2	Parameters for simulating individual process variation data 75
3.3	Description of performance measures	92
4.1	Targeted recogniser outputs	103
4.2	Design matrix and results for the preliminary feature screening	108
4.3	Regression analysis for the results of preliminary feature screening	111
4.4	ANOVA for the results of preliminary feature screening	111
4.5	Tentative significant main effects and two-factor
interactions	113
4.6	Estimated effects and regression coefficients for the recogniser’s performance (reduced model)	116
4.7	ANOVA for the recogniser’s performance (reduced
model)	116




2.5 cm

146
 



2.5 cm	APPENDIX K
Example of a List of Figures


2.5 cm


LIST OF FIGURES


4 line spacing


	FIGURE NO.	TITLE	PAGE	
	1.1	Trends leading to the problem	2	
	1.2	Design and development phases of the proposed scheme	7	
	1.3	Summary of the research contributions	10	
	1.4	Organisation of the thesis	11	
3.5 cm	2.1	Chance and assignable causes of process variation	2.5 cm
	

2.2	(Montgomery, 1996a)	14
Classification of statistical quality Management
Sciences tools	15	
	2.3	Continuous variability reduction using SPC chart (Revelle	
		and Harrington, 1992)	19	
	2.4	Classification of research areas in SPC	20	
	2.5	Advances in process variation monitoring and recognition	
		using SPC charting	25	
	2.6	Nelson’s runs rules (Nelson, 1984)	26	
	2.7	Typical fully developed patterns on Shewhart control chart	
		(Cheng, 1989)	28	













2.5 cm

147
 



2.5 cm	APPENDIX L
Example of a List of Symbols


2.5 cm


LIST OF SYMBOLS


4 baris

 











3.5 cm
 
D, d	-	diameter
F	-	Force
g	-	Gravity = 9.81 m/s
I	-	Moment of inersia
l	-	Length
m	-	Mass
N	-	Rotaional velocity
 











2.5 cm
 
P	-	Pressure
Q	-	Volumetric flow-rate
r	-	Radius
T	-	Torque
Re	-	Reynold number
V	-	Velocity
w	-	Angular velocity
x	-	Displacement
z	-	Height
θ	-	Angle
ρ	Density













2.5 cm

148
 



2.5 cm	APPENDIX M
Example of a List of Appendices


2.5 cm


LIST OF APPENDICES


4 line spacing


APPENDIX	TITLE	PAGE


A	Examples of possible assignable causes of





3.5 cm	2.5 cm































2.5 cm

149
 



2.5 cm	APPENDIX N
Sample of numbering a chapter and sub-heading in the chapter


2.5 cm


CHAPTER 2


4 line spacing


X	TITLE OF THE CHAPTER	X

4 line spacing


1.27 cm (0.5 inch)
Text should begin at this position and continue to the end of the left margin.
3.5 cm	Text must be typed using 1.5 spacing.	2.5 cm

4 line spacing


 
2.1	Sub-Heading
 


2	line spacing
 
Text should begin at this position and continue to the end of the left margin.
Text must be typed using 1.5 spacing spacing.


4 line spacing


 
2.1.1	Sub-sub-heading
 


2 line spacing
 
Text should begin at this position and continue to the end of the left margin.
Text must be typed using 1.5 spacing spacing.







2.5 cm

150
 



2.5 cm	APPENDIX P
Sample of a page continuation
Texts from previous page continue here.


4 line spacing

 

2.5	Sub Heading

Text should begin here.



and ends here.
 



2 line spacing
 


4 line spacing

 
2.5.1	Sub-sub-Heading
3.5 cm	2 line spacing
2.5.1.1	Sub-sub-sub Heading

2 line spacing
Text should begin here .

•	First Bullet
Text should begin here
•	Second Bullet
Text should begin here




and ends here.
 
2.5 cm
 











2.5 cm

151
 




2.5 cm	APPENDIX Q
Sample of a quotation in the text





After deliberating on doctoral education in Australia in the 1990s, one observer I Australia writes:

The lack of any significant formal course work within our Ph.D. and master degrees by research has continued for three decades. The focus of our Ph.D. research type degrees continues to be the research project, and this is almost the only medium by which education is accomplished.
(Stranks, 1984:171)


3.5 cm	2.5 cm






























2.5 cm

152
 



2.5 cm	APPENDIX R
Sample of a table in the text
Table 4.3 : Comparison of exprimental and computer simulation results
Experiment	Computer Simulation
Distance Ratio



















3.5 cm	2.5 cm































2.5 cm

153
 



2.5 cm	APPENDIX S
Sample of an illustration or a figure















 

4000



2000
 


pm = 0.001
pm = 0.01
pm = 0.1
 

4000



2000
 


pm = 0.001
pm = 0.01
pm = 0.1
 

4000



2000
 


pm = 0.001
pm = 0.01
pm = 0.1
 


 
3.5 cm
 
0 0	50
No. of generation
(a)
 
100	0 0
 

50
No. of generation
(b)
 
0
100	0
 

50
No. of generation
(c)	
 

100
 
2.5 cm
 
Figure 4.3 Simulation results for model 1 on effect of varied crossover and mutation a) pc = 0.05, varied pm, b) pc = 0.6, varied pm c) pc = 0.95, varied pm
























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2.5 cm	APPENDIX T
Sample of a thesis front cover


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TITLE IN CAPITAL LETTERS
(Centered within prescribed margin)















3.5 cm	2.5 cm






STUDENT’S NAME
ENROLLMENT NO










BAHRIA UNIVERSITY ISLAMABAD

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2.5 cm

155
 
APPENDIX U
Sample of a thesis spine (must be in English)





 
APPENDIX V
Sample of a reference list using author and year system


American Chemical Society ed. (1978). Handbook for Authors of American Chemical Society Publications. Washington, D. C.: American Chemical Society.
Billings. S. A. (1980). Identification of Nonlinear Systems: A survey. Proc. Instn Electr. Engrs, Part D. 127(6): 272-284.
Engineers Joint Council (1969). Thesaurus of Management Sciences and Scientific Terms. New York: Engineers Joint Council.
Martin, A. M. ed. (1991). Peat as an Agent in Biological Degradation of Waste.
London: Elsevier. 314–362.
Puget, J. F. and Albert, P. (1994a). SOLVER: Constraints – Objects Descriptions.
Technical Report. ILOG S. A.
Puget, J. F. and Albert, P. (1994b). A C++ Implementation of CLP. Technical Report.
ILOG S. A.
Sheta, A. F. and De Jong, K.(1996). Parameter Estimation of Nonlinear Systems in Noisy Environments Using Genetic Algorithms. Proceedings of the 1966 IEEE International Symposium on Intelligent Control. September 15-18. Dearborn, Michigan: IEEE, 360-365.
Theusen, G. J. and Fabrycky, W. J. (1984). Management Sciences Economy. 6th edition.
Englewood Cliffs, N. J.: Prentice-Hall.
Veres, S. M. (1990). Structure Selection of Stochastic Dynamic Systems. New York:

Gordon and Breach Science Publishers.



Note: Arranged alphabetically according to author’s name.
 
APPENDIX W
Sample of a reference list using number system

1.	Theusen, G. J. and Fabrycky, W. J. Management Sciences Economy. 6th edition. Englewood Cliffs, N. J.: Prentice-Hall. 1984.
2.	Billings. S. A. Identification of Nonlinear Systems: A Survey. Proc. Instn Electr. Engrs, Part D, 1980, 127(6): 272-284.
3.	Sheta, A. F. and De Jong, K. Parameter Estimation of Nonlinear Systems in Noisy Environments Using Genetic Algorithms. Proceedings of the 1966 IEEE International Symposium on Intelligent Control. September 15-18, 1996. Dearborn, Michigan: IEEE, 1996. 360-365.
4.	British Standards Institution. Tongued and Grooved Software Flooring. London, BS 1297. 1987
5.	Lindgren, E. A. Screen Room Air Inlet and Wave Guard. U.S. Patent 2, 925, 457. 1960.
6.	Howick Partitioning Ltd. Howick: Partitioning in Business. Redhill (U.K.): Trade brochure. 1984.
7.	Sheta, A. F. and De Jong, K. Parameter Estimation of Nonlinear Systems in Noisy Environments Using Genetic Algorithms. Proceedings of the 1966 IEEE International Symposium on Intelligent Control. September 15-18. Dearborn, Michigan: IEEE. 1996. 360-365.



Note: Arranged in the order in which the references were cited in the thesis.
 




Contents
 
Annexure-D
PhD Supervision Manual
 
1.	Eligibility criteria of PhD supervisor
2.	Role and responsibilities of supervisor
3.	Eligibility criteria of supervisee
4.	Role and responsibilities of supervisee
5.	Penalizing of Supervisor
6.	Supervisory process and timespan
7.	Constitution of advisory committee
8.	Provision of grievances policy
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA OF SUPERVISOR
A PhD supervisor must comply with the following conditions:
i.	He/she must be a PhD degree holder from an HEC recognized national/international university/degree awarding institute (DAI).
ii.	He/she should have no conflict of interest in personal, financial, or professional stakes.
iii.	He/she should have the time and availability to supervise PhD dissertation and give clear and constructive feedback.
iv.	He/she should be capable of conducting themselves in a professional and respectful manner throughout the supervision process.
v.	He/she should be capable of maintaining confidentiality and protecting the intellectual property of the dissertation.
vi.	He/she must have attended and qualified course(s) on MS/MPhil/PhD supervision which should also have contents on research ethics, publications, patents. Such courses may include certified self-paced massive open online courses (MOOCS), or a course designed/offered by National Academy of Higher Education (NAHE) or by a university on supervision of MS/MPhil and PhD students.
vii.	He/she must be a regular/adjunct faculty member at BU. In the case of a non-faculty PhD supervisor, who otherwise meets the criteria of being a PhD supervisor, shall be taken as an adjunct faculty member, for a period not less than the minimum time required to complete the student’s PhD research, prior to assigning a PhD supervision. Such a person shall also provide an NOC from the parent organization. He/she shall be allocated to the student from the date of enrollment.
viii.	He/she must have fulfilled the experience and publication criteria for being a PhD supervisor in view of clause 4.2 of HEC GEP 2023. The supervisory workload of research supervisors should be determined based on the nature of the institution, availability of teaching and research facilities, and the academic standing of supervisors. However, it is mandated that the maximum supervisory load shall not exceed five PhD students simultaneously. For executive positions like Dean, Director, Principal and HODs, the maximum supervisory load should not exceed more than two students simultaneously. Further, fresh PhDs can supervise MS/MPhil and co-supervise PhD students, while a PhD faculty member, after two years of obtaining a PhD degree, can supervise one PhD student in 3rd year, two PhD students in 4th year and maximum up to 5 PhD students from 5th year onward, subject to fulfillment of other conditions provided in this policy.
ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF SUPERVISOR
A supervisor is responsible for:
i.	Identifying the potential research theme to the scholar.
 
ii.	Finalizing the relevant courses (800 level) for coursework.
iii.	Propose the relevant advisory committee for the scholar and arrange the advisory committee meetings (twice a year, or whenever needed).
iv.	Must ensure academic research integrity based on guidelines mentioned in clause 5 of HEC GEP 2023.
v.	Must ensure the compliance with the guidelines on ethics of using the similarity detection software mentioned in clause 5 of HEC GEP 2023.
vi.	Developing the research plan inclusive of proposal/title defence, research progress and completion, thesis writing, thesis review, publication, internal defence, external evaluation and final defence of the scholar.
vii.	Guide the scholar on a time-to-time basis, most probably will call weekly meetings and record the comments either via email or data logging.
viii.	Propose the relevant examiners for the proposal defence, internal review and defence, external evaluation and final review and defence of scholar from the approved lists by the statuary bodies.
ix.	Monitor the progress of the scholar via quarterly progress reports and advisory committee meetings.
x.	Ensure the thesis is written as per BU/HEC guidelines on writeup and plagiarism.
xi.	Any other requirement by the HEC or BU.
UNDERPERFORMANCE OF SUPERVISOR
If a supervisor is found to be underperforming his duties, BU will propose corrective actions. A committee will be formed by the head of the constituent unit (HCU) comprising of following members:
Senior Professor/Professor	Head of Committee
Principal/HOD	Member
QA Officer/Manager (CU)	Member
Concerned PGP Coordinator	Member
Any other Co-opted by the Head of Committee	Member
The committee will investigate the matter and submit the report to the HCU. HCU will forward the recommendations to QA Dte BUHO. QA Dte will propose the corrective actions to competent authority for subsequent approval.
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA OF SUPERVISEE
i.	A PhD supervisee must comply with the following conditions:
ii.	He/she must hold a MS/MPhil/ equivalent degree from an HEC recognized national/international university/degree awarding institute (DAI).
iii.	He/she must have cleared the admission test in view of HEC GEP 2023.
iv.	He/she must hold a minimum CGPA of 3.0/4.0 (in the semester system) or 60% (in the annual system) in the MS/MPhil/equivalent degree.
ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF SUPERVISEE
A supervisee is responsible for:
i.	Ensure compliance with the instructions by the supervisor and BU regarding research and coursework.
ii.	Must comply with the PhD rules enforced by the BU in view of HEC policies.
iii.	Must meet supervisor on weekly basis to discuss research progress.
iv.	Must meet the quarterly progress targets as stipulated by the supervisor via email or any other medium.
v.	Must present the progress before the advisory committee meetings.
 
vi.	Must follow the research plan devised by the supervisor concerning the proposal/title defence, research progress and completion, thesis writing, thesis review, publication, internal defence, external evaluation and final defence of the scholar.
vii.	Ensure the thesis is written as per HEC guidelines on writeup and plagiarism (Clause 5 of HEC GEP 2023).
viii.	Must complete the PhD degree within 8 years.
ix.	Must comply with any other requirement by the HEC or BU.
SUPERVISORY PROCESS
During the supervisor and supervisee interaction, following must be ensured:
i.	Whenever a supervisor or supervisee writes any emails regarding research or any other administrative/academic matter, he/she must keep PGP coordinator, HOD and Principal in loop as well.
ii.	Any question-and-answer session between the supervisor or supervisee must be logged by the supervisor during the weekly meetings.
iii.	The supervisor will define the research progress steps for the scholar in coordination with co- supervisor (if any) and the advisory committee members in terms literature survey, data collection, research methodology, analysis of results, paper writeup and journal selection, thesis writeup and submission.
iv.	The supervisor will guide the supervisee about the research ethics and social norms and will ensure compliance in thesis writeup as well.
v.	During the start of each semester, the supervisor will share a weekly meeting plan with the supervisee and will maintain meetings logs and outcomes.
CONSTITUTION OF ADVISORY COMMITTEE
At the enrollment of each PhD scholar, the HOD will appoint an advisory committee and will get its approval from the FRC. The composition of the committee will be as follows:
i.	Supervisor	Convener
ii.	Co-supervisor (if any)	Member
iii.	Subject matter expert (/s)	Member
TORs:
i.	Support the Supervisor in his/her role and provide additional advice to the PhD scholar in technical and research related matters.
ii.	Oversee the research progress of PhD scholar to ensure that the overall progress of the thesis is on track and satisfactory and that any issues affecting progress are identified and addressed.
iii.	Meet biannually to assess progress of the scholar and submit report to PGP Directorate through HOD, Principal and Dean.

PROVISION OF GRIEVANCES POLICY
Follow Annexure-E
 
Annexure-E
GRIEVANCES MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
1.	Purpose:
The purpose of this policy is to establish a grievance management system, so that all grievances/complaints of graduate students/prospective students and stakeholders are addressed in a fair, equitable, and timely manner, by simultaneously adhering to the following purposes:
i.	The aim is to develop a culture in which grievances are viewed as opportunities for improvement.
ii.	Ensure that students or potential students are free to complain without fear of discrimination.
iii.	Ensure that BU administration/faculty are fully aware of grievance processes and are appropriately trained to ensure that the processes are consistently applied.
iv.	Requires respectful behavior among all parties when handling grievances.
v.	Communicate effectively in a timely manner to keep all parties up to date with the progress of grievances.
vi.	Ensure that all information is held at the utmost confidence.
vii.	Ensure that the principles of natural justice are applied.
viii.	To ensure that grievances are resolved to the satisfaction of all parties.

2.	Classification of Grievances:
Based on the diversified nature of academic/administrative process, grievances are classified into following categories:
i.	Grievance against the teacher/supervisor
ii.	Grievance against the administration
iii.	Grievance against the facilities
iv.	Grievance against the exams/grading
v.	Grievance against the PhD process(/s)

3.	Grievances Handling Mechanism:

All grievances must be handled in following hierarchy:

i.	The student will submit the grievance to HOD/Principal.
ii.	The grievance against will be handled by the grievance management committee and report will be submitted to the HOD.
iii.	HOD will present the case in the DRC and FRC along with decision of the committee for record purpose. A copy of the report will be submitted to DG/Director campus as well.
iv.	In case the grievance is not resolved at committee level, DRC will handle the case, and similarly if the case is beyond the scope of DRC, it will be forwarded to FRC for appropriate action. In case the grievance still persists, FRC will refer the case to HERC.
v.	The grievance must be handled for a maximum time of four weeks. Rector’s approval can be obtained subject to ratification of the case from the forth coming HERC.
 
4.	Guidelines to Prevent Grievances
Each Dept/School will nominate counselors (/PGP coordinators) to conduct the mentoring/briefing sessions/seminars for the students/scholars/faculty/support staff about the postgraduate/administrative procedures. The session exercise will be conducted once in each semester by the respective counselors and the report will be presented in respective DRCs/FRCs."