Ph.d - program
REVISED REGULATIONS RELATING TO THE ADMISSION
AND EXAMINATIONS FOR PH.D. PROGRAMME
(Approved by
the Syndicate in its 124th meeting held on 13th April, 2002)
Regulations relating to admission, registration, and
examination for Ph.D. programme at the university are given in this booklet.
It is hoped that this publication shall provide adequate information and
useful guidelines both for students and teachers of QAU. Attention is
drawn to the rules pertaining to grades, promotion, and merit regulations
for the Ph.D. degree. Further information or clarification of these rules
can also be obtained from the Departmental Student’s Advisor, or
from the office of the Controller of Examinations.
DEFINITIONS
Unless stated other wise, the
following terms in these regulations will have the meaning defined
hereunder
Department means a teaching
department of the university or an affiliated institute or a centre.
Chairman means the head of
a teaching department or the director of an affiliated institute or
centre.
Research Board means the Advanced
Studies and Research Board as constituted under section 5 of the first
statutes of the Quaid-i-Azam University Act.
PREREQUISITE QUALIFICATION FOR ADMISSION
To be eligible for admission to Ph.D., a candidate must possess an
M.Phil degree or its equivalent with the minimum CGPA 3.00 or first division
in the relevant subject from a recognized university.
A college or university teacher or a member of the research staff of
a research organization who holds an M.A. /M.Sc. degree but has shown
undoubted promise for research may also be considered for admission to
Ph.D.(Teaching must be at Post graduate college).
After successful completion of two semesters, a student registered
for M.Phil degree may be transferred, on the recommendations of the Admissions
Committee of the department to the Advanced Studies and Research Board
(AS & RB), for the Ph.D. Programme, provided that the student has
passed all the 24 credits of the M.Phil course work, obtaining an aggregate
of 75% marks or more. The time spent by the candidate in the M.Phil.
Course work may be counted towards the residence requirement for Ph.D.
Programme.
In case of in-service candidates, a No objection Certificate from the
employer is required to be attached with admission form and routed through
proper channel.
Admission to Ph.D. programme is made on competitive basis. The minimum
period for completion of Ph.D. programme shall be three years whereas
the maximum period shall be seven years.
Students applying for admission are required to submit a copy of
synopsis /research work. Admission will be given subject to the availability
of the supervisor in the relevant field of research strictly according
to HEC’s requirements.
ADMISSION AND REGISTRATION
A candidate seeking admission to Ph.D Programme shall
apply on the prescribed form.
The application shall be submitted to the chairman
of the department/ Institute in which the student wishes to persue
his/her studies.
All applications received in the department shall
be periodically considered by the departmental admission committee
to be constituted by the Vice-Chancellor.
The admission committee, when satisfied, shall recommend
to the Advance Studies and Research Board the candidates who are found
suitable for admission to Ph.D. Programme.
Short listed candidates will be called for interview/presentation
of their research proposals.
The admission shall be approved by the Advanced Studies
& Research Board.
A ‘notification of registration’ for
each candidate approved for admission to Ph.D. Programme shall be
issued by the university.
Each student so selected shall be required to register
and pay the dues within 30 days from the date of issuance of the notification
of registration, failing which the admission of the selected candidate
shall deem to be cancelled. The tuition fee and other dues shall be
prescribed by the syndicate from time to time.
PROGRAMME OF STUDIES
The minimum period for completion of Ph.D. requirements
shall be three years from the date of registration, and maximum period
shall be seven years (Approved in syndicate/AS & RB 16-07-08). Only
under exceptional circumstances, to be described in detail by the candidate
and supported by the supervisor, the research board may allow extension
beyond seven years.
Residence requirement of two years shall be necessary
for students pursuing Ph.D. programme. However, in case where the
supervisor and co supervisor are satisfied that research work can
be carried out outside the university, residency requirement may be
exempted.
A Ph.D. student falling in the category defined by
Clause II(b) (see page no. 3) above shall be required to pass 24 credits
of M.Phil courses within the first four semesters of admission.
The courses should be selected with the approval of
the supervisor from amongst the courses being offered in the department.
For the course work, the mode of registration and
examinations regulations shall be same as in M.Phil.
COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION AND SEMESTERS
A student shall be required to pass a comprehensive
examination, consisting of a written and an oral report, within three
years of admission to the Ph.D. Programme.
If a student does not pass the comprehensive examination
in the first attempt, he/she may be given one more chance on the recommendation
of his/her supervisor. The registration of a Ph.D. student shall be
deemed as cancelled if he/she does not pass the comprehensive examination
even in the second attempt.
A department shall normally hold at least one comprehensive
examination in an academic year.
The comprehensive examination shall consist of written
and oral parts. The examination shall be conducted by the Ph.D. Examination
Committee appointed by the Vice Chancellor on the recommendations
of the Chairman/ Director of the department and Dean of the faculty
concerned in consultation with the supervisor. The supervisor of the
student will also be co-opted as a member of this committee. The pass
percentage shall be 50%.
After passing the comprehensive examination, but
before the submission of his/her thesis, a Ph.D. student will give
at least one seminar on a topic relevant to his/her field of research.
SUPERVISOR, THESIS TITLE, AND
SYNOPSIS / RESEARCH PROPOSAL
The Research Board shall appoint a supervisor (and
a co-supervisor, if necessary) from the relevant field and approve
the field of research/title on the recommendations of the department
concerned.
In the faculty of social sciences, a research proposal
will also be submitted by the candidate to the department with in
one year after passing the comprehensive examination.
BIANNUAL PROGRESS REPORT (University Requirement)
The supervisor of a Ph.D. student shall submit a detailed
report to the research board by 30th, June and 31st, December each year
on the progress of the student in accordance with the prescribed format.
In cases where no supervisor has been appointed, progress report will
be submitted by the chairman of the department concerned. To obtain this
satisfactory report NIP has created its own research progress and monitoring
sheet. This sheet makes it possible to achieve the all degree awarding
mile stones easily semester wise.
GUIDELINES FOR OBTAINING SATISFACTORY REPORT
(NIP Requirement)
Ample time should be given to the Supervisor for
checking of a draft. A minimum of 30 days (per chapter) are MUST.
This would mean that the latest date would expire a month before the
end of a target date, if a draft is being handed over to the Supervisor.
Failing to meet the latest deadlines will automatically
earn one unsatisfactory report. On two such unsatisfactory reports
the case will be recommended to University for failing the student/cancellation
of admission, no matter what the reasons of the delay might be.
A report is to be submitted by the student as well
as the Supervisor at the end of every semester to Director for onward
submission to University. Two consecutive unsatisfactory reports by
the Supervisor may lead to the failing/cancellation of the student’s
admission by the University.
At least 04 Research Group Meetings out of 06 should
be attended by the student in a semester.
Student should meet the supervisor at least twice
a week, during the residency period, and at least twice a month, after
the completion of the residency period, to obtain satisfactory report.
All drafts will be submitted to the supervisor with
dates of submission and checking on each.
Data will be submitted with the supervisor with dates
and signatures.
In case of consecutive two adverse reports, the research board may
cancel the registration of the candidate.
THESIS
The thesis submitted by Ph.D. candidate shall comply with the following
conditions:
It shall form a distinct contribution to knowledge
and afford evidence of originality, shown by the discovery of new
facts, by the exercise of independent critical judgment, and/by the
invention of new methods of investigation.
It shall not include research work for which a degree
has already been conferred in this or any other university.
It shall be written in English and the presentation
must be satisfactory for publication.
Any part of the thesis which has been published before
submission of the thesis may be appended at the end of the thesis.
The thesis shall be typed on A4 size (“11.69×
8.27”) paper with margins of 1-½ on the left and 1 on
the right, top and bottom of each page. The thesis shall be hard bound
with sky blue cloth cover and golden lettering on the front and the
spine.
Note: At first time submission (Spiral Binding)
5 copies of thesis (Three copies main universities, one copy for supervisor,
one copy for director)
At final submission (Hard Binding)
6 copies of thesis (Two copies main university, one
copy for director, one copy for supervisor, one copy for NIP library,
one student copy)
EXAMINATION
There shall be a standing list of external examiners
for each department consisting of persons of eminence in the respective
field of research. The list shall be suggested from time to time by
the Board of Studies of the department/ Board of Faculty concerned
and approved by the Research Board.
The external examiners will be requested to critically
examine the thesis for its suitability for the award of Ph.D. degree.
There shall also be a standing list of local
examiners for each department consisting of eminent persons engaged
in research in the respective area.
The list shall be suggested from time to time
by the Board of Studies of the department/ Board of Faculty concerned
and approved by the Research Board. The local examiners will be requested
to conduct the final viva-voce examinations of thesis.
The candidate shall in the first instance submit
four unbound copies of his/her completed thesis along with an application
on prescribed form for the evaluation of his/her thesis, duly forwarded
by his/her 'supervisor and the chairman of the department.
The supervisor shall suggest a panel of at least
six external examiners from the approved list. The Vice-chancellor
shall appoint three external examiners from the suggested panel to
evaluate the thesis.
The reports of the examiners shall be placed
before the Research Board for consideration If
the thesis is adjudged as adequate by two of the three examiners,
the Research Board shall allow the candidate to appear in the viva-voce
(thesis defence) examination.
If two of the three examiners find that the
thesis is wholly inadequate it may be rejected by the Research Board.
If any of the examiners suggests modification/revision
of the thesis, the candidate shall be required to resubmit a revised
version of the thesis, duly certified by the supervisor, within one
year.
The revised version of the thesis shall be approved
by the same examiner who suggested modification/revision of the thesis.
If any of the examiners finds the thesis adequate
but suggests minor modifications/revision, this may be incorporated
without referring again to the examiner as required in clause (i)
(as stated above).
The viva-voce examination shall be conducted
by the two external examiners appointed by the Vice-chancellor from
the panel approved by Research Board, the Supervisor and the Chairman
of the Department concerned.
The viva-voce examination shall be open to the
public but the evaluation will be done only by the panel of examiners.
If the candidate fails to satisfy the examiners
in the viva-voce examination he/she may be given a chance to defend
the thesis for the second and final time within a period of six months.
A candidate who successfully completes all the
requirements shall be awarded, with the approval of the Research Board
and the Syndicate, the degree of Ph.D. under the Seal of the University.
The Vice-chancellor may approve the recommendations of the Research
Board on behalf of the Syndicate regarding the award of Ph.D. degree
to the candidate.
Fee and Other Dues
Each student shall be required to pay tuition fee and such other charges
as may be prescribed by the Syndicate from time to time.
HEC RULES OF QUALITY ASSURANCE
IN PH.D LEVEL STUDIES IN PAKISTANI UNIVERSITIES / DEGREE AWARDING INSTITUTIONS
(Approved by the Syndicate/ Advanced Studies and Research Board held on
9th August, 2005)
Higher Education Commission has finalized the quality parameters
of Ph. D. program for adoption by all the universities/ Degree Awarding
Institutions of the country in order to ensure uniform minimum standards.
Sixteen years of schooling or
4 year education after F.A/F.Sc (130 credit hours) will be compulsory
for admission in M.Phil/MS Programme leading to PhD.
Before moving into the PhD program,
candidates will need to complete 30 credit hours out of which 24 credit
hours will be reserved for course work, which may lead to the award
of M.Phil/ MS/Equivalent Degree.
The minimum CGPA should be 3.00
or first division in MS/M.Phil/Equivalent Degree for admission into
PhD.
Additional PhD level course work
of at least 18 credit hours followed by a comprehensive Examination
along with thesis defense will be essential for the award of PhD degree.
PhD dissertation must be evaluated
by at least three experts from technologically advanced countries.
Acceptance/Publication of at least
one research paper in an HEC approved journal is essential for the award
of PhD degree.