Postgraduate Institute of Agricultur

Guidelines for Directed Study (for those who have registered before 2017)

1. INTRODUCTION

It is compulsory for all M.Sc. students of the PGIA (unless an alternative research project is specified) to undertake a directed study for which 2 semester credit units can be earned. The directed study has to be completed within the semester in which a student registers for it. The course number of the directed study is xx5198 (where xx stands for the Board of Study). The directed study should be selected in consultation with the supervisor. Completing the study within a specific period is an important skill that the graduate student must acquire. PGIA requires that the final report be graded by the supervisor. As such, the student must in addition to carrying out an independent study (under supervision) be able to submit a quality report.

2. OPTIONS AVAILABLE FOR DIRECTED STUDIES

1. Review of literature and synthesis for a defined topic.
2. Developing a product
3. A research project which can be completed within a semester
4. Case study
5. Review of a process and making suggestions for improvement
6. Critical assessment or review of an output such as legislation, publication etc.

3. DURATION

The directed study is of 2 semester credits. Thus, the student is required to spend approximately 90 hours of work on the study undertaken. This will also include time spent on interaction with the supervisor (s).

4. PROCEDURE FOR IMPLEMENTATION AND SUBMISSION

1. The student must register for the directed study as for any other course.
2. The student must submit the proposal to the Board of Study in consultation with the supervisor appointed by the Board of study.
3. Student and supervisor need to meet periodically
4. Student must complete and submit the directed study report by the last week of the semester. Some Boards may require presentation of the work done.
5. The student must consult the Secretary of the Board of Study for any special requirements with respect to submission of proposal and final report, as different Boards may have different special requirements.
6. Performance assessment and submission of grade done by the supervisor

5. ROLE OF THE SUPERVISOR

1. Review the progress made and provide feedback to the student
2. Meet the student on a regular basis on an agreed time table
3. Recommend only studies that can be reasonably completed within a semester.
4. The student should be encouraged to work independently.
5. The final grade is based on quality of the proposal, process followed, presentation and the report structure, style and quality.
6. The student should be informed of the weight age used for each of the activities.
7. The final grade should be submitted to the PGIA, within 2 weeks after the end of the semester.

6. REPEAT OF DIRECTED STUDY

If a student does not complete the directed study in the stipulated time period or if the student obtains a grade below ‘C’, the directed study has to be repeated at the very next available opportunity.