Professional Documents
Culture Documents
CEPT Thesis Handbook PDF
CEPT Thesis Handbook PDF
CEPT Thesis Handbook PDF
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Table of contents .................................................................................................. 1
Introduction .......................................................................................................... 1
Tips to kick start your thesis ................................................................................. 2
Rules and regulations ........................................................................................... 3
Reviews ................................................................................................................. 5
Resources .............................................................................................................. 6
The thesis committee ........................................................................................... 6
Thesis formatting guidelines ................................................................................. 7
Before you submit ................................................................................................ 8
Thesis submission procedure ............................................................................... 8
What does the internal examiner examine? ........................................................ 9
HANDBOOK FOR THESIS STUDENTS The viva voce ...................................................................................................... 10
Frequently faced problems ................................................................................. 10
References .......................................................................................................... 11
INTRODUCTION
Welcome
Welcome to ‘The Thesis’. This handbook will assist you in navigating through
various procedures required to complete your research and lay your hands on
Undergraduate programme in architecture,
the B. Arch degree! However, you still have to do the leg work yourself.
Faculty of Architecture, CEPT University,
Kasturbhai Lalbhai Campus, University, Ahmedabad‐ 380009
2012
0 1
Rules and regulations are updated and modified from time to time by the The guide
University due to various reasons. Please check with the thesis co‐ordinator for The guide chooses you and not the other way round! It helps to find out the
the latest set of rules. research interests of your potential guide. You can do so by referring to their
resume, finding out the theses that they have recently guided or by simply
Visit us here and here for further details
asking them. Do remember that a potential guide will always prefer to take on
students in his/her area of interest. If I were to just write one sentence about
What is this ‘thesis’?
you and the guide it would be‐ you will always feel that you need to do more
‘A thesis is a treatise reporting findings based on scientific investigation. The
work before meeting the guide, irrespective of how much work you have done.
writing should be systematic, clear and concise. The value of a thesis does not
So, whatever you do, don’t postpone this meeting. A weekly meeting with the
depend on its length or number of sketches, but on its clarity, economy of
guide is strongly encouraged. The sooner you have a guide, the better your
expression and direction. A thesis is not a text‐book, and superfluous and
research will be.
extraneous matter should be excluded. A thesis should make a clear and
continuous reading. Any derivations or detailed explanations should be
The thesis coordinator
removed from the body of the text, and compiled in appendices at the end of
For all other matters, meet the thesis co‐ordinator. Meet the co‐ordinator once
the main body of the thesis. There should be no vagueness of thoughts nor be
a week till you finalise a guide for your thesis. After that, a once a month
any ambiguous expressions. The value of a thesis is its depth. It should be
meeting to appraise the co‐ordinator of work progress should suffice.
precise and penetrating.’ (School of Architecture) An undergraduate thesis
should demonstrate an in‐depth understanding of the chosen subject through Give the first review at the first available date
methodical study.
Why do a thesis?
‘The objective of the school in requiring a thesis is to enable a student to get an RULES AND REGULATIONS
experience which he cannot get in design work namely to develop a scientific
attitude..., thus the result for the student could be a training that would be Eligibility and registration
useful in design and developing awareness, understanding and respect for 1. A student is eligible to register for thesis after successful completion of
research” (School of Architecture) studio IX.
2. It is strongly recommended that the student clears all other backlogs
including subjects, interactive studio and electives before registering for
thesis. Backlogs, if any, should be mentioned and updated during each
TIPS TO KICK START YOUR THESIS registration.
3. A copy of the fees receipt is mandatory for registration.
Selecting a topic 4. A maximum of four registrations are permitted for thesis. Relaxation of
The thesis does not begin with the first registration! Please start identifying exchange semester will be given to students who go on official exchange
areas of interest as early as possible‐ during final year or the architectural programmes after studio IX.
research methods course. The topic, needless to say, should deal with 5. A letter of authority will be required in case the student is unable to remain
architecture. If in doubt, do not hesitate to consult the thesis committee. present in person during the registration.
6. Late registration penalties will apply for late registrations.
2 3
Eligibility of guide certificate of attendance till that stage. Their grade report will mention their not
It is strongly recommended that a member of the core faculty of CEPT having fulfilled the requirements for the B Arch degree in stipulated time.
University be chosen as a guide. In case of a guide from outside, consult the
thesis co‐ordinator for approval. As a guideline, the guide should have an Submission
academic background and 5 years of experience. For the purposes of evaluation, a thesis is considered successfully submitted on
the date it is handed over to the administration with the signature of the guide
Review on the requisite form provided that it is approved by the internal examiner
Review proposals will have to be submitted at least 1 week in advance on the without major changes.
sa‐nity website. Students who haven’t submitted their proposal on sa‐nity will
In case the internal examiner returns the thesis as ineligible due to major flaws,
not be eligible to give the review
the subsequent date on which the thesis is handed over to the administration
A student is expected to appear for 3 reviews. The 3 reviews can be given and provided that it is approved by the internal examiner will be considered as
during any of the 6 review dates during the first two semesters of thesis. A the date of submission of thesis.
student cannot appear for the reviews after having completed two semesters in
thesis. Plagiarism
Borrowing ideas, words, images or any other content from other sources
Evaluation without correct citation is considered plagiarism. Please refer to the MLA style
The percentage weightage for the evaluation of the thesis is as follows‐ of referencing for appropriate citation style. Other sources include but are not
limited to books, the internet, conversations with friends, lectures and
Guide‐ 30% unpublished works. Plagiarism is an offence and is taken seriously by the thesis
Internal examiner‐ 10% committee. Ensure that all citations and credits are in order before you submit
External examiner‐ 20%
the thesis.
Reviews (3) ‐ 30%
Viva voce‐ 10%
The viva voce grading will be done by a core faculty member who is neither the
guide nor the internal examiner for the concerned thesis.
REVIEWS
There are no penalties if the thesis is successfully submitted within 1 year (two The review dates for each semester will be announced during the registration.
semesters). A thesis successfully submitted in the third semester will attract a
The review requirements are as follows‐
penalty of 25% marks that is the marks obtained out of 100 will be multiplied by
a factor of 0.75 subject to a minimum of 50. A thesis successfully submitted in
First review
the fourth semester will get a flat 50% pass grade. For the purpose of thesis, the
Research proposal in the following format‐
semester begins on the day of registration and ends at 5pm on the last working
day prior to the next registration. Proposed topic, the need for the study, aim and objectives and/or hypothesis
and/or research questions, research method, scope and limitation and
Duration bibliography and probable guides
Students, who fail to submit the thesis within 4 semesters, will stand
disqualified from completing the rest of the course and will be issued a
4 5
Any other work done like pilot studies, motivation, background research etc. Members of the thesis reviews and the internal examiner are usually one of the
should be included in the proposal members of the thesis committee.
Second review The thesis committee currently comprises of‐
Research proposal in the following format‐
• Vishwanath Kashikar (faculty in‐charge)
• Finalised proposal in the format followed in the first review • Neelkanth Chhaya
• Literature review in detail • Pratyush Shankar
• Proposed structure or chapterization of study • Meghal Arya
• Proposal signed by guide • Gauri Bharat
• Thesis schedule • Sankalpa
• Preliminary findings from case studies
Third review
• Finalised proposal in the format followed in the second review THESIS FORMATTING GUIDELINES
1. Word Limit‐ There is no minimum or maximum word limit to the thesis. The
• Analysis chapter with analysis and findings
number of words in your thesis will depend on the topic of the thesis and
method of research.
2. Page size and orientation‐ A4 portrait format. Fold outs are not permitted. In
RESOURCES case you require larger page size, use a sleeve to obtain a contiguous A3 size
The library is a valuable primary resource for the thesis. Please do use the page.
interlibrary loan facilities as well as the inflibnet facilities available in the library. 3. Margins‐ A minimum of 25mm on the inside. The margin should be increased
Contact the librarian for further details. in case of increase in the number of pages.
4. Font‐ Use of standard fonts is strongly recommended. Use one font for the
A continually uploaded list of resources can also be found at entire thesis. The font size should be around 11 to 12 points.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/273248069402706/ and http://www.sa‐ 5. Page numbering‐ All pages including plates should be numbered
nity.net. Students are advised to join both these groups. 6. Citations and bibliography‐ Use MLA style for all citations and bibliography.
Please note that footnotes are discouraged in the MLA style of citation. Refer
to web sources for further details.
7. Use of native capability of word processing software to generate table of
THE THESIS COMMITTEE
contents, citations, bibliography, list of illustrations/tables/figures and its
The thesis committee consists of the thesis co‐ordinator and usually 5‐6 other
numbering is strongly recommended
members who are all part of the core faculty at the undergraduate programme
in architecture.
The thesis committee meets from time to time to discuss and suggest new
guidelines and directions for the thesis.
6 7
BEFORE YOU SUBMIT please ensure that the administration has your updated contact
details.
Prerequisites 5. In case of changes, return to step 3. In case of approval from internal
Your thesis will be processed only if you have completed all other courses. examiner, submit one spiral bound copy and one unbound copy for the
Ensure that you have completed all core subjects, RSPs, interactive studio and external examiner and library respectively.
electives before you submit your thesis. The thesis will not be accepted if you 6. You will also have to submit a soft copy of your thesis in pdf format on
have any backlog credits. a CD/DVD at this point in time.
7. A soft copy of the abstract of your thesis in no more than 300 words
The thesis document comprising of motivation/larger goal, problem statement, research
Proof read, proof read, and proof read before you submit. Remember that method, findings and implications along with 5 key words should be
neither the guide nor the internal examiner is supposed to proof read your submitted in the CD/DVD.
thesis. In case substantial errors are found in the first few pages of the thesis, 8. Pay your viva fees.
the internal examiner usually returns the thesis before proceeding further. For 9. Wait for a call from the administration informing you of the dates of
your own good, it is suggested that you do not proof read your thesis. Get it the viva voce.
proof read from someone who has a good command over the language. 10. Submit a synopsis of your thesis to the administration on the day of
Remember, that proof reading cannot be done in a hurry on the last night. the viva.
11. In case minor errors are pointed out in the viva voce, you might be
Ensure that all citations, illustration credits, illustration numbers and titles etc.
asked to replace the relevant corrected pages in the library copy of
are in place. In case of drawings make sure to mark the orientation, scale, and
your thesis.
drawing titles without fail.
12. After the viva voce, collect the no dues form from the administration
and returned a signed version of it to complete the thesis procedure.
13. Finally, you are ready to graduate!
THESIS SUBMISSION PROCEDURE
Once your thesis is ready for submission‐
1. Get a copy of thesis approval and thesis declaration forms from the WHAT DOES THE INTERNAL EXAMINER EXAMINE?
administration. The internal examiner looks for inconsistencies in your thesis argument and for
2. Get the signature of your guide in the thesis approval form. deficiencies in the quality of research. Spelling and grammar errors, incorrect or
3. Submit one spiral bound copy of your thesis to the administration for missing citations, bibliography, titles and incomplete drawings are some of the
internal examination. Please note that you need to have cleared all most common reasons for the internal examiner to return your thesis without
other subjects, electives, RSPs, interactive workshops and any other assessing it for inconsistencies and deficiencies.
prerequisites for graduation before you submit your thesis. In case of
The internal examiner will approve of the thesis even if s/he does not agree
any backlogs whatsoever, the thesis will be considered submitted on
with the content of the thesis as long as the argument is consistent and of a
the day you clear all previous backlogs. Please account for this in your
minimum quality. The examiner usually refers to your bibliography to gauge the
future plans.
extent and quality of your research. The quality of your thesis and therefore the
4. In about 3‐4 weeks time you will get a call from the administration
grades depend on your main analysis chapter. Try not to overdo the
informing you of the internal examiners decision. Needless to say,
8 9
introduction/background chapter. An extensive introduction/background Q. I haven’t met my guide for quite some time, so I will work a bit more before
doesn’t ensure a good thesis. In many cases an extensive introduction takes meeting him/her.
away from the importance/emphasis of your analysis. A. You will never feel prepared enough to meet your guide. So just go ahead; at
the most you might face the music for a few minutes.
Numbers of pages do not matter as long as the research is complete in itself. Do
Q. I just can’t get myself to read or write. Most of my time is spent at the
not attempt to beef up the number of pages by including unnecessary
canteen.
background work.
A. Get out of campus for a change. Work from home, hostel, office.
Q. I have put everything that I have read and done during research in my thesis.
A. Doing research and writing the document are two separate things. There is
absolutely no need to give a summary of history of mankind in the introduction
THE VIVA VOCE of the thesis. Assume that your thesis will be read by senior architecture
The viva voce is an examination of your skill in presenting and defending your students or architects. Do not underestimate their knowledge.
research independent of the quality of the written document. It is also a
platform to discuss issues of architecture arising from your study. The viva voce Q. I can’t seem to find any books, research papers related to my topic.
A. If you find a book or paper which exactly matches your topic, then there is no
usually lasts 1 to 1.5 hours. The examiners meet prior to the viva voce to discuss
point your doing the thesis. For all other cases, attend the architectural
and grade the written document. This is followed by a 20 minute presentation
research methods course.
by the student. Please remember that the examiners and the guide have
already read your thesis. It is therefore suggested that rather than present the
entire thesis, the viva voce is used as a platform to discuss and defend key
findings and the validity of the research method employed. A synopsis of 2 REFERENCES
pages comprising of text and graphics is a prerequisite for the viva voce. Copies School of Architecture, 1983. Thesis at School, School of Architecture:
of this synopsis should be circulated amongst the audience. It is strongly Ahmedabad.
recommended that you rehearse your presentation before the actual day. Do
remember that your document has already been graded prior to the viva voce.
It is a good practice to attend presentation by your thesis colleagues prior to
your own viva voce!
FREQUENTLY FACED PROBLEMS
Q. I have an area of research in mind but I don’t know what to do next.
A. Attend the architectural research methods course
Q. I don’t know whom to approach to guide my thesis.
A. Talk to your seniors or any of the core faculty members and they will suggest
an appropriate person.
10 11