About Distance Learning Programmes

	About  Distance  Learning  Programmes Introduction Description of Programmes Offered Collaborative Programmes Currently Offered Distance Learning Programmes Currently Offered Invitation for New Collaborations BITS, Pilani , India offers Off-campus Distance Learning and Collaborative Programmes. Both of which are conducted as a means of Continuing Education for employed professionals . Two basic categories of programmes are offered :- Off-Campus Distance Learning Programmes Off-Campus Collaborative Programmes top
	Introduction Over the past three decades, the educational activities of the Institute have extended beyond the campus. This has been principally due to institutionalized linkages established by the Institute with various industries, R&D organizations, developmental agencies, etc. This activity for all the on-campus programmes is through the Practice School which as an integral component of the academic curriculum takes the classroom for a specified period to a professional location where the students and the faculty along with the industry experts get involved in real-life problems. Since 1979, the Institute has been participating in the human resources development activities of the industries by evolving several degree programmes by integrating the working environment of the employees with the learning environment required by the Institute. These programmes were first started as M.E. (Collaborative) programmes in 1979. Later, from 1988, the work integrated learning philosophy has been extended to programmes like First Level Diploma in Computer Applications, Instrument Servicing & Maintenance, Workshop Technology, Nautical Sciences; M.V.S in Computer Operations & Applications, Information Management, Physician Assistant, Footwear Technology; B.S. in Technological Operations, Pharmacy Operations, Industrial Management, Process Engineering, Engineering & Industrial Technology, Optometry, Physician Assistant, Power Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Marine Engineering, Nautical Technology, Engineering Technology, Information Systems, Ophthalmic Assistant, Industrial Engineering & Technology, Nautical Sciences; M.Sc. (Tech.) Pharmaceutical Chemistry; M.S. in Systems & Information, Computer Science, Electronics & Control, Pharmacy Operations, Technological Operations, Life Sciences, Biomedical Sciences, Design Engineering, Habitat Technology, Chemical Technology, Consciousness Studies, Consultancy Management, Engineering Management, Industrial Production & Management, Management Systems, Medical Laboratory Technology, Microelectronics, Quality Management, Software Engineering, Software Systems, Manufacturing Management, e-Business, Pharmaceutical Operations and Management, Telecommunication & Software Engineering; Mechanical Systems Design, Embedded Systems, M.Phil. in Mathematics, Physics, Science Communication & Journalism, Astronomy & Planetarium Sciences, Cardiac Sciences, Hospital & Health Systems Management, Optometry, Physician Assistant and Off-campus Ph.D.  top Description of Programmes The Institute conducts off-campus degree programmes as a means of continuing education for employed professionals as part of the human resource development programmes of specific organizations at various off-campus centres. The Institute's Senate has authorized the Institute to run the off-campus degree programmes in every degree in which an on-campus degree programme is already run in the Institute. For the conduct of all these programmes, the basic requirement is the participation of the collaborative organization by extending physical and other facilities and by agreeing to integrate their work requirements with the academic requirements of the Institute for the pursuit of the degree programme. The Distance Learning Programmes Division operates all these programmes. In all these programmes, emphasis is on self-learning and the pedagogy attempts to incorporate as many modern technologies as desirable. While every one of these programmes requires collaboration of an organization, some programmes have a highly structured collaboration with planned classroom activities and some programmes may have less structured planning. While a number of degrees are offered through structured collaboration with many collaborating organizations, there are also degrees, which are available in an open manner as Distance Learning Programmes for a large number of organizations, each of which may sponsor only few students. For the sake of identification, the structured collaborative programmes are classified as collaborative programmes and other programmes as distance learning programmes. It is possible that if any organization sponsors a large number of students regularly and provides facilities for a structured arrangement, then any of the programmes that are currently classified as distance learning programmes can also be classified as collaborative programmes or it is also possible that some programmes appear in both classifications as of the current option. For all these programmes, faculty/resource persons are drawn from the Institute, the participating organizations as well as experts from other Institutions.  top
		Table 1. Currently Operative Off Campus Collaborative Programmes at a Glance Programme Collaborating / Sponsoring Organization First Level Diploma First Level Diploma in Nautical Sciences Tolani Education Foundation, Mumbai B.S. Programmes Engineering and Industrial Technology Bharat Dynamics Limited, Hyderabad Industrial Engineering and Technology Ashok Leyland, Chennai & Hosur Manufacturing Engineering  Ford India Limited, Chennai Marine Engineering Tolani Maritime Institute, Induri; RL Institute of Nautical Sciences, Madurai Ophthalmic Assistant Sankara Nethralaya, Chennai Optometry Sankara Nethralaya, Chennai; L V Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad Physician Assistant Institute of Cardio-Vascular Diseases, Chennai Power Engineering National Thermal Power Corporation Process Engineering GRASIM, Nagda; Finolex Industries, Ratnagiri, Indogulf Fertilizers & Chemicals, Jagdishpur and CPCL, Chennai. M.Sc. (Tech.) Programme Pharmaceutical Chemistry Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Limited, Hyderabad M.E.(Collaborative) Programme Project Engineering Development Consultants Limited, Calcutta M.S. Programmes Chemical Technology Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad Consciousness Studies Bhakthivedanta Institute, Mumbai Consultancy Management Consultancy Development Centre, New Delhi e-Business Cognizant Technology Solutions, Chennai Engineering Management Ashok Leyland, Chennai and Hosur Industrial Production and Management GRASIM, Nagda Management Systems SPIC, Chennai Manufacturing Management  DJ Academy for Managerial Excellence, Coimbatore Medical Laboratory Technology Sankara Nethralaya, Chennai Microelectronics Texas Instruments, Wipro Technologies, Tata Elxsi Bangalore Pharmaceutical Operations and Management Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Limited, Hyderabad Quality Management Indian Institute of Quality Management, Jaipur Software Engineering Wipro Technologies, Bangalore, Chennai and Hyderabad; Tata Elxsi, Bangalore; Cognizant Technology Solutions, HCL Technologies, Chennai; Satyam Computer Services, Hyderabad. Telecommunications & Software Engineering Wipro Technologies, Bangalore M.Phil. Programmes Hospital and Health Systems Management CMC Hospital, Vellore; Tulane University Medical Centre New Orleans, Louisiana, USA and Bombay Hospital, Mumbai Optometry Sankara Nethralaya, Chennai Physician Assistant Institute of Cardio-Vascular Diseases, Chennai top
		Table 2. Currently Operative Distance Learning Programmes at a Glance B.S. M.S. 1.      Engineering Technology 2.      Information Systems 1.      Manufacturing Management 2.      Software Systems top Invitation for New Collaborations The Institute looks for a viable number (around 50) of candidates sponsored by an organization or a group of organizations for a degree programme. Any organization interested in having a dialogue with the Institute for offering any collaborative and innovative programme directed towards the human resource development needs of their industry may write to the Institute. The Institute has an open mind to offer any of the existing programmes or devise any other new programme for their benefit. For further details contact The Dean Distance Learning Programmes Division BITS, Pilani (Rajasthan)- 333031 Phone: 91-1596-42210  Fax: 91-1596-44183