IIIT Hyderabad offers a Phd program in 10 specialisations in fields like Engineering & Technology, Science, and Linguistics. The course is offered both as a full time and part-time course in regular mode and the course duration varies from 3-6 academic years. Candidates can apply online for the course during the registration period prescribed by the institute. The institute accepts IIITH PGEE scores for admission to its PhD program. PhD at IIIT Hyderabad is a credit based course. The minimum requirement for admission to PhD program at IIIT Hyderabad is that the candidate shall have passed in Graduation or Post graduation degree having consistent and excellent academic records. Candidates must qualify any of the following entrance test.

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IIIT Hyderabad PhD Eligibility Criteria

Candidates who wishes to seek admission for the PhD. program of IIIT Hyderabad shall have the following eligibility:

  • For PhD in Engineering & Technology: B.Tech/ BE or M.Tech all branches, MSc/MCA/ MA (Mathematics)
  • For PhD in Bioinformatics & Computational Natural Sciences: M.Sc in fundamental sciences, ME/ M.Tech/ BE/ B.Tech in Computer Science, Information Technology, Biotech, Bioinformatics, Biomed, MCA
  • For PhD in Spatial Informatics: ME/ M.Tech/ M.Sc In all branches, MA in Social Sciences, MCA.
  • For PhD in Computational Linguistics: The candidate should have completed or completing a Master’s program (Master of Science/M.E/M.Tech/MSc/MCA/MA). 
  • For PhD in Cognitive Science: BE/BTech/MBBS/MA/MSc/MTech/MD or equivalent degree in CogSci/Psychology/Linguistics/Philosophy/Anthropology/Sciences/related disciplines. 
  • For PhD in Human Sciences: MPhil / M.A. in any discipline of the Humanities or Social Sciences; MPhil or M.Sc./M.S./M.Tech with research thesis; B.E. / B.Tech with at least five years work experience.

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The selection criteria for Admissions to the PhD programs of the institute are based on the IIITH PGEE scores and further Interview as well as Counseling Process. Candidates who have a valid GATE score may be admitted directly to the PhD program. There are certain admission guidelines provided here are:

  • Candidates having an impeccable academic performance may qualify for the interview directly without having to appear for the entrance test. The decision on final offer of admission is solely based on the interview performance.
  • Candidates who get shortlisted based on previous academic performance or merit rank in IIITH PGEE will be called for the interview process.
  • Applicants for Ph.D. in Human Sciences program will be asked to submit a research statement after the application deadline. Shortlisting for the interview will be done based on CV and research statement.
  • For PhD in Spatial Informatics, only General Aptitude (GA) paper has to be cleared during the PGEE. The subject proficiency and research aptitude will be tested at the Interview.
  • The institute will notify the students for the interview procedure at its official website.
  • Final selection of the candidates will be on the basis of PGEE scorecard and performance in the Interview. 

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IIIT Hyderabad PhD Application Process

  1. Candidates are required to submit the online application form having two parts – Registration form and Application Form.
  2. Candidates first need to register themselves by providing the appropriate details asked.
  3. After registration, candidates will be redirected to the application form.
  4. Candidates are also required to submit the application form fee of INR 2500 (non-refundable) online through Credit Card, Debit Card (Visa/ MasterCard), or Net Banking.
  5. Candidates are also needed to upload the mandatory documents prescribed in the application form.

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IIIT Hyderabad PhD Fees

Particulars Fees
Tuition Fee (per year) INR 60,000
Tuition fee support NIL
Stipend (per month) INR 31,000-35,000

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IIIT Hyderabad PhD Course Details

The PhD program at IIIT Hyderabad is offered in 10 different specializations tabulated below:

Specializations
Computer Science and Engineering Cognitive Science
Electronics and Communication Engineering Bioinformatics
Civil Engineering Spatial Informatics
IT in Building Science Computational Natural Science
Computational Linguistics Human Sciences

Course Duration: PhD course duration for each specialization varies accordingly. Mentioned below are the details:

  • The duration of PhD in Engineering and Technology is for a minimum 6 Semesters and maximum 12 semesters. Duration varies from 4 to 6 years.
  • The duration of PhD in Computational Natural Sciences is for 5 years.
  • The duration for PhD in Bioinformatics, Computational Linguistics & Spatial Informatics varies from 3 to 5 years

Curriculum: On the basis of the student's background, the semester wise courses and the planning of PhD is divided. A PhD student shall take the relevant courses in the first two semesters and have to qualify the following criteria in order to get an award of Degree.

  • Clearing Breadth Qualifier Courses: A PhD. student should clear 3 or 4 courses in respective specialization to test his/ her breadth of knowledge in the respective programmes.
  • Clearing of Depth Courses: A student has to complete 3 depth courses other than breadth courses. These courses should be from level 400 and above. Students are encouraged to take additional courses to build breadth and depth of knowledge in areas of their choice.
  • Comprehensive Exam: A student has to qualify in the comprehensive exam that helps assess the student’s capacity to do research and problem solving ability.

Coursework: After clearing the breadth qualifier, the student will conduct a literature survey in the area of his/her research.

  • Dissertation Proposal Defense: The student is expected to defend the dissertation proposal in front of an appropriate committee appointed by the Dean (Research).
  • Dissertation Final Defense: The dissertation has to successfully defend to a committee of examiners (and advisors) set up by the PG Chair and Dean (R&D)
  • Thesis Credits: Students are required to register for a total of at least 60 credits of doctoral dissertation to be eligible for the degree.
  • Academic Performance: Students have to maintain a CGPA of 7.0 in the coursework to acquire the Doctoral Degree.

IIIT Hyderabad PhD Research Assistantship

IIIT Hyderabad supports the full-time PhD. students in terms of tuition fees and stipend as long as they maintain good academic standing. In order to get the full financial assistance, a student requires to put in 20 hours of work per week. Stipend for PhD students ranges from INR 31,000 to 35,000. 

Other fellowship opportunities: IIIT Hyderabad provides the opportunity of externally funded fellowships. The selection for the fellowship program is based on the application submitted by the candidate to the respective funding agencies.

Some of the fellowships are held by the current PhD students including TCS, Visvesvaraya, Intel, Google, MSR, IBM, etc.

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IIIT Hyderabad PhD FAQs

Ques. Can I choose Spatial Informatics for IIIT Hyderabad PhD program if I have my qualification degree in CSE?

Ans. Students having a background in CSE have to apply for the regular PhD program in CSE offered at IIIT-H and can do research in Spatial Informatics.

Ques. What is the maximum duration of IIIT Hyderabad PhD course? Does it offer PhD courses for more than the duration of 6 years?

Ans. IIIT Hyderabad PhD course duration varies according to the specialization. The maximum duration for a PhD is 12 semesters whereas the minimum course duration is 6 semesters.

Ques. What is the examination pattern of PGEE for IIIT Hyderabad PhD courses?

Ans. PGEE is a written examination conducted by IIIT Hyderabad for admissions to its postgraduate courses including PhD course.

Ques. Does IIIT Hyderabad provide a part-time PhD. program?

Ans. Yes, IIIT Hyderabad offers an external PhD program that allows highly meritorious out-of-station candidates to enroll for the program. Such candidates can carry out their research from the home or institute.

Ques. With which foreign companies the IIIT Hyderabad Research Exchange Programme has been held till now?

Ans. The IIIT Hyderabad Research Exchange Programme partnership has been worked out with leading research groups at CMU, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Illinois among others.