NIT Surathkal offers a 3-year PhD program in full-time mode. The institute also provides PhD program to full-time sponsored students and registrants. Doctoral programs at NITK Surathkal are available in 14 Departments in several research areas and interdisciplinary streams: Students enrolled full-time on Institute Scholarships, Students under QIP who are financed full-time, Full-time / External Registrants - sponsored by Industry or other organizations including Educational Institutions, and Internal Registrants: NITK-sponsored project staff institute.

NIT Surathkal applicants must have a Postgraduate Degree in Basic Sciences / Social Sciences / Humanities / Management/ Mathematics / Engineering / Technology and also have qualified through NET/GATE in addition to being eligible for admission to the Ph.D. program. Ph.D. admissions are also based on academic performance in the qualifying examinations, written aptitude tests, presentation on a research topic, and interview as specified by the DRPC of the concerned departments.

NIT Surathkal Ph.D Specializations

NIT Surathkal has 14 departments with a variety of specializations. The Specializations are listed below:

Departments Specializations
Management Studies Strategic Management, International Business, Technology Management, Organizational Behaviour, Human Resource Management, Marketing, Corporate Finance, Capital Markets, Behavioural Finance, Development Economics, International Economics, Agricultural Economics, Rural Development, Applied Econometrics, Operations Management, Information Systems, E-Governance, English and Comparative Literature, and Other related areas. * M.Phil degree will not be considered.
Civil Engineering Structural Engineering, Geotechnical Engineering, Transportation Engineering, Construction Technology and Management, Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences. 
Electronics and Communication Engineering Electronic Communication / VLSI/Signal Processing
Mining Engineering Rock Mechanics & Ground Control Engineering, Drilling & Blasting, Mine Planning, Environmental Management, Slope Stability, Design and Stability of Civil Excavations, Waste Management, Mineral beneficiation. Computer Applications in Mining, Mine Health & Safety Engineering
Computer Science and Engineering Computer Networks, Software Engineering, Distributed Computing, Data Mining, Information Security, High Performance Computing, Computer Vision, Cloud Computing, Image Processing, Speech Processing, Mobile Computing, Cloud system, Internet of Things (IoT), Blockchain Applications, Computer Architecture, Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence, Networks-on-Chip, Formal Verification, Cyber-Physical Systems, Data Science, Precision agriculture and farming, Social Computing, Graph Theory, Big Data analytics, Network Function Virtualization, Information-Centric Networking, 5G Core, Underwater Communication, Cryptography, Deterministic Networking, Industrial IoT, Quantum Computing, Neuromorphic Computing.
Physics High energy theory, Quantum gravity, Quantum field theory and gravity, Optoelectronics, Condensed Matter- Theory and Experiment, Cosmology and High Energy Physics, Nonlinear Dynamics, and Material Science
Electrical and Electronics Engineering Power and Energy Systems/ Power Electronics and Electric Drives/ Control Systems/ New and Renewable Energy Systems/ Insulation and High Voltage Engineering/ Application of Signal Processing, Artificial Intelligence (AI)/Machine Learning (ML) Algorithms in Electrical Engineering.
Mathematical and Computational Sciences Computer Stream: Computer Network Security, Graph Algorithms, Image Processing, Machine Learning, Cloud Computing, Cryptography, Wireless Sensor Networks, Block Chain Technology, Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence, Deep Learning. Mathematics Stream: Computational Fluid Dynamics, Reliability Engineering, Graph Theory, Algebra, Number Theory, Real Analysis, Dynamical Systems, Differential Equations, Numerical Analysis, Functional Analysis, Scientific Computing, Numerical Linear Algebra.
Metallurgical & Materials Engineering Physical Metallurgy, Mechanical Metallurgy, Extractive Metallurgy, Beneficiation of Minerals, Welding, Surface Engineering, Corrosion, Polymer Nanocomposites, Ceramic and Polymeric Nanofabrics, Energy conversion and storage, Thin films & coatings, Advanced Materials, Heat transfer studies. M.Sc. in Materials Science / Dental Materials / Nanoscience / Physics / Chemistry / Electrochemistry / Applied Chemistry / Industrial Chemistry / Polymer Chemistry / Biochemistry/ Microbiology. B.Tech. in Metallurgical Engineering / Metallurgical and Materials Engineering / Materials Engineering / Mechanical Engineering / Chemical Engineering / Industrial and Production Engineering / Nanotechnology.
Water Resources and Ocean Engineering Water Resources Engg & Management; Surface Water Hydrology, Ground Water Hydrology, Hydrological modeling, Artificial Intelligence in water resources, Urban Hydrology, Urban water management, Sediment Transport, Ocean and Coastal Engineering, Offshore Renewable Energy, Computational Hydrodynamics, Structural Dynamics, Offshore Engineering, Marine Structures, Isotropic Elasticity in Marine Structure Analysis, Finite Element Analysis of marine and hydraulic structures, Soft computing Applications in Civil Engineering, Geo-informatics Applications in Civil Engineering: Hyperspectral Remote Sensing, Microwave Remote Sensing, Disaster management using advance surveying, GIS and UAV.
Mechanical Engineering Renewable Energy, Alternative Fuels, Biofuels and Biorefining, IC Engine & Combustion, Refrigeration and Air-conditioning, Heat Transfer and Bio Heat Transfer, Fluid Dynamics and Micro and Bio fluidics, Fluid-Structure Interaction, Fracture Mechanics and Fatigue, FEM, Stress Analysis, Tribology, Machine Dynamics and Vibration, Advanced Materials, Biomaterials and Biomechanics, Advanced Manufacturing, Mechatronics, MEMS, Nanotechnology, Robotics and Control, Product Design, Systems and Biosystems Engineering, Structural Acoustics, Polymer Nano-Composites, Precision Manufacturing.
Chemistry Inorganic, Materials, Organic, and Physical Chemistry M.Sc. / M. Tech in a relevant field including M. Pharma
Information Technology Affective Computing, Big Data Analytics, Blockchain Technologies, Cloud/Edge/Fog Computing, Cloud Security, Computer Networks, Cyber Security, Databases, Data Mining, Deep Learning Applications, Distributed Computing, Future Internet Architecture, Healthcare Informatics, High-Performance Computing, Information Retrieval, Information Security, Internet of Things, Mobile Software Engineering, Natural Language Processing, Network Security, Semantic Web Technology, Social Multimedia/Social Network Analysis, Software Engineering, Web Services, Wireless, Deep Learning for Computer Vision and Natural Language Processing; Evolutionary Deep Intelligence; Scientific Imaging; Remote Sensing; Biomedical Imaging
Chemical Engineering Process Development, Particulate Systems, Environmental Engineering, Transfer Operations, Industrial Biotechnology, Energy, Process Modelling and Simulation, Computational Fluid Dynamics, Nanosciences / Nanotechnology, Polymer nanocomposites, Process dynamics and control, and Molecular Simulations.

NIT Surathkal Ph.D Eligibility Criteria

NIT Surathkal admission to a Ph.D. program is open to Indian nationals who have completed a qualifying degree in a relevant field with a (CGPA) of at least 6.0 or not less than 60% in the aggregate (taking into account the marks scored in all subjects of all public/university examinations conducted during the entire prescribed period for the qualification). For SC, ST, and PwD applicants, the minimum required will be a CGPA of 5.5 or 55% of the total possible points. NIT Surathkal 's postgraduate and doctorate Ph.D. students also serve as teaching assistants for undergraduate courses. Federal and state governments fund the majority of the institute's research. Admissions to the Ph.D. course is open to Indian nationals. The qualifying exam that is required is as follows:

  • For Ph.D. in Engineering/Technology – Master’s degree in relevant field.
  • For Ph.D. in Physics – Master’s degree in relevant field
  • For Ph.D. in Chemistry - M.Sc. / M. Tech in a relevant field including M. Pharma
  • For Ph.D. in Mathematics - M.Sc.in Mathematics / M. Tech in relevant field / MCA
  • For Ph.D. in Humanities, Social Science, and Management – Master's degree in a relevant field, CA along with an undergraduate degree.

NIT Surathkal Ph.D Selection Criteria

Selection of candidates for admission to the Ph.D. program will be based upon the GATE score, academic performance in the qualifying examinations, written aptitude test, presentation on a research topic, and interview as specified by the DRPC of the concerned departments.

Check more about NIT Surathkal Admission

NIT Surathkal Application Procedure

Candidates applying for the NIT Surathkal PhD program are required to apply directly on the official website. Registration form is to be filled out online along with the application fee payable. After the completion of the online process, the candidates are required to submit the hard copy of the form at the institute within the given period. The hard copy submitted must include all the necessary documents and pay receipts.

How To Apply?

  • The Information Bulletin, Seat Matrix, and Online Application portal for admission to Ph.D. programs are available on the Institute website www.nitk.ac.in.
  • The applicants need to register online with the portal.
  • The registered candidates have to complete the Online Application form and pay the prescribed application fee, i.e. Rs 500 (OC / OBC/EWS) and Rs150 (SC / ST / PwD) through the IRIS portal.
  • The hardcopy of the completed application form with payment receipts and copies of all necessary documents is to be sent to the Assistant Registrar (Academic), National Institute of Technology Karnataka, Surathkal, Srinivasnagar, Mangalore -575 025, Karnataka. “Application for Ph.D. or M.Tech Admission in the Department of.....” should be mentioned on the top of the envelope.
  • Candidates sponsored by Educational Institutions/Industries must get their applications forwarded through the proper channel.
  • Applications that are incomplete/defective/received late are liable to be rejected summarily and no correspondence will be entertained on such applications.

Note: If a candidate desires to apply to more than one course [Department (Ph.D.)] he/she should submit a separate application along with a payment receipt of the application fee for each program. Candidates called for an interview will have to appear for a written test and/or interview. The written test and/or interview will be held at NIT Surathkal in offline mode.

Documents Required:

At the time of counseling/written test/interview:

  • Original marks card of all Semesters/years of Masters /Bachelor’s degree
  • Date of Birth Certificate in Original (SSLC / X Std.)
  • Degree Certificate or Course Completion certificate from college (if qualifying degree exam results are awaiting)
  • Caste Certificate if belonging to SC / ST (original)
  • EWS Category Certificate as per the prescribed format issued by the Competent Authority
  • OBC certificate as per prescribed format for OBC candidates. (if applicable) from the Competent Authority
  • GATE / NET Score Card (if applicable)
  • Sponsorship Certificate, if applicable in the prescribed format
  • No objection certificate, if applicable in the prescribed format
  • Pass certificate for A.M.I.E. candidates (M Tech.)
  • Persons with Disabilities (PWD) certificate, if applicable

At the time of admission:

  • Admission order issued by Competent Authority.
  • Original marks card of qualifying examinations (First to Final Year) with two sets of duplicate copies. (The spelling and order of the name should be the same in all the years of marks card, degree certificate, and Migration Certificate)
  • Course Completion Certificate from college (if qualifying degree exam results are awaiting)
  • Original GATE / NET Score Card (if applicable).
  • Degree Certificate or Provisional Pass Certificate issued by the University.
  • Sponsorship Certificate (if sponsored) in the prescribed format.
  • No objection certificate, if applicable in the prescribed format
  • Medical Certificate (general fitness).
  • Relieving Certificate in the Case of Sponsored Candidates
  • Date of Birth Certificate in original (X Std. or SSLC).
  • Caste Certificate in case of SC / ST.
  • OBC Certificate (if applicable) from the competent authority
  • EWS Category Certificate issued by the Competent Authority
  • Transfer Certificate
  • Conduct Certificate
  • Aadhar card copy
  • Persons with Disabilities (PWD) certificate, if applicable
  • Migration Certificate other than Karnataka students

Note: In case the result of the qualifying degree is awaited, admission to the program is given on a provisional basis.

Check: NIT Surathkal Courses

NIT Surathkal PhD Fee Structure

NIT Surathkal has released the fee structure for the Ph.D. program offered. The fee structure released includes all the expense charges for the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd year. Candidates who have extended their program beyond 3 years have to pay the same fee as for the third year. The fee mentioned can change as per the policies of the institute.

Fee Particulars First Year 
Semester I Semester II
Tuition fee INR 7500 INR 7500
Other Fee
Other Fees (Part I)
Institute Admission Fee INR 2,436 NA
Development Fee INR 2,436 INR 2,436
Security Deposit (refundable) INR 6,080 NA
NITK Alma Mater Endowment Contribution INR 2,436 NA
Convocation Fee INR 2,436 NA
Other Fees (Part II)
Library and E-resources Fee INR 3,654 INR 3,654
Thesis Processing Fee INR 6,080 NA
Thesis Evaluation Fees INR 18,239 NA
Career Development Fee INR 1,817 NA
Health Care Facility INR 1,218 NA
Students Activities Fees

INR 6,080

 NA
Swimming Pool Fee
Campus Amenities INR 1,218 NA
Group Insurance Coverage for students INR 430 NA
Computing Resource Fee INR 6,080 NA
Day Scholar Total Fee INR 68,140 INR 13,590

Hostel Rent (including water/ electricity charges), Boys/Girls (Shared Accommodation)

2nd Year Single Room Accommodation- INR 10,000 Each Semester

 INR 8,000 INR 8,000
Hosteller Total Fee INR 76,140 INR 21,590

Check: NIT Surathkal Latest Update

NIT Surathkal PhD Seats

NIT Surathkal offers a total of 140 seats including all the categories. NITK reserves seats for the SC/ST and PWD as per Central Government rules. Seats for the OBC/ EWS are as per GOI/ MHRD norms. The below intake excludes QIP seats allotted by the AICTE/ MHRD and seats earmarked for the Indian Navy:

Category Seats
Open Category 55
EWS 13
OBC-NCL 35
SC 20
ST 10
OC-PWD 2
EWS-PWD 1
OBC-NCL-PWD 2
SC-PWD 1
ST-PWD 1
Total 140

Note: Foreign Nationals are admitted to PhD program under the ICCR Scheme.

Check: NIT Surathkal Placement

NIT Surathkal PhD Stipend

NIT Surathkal provides financial assistance to regular, International registrants, external registrants, and sponsored candidates enrolled in the PhD program. 

  • Full-time research scholars of type 1 are eligible for a fellowship of Rs. 31,000/- pm for the first two years and Rs. 35,000/-pm for the remaining two years on satisfactory progress. Under the directives of the MHRD Government of India, the revision in PhD scholarship will be effected. The Research scholars have to assist in teaching and laboratory work assigned by the department and are eligible for 30 days’ vacation leave per year.
  • Full-time sponsored candidates may receive complete financial support including stipend, contingency grants, and project expenses from the sponsoring organizations.
  • Internal Registrants (Institute Faculty / Staff, Project staff) are expected to work for their Ph.D. Program while fulfilling their normal duties.
  • External Registrants are expected to carry out their Research work in their parent organization after fulfilling certain prerequisites in the Institute. They are not entitled to an Institute scholarship. The external candidate shall produce a sponsorship and clearance certificate from his employer and submit it along with the application.

Check: NIT Surathkal Review

NIT Surathkal PhD FAQs

Ques. How to contact the college for queries related to academics or admissions?

Ans. The college has an official website that contains all required admission-related information. Candidates who wish to visit the campus in person can visit NH 66, Srinivasnagar, Surathkal, Mangalore, Karnataka 575025. One can contact me over the phone at 08242474000 or via e-mail at registrar@nitk.ac.in.

Ques. Does the college offer 100% placement assistance to students?

Ans. Yes, NITK has a career development center that looks into the matter of recruitment and training. Companies interested in recruitment can register themselves for pre-placement talks and interviews. Placements completely depend on a candidate’s merit in the qualifying exam and performance in the interview.

Ques. What kind of facilities are available on campus for students?

Ans. NITK is an established college that conducts various levels of academics along with extracurricular activities. Infrastructure-wise, the campus includes a library, career development center, central computer center, health care center, guest house, hostels, canteen, healthcare center, sports facilities, etc.

Ques. Is there any kind of financial assistance or scholarships provided?

Ans. Yes, NITK offers several scholarship schemes for different categories of students. Some of them include the BR Samaga scholarship for 2nd-year B.Tech students, the Pradeep Gundappa scholarship, Merit cum means scholarships, and the Commonwealth scholarship among others. For Ph.D. students, there are categories for full-time students under institute scholarship as well.

Ques. What other courses are available other than Ph.D?

Ans. The college offers different UG and PG level degree courses along with research-oriented Ph.D. courses. Under the PG category, there are courses like M. Tech, MBA, MCA, and M.Sc. For UG, there are courses like B. Tech in different specializations. For admission and eligibility norms, visit the official website.