Ph.D. & Master of Science by Research

International Institute of Information Technology-Bangalore (IIIT-Bangalore) invites applications for its research degree programs, namely, Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) and Master of Science by Research (M. S. (By Research)). This call for admissions is for academic year 2024-25 (Term 1) starting in August 2024.  The Ph. D. program has full-time as well as part-time registration options and the M. S. (By Research) program is for full-time applicants only. The students admitted to these programs will be referred to as research scholars.

1.Research Domains:

At IIIT-Bangalore, there are seven research domains and we have openings for both the research degree programs in all the domains, except for Mathematics & Physics, which has openings exclusively for the Ph. D. program. The following table lists the research domains for which there are openings for research scholars to be admitted in August 2024. Please note that some research areas appear in more than one research domains. Research areas mentioned below are applicable to both full-time and part-time Ph.D. applications.

Brief description of the active research work in the afore-mentioned research domains is given in item # 6.

In the case of part-time applications, applicants are hereby informed that, if selected for admission,they needto obtain appropriate IP clearance and No Objection Certificate from their employers for their academic work at IIIT-Bangalore,before they can join the programme.

IIIT-Bangalore has various specialized research centers and labs. More information about them is available on our website. In this admission cycle, the following research centers are actively seeking Ph.D. and MS by Research applications: 

• E-Health Research Centre (EHRC)

Affordability, Accessibility, and Availability of medical care and services are a major concern in India and similar other regions across the world. To address them, EHRC conducts applied research on Device, Data (generation, management, processing), and Delivery (services), with a goal of larger impact on, not only technologies of healthcare, but also health-related policies and capacity-building.

  Ongoing research projects at EHRC broadly fall under the areas of Public Health and Surgical & Assistive Robotics. Within these areas, the Centre welcomes applications on the following topics:

• Electronic Health Record and Registries; Hospital and Field Operations Digitization; User Experience Research and Participatory Design.
• Diagnostic Support Systems; 3D Models and Visualization.
• Image Guidance & Simulation; Image & Video Analytics.
• Flexible Robots; Prosthetics & Assistive Devices; Ultrasound Probes.
   
• Machine Intelligence and Robotics (MINRO) Centre

This Centre is looking for applications in the following research areas:

• Understanding the social basis of human cognition and learning, and examining how to incorporate that in machine learning.
• Understanding assumptions and biases in collecting "Big Data" and its implications in Machine Learning applications.
• Sliding mode control and non-linear control systems and theory with applications in single and groups of unmanned systems, such as aircraft and mobile robots.
• Automated image processing and computer vision using principles of feedback control systems, with an emphasis on industrial applications.
   
• Centre for Internet of Ethical Things (CIET)

          This Centre is looking for applications in the following research areas:

•  Designing secured and high speed systems.
•  Understanding Internet of Robotic things, Internet of medical things, and designing an  ethical  compliance framework while deploying the systems.
• Designing hardware and software systems with privacy budgeting.

Candidates with interdisciplinary research interests, such as the social shaping and implications of technology as well as Science & Technology Studies, are encouraged to apply. For all the Centres, the written exam, where applicable, will be conducted on their choice of research domain, for example, in Computer Science or ECE or IT & Society. This will be followed by an interview as prescribed by the respective research domain but also consisting of panellists drawn from the concerned Centres. 

• Center for Technology Research and Innovation – Digital Governance (CTRI-DG)

1.  Help choose between Complete IT Transformation (“Green field”) vs Incremental IT Transformation (“Brown field”):
   • Study specific systems as recommended by CeG for studying and analysing options for application modernization.
   • Create a methodology, framework and tools for IT Transformation of Digital Governance applications.
   • Keywords: IT Transformation, Data Migration, Code Quality Assessment, Legacy Code migration.

2. Maximize automation and minimize manual intervention in government processes:
   • Automation of manual activities is at the heart of Digital Governance software applications.  Research in this area involves a deep study of existing business process and creating new frameworks, tools and methodologies to re-engineer existing work processes to make them more efficient, scalable, robust and less prone to errors.
   • Keywords: Workflow automation, Robotic Process Automation (RPA).

3. Data management strategy for enhanced decision making:
   • Prepare a Data Lake architecture for better data interoperability across the inter-connected applications across multiple departments.
   • Specific research challenges include operating across different grades of heterogeneity that exists across multiple departmental applications.
   • Keywords: Data Lake, Data Warehousing, OLAP, Distributed Databases, Big Data.

4. IT Systems Architecture:
   • Bottom-up design of IT Systems Architecture by studying a family of related applications.
   • Create Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) principles to enable plug-and-play of services across multiple e-Governance initiatives.
   • Keywords: Service-Oriented-Architecture (SOA), Microservices, Nano services, Serverless computing, DevOps.

5. Automating Compliance Verification & Validation:
   • Ensure software developed is compliant with regulations issued by statutory bodies from time to time (e.g., Aadhar guidelines, data protection and privacy guidelines, etc.).
   • Keywords: V&V, Regulatory Compliance, Program Analysis, Formal Verification, Software Testing.

2. Minimum Eligibility Criteria:

Applicants to the Doctor of Philosophy program should hold a Master’s degree (or equivalent), as well as have a good academic and, where applicable, technical track record.

As an admission criterion placed for Doctor of Philosophy degree by the University Grants Commission, we require applicants to take either a national entrance examination, as specified by concerned research domains, or a domain-specific entrance examination at IIIT-Bangalore before the interview.

Research domain-specific requirements are as follows:

• For applicants to Computer Science, Data Sciences, VLSI and Embedded Systems, Software Engineering and Networking Communication & Signal Processing, a four-year Bachelor’s degree in engineering (B.E., B. Tech. or equivalent) is required for the Master of Science by Research program; and a Master’s degree in engineering (M.E., M. Tech. or equivalent) is required for the Doctor of Philosophy program. Additional specific requirements are as follows:
   
• Computer Science and Software Engineering:
• Applicants should have a GATE or GRE score taken in the last five years.
• Candidates with suitable industrial or academic experience and credentials may apply without competitive exam (GATE/GRE) scores, which may be waived. Applicants should clear a written exam conducted by IIIT-Bangalore, covering topics on Data Structures and Algorithms, Discrete Maths, DBMS, Operating Systems, Basic Programming, Computer Architecture and Organization.
• Screening/shortlisting will be based on the afore-mentioned score and other application details furnished by the applicant, followed by an interview.
   
• Data Science:
• Applicants should have taken one of the following examinations:
  • GATE examination in any relevant engineering domain.
• For Ph. D., candidates should have a M.Sc. (Math or Computer Science) or, M. Tech (Computer Science) degree.
• Screening/ shortlisting will be based on the afore-mentioned score and other application details furnished by the applicant, followed by an interview.
   
• VLSI and Embedded Systems:
• Applicants will have to write written exam, followed by an interview if selected. GATE scores are not mandatory but will be desirable.
• Shortlisting of applicants will be done based on their academic background and other details submitted by the applicants.
   
• Networking, Communications & Signal Processing:

           Requirements (Ph.D.):

• Strong background in Computer Networks
• Strong background in Analog and Digital Communication 
• Basics of Signal Processing
• Mathematics: Probability Theory, Random Variables, and Statistics 
• Optimization techniques for Applied Wireless and ML

            Requirements (M. S. (By Research):

• Good background in Computer Networks 
• Good background in Analog and Digital Communication  
• Basics of Signal Processing 
• Mathematics: Probability Theory, Random Variables, and Statistics.

Four-year Bachelor’s degree in engineering (B.E., B. Tech. or equivalent degree in ECE/CS/IT) is required for the M. S. (By Research) program, and a Master’s degree in engineering (M.E., M. Tech. or equivalent in ECE/CS/IT/Networking/Communication/Signal Processing) is required for the Ph. D. program. Additional specific requirements are as follows: 

• Applicants will have to write written exam, followed by an interview if selected.
• Applicants with good GATE score will be exempted from the written exam, and will appear directly for an interview.
• Shortlisting of applicants will be done based on their academic background and other details submitted by the applicants.

• Physics:

 Eligible candidates should have satisfied the following requirements:

• The minimum qualification required is an M.Sc. in Physics, or a Master’s degree (M.E., M. Tech. or equivalent) in related disciplines.
• Candidates who have appeared and qualified in a national entrance test (CSIR-UGC NET, UGC-NET, GATE or JEST examination) may be exempt from taking a written test at IIIT-Bangalore. M. Phil. candidates can also apply for the Doctor of Philosophy program.
• Screening/ shortlisting will be based on the scores obtained in the afore-mentioned examinations or written examination at IIIT- Bangalore, and other application details furnished by the applicant followed by an interview if selected.
   
• Mathematics:
  • The minimum qualification required is a Master’s degree in engineering (M. Tech., M.E. or equivalent) or a Master’s degree in Mathematics.
  • Candidates who have appeared and qualified in one of the two national entrance examinations: CSIR-UGC NET or NBHM may be exempt from the written test at IIIT-Bangalore.
  • M. Phil.candidates can also apply for the Doctor of Philosophy programme.
  • Screening/ shortlisting will be based on the scores obtained in the afore-mentioned examinations or written examination at IIIT-B, and other application details furnished by the applicant followed by an interview if selected.
     
• IT & Society:
   
• Candidates with a Master’s degree in any of the social sciences are eligible to apply for Master of Science by Research/ Master of Science (Research) and Doctor of Philosophy in the ITS domain.
• In addition, candidates with a four-year Bachelor’s degree in engineering, Sciences, Maths/ Statistics (B.E., B.Tech. or equivalent) can apply for the Master of Science by Research program; and those with a Master’s degree in engineering (M.E., M.Tech. or equivalent) can apply for the Doctor of Philosophy program.
• Candidates are encouraged to provide a valid score in GATE, JRF, NET, GRE, or GMAT along with their applications. Those without such a score may apply as well.
• For some of the topics, work experience in the information technology industry is desirable but not essential.
• Shortlisted candidates will have to take a written examination at IIIT-Bangalore when called for interview.
• A bachelor's degree (minimum of 4 years) or a master's degree in any field. Strong writing skills essential; prior fieldwork experience useful but not essential. For some topics: preferably graduates in Engineering, Sciences and Math/ Statistics.
   

3. Fellowships/Scholarships & Tuition Fees:

• For full-time M. S. (By Research) students, a fellowship of INR 20,000/- per month is available.
• Full-time Doctor of Philosophy - fellowship of INR 38,500/- per month till the completion of comprehensive exam. INR 43,500/- per month after the completion of comprehensive exam as per Institute policy. Fellowship is paid for a period of 5 years.
• The tuition fee for both the programs is INR 77,000/- per semester for Academic Year 2024-25. The tuition fee is payable till the student completes submission of the thesis. The tuition fee is, however, subject to revision from time to time.
   
• Estimate of Hostel and Mess Fees:
• Hostel Accommodation and allied Charges: INR 39,000/- per Semester.
• Mess Charges: INR 28,800/- per Semester.
• Medical Insurance Premium charges: INR 2,000/- to be paid each year.
• Refundable Caution Deposit for Library and Hostel: INR 19,000/- (one-time Payment).
• These rates are subject to revision from time to time. other costs for supplies, travel, purchase of a laptop, etc., need to be factored by students depending on their individual circumstances.
• Alumni contribution and convocation charges will be levied on completion of thesis defense and while submitting no dues as per the rules and regulations in practice at the time of graduation.

4. How to Apply?

• Please click on (https://pravesh.iiitb.net) for applying for the programme. (Note: The application fee is non – refundable)
• All queries may be sent via e-mail to the email id: research.admissions@iiitb.ac.in  
• The degree program manuals are available at https://www.iiitb.ac.in/courses/master-of-science-by-researchdoctor-of-philosophy

5. Important Dates:

6. Brief Description of Research Domains

• COMPUTER SCIENCE (CS): Research areas in Computer Science are aligned with the research interests of the Computer Science faculty. Broad areas of research in Cryptography emphasize on secure Multi-Party Computation (MPC) and verifiable computation, side-channel attacks and counter measures, homomorphic encryption and applications, both at the theoretical as well as applied level. Algorithms in general, and specifically, graph and geometric algorithms are also focus areas of research in Computer Science. Smart grids, supply chains and their optimization, applications of machine learning, cloud computing, dynamic modeling and control of servers, renewable energy are some other specific areas in Computer Science. On the Software Engineering side, Software Testing and Formal Verification, with specific focus on testing and verification of embedded software and machine learning algorithms are our current research interests. .
  
  FACULTY INVOLVED: Prof Ashish Choudhury, Prof Meenakshi D’Souza, Prof V. N. Muralidhara, Prof Sachit Rao, Prof Shrisha Rao, Prof Sujit Kumar Chakrabarti, Prof Pradeesha Ashok. Prof Srinivas Vivek, Prof Vinu E Venugopal

• DATA SCIENCES (DS): Data Management: Database Design, Information Retrieval, Network Analysis, Mining Latent Semantics, Data Mining and Data Warehousing, Knowledge Representation and Reasoning, Linked Data and Semantic Web, NoSQL Databases, Geographical Information Systems.

              Data Visualization and Computational Techniques: Graphics & Visualization, and GPU     Computing, Computational Topology.

          Machine Learning-Theory and Applications: Theoretical aspects of Machine Learning, Applied Machine Learning, Applied Computer Vision, Speech understanding, Automatic Speech Recognition, Medical Image analysis, Remote Sensing and Drone Image analysis.

         FACULTY INVOLVED: Prof Amit Chattopadhyay, Prof Chandrashekar Ramanathan, Prof Dinesh Babu Jayagopi, Prof Jaya Sreevalsan Nair, Prof Sachit Rao, Prof Srinath Srinivasa, Prof T. K. Srikanth and Prof V. Ramasubramanian, Prof Viswanath Gopala Krishnan, Prof Uttam Kumar, Prof Vinu E Venugopal, Prof Raghuram Bharadwaj, Prof Sushree Sangeeta Behera.
 

• VLSI and Embedded Systems: The Electronic Systems Design domain encompasses a broad range of topics covering several aspects of both, digital and analog hardware systems, implemented using FPGAs and custom fabricated VLSI circuits, design methodologies around EDA flows, verification and validation, and system prototyping; realization of real time embedded systems where both the hardware and the software components are treated agnostically based on end system requirements; embedded implementation of feedback control using variegated sensors. Emphasis is also placed on emerging technologies based on Micro and Nano-electro mechanical devices – fabrication of 2D/3D structures, Characterization and system applications, Microprocessor design.

               FACULTY INVOLVED: Prof Madhav Rao, Prof Subir K. Roy, Prof Nanditha Rao, Prof Kurian Polachan, Prof Manikandan R R.

• INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY & SOCIETY (ITS): The Information Technology and Society research domain at IIIT-B is broadly concerned with the social role of information and communications technologies (ICTs) with a focus on the policy challenges and the institutional demands posed by technological change. Teaching and research in the stream focuses on three inter-related areas. First, it seeks to understand innovation and the organization of production in the ICT industry, or how, why and where ICTs are produced. A second area of interest is in how ICTs can be used to harness the legitimacy and the powers of bureaucracies and markets to address needs in different social domains. Of special interest are the domains of governance, education, health and manufacturing. A third area is the tools and analytical techniques that can be deployed to understand the production and consumption of ICTs. These include geographical information systems, modeling, simulation and visualization. The domain encourages inter-disciplinary research and has associated faculty members with expertise in social sciences, including in economics, economic geography, sociology, development, management, governance and public administration. The area also conducts research on the broad area of "Evidence based policy making" in the ICT sector. Researchers use techniques such as data analysis, simulation, and ethnographic studies, to build tool kits that demonstrate and compare different policy and regulatory scenarios and their possible impacts on different stakeholders. The fourth area is related to application of evidence-based policy making and regulatory impact analysis in the ICT area. 

          FACULTY INVOLVED: Prof Amit Prakash, Prof Balaji Parthasarathy, Prof Janaki Srinivasan, Prof Preeti Mudliar, Prof V. Sridhar.

• Software Engineering: Research in software engineering in IIIT-Bangalore is focused on Software Testing, Formal Methods, specifically as applied to embedded software and web applications, Micro services and on software engineering aspects of e-governance.

          FACULTY INVOLVED: Prof Sujit Kumar Chakrabarti, Prof Chandrashekar Ramanathan, Prof Thangaraju B.

• MATHEMATICS & BASIC SCIENCES (MBS): The research at IIIT-B in Mathematics and Physics is as follows:

• Research in MATHEMATICS is principally in the area of Number Theory; in particular, Algebraic Number Theory, Galois Representations, Modular Forms, Iwasawa Theory. Diophantine Equations, Galois Module structure and Elliptic curves. Research is also conducted in the fields of Algebraic Complexity Theory and Cryptography. The following two problems are representative of the mathematics research in IIIT-B: Let E be an elliptic curve over number field K. For every prime P where E has good reduction at P, we get one imaginary quadratic field associated to E. We are trying to see if we can get all imaginary quadratic fields by this procedure.
  
  FACULTY INVOLVED: Prof Manisha Kulkarni.
• In PHYSICS, there are two sub-domains of research focus at IIIT-B: (a) The focus of research of one sub-domain is on soft condensed matter physics, complex systems & nonlinear dynamics, instabilities & synchronization in nonlinear systems (both physical and biological), and macromolecular systems. Topics include bubble dynamics & cavitation, nanotubulation, physics at small scales, polyelectrolytic solutions, combustion, models of sensory systems, climate phenomena, etc. (b) The other sub-domain of physics research is in computational fluid mechanics, especially simulations & modeling of hydrodynamic and magneto hydrodynamic turbulent flows, reduced resistive MHD simulations, low resolution simulations of 3D-HD and MHD turbulent flows including rotation & helical forcing and 3D-anelastic HD and MHD code. The research work will be carried on a local HPC cluster as well as HPC cluster in some national labs.

           FACULTY INVOLVED: Prof B Ashok, Prof Shiva Kumar Malapaka.
 

• NETWORKING, COMMUNICATION & SIGNAL PROCESSING (NCSP):     

The Networking, Communication and Signal Processing research domain focuses on all aspects of networking, communications, and signal processing. Transceiver design for 5G and beyond wireless communication systems, coding for low-latency communication (streaming codes), Signal processing for communications, Radar Imaging using synthetic aperture, Realization of mm Wave base station antenna array and beamforming, Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces or Intelligent Reflecting Surfaces: Modeling and Optimization for 6G, Deep Learning / Machine Learning Applications for Wireless Communications.

           FACULTY INVOLVED: Prof Debabrata Das, Prof Jyotsna Bapat, Prof V. Ramasubramanian, Prof Priyanka Das, Prof Amrita Mishra, Prof Prem Singh, Prof Vinod Reddy, Prof Sushree Sangeeta Behera.

• The tuition fee per semester for the scholars who are joining the Doctor of Philosophy or Master of Science by Research programme in the academic year 2024-25 will be as follows:

• The tuition fee is payable till the student completes submission of the thesis. The tuition fee is, however, subject to revision from time to time.
• Alumni contribution and convocation charges will be levied on completion of thesis defense and while submitting no dues as per the rules and regulations in practice at the time of graduation.

Estimate of Hostel and Mess Fees:

• Hostel Accommodation and allied Charges: INR 39,000/- per Semester.
• Mess Charges: INR 28,800/- per Semester.
• Medical Insurance: INR 2,000/- per annum to be paid each year.
• Caution Deposit: INR 19,000/-.

           These rates are subject to revision from time to time.

 Other costs for books and supplies, travel, purchase of a laptop, etc., need to be factored by students depending on their individual circumstances.

• For Full-time Master of Science by Research/ Master of Science (Research) students, stipend of INR 20,000/- per month is available.
• For Full-time Doctor of Philosophy - consolidated stipend of INR 38,500/- per month till the completion of comprehensive exam. INR 43,500/- per month after the completion of comprehensive exam as per Institute policy. Stipend is paid for a period of 5 years.

Applicants to the Doctor of Philosophy program should hold a Master’s degree (or equivalent), as well as have a good academic and, where applicable, technical track record.

As an admission criterion placed for Doctor of Philosophy degree by the University Grants Commission, we require applicants to take either a national entrance examination, as specified by concerned research domains, or a domain-specific entrance examination at IIIT Bangalore before the interview.

Research domain-specific requirements are as follows:

• For applicants to Computer Science, Data Sciences, VLSI, Software Engineering and Networking Communication & Signal Processing, a four-year Bachelor’s degree in engineering (B.E., B.Tech. or equivalent) is required for the Master of Science by Research/ Master of Science (Research) program; and a Master’s degree in engineering (M.E., M.Tech. or equivalent) is required for the Doctor of Philosophy program. Additional specific requirements are as follows.

1. Computer Science and Software Engineering:

• Applicants should have a GATE or GRE score taken in the last five years.
• Candidates with suitable industrial or academic experience and credentials may apply without competitive exam (GATE/GRE) scores, which may be waived. Applicants should clear a written exam conducted online by IIIT Bangalore, covering topics on Data Structures and Algorithms, Discrete Maths, DBMS, Operating Systems, Basic Programming, Computer Architecture and Organization.
• Screening/ shortlisting will be based on the afore-mentioned score and other application details furnished by the applicant, followed by an interview.

2. Data Science:

• Applicants should have taken one of the following examinations:

• GATE examination for Computer Science,
• A 45-minute online written examination conducted by the research domain at IIIT Bangalore exclusively for applicants to Data Sciences.

• For PhD, candidates should have a M.Sc. (Math or Computer Science) or, M.Tech (Computer Science) degree.
• Screening/ shortlisting will be based on the afore-mentioned score and other application details furnished by the applicant, followed by an interview.

3. VLSI and Embedded Systems:

•  Applicants will have to write online written exam, followed by an interview if selected. GATE scores are not mandatory but will be desirable.
• Shortlisting of applicants will be done based on their academic background and other details submitted by the applicants.

4. Networking, Communications & Signal Processing:

             Requirements (PhD):

• Strong background in Computer Networks.
• Strong background in Analog and Digital Communication.
• Basics of Signal Processing.
• Mathematics: Probability Theory, Random Variables, and Statistics.
• Optimization techniques for Applied Wireless and ML.

                 Requirements (MSR):

•  Good background in Computer Networks.
•  Good background in Analog and Digital Communication.
•  Basics of Signal Processing
• Mathematics: Probability Theory, Random Variables, and Statistics

 Four-year Bachelor’s degree in engineering (B.E., B.Tech. or equivalent degree in ECE/CS/IT)    is required for the MSR program, and a Master’s degree in engineering (M.E., M.Tech. or equivalent in ECE/CS/IT/Networking/Communication/Signal Processing) is required for the PhD program. Additional specific requirements are as follows:

• Applicants will have to write online written exam, followed by an interview if selected.
• Applicants with good GATE score will be exempted from the written exam, and will appear directly for an interview.
• Shortlisting of applicants will be done based on their academic background and other details submitted by the applicants.

5. Physics:

       Eligible candidates should have satisfied the following requirements:

• The minimum qualification required is an M.Sc. in Physics, or a Master’s degree (M.E., M.Tech. or equivalent) in related disciplines.
• Candidates who have appeared and qualified in a national entrance test (CSIR-UGC NET, UGC-NET, GATE or JEST examination) may be exempt from taking a written test at IIIT Bangalore. M. Phil candidates can also apply for the Doctor of Philosophy programme.
• Screening/ shortlisting will be based on the scores obtained in the afore-mentioned examinations or online written examination at IIITB, and other application details furnished by the applicant followed by an interview if selected.

6. Mathematics:

• The minimum qualification required is a Master’s degree in engineering (M.Tech., M.E. or equivalent) or a Master’s degree in Mathematics.
• Candidates who have appeared and qualified in one of the two national entrance examinations: CSIR-UGC NET or NBHM may be exempt from the written test at IIIT Bangalore.
• M.Phil candidates can also apply for the Doctor of Philosophy programme.
• Screening/ shortlisting will be based on the scores obtained in the afore-mentioned examinations or online written examination at IIITB, and other application details furnished by the applicant followed by an interview if selected.

7. IT & Society:

• Candidates with a Master’s degree in any of the social sciences are eligible to apply for Master of Science by Research/ Master of Science (Research) and Doctor of Philosophy in the ITS domain.
• In addition, candidates with a four-year Bachelor’s degree in engineering, Sciences, Maths/ Statistics (B.E., B.Tech. or equivalent) can apply for the Master of Science by Research program; and those with a Master’s degree in engineering (M.E., M.Tech. or equivalent) can apply for the Doctor of Philosophy program.
• Candidates are encouraged to provide a valid score in GATE, JRF, NET, GRE, or GMAT along with their applications. Those without such a score may apply as well.
• For some of the topics, work experience in the information technology industry is desirable but not essential.
• Shortlisted candidates will have to take a written examination at IIIT Bangalore when called for interview.
• Strong writing skills essential; prior fieldwork experience useful but not essential.

Important information

One-stop page for program descriptions, program manuals, admissions brochure:

https://www.iiitb.ac.in/courses/master-of-science-by-researchdoctor-of-philosophy

Research admissions website (main website for research admissions, with the call-for-applications):

https://www.iiitb.ac.in/courses/master-of-science-by-researchdoctor-of-philosophy

Research admissions portal (for online registration): http://pravesh.iiitb.net

Research domains: https://www.iiitb.ac.in/courses/master-of-science-by-researchdoctor-of-philosophy

Research admissions e-mail ID (for queries or communication with the Institute on admissions-related matters): research.admissions@iiitb.ac.in

A. On admissions process:

1. How can I submit my application for research degree programs at IIIT-Bangalore?

You have to submit your application online using given admission portal.

2. What is the timeline for the admissions process?

Details can be found in our call-for-applications, which is available at our main website for research admissions. The entire process is from February-May for admissions to Term I (August-December) and October-December for admissions to Term 2(January-May).

3. How do I pay my application fees?

Follow the instructions on the admissions portal.

B. On eligibility criteria:

1. What are the research domains at IIIT-Bangalore?

The research domains at IIIT-B are aligned to the mainstream research done by faculty members at the Institute. The domains form the administrative structure for the research admissions. Faculty members from each domain take ownership in terms of eligibility criteria for admission in their areas of specialization, and they play a major role in selecting the applications categorized under their respective domains. As of January 2017, there are seven research domains at the Institute: Computer Science; Data Sciences; Electronic Systems Design; Information Technology & Society; Mathematics & Basic Sciences; Networking, Communications & Signal Processing; Software Engineering.

2. Do I need GATE score for applying for the research degree programs at IIIT-Bangalore?

Requirement of GATE score depends on the requirement specified by the research domain that aligns with your research interests.

3. Can the eligibility criteria for Computer Science, Software Engineering and Data Sciences can be used interchangeably?

No, the eligibility criteria for Computer Science, Software Engineering and Data Sciences are different, and cannot be used interchangeably.

4. What is the syllabus and format for written examination in the different research domains?

The candidates shortlisted for interview will be notified via email. It will be communicated in that email if the candidate has to take the written examination, in which case, the details of the written examination will be given in the email as well.

5. I have a valid score in a national entrance examination, which is listed as a requirement by the research domain. Will I still need to take the written examination at IIIT-Bangalore?

During our review process, it will be determined if your overall profile matches our criteria for shortlisting. In case you satisfy all the other criteria but fall short on the score, we will invite you to take the written examination. However, this also depends on the logistics of any specific admissions cycle, and will be subjected to the criteria that prevail for the concerned admissions cycle. The requirement for taking the written examination will be specified in our email inviting you for the interview at IIIT-B, if you are shortlisted.

6. I have a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering and extensive work experience. Can I apply for your Doctor of Philosophy program?

We do not consider work experience in lieu of Master’s degree requirement. At this time, our requirement for Master’s degree for Doctor of Philosophy admissions is strict. Nevertheless, we encourage applicants to apply for our Master of Science by Research program and then in case of continued interested, apply for the doctoral program by special admission, as specified in our Master of Science by Research program manual.

7. I have a MCA. Can I apply for your Doctor of Philosophy program?

We do not consider MCA to be equivalent to M.Tech. and hence we will not consider you to be eligible for our Doctor of Philosophy program. Nevertheless, we encourage you to apply for our Master of Science by Research program.

8. Can I enrol for Master of Science by Research program and continue for your doctoral program?

Our program manual for Master of Science by Research specifies the option for special admissions for our Master of Science by Research students to bypass their regular admissions process for our doctoral program. This can be done soon after the student submits his/her Master’s thesis, and while the student is still completing the Master’s program.

C. On research degree programs:

1. Can I register part-time for the research degree programs?

Yes, one can register as a part-time student for our research degree programs.

2. What are the differences between full-time and part-time registrations for the research degree programs?

The type of registration (i.e. part-time or full-time) has no bearing on the requirements of the program, which are the same for all students enrolled in the program. The degree program requirements, i.e. for graduation from the concerned degree program, the fee structure, and the timetable for the lecture-based courses are the same for both full-time and part-time registrations. The flexibility for part-time students lies in using more one-on-one courses with their advisors/thesis supervisors; and also in a lighter semester load (i.e. 8 credits for part-time vs. 16 credits for a full-time student). Our program manuals have the details on semester load.

It is mandatory that part-time students, who are employed at an external organization at any point in their research degree program, obtain appropriate IP clearance and submit a No Objection Certificate from their concerned employers for their academic work at IIIT-B.

3. Are admissions for research programs open under the sponsorship or external registration categories, which are mentioned in your program manuals?                            
At this time, we do not have openings in sponsorship/external registration category currently.

4. Where can I find details about the tuition fees and other fees for the degree programs?

The details can be found in the admissions page in the website.

5. What do I write for SOP and Research preparation while applying?

For SOP - Describe in a short .pdf document your motivation for seeking admission to the IIIT-B research programs. It is important for us to understand your vision and long-term goals that have prompted you to apply.

For Research Preparation - Describe in a short document how you have emotionally and academically prepared yourself for the demanding research programs at IIIT-B. Ideally this must complement your Statement of Purpose and also justify the choice of program / domain / area of research you have indicated.

Click the buttons below for the Master of Science by Research and Doctor of Philosophy Manuals:

MS by Research    Doctor of Philosophy