Admission to PhD Program

For detailed information on PhD admission in IIT Kanpur, including information on how to apply online, please visit theadmission site of Dean of Academic Affairs. This page provides brief information relevant to applicants to CSE department.

Highlights of the PhD program

Although the PhD program at IIT Kanpur has always had a strong academic reputation, the terms and conditions of the program were until recently rather unattractive. This has changed in recent years.

The PhD program in Computer Science and Engineering has recently been overhauled. Today, both academically and otherwise, we believe IIT Kanpur offers one of the most attractive PhD programs in India.

• Annual salary has been raised. Students receive at least Rs. 1.8 Lakhs, and normally all of the tuition cost as well as hostel/accommodation cost is covered. This means that this income is unburdened, and in a low-cost living environment like Kanpur, this compares favrourably to salaries of Rs. 4 lakhs or more in the metros.
• Depending on performance, the salary can even be as high as Rs. 2.4 lakhs.
• In addition, outstanding candidates can compete for the Infosys scholarships (two currently available but likely to expand), paying Rs. 2.2 to 2.5 Lakhs with Rs. 1.8 Lakhs as salary component. PhD students in networking can apply for the Lucent Bell Labs fellowship scheme.
• Research related visits abroad are now de rigeur for broadening one's horizons. At IIT Kanpur, such visits are strongly encouraged upto once every two years, for presenting papers or attending short schools at reputed international conferences and universities. This program is sponsored by Microsoft. In addition there are numerous opportunities for working on projects involving foreign collaborators and visitors.
• Students can spend 4-6 months at any university / research institute in the world with all expenses paid. A longer duration visit is also possible.
• Funding for international conference travel is available in plenty.
• Home leave travel is covered every year.
• Admission procedures have been simplified, and the admission process is now conducted throughout the year.

However, the most important reason to join the PhD program at IIT Kanpur remains the quality of the department (it was the first department in India to offer Computer Science as a separate discipline), and its faculty.

Eligibility for Admission

In order to apply for the PhD, you must normally have an MTech/ME in any branch of engineering. An MCA degree is considered equivalent to the BTech/BE degree and is not normally sufficient for admission.

Direct Admission: In certain exceptional cases, where the candidate is one of the toppers in an undergraduate BE/BTech program from a reputed university, he/she may be eligible for direct admission into PhD after BE. Such candidates must have secured 75% in their qualifying examination, and must also have a valid GATE score. Minimally, students in any branch of engineering, or those with MSc in Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics or Statistics may also be considered, but you must demonstrate a strong Computer Science grasp (for example, you may have a high GATE score in CS).

• Some requirements may differ for candidates under QIP (Quality Improvement Program), Defence Personnel, SC/ST, and other sponsored categories. More information is available on the website of the IITK Senate Post-Graduate Committee (SPGC).

Admission Procedure

The application form is available from central admission site, but in case of emergency or other problems, you can also apply with the vita and other details by e-mail or on plain paper.

All applications should be sent to the following address:

Admissions In-Charge (PhD)
Computer Science and Engg. Dept.
Indian Institute of Technology
Kanpur 208016 (UP)

A sponsored applicant is responsible for securing the permission of his employer before applying, or at the very least, by the date of test/interview. No candidate will be considered for admission if the employer's permission is not received by such date, and such applicants are requested to defer their interview/test till the next walk-in date.

Residency requirement

Normally all candidates in our PhD program are required to be resident on campus. Candidates sponsored from reputed research organizations, who are conducting their PhD work co-advised by a reputed guide at their organization, may be eligible to complete their PhD off campus. Only for such sponsored candidates, the minimum residency requirement is one semester, during which they will need to complete the course requiements. However, frequent visits to IIT Kanpur are still normally required.

Currently there is no plan for an off-campus PhD program. Candidates sponsored by organizations in Kanpur may be eligible for a part-time PhD program.

Admissions Process and Timetable

PhD candidates can join at any point during the academic year. The actual process is that once a few applications have been received, a shortlist is prepared and the selected candidates are called for a "walk-in" interview which may include a short test. A permanent Selection Committee has been constituted for admission to the PhD Program of the Department. This Selection Committee will conduct the written test/interview, etc. and recommend candidates for admission.

Admission of INRA (Indian Nationals Residing Abroad)

Such candidates must have been residing abroad continuously for at least one year at the time of applying admission. Their applications may be processed as and when they are received or according to any schedule convenient to the Department. The applications are scrutinized to make sure that, both in terms of qualification and attainment, they are compatible with the students admitted in the general category.

Admission of Foreign Nationals