phd in iisc bangalore

ACADEMICS Integrated Ph.D Programme

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Interdisciplinary Mathematical Sciences PhD Programme

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This page provides information on the admission process for the Interdisciplinary Mathematical Sciences PhD Program. It describes the two streams:

• Mathematical and Computational Biology
• Mathematical and Computational Engineering

It also lists the research projects which are accepting students this year.

Research Streams

Research activities under the Mathematical Sciences PhD Program are broadly categorized into two streams: Mathematical and Computational Biology and Mathematical and Computational Engineering with admission interviews conducted separately for each stream. Research labs are placed in one of these two streams.

A. Mathematical and Computational Biology Stream

The interdisciplinary Mathematical Sciences PhD program includes a biology stream which comprises mathematical and computational biology. On-going research projects include, but are not limited to, Bioinformatics; System Biology; Computational Neuroscience; Computational Biophysics; Computational Biology; Evolutionary Biology; Theoretical Biology; Viral Dynamics; Constrained Biomolecular Dynamics; Mathematical Immunology; Network Biology; Biomolecular 3-D structures and design; Evolution of biological systems. Some of the projects may include laboratory component as well.

We are open to admitting students from various backgrounds into our biology stream. In the past, many students with a degree in a branch of biological sciences (Biotechnology, Biochemistry, Bioinformatics, Systems biology etc) have joined this program. Biology background students with inclination towards fundamental mathematics/computing are particularly attractive to us. We also admit students with background in mathematics/physics/chemistry with good inclination towards a branch of biology.

B. Mathematical and Computational Engineering Stream

The interdisciplinary Mathematical Sciences Ph.D. program trains students in mathematical and computational models and algorithms in collaboration with domain experts. This program trains students in the broad areas of mathematical modeling, scientific computing as well as computational mathematics. This program aims at advancing the computational approaches for solving engineering problems that have mathematical flavour. Current students of the program work on interdisciplinary problems like medical image reconstruction, control system theory, numerical solution for differential equations, compressive sensing, reconfigurable computing, as well as visualization methods.

Students with a Masters background in Mathematics and Physics; Bachelors and Masters students in Engineering/Technology with strong mathematical background have been admitted earlier.

Interview Process

Students shortlisted for interviews will be given an information form that they need to submit on arrival. On this form, they will need to choose the research projects they are interested in. If all the projects chosen belong to a single stream, that student will be interviewed by an interview committee constituted for that stream.

If a student selects projects from both streams, he/she will be interviewed by both interview committees. Students will be interviewed on the basics of their area of specialization.

List of Research Projects Accepting PhD Students in 2023-24

• Semiconductor Quantum heterostructures
• Optoelectronic materials and devices
• Multifunctional oxide thin films and Devices
• Energy Materials (Fuel cells, solar cells, Li-ion battery)
• Materials for MEMS and NEMS applications
• Flexible electronics (Organic and hybrids)
• 2D electronic materials

Inorganic and Physical Chemistry

Indian institute of science, bangalore.

2022-23 PhD Admissions

The IPC department is participating in the PhD admissions for the 2022-23 academic year. The deadline for applications is 22 nd March 2022 . Further details may be found here: IISc's main admission site . Also consult the page on important dates .

Information on Admission to the Regular and Integrated PhD Programmes

This page provides quick information regarding admission to the PhD programmes at IPC department and is meant to supplement the information given in IISc's main admission site . The important dates are given here .

NOTE: All applications must be submitted only through the portal at IISc's admission site (link above).

Regular PhD and Integrated PhD programmes

The IPC department accepts students into two PhD programmes, viz. regular and integrated PhD programmes.

The Regular PhD programme is a post-Master's degree programme, and has a typical duration of 5 years. Once the admitted students join a research group, they begin their work under the guidance of their research advisor. They also undergo several courses as part of their research training programme.

The Integrated PhD programme is a post-Bachelor's degree programme, and has a typical duration of 6 years. Students are admitted into the Division of Chemical Sciences. For the first two years, the students take Master's level courses, with a project in fourth semester. By the start of the third semester, the students join a research group either in IPC or in another Chemistry department.

Research Fields

Required qualifications.

Master's degree in Science with Second Class or higher in any discipline.

       OR

Master's degree in Engineering with Second Class or higher in one of the following disciplines: Chemical Engg., Materials Engg., Biomaterials Engg., Biotechnology or Nanotechnology.

Note : The Second Class requirement applies to candidates in the General / OBC category. It is relaxed to Pass Class for SC / ST candidates.

• List of valid examinations: Valid GATE (Chemistry), Joint CSIR-UGC NET for JRF, CSIR NET for JRF, JEST (Physics) qualification certificate, valid INSPIRE Fellowship.

Bachelor of Science in Chemistry

Application, Interview, and Selection Process

Candidates must submit their application only via the online form at the main IISc admission's website. See the top of this webpage for the link to the site.

At the time of the application, the candidate must choose to apply to the IPC department. Two other departments in IISc may also be given as a choice.

Candidates will be invited to an interview in the IPC department based on a cut-off mark/rank in the qualifying examination. See the Required Qualifications section of this page for the list of examinations.

The interview is mandatory . Candidates who do not attend the interview automatically forfeit their chance for admission.

The interviews for August term admissions typically take place between mid May or early June. Interviews for the January term (mid-year) admissions, if conducted, typically take place in the second half of November.

Candidates will be invited to an interview based on their JAM rank. This will be independent of the automatic preference-based allotment process followed by the JAM on behalf of participating institutes.

The interviews are usually conducted around the second half of May.

Offer of Admission

Contact regarding admissions.

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Why do a Ph.D. at CDS?

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CDS offers course and research-based degree programs . The course program is M.Tech. (Computational and Data Sciences) , and the research programs are M.Tech. (Research) and Ph.D. . The Ph.D. program at CDS is the flagship program of the department, and it is these doctoral programs that have helped IISc secure the rank as top university and top academic institution in India. As a result, it is the Ph.D. students at IISc who gain the most from our leading rank and reputation, and also contribute the most to the success of the Institute.

The Institute and the department strongly encourage applicants to join the Ph.D. program if they have the enthusiasm for research and advancing technology. However, many of the applicants to CDS are new to research, and you may be wondering “Is a Ph.D. right for me?” . This FAQ will try to address some of the misconceptions of a Ph.D., and offer our view on what it takes to do a Ph.D. at the CDS department of IISc, and how you can benefit from it.

• A research program gives the opportunity to develop advanced skills in a focused area, and make a tangible intellectual contribution. It is about depth rather than breadth .
• The research programs at CDS have much fewer course credit requirements , e.g., 12 credits for M.Tech.(Research) and 24 credits for Ph.D. as part of the Research Training Program (RTP) , compared to 40 credits for M.Tech.(CDS) course degree. The set of RTP courses are completely flexible and decided by the student and their advisor. This allows you to take courses that train you in your research area, and gives more time to do guided research.
• A research program also gives you flexibility in the topic that you wish to conduct research on, even if you are new to it as long as you are passionate about it. There is less time-pressure and you get the chance to pick up the necessary skills and make a sustained impact.
• Students in a research program work closely with an advisor right from the start of their program and get to interact and collaborate with other students in the research lab. This offers additional mentorship from peers, and a strong research support network. The students get to use all facilities of that lab, in addition to the facilities of the department.
• Lastly, the career options once you complete a research degree are much broader and international in nature. You will also get a higher quality and payscale job compared to someone with just a course-based degree.
• That is perfectly fine. We have many students who join without prior research experience. Even those who have conducted research earlier may not have worked at a top institution like IISc, and will need to be retrained. The courses taken as part of the research training program in the first 2 semesters, along with the research experience gained in the lab and advisor you work, with will prepare you for research.
• At the same time, you should already be strong in your undergraduate courses and fundamental concepts . During the admissions process, we will test your level of preparation in your undergraduate subjects and your ability to apply those concepts. Prior research experience is not required.
• I heard a Ph.D. takes 5, 6, 7, 8+ years to complete. I don’t want to commit that long!
• That is not true. IISc has firm guidelines on how long a Ph.D. degree can take, and students MUST complete their doctoral studies latest by 6 years. At the CDS department, the average time to graduate with a Ph.D. is less than 5 years .
• Research programs offer students the flexibility to accelerate their graduation time if they perform well, and have made a mark in their research topic. This is up to the student and their advisor, and a motivated student can finish rapidly. In fact, in some research areas, the longer you take, the less interesting that topic becomes since technology is fast-changing.
• Not particularly. In both Masters and Ph.D. research programs, you first get research training in an area, then identify a suitable dissertation topic, and finally work on that topic for the rest of your degree. The key difference between the Masters and Ph.D. programs is that a doctoral student can select a topic that is more interesting and impactful since they can spend more time doing research. The more in-depth a student works on a research problem, the more meaningful the outcomes and better the future prospects.
• In fact, one can consider the 2-3 years spent in the M.Tech. (Research) program to be the preliminary part of doing a Ph.D. It takes just 1-2 years longer than a Masters student for a Ph.D. student to complete — this maximizes your academic investment! It is a big bonus compared to doing a Masters first and then separately a Ph.D., which can take 7+ total years.
• What if I realize that I am not cut-out for research after I start my Ph.D. program?
• This is a reasonable concern since the true meaning of research will be evident only after you start your research. We understand this and offer a chance for doctoral students who feel that a Ph.D. is not right for them to exit with a M.Tech.(Research) degree, once they fulfil the Masters’ degree requirement. This is a decision taken in consultation with the student, advisor, department, and the Institute. Nothing in the degree or transcript will state that the student transitioned from a Ph.D. This way, there is no impact on future academic or career prospects, and the risk is limited.
• Since IISc is the top research university in India, all departments including CDS place an emphasis on admitting Ph.D. research students . In fact, 65% of all students at IISc are in the Ph.D. program. Given a pool of applicants in an admissions cycle, priority will be given to Ph.D. applicants, and M.Tech. (Research) students will only be considered subsequently in the merit list. So if there are more high quality applicants to the Ph.D. program, then there will likely be fewer seats for Masters’ students. So we encourage students to consider the information provided in this FAQ and apply for the Ph.D. program.
• At the same time, good students with exemplary performance in the admissions interview always stand a fair chance of being considered for the Masters if they have applied only for it.
• In fact, only a small fraction of students who graduate with a Ph.D. end up joining becoming a faculty, and the global career options are plenty.
• A majority actually join the industry , and at a much higher pay scale than their Masters’ degree colleagues. There are also industry jobs that require a Ph.D. degree, and research labs like Microsoft Research and IBM Research hire only doctoral graduates. The career advancement is also much faster. Since many low-tech jobs in the industry are being replaced by Artificial Intelligence, the job prospects for doctoral scholars are going to be much higher as they bring in higher order thinking and skills that cannot be automated. The quality of the work that is done in such research positions is also more interesting and cutting-edge, compared to basic coding and product development for students without a Ph.D.
• Many Ph.D. graduates also go on to start startups based on their research (e.g., Google was started based on Brin and Page’s doctoral topics, even though they dropped out). A doctoral degree trains a student to become independent and focused contributors, and to innovate on a daily basis. This is the essence of entrepreneurship. IISc also offers training on incubation and translation, and the department offers training on writing funding proposals. That’s why many startups and venture capitals, including Flipkart, Accel and Airwoot, hire Ph.D.’s or are led by them.
• D. graduates also have the option of joining universities and government labs as scientists and postdocs . These allow you to conduct research as part of a team on projects of national and international importance, but do not expect you to teach courses or advise students.
• Lastly, if you realize that you enjoy academic research and do wish to become a faculty at top universities worldwide, a Ph.D. is a requirement. Once you join IISc, you will realize that faculty labs are more like a high-energy startups rather than a cushy government job 🙂 And a Ph.D. from IISc is the best you can get in India to prepare you for a faculty position!
• I am interested in working/studying abroad after my studies at IISc. Does a Ph.D. from IISc help?
• Indeed, and this is common. IISc is the top university in India according to national and global rankings ( QS , THE ). We are also rank No. 8 in the world for small universities, which means more personalized attention to students. While IITs are well known for their B.Tech. Graduates, IISc is internationally famous for our Ph.D.s! Many of our graduates join top multinationals in India and abroad, in addition to postdoc positions at universities across the world for further training. In fact, one of the perks of doing a Ph.D. at IISc is the chance to attend international conferences several times and establish a network of global colleagues. This and your advisors’ contacts can help you secure a position at prime institutions worldwide.
• At the same time, if you do wish to return and work in India long term, you can always use your IISc Ph.D. to get placed at top postdoc positions or industry labs internationally, and return back to India when you are comfortable. Most faculty at IISc have international doctorates, post-doctorate and/or industry experience, and can advise you on this.
• IISc currently offers all Ph.D. students a scholarship of Rs.25,000/month for the first 2 years, and Rs.28,000/month for the next 3 years. This is periodically revised by the Government of India. All students are also provided on-campus hostel accommodation and mess facilities. The hostel and tuition fees are nominal. Students also have access to the Gymkhana sports facilities, various campus cultural and recreational groups, and a clean-green environment in the heart of the Bangalore city that is just a short ride from top restaurants and malls. All of this means you have more than Rs.15,000/month for your expenses , which is generous. In fact, this is not too different from an entry-level industry position once you deduct the housing costs and other expenses in a modern city like Bangalore!
• In additional, Ph.D. students can also apply to prestigious fellowships from the Government of India, and industries from India and globally. These are open only to doctoral students. At the top end, the Prime Minister’s Fellowship provides students with up to 8.7 lakhs per year , while the Visvesvaraya fellowship for Electronics and IT offers Rs.35,000/month . TCS, Google, IBM Research and Facebook also have global fellowship programs for PhD students, with up to US$3000/month given as fellowship. Given that you are a student at IISc, your chances of securing such a fellowship is much better than any other university in India!
• Yes and yes!
• The essence of research is to take a fresh perspective on existing problems, or identify novel problems that can be solved. So this requires a diversity of views when approaching the research area. Globally, there is a growing recognition of the importance of gender diversity in research and academia, particularly in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) areas, to help solve hard research problems . As a result, there are specific programs to improve the enrolment of female students and employees in universities and industry. Special scholarships such as the Google Women Techmakers fellowship are available, and the Indian government also has programs from the Department of Science and Technology to support Women Scientists.
• IISc and CDS value diversity. About 25% of students at IISc are female and we hope to increase this number of the coming years. We make all possible arrangements to accommodate specific needs of individual students to ensure their academic success and a productive career. IISc also has the Women in Science, Engineering and Research (WiSER) group that offer a supportive network of female students, faculty and industrialists to address specific concerns. Prof. Rohini Godbole from IISc has even compiled a book on the leading women scientists of India, Lilavati’s Daughters , to serve as role models. A research career also offers flexible timings rather than a 9AM-5PM corporate job, and this can help with work-life balance as well.

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Department of Mathematics

Indian institute of science, the ph.d. programme.

See also: The Integrated Ph.D.Degree_Programme

The Department of Mathematics offers excellent opportunities for research in both pure and applied mathematics. Visit the Research Areas page to get a sense of the research interests of the faculty in the department. The written test conducted by IISc for entrance to the Ph.D. programme has been discontinued as of 2013. Students will be selected through the examinations listed below, followed by an interview at IISc.

Eligibility

Minimum second-class or equivalent grade in the qualifying examination/degree (which is relaxed to a “pass class” for SC/ST candidates). See below for degrees that qualify.

Master’s degree in the Mathematical or Physical Sciences, or B.E./B.Tech. (or equivalent degree) in an appropriate field of Engineering or Technology.

The candidate should also have passed one of the following entrance tests: CSIR-UGC NET for JRF, or UGC-NET for JRF, or GATE (all of these to be valid as of August 1, 2018), or the NBHM 2018 Screening Test; or must hold an INSPIRE Ph.D. fellowship.

Concerning candidates who have passed one of the above examinations: only eligible candidates who have been short-listed on the basis of their scores in one of the above examinations will be called for the interview. Note: the short-list for NBHM 2018 will be based only on the NBHM 2018 screening test. Selection to the Ph.D. programme will be based on performance in the interview.

Candidates who are yet to complete their examinations for the eligible degree and expect to complete all the requirements for their degree (including all examinations, project dissertations, viva voce, etc.) before July 31, 2018, are eligible to apply.

How to Apply

Please visit the IISc admissions page for information and instructions on how to access the online admission portal.

Students admitted to the Ph.D. programme need to take a minimum of 12 credits to complete the course requirement. Each course carries 3 credits. (View the webpage Courses for more information.)

Employment Opportunities after Ph.D.

Visit the webpage Careers in Mathematics .

Other relevant material

Nbhm ph.d. screening test: past question papers & answer keys.

June 2005: Question Paper , Answer Key

February 2006: Question Paper , Answer Key

January 2007: Question Paper , Answer Key

February 2008: Question Paper ,

January 2009: Question Paper , Answer Key

January 2010: Question Paper , Answer Key

January 2011: Question Paper

January 2012: Question Paper

January 2013: Question Paper , Answer Key