Ph.D. Programme
IISER Thiruvananthapuram has a vibrant Ph.D. Programme in the areas of Biological Sciences, Chemical Sciences, Mathematical Sciences, Physical Sciences and Interdisciplinary areas. The Institute admitted it’s first batch of doctoral students in August, 2009 and currently has over 150 PhD researchers on its rolls. The Institute hosts modern research facilities that are necessary to conduct scientific research in the 21st Century.
At IISER TVM, Ph.D. Scholars are admitted in 2 sessions each academic year as per the tentative schedule given below.
| Session | 1 (Varsha Semester) | 2 (Vasanth Semester) |
| Session Starts in | August | January |
| Advertisement inviting applications appear during | February-March | September-October |
| Dates for Entrance Test/Interview | May (1st Week) | December(1st Week) |
Admission to the Ph.D. Programme
Candidates aspiring to enroll for the Ph.D. Programme at IISER TVM must satisfy the minimum eligibility criteria for applying, as given below:
- Qualify in at least one of the National Level Eligibility Tests or Fellowships (see School specific details below),
and
- Obtain a minimum of 60% marks (or equivalent) in the Qualifying Degree (Master's Degree or equivalent)
Each School may then use additional criteria to shortlist candidates and invite them to appear for interview and/or written test at IISER TVM. Merely satisfying the minimum eligibility criteria does not automatically entitle a candidate to be called for interview.
National Level Eligibility Tests or Fellowships Acceptable for PhD Admission
School of Biology
| CSIR-UGC-JRF | DBT-JRF(Category 1) | INSPIRE Ph.D. | JGEEBILLS |
| ICMR JRF | GATE(Ecology) | ||
School of Chemistry
| CSIR-UGC-JRF | GATE | INSPIRE Ph.D. |
School of Mathematics
| CSIR-UGC-JRF | GATE | INSPIRE Ph.D. | NBHM-JRF |
School of Physics
| CSIR-UGC-JRF | GATE | INSPIRE Ph.D. | JEST |
Note: Candidates are advised to refer to the relevant Ph.D. Admissions Advertisements? for further details.
Duration
Including the course work, the duration of the Ph.D. Programme is approximately 10 semesters.
Fellowship
The monthly fellowship awarded to the PhD scholars is at par with the CSIR-UGC Junior Research Fellowship.
Fees
For the current fee structure, see the following URL
Doctoral Committee
Upon joining the Ph.D. Programme, each student is assigned a research supervisor(s). A duly constituted doctoral committee (consisting of the research supervisor(s) and two other members of the IISER faculty) monitors the progress of the course/research work of the scholar and will approve the synopsis of the PhD thesis before submission.
Course work and Comprehensive Examination
Students must credit a minimum of four courses, at 300 level or higher, within the first two years of enrolling for the PhD programme. On successful completion of the course work, the CGPA of the credited courses must be 7.0 or higher.
Further, the scholar must take a comprehensive examination in the area of proposed research work.
Teaching Assistantship
A key feature of the Ph.D. Programme at IISER TVM is that students take part in teaching assistant duties as assigned by the respective schools.
Seminars
All Ph.D. students must give at least two seminars on their topic of research.
Guide Book
2024-2025
Hostel Regulations 2022-23
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Code of Conduct
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Contact
Dean (Academics), IISER TVM
Tel: 0471-2778017
Email: phdprogramme[at]iisertvm[dot]ac[dot]in
For regulations applicable to previous years, click here