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PHD Engineering or Doctor of Philosophy in Engineering is a 2 to 5 years of course in India. However, it can extend to up to 8 years For part time students depending upon the registered University.
The basic eligibility to pursue this course is to hold a PG degree with at least 50% from a recognizable institution in India under any allied Engineering branch.
Admission to the course is offered by conducting national level or institute level entrance exams, counselling or interviews as mandated by the affiliated university.
Most of the IIT’s like IIT Madras, IIT Delhi, IIT Bombay, IIT Guwahati and IIT Kanpur offer admission strictly after scoring remarkable marks in the entrances. GATE is one of the prime entrance for the admission to this course in India.
Academic records are also taken into account by some prestigious universities like IIT Roorkee, NIT Trichy, and IIT Indore while admitting the candidates.
The cost that any candidate should afford for the PHD Engineering courses spans in the range of INR 30,000 to 4,00,000 excluding the journal publication and experimentations.
Some of the most common subjects taught under this course are: English or Business English Communication; Mathematics; Basic principles of Physics; Principles of Quality Management; Management skills; Applied Science; and Basics of computers and many more.
Tabulated below are some of the top colleges offering PHD Engineering courses in India.
| NIRF Ranking 2020 | College/University Name | Admission Process | Average Annual Fees (INR) | Average Placement Offer (INR) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Indian Institute of Technology Madras- [IITM], Chennai | Entrance-based | 20, 000 | 18 LPA |
| 2 | Indian Institute of Technology Delhi- [IITD], New Delhi | Entrance-based | 35,000 | 17.5 LPA |
| 3 | Indian Institute of Technology Bombay- [IITB], Mumbai | Entrance-based | 73, 000 | 13 LPA |
| 4 | Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur- [IITK], Kanpur | Entrance-based followed by CCMT Counselling | 64,000 | 22 LPA |
| 5 | Indian Institute of Technology - [IIT], Kharagpur | Entrance-based with Interview (Work Experience and Academic Record considered) | 29,000 | 16 LPA |
Highest salary of around 40 LPA could be earned annually by the PHD Engineering holders and the lowest being around 15 Lakhs Per Annum.
PHD Engineering courses give a wide variety of opportunities from sectors like IT sector, E-Commerce, Banking sector, Education Sector, and Automobiles, etc. However, Senior Scientist, Principal Scientist, Data Analyzer, Network Engineer, Professor, Technical Lead, etc. are the common posts that the doctoral holders fancy their chances.
It is to note that these graduates remain on a high demand by the government and private MNCs like DRDO, CSIR, HAL, Microsoft, Google, etc.
| Alert: VITMEE 2020 Application dates have been extended till on June 20, 2020 due to ongoing lockdown of COVID-19. |
After successfully obtaining the degree of PHD Engineering, one can remain involved in research and findings or be a part of Commercialized R&D’s and the teaching sectors.
PHD Engineering Admission Process
Since, this is the top most degree in Engineering discipline, most of the Engineering institutions like IIT New Delhi, IIT Mumbai, etc prefer entrance exams and subsequent counselling/interviews to admit the candidates.
Candidates have to undertake common national level entrance exams like VITMEE or GATE or any institute level exams in order to get admitted into the doctoral course in Engineering.
Normal Entrance-based admission
- IIT Madras, IIT Delhi, IIT Bombay, IIT Guwahati, IIT Kanpur, and IIT Hyderabad conduct the entrance exams and then admit the candidates based on the score of it and counselling.
- These institutions don’t take the academic records into much consideration while admitting the candidates into Doctoral courses in Engineering.
Entrance-based admission with Critical Scrutiny
- Some of the institutions like IIT Kharagpur, IIT Roorkee, NIT Trichy, and IIT Indore conducts interviews and takes the academic records of the candidates applying to the course in addition to the qualifying exam scores and counselling.
- Only 50% to 60 % in PG are not enough for these institutions, but instead they expect around 80% percent or 8.0 CGPA as the minimum criteria for admission into PHD Engineering.
- Thus, the scrutiny of the admission applications will be very critical.
Basic steps to follow for PHD Engineering admission 2020 are as follows:
- Check the whole admission process and make yourself aware completely by accessing the official sites of the admitting institutions.
- Choose your preferred PHD Engineering courses and then check what entrance is required for it.
- Register and login with valid contact number and email ID enabling smoother future correspondences.
- Read the brochure and important dates.
- Apply for the concerned entrance by uploading all the required documents and start your preparation.
- Then, check whether a separate online or offline application for PHD Engineering is needed or not.
- After qualification of entrance exam, the interview, counselling, academic background checks would be followed.
- Results of all rounds will be released.
- After the final shortlisting, pay the required fees and get admitted.
- The course also aided/funded under a variety of funded schemas/fellowships. Hence, the candidates needing the same should be faster.
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PHD Engineering Eligibility
As far as the eligibility is concerned, many institutions have their own eligibility criteria for the selection of candidates into PHD Engineering. Most common eligibility criteria are as follows:
- The candidates should have at least 50 % in allied PG/UG in Engineering from a recognizable institution in India.
- A CGPA of 8.0 or more is desirable by certain premier institutions offering PHD Engineering.
- Prior experience and research contributions are part of the academic records that some institutions verify.
PHD Engineering Entrance exams
Many Engineering institutions prefer entrance -based admissions over merit-based admissions because it is the top professional course in the discipline. Some of the most common entrance exams are listed below.
- GATE 2020: GATE stands for Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering. This entrance exam is being conducted by any of the IITs everywhere for admitting the candidates into many PG and doctoral level courses.
- VITMEE 2020: VITMEE exam is conducted for admission to MCA, M.Tech/M.Tech and Integrated Ph.D programs in VIT.
- ITM NEST 2020: ITM NEST is a common entrance examination for admission to various programs offered by ITM University Gwalior.
| Exam Name | Application Period | Exam Date | Exam Mode |
|---|---|---|---|
| GATE 2020 | September-October 2020 | February 2021 | Online |
| VITMEE 2020 | March 06-June 20, 2020 (Extended) | To be notified later | Online |
| ITM NEST 2020 | January-April, 2021 | April-May, 2022 | Both Modes - Online and Offline |
How do one prepare for the PHD Engineering entrance exams?
Candidates fancying their chances of admission into PHD Engineering courses should be aware of the below mentioned common sections in these entrance exams.
- English Language
- Quantitative aptitude
- Reasoning
- Technical part with reference to the chosen discipline of study.
Points to remember before entrance exams:
- English Language tested might be Business English. Thus, you have to be ready for anything.
- If time in solving the quantitative part could be reduced, the remainder time could be more useful when solving the complex technical part.
- Reasoning skills could be improved by developing analytical skills.
- Revision of important formulas and laws should do the work for the technical part.
- Be confident and alert. Keep yourself with all the notifications related to your exams.
How to get admission in a good PHD Engineering College?
Many candidates might have several questions/queries in them regarding how to get admitted into the good PHD Engineering College. Few points aiding them are discussed below for your reference.
- Check for the PHD Engineering College on the basis of national rankings and ratings.
- Check the corresponding entrance exams to be prepared.
- Prepare a preparation strategy well behind the entrance exams so that all the syllabus for those exams could be covered.
- Prioritize the numerical parts in any entrance exams since that could reduce the time taken for it.
- Do practice many model exams as much as possible so that the syllabus is well-versed that much.
- Download the admission and application brochures to be aware of the desired colleges/universities.
- Periodically check the dates to be remembered for the entrance exams in addition to the admission process.
- Appear and crack the entrance exam with a good score.
- Beware whether the institution prefers the critical admission process or not and cross checks with yours.
- Keep on checking the changes in any dates by the universities in regards to the admission process.
PHD Engineering: What is it About?
To know everything about the course, refer to the mentioned below points:
- After successful completion of PG, the candidates can opt for PHD Engineering based on their previous field of study. The candidates who wish to excel in the domain of engineering research/investigations prefer to choose this level of course.
- The courses are being awarded in a variety of specializations like Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Computer Science Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Energy Engineering, etc.
- The IT sector, Banking, E-Commerce, and many governmental research institutes prefer doctoral degrees in Engineering.
- During the first year, the candidates have to undertake course work on the basis of the available elective subjects.
- Gradually, they have to develop 2 or more novel ideas to publish in the esteemed international journals with the support of observation/experimental evidence.
- According to The Bureau of Labor Statistics, the general duties of these students includes to help scientists and engineers in analyze the results of their experiments and Publish their findings in academic journals
PHD Engineering: Course Highlights
Few of the highlights in Pursuing doctoral in Engineering are as follows:
| Course Name | Ph.D. in Engineering |
| Course Level | Doctoral Degree |
| Full-Form | Ph.D.- Doctorate of Philosophy |
| Duration | 3 to 5 years for regular Ph.D. scholars. For part time, up to 8 years depending upon the registered University. |
| Examination type | Semester wise course |
| Eligibility | Allied Post Graduation |
| Admission Process | Entrance-based (Institute level and national level exams) |
| Course Fee | INR 30,000 to 4,00,000 |
| Average Salary | INR 15 to 40 LPA |
| Top Recruiting Companies | Microsoft, Amazon, Flipkart, HCL technologies, Oracle, Zomato, Uber, etc. |
| Top Recruiting areas | IT sector, E-Commerce, Food Delivery, Banking sector, Education Sector, Automobiles, Data Research, many national governmental arenas, etc. |
| Job Positions | Scientist, Senior Scientist, Principal Scientist, Data Analyzer, Network Engineer, Professor, Technical Lead, etc. |
Why study PHD Engineering?
The underlying reasons behind many candidates getting interested towards Ph.D. course in Engineering are as follow:
- Good Fame and academic excellence: On doing PHD Engineering courses, one gets awarded with the highest degree in that discipline. Many project funding and research activities get smoother with this degree which gives them national fame and recognition.
- Higher Salary: The successful scholars can become the Principal Scientist whose pay will be considerably high because he/she deals with sophisticated data. The average salary of these professionals is INR 15 to 40 LPA.
- Scope for career in Abroad: Many foreign countries like the UK, the USA, etc have better career options for these degree holders. Thus, PHD Engineering is an add-on for those people who want to settle abroad.
- Scope for getting funded: Many funding agencies across the globe prefer PHD Engineering holders to grant the funds against the proposed project/product development.
- Opportunities to collaborate: When pursuing doctoral degrees in the central/premier institutions, it provides the graduated candidates with opportunities to collaborate with the international researchers/publishers towards the development of novel ideas.
Course Comparison
The table drawn below shows a comparison made between PHD Engineering vs PHD Science:
| Parameters | PHD Engineering | PHD Science |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | Main purpose of this course is to provide education, training, and skills towards all the major aspects of advanced engineering with internships and real time practices. | Main purpose of this course is to train the students thoroughly on all the major aspects of advanced science like Cognition, Instruction, and Development concentration. |
| Examination Type | Semester wise regular and part time Course. | Semester wise |
| Average Annual Fees | INR 30,000 to 4,00,000 | INR 20,000 to 2,00,000 |
| Duration | 2 to 3 years for regular Ph.D. scholars. For part time, up to 8 years depending upon the registered University | Maximum of 4 years for part time and 2 years for regular. |
| Eligibility | Allied PG Post Graduation in Engineering | Allied PG Post Graduation in Science. |
| Admission Process | Entrance-based (Institute level and national level exams) | Merit-based or entrance-based. |
| Top Colleges | National Institute of Technology Tiruchirappalli- [NITT], Indian Institute of Technology - [IIT], Chandigarh University, Amity University, SRM Engineering College, etc | Loyola College Chennai, Christ University Bangalore,, Presidency College Chennai, Indian Institute of Technology - [IIT] Kanpur, Birla Institute Of Technology - [BIT Mesra] Ranchi, etc |
| Job Roles | Scientist, Senior Scientist, Principal Scientist, Data Analyst, Risk Analyst, Professor, Technical Lead, etc. | Business Development Manager, Operations Research Analyst, Market Research Analyst, Product Manager, etc. |
| Average Salary | INR 15 to 40 LPA | INR 10 to 20 LPA |
Source: University website and Payscale
PHD Engineering Specializations
Plenty of Specializations are available under PHD Engineering. Some of the most common of them are:
- PhD in Mechanical Engineering: PhD in Mechanical Engineering makes the candidates to be trained with all the bodies under motion and its related properties.
| Average Fees | Around INR 2 Lakhs. |
| Average Salary | Around INR 18 LPA |
| Top PhD in Mechanical Engineering Colleges | |
- PhD in Civil Engineering: The candidates make themselves strong under all the basic and complex principles of construction towards a variety of applications while studying PhD in Civil Engineering .
| Average Fees | Around INR 4 Lakhs. |
| Average Salary | Around INR 13 LPA |
| Top PhD in Civil Engineering Colleges | |
- PhD in Computer Science Engineering: Computing basics and many programmed algorithms are taught under PhD in Computer Science Engineering.
| Average Fees | Around INR 3.5 Lakhs. |
| Average Salary | Around INR 22 LPA (app.) |
| Top PhD in Computer Science Colleges | |
- PhD in Electronics and Communication Engineering: Electronic devices and its principles with references to communication are taught in PhD in Electronics and Communication Engineering.
| Average Fees | Around 5 Lakhs |
| Average Salary | Around 16 LPA (app.) |
| Top PhD in Electronics and Communication Engineering Colleges | |
- PhD in Electrical Engineering: Electrical devices and its wide applications are dealt towards the efficient handling of it with the expertise in PhD in Electrical Engineering .
| Average Fees | Around INR 2 Lakhs. |
| Average Salary | Around INR 18 LPA |
| Top PhD in Electrical Engineering Colleges | |
- PhD in Chemical Engineering: Computing basics and many programmed algorithms are taught under PhD in Chemical Engineering.
| Average Fees | Around INR 4 Lakhs. |
| Average Salary | Around INR 13 LPA (app.) |
| Top PhD in Chemical Engineering Colleges | |
More PHD Engineering Specializations Colleges in India
PHD Engineering Colleges
There are 488 Computer science, 472 Mechanical Engineering, 427 Electronics and Communication Engineering, 361 Civil Engineering, 203 Electrical Engineering, 160 Information Technology Engineering, 160 Electrical and Electronics 108 Chemical Engineering, and many more specialized Engineering based institutions that offer PHD Engineering .
Here, we tabulate and discuss some governmental and private institutions below.
Top Government colleges
| College/University Name | City | Average Annual Fees (INR) | Average Placement (INR) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indian Institute of Technology Madras- [IITM] | Chennai | 20, 000 | 18 LPA |
| Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur- [IITK] | Kanpur | 35,000 | 22 LPA |
| Indian Institute of Technology Delhi- [IITD] | New Delhi | 73, 000 | 17.5 LPA |
| National Institute of Technology Tiruchirappalli- [NITT] | Tiruchirappalli | 59,250 | 13 LPA |
| Indian Institute of Technology - [IIT] | Kharagpur | 29,000 | 16 LPA |
Top Private colleges/universities
| College/University Name | City | Average Annual Fees (INR) | Average Placement (INR) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chandigarh University | Chandigarh | 85,000 | 16 LPA |
| Amity University | Noida | 1,00,000 | 4.5 LPA |
| SRM Engineering College | Kanchipuram | 30,000 | 6 LPA |
| GITAM University | Visakhapatnam | 1,54,00 | - |
| Lovely Professional University | Jalandhar | 95,000 | 10 LPA |
College Comparison
The comparison between some of the top colleges offering PHD Engineering in India are tabulated below.
| Parameters | Indian Institute of Technology Madras- [IITM] | Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur- [IITK] | National Institute of Technology Tiruchirappalli- [NITT] |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | It is a governmental Central University established in 1959. The institute is highly reputed and has been ranked at the first position by the NIRF under the discipline of Engineering and at the 15th position under the discipline of Management. | It is a governmental Autonomous University established in 1959. It offers various UG, PG, Integrated and Research courses in Engineering, Science, Management, and Design | It is a governmental Autonomous University. The National Institute of Technology Trichy is a government autonomous university. It offers 56 specializations under nine specializations: B.Tech, B.Arch, M.Tech, M.Arch, M.Sc, MS (Research), MBA, MCA and PhD. |
| NIRF Ranking 2020 | 1 | 4 | 9 |
| Location | Chennai | Kanpur | Tiruchirappalli |
| Eligibility | Allied PG and | Allied PG and national level entrance qualification (GATE) | Allied PG |
| Admission Process | National level entrance-based. | National level entrance-based (GATE) | Institute level entrance-based |
| Average Fees | INR 20, 000 | INR 35, 000 | INR 64,000 |
| Average Package Offered | INR 18 LPA | INR 22 LPA | INR 13 LPA |
| Top Recruiting companies | Microsoft, Myntra, Intel, Flipkart, ANI technologies, etc. | ICICI Bank, Deloitte, GAIL Limited , Ford, Indiamart, Infosys, etc. | Yahoo, Google, Facebook, TATA, Sony, TVS, HP, Ford, HAL, etc. |
Source: University website and Payscale
PHD Engineering Syllabus
PHD Engineering courses irrespective of either regular or part time courses, its educating syllabus is distributed among 6 semesters. The Scholars taking up the doctoral degree have to publish international arena papers after carrying novel contributions to the research community in India.
This course has a total of 6 semesters with the first two semesters concentrating on pure course works and others on multidisciplinary and same subjects.
The syllabus of PHD Engineering depends on the specializations taken but for instance, let us discuss the semester wise syllabus for PhD in Electrical Engineering is indicated below:
| Semester I | Semester II |
|---|---|
| Applied mathematics I | Applied mathematics II |
| Elements of electrical engineering | English communication |
| Mechanical engineering sciences | Computer aided engineering |
| Applied science | Electronics I |
| Electrical writing lab | Electrical circuit technology |
| Basic computer skills lab | Electrical circuits |
| Applied science lab | Electronics I lab |
| Semester III | Semester IV |
| Electronics II | Power electronics |
| Electrical machines I | Electrical machines II |
| Electrical measurements | Transmission |
| Computer networks | Electrical power generation |
| Computer aided electrical drawing | C programming lab |
| Electronics lab II | Power electronics lab |
| Electrical measurements lab | Electrical machines lab |
| Semester V | Semester VI |
| Switchgear protection | Utilization of electrical energy |
| Electrical workshop | PLC |
| Estimation specification | Basic management skills |
| CASP | Industrial drives |
| Embedded systems | Industrial visit |
| Project work I | Project work II |
PHD Engineering Books
Some of the common books of PHD Engineering are:
| Name of the book | Author |
|---|---|
| Mechanical Engineering Science | John Hannah |
| English communication | Amit Ganguly |
| Applied Science | N N Banavasi |
| Computer Networks | Andrew S. Tanenbaum |
PHD Engineering Job Prospects and Career options
PHD Engineering Degree holders mostly get placed in the education sector, IT sector, and Research institutions.
Candidates pursuing this degree fancy their chances towards getting recruited as the Scientist/Senior level Scientist. They also get exposed to the research community which gives them access to international research collaborations across the globe. Thus, the PHD Engineering Salary ranges from INR 15 to 40 LPA
Governmental organizations like CSIR and DRDO and MNCs like Amazon, Google and many others hire scientists to forecast any market investments/good sector for making investment.
Few of the most feasible PHD Engineering Jobs and its description with salary are:
| Job Profile | Job Description | Average Salary in INR |
|---|---|---|
| Principal Scientist | Leads several scientists under his/her guidance to conduct research and produce their outcomes arising out of it. | 16 PLA |
| Professor | This is the top most role that a teaching staff can serve after completing PhD and after attaining certain eligible academic points. | 10 LPA |
| Technical Lead | He is responsible for the training and guiding the team members with technical knowledge and expertise. | 8 LPA |
| Senior Scientist | Gets involved in developing newer products, taking up funded projects, etc. This role is more common in Bio-Technology Discipline | Around 15 PLA |
| Data Analyst | Data Analysts gathers and analyzes the data targeting the research problems devised by the technical lead. | Around 9 LPA |
| Risk Analyst | He/She is given the role of forecasting any chances of losses in a firm to prevent its market deflation. | Around 12 LPA |
Source: Payscale
PHD Engineering Scope
It takes a lot to reach a level to pursue PHD Engineering courses, as it is considered one of the supreme degrees of this domain. However, below mentioned are some of the PHD Engineering Scopes:
- Multi-disciplinary applications: In the recent ages, many researches carried out are multi-disciplinary. Thus, the collaboration with other disciplined personnel is a must to get your research fulfilled and completed. This gives a better research score in google scholar for publishing with famous authors.
- Benefits due to the age of optimization: Optimizations are required in almost everything that we use these days. So, scope for PHD Engineering research and development never shortens.
- Research and findings: Due to the skills and expertise gained through PHD Engineering, many novel ideas and products could be developed with the aid of fund grants from the variety of funding agencies available across the globe. Also, many international collaborations could be made with many international authors for making their dream research or project true towards any novel idea.
- Commercialized R&D: Many opportunities are open for the PHD Engineering degree holders because many top industries and governmental institutions prefer to invest in the arena of R&D towards betterment of the society.
- Teaching sector: Many engineering universities make Ph.D. to be mandatory for every professor in the institution. Thus, it opens yet another job opportunity for the Scholars completing their PHD Engineering. It's a matter of respect to be a professor of an engineering institution.
- Lead scientist: Good exposure to industries after completing their doctoral degree in Engineering, the candidates have more chances to get placed as Principal scientist and Senior Research Scientist. These are the top jobs available for the doctoral holders in the research arena.
Huge industrial exposure and expertise could be gained after completing your Doctoral in Engineering. Many funded projects and research activities could be done under research Fellowship for postdoctoral schemes available in India.
PHD Engineering: FAQs
Ques. What does a PHD Engineering stand for?
Ans. PHD Engineering stands for Doctorate of Philosophy in Engineering disciplined courses.
Ques. What are the common specializations in PHD Engineering?
Ans. Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science Engineering, Civil Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Bio-informatics Engineering, etc. are the common specializations in PHD Engineering
Ques. Which institute is the best for taking up a PHD Engineering?
Ans. IIT Madras situated in the Chennai, capital city of State Tamil Nadu is the top institute offering PHD Engineering.
Ques. Which are the top paying specializations coming under PHD Engineering?
Ans. Doing Ph.D. in Computer Science and Bioinformatics gives you the top pay than other specializations.
Ques. What is the significance of taking PHD Engineering courses in India?
Ans. The significance of taking a PHD Engineering course in India is that it gives extensive knowledge and skills in undertaking numerous out-of-the-box Research findings.
Ques. What are the common dual degrees courses offering a Ph.D. in India?
Ans. M.S.+ Ph.D., MCP + Ph.D., M.Tech.. +Ph.D., M.Sc-Ph.D. are the common dual degrees courses offering Ph.D. in India.
Ques. Why does PHD Engineering interest keep on increasing?
Ans. Interest towards PHD Engineering degrees keeps on increasing because national level developments could only be possible if the research activities are in progress obviously.
Ques. Whether PHD Engineering admission got affected because of the Corona Pandemic?
Ans. PHD Engineering admissions didn’t get affected because of Corona Pandemic since many institutions have conducted their entrance exams well before April 2020.
Ques. What are the common entrance exams for PHD Engineering?
Ans. GATE and ITM NEST are some of the common entrance exams conducted for PHD Engineering admissions in India.
