How is the Direct PhD program of IIT Madras?
Posted On - Jul 23, 2021If you are considering pursuing a Ph.D. at IIT-M, you might be interested in knowing about the similarities and differences between a regular Ph.D. and a direct Ph.D. Here's what you need to know:
Selection Procedure:
- All Ph.D. candidates, whether applying for a regular or direct Ph.D., have to clear a written exam followed by an interview at the institute.
Coursework:
- A regular Ph.D. scholar has to complete four courses, while a direct Ph.D. candidate has to complete eight courses.
- If you are interested in a dual degree (i.e., MS by research and Ph.D.), you will need to complete two extra courses.
Comprehensive Exam:
- After completing the coursework (usually taking two semesters), every candidate has to undergo a comprehensive exam consisting of a written test and an interview.
- You will have two chances to clear the comprehensive exam.
- If you fail to clear the comprehensive exam, you can still obtain an MS degree and get placed or join the Ph.D. program later.
- The amount and quality of research work by both kinds of Ph.D. candidates are the same.
Financial Assistance:
- A regular Ph.D. candidate is eligible for financial assistance once to attend any international conference outside India.
- A direct Ph.D. candidate is eligible for financial assistance twice to attend an international conference outside India.
- Both regular and direct Ph.D. candidates can attend any national/international conference within India once every semester with full financial assistance.
Stipend:
- The stipend for regular Ph.D. candidates is up to five years.
- The stipend for direct Ph.D. candidates is up to six years.
Pre-Post Doc Fellowship:
- If you submit your degree within 4.5 years for a regular Ph.D. or 5 years for a direct Ph.D., you are eligible for a pre-postdoc fellowship.
You can easily be misguided about this topic; I would try my best to make you more aware in this regard. I will share some points which might help you understand it a bit better.
- The professors allocated for lectures here, especially in the EE department, are extremely active and the best.
- My friend can easily vouch for this since she is a Ph.D. scholar in the EE department from IIT M.
- She enrolled for an M.S. at the institution and later opted for an M.S.+ Ph.D. program in her second year of college.However, the direct Ph.D. program offered by the institute is also excellent.
- You can also opt for an M.S. + Ph.D. candidature with the help of the direct PhD program.
- You can also alternatively apply for the M.S. program as well and then can get it converted to a dual M.S. + PhD program after a year.
- Both of these programs would have a duration of about 5 years (on average) to be completed.
My suggestion for you would be to apply for both the direct Ph.D. and the M.S. programs. If you are interested in studying, I also would suggest that you thoroughly prepare for the interviews for the application process. After the completion of the course, you can go and pursue a postdoctoral program or get recruited for a job of your choice.
