IIM Kozhikode PhD Admission 2026-27

Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode (IIM Kozhikode) invites applications for PhD admission 2026-27.

Eligibility Criteria

Minimum Educational Qualifications

Degree Type / Description	DPM	DPM (Teaching Track)	DPM (Practice Track)
Post-graduate degree or equivalent in any discipline (including M.A., M.Com., M.E., M.Phil., M.Sc., M.Tech., MBA, MCA, etc.)	60%	60%	55%
Professional qualification (CA/CMA(ICWA)/CS/equivalent) with a Bachelor’s degree	60% in graduation	60% in graduation	50% in graduation
4-year / 8-semester Bachelor’s degree in any discipline	75%	75%	60%

Applicants in the final year of their qualifying degree may apply only to the DPM. Applicants with CA/CMA(ICWA)/CS/equivalent shall have fully completed the qualification at the time of application. Applicants who are provisionally selected under the DPM shall submit a certificate issued by the Principal, Head of Department, Registrar, or Director of their University/Institute confirming that they have appeared for all examinations (including practical examinations, if any) required for completing the minimum qualifications as per Table A. Final admission shall be contingent upon submission of the mark sheets and the certificate of having passed the qualifying degree on or before 31 December 2026. Failure to meet this requirement shall automatically result in: (a) cancellation of the provisional admission; and (b) recovery of the full fellowship disbursed up to that point.

When both undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications are available, the higher of the two performances shall be considered for determining minimum eligibility. The percentage of marks obtained shall be calculated as per the rules of the respective University or Institute. Where grades or CGPA are awarded, the conversion to percentage shall follow the procedure certified by the respective University or Institute. If the University or Institute certifies that no conversion scheme exists, the percentage shall be calculated by dividing the applicant’s CGPA by the maximum possible CGPA and multiplying the result by 100.

Applicants belonging to SC/ST/PwD/NC-OBC/EWS categories shall be eligible for a relaxation of 5% (or equivalent) in the prescribed minimum eligibility marks.

Qualifying Test Score Requirement

Applicants to the DPM (Teaching Track) and the DPM (Practice Track) shall not require any valid qualifying test score. Applicants to the DPM must have a valid test score, not older than three years (except for those who opt for the IIMB Test) as on the application closing date, in any one of the approved tests corresponding to their chosen Area of Specialization –

Area of Specialization	Accepted Tests
DSOM	CAT, GATE, GMAT, GRE, IIMB Test, UGC-NET
ECON	CAT, GATE, GMAT, GRE, IIMB Test, UGC-NET
FAC	CAT, GATE, GMAT, GRE, IIMB Test, UGC-JRF (in Management, Economics, or Commerce only)
HLAM	CAT, GATE, GMAT, GRE, IIMB Test, UGC-NET (preferably in but not restricted to English, Linguistics, Law, Political Science, Psychology, Public Administration, Social Work, Sociology, or Comparative Literature)
IS	CAT, GATE, GMAT, GRE, IIMB Test, UGC-NET, Other Tests
MM	CAT, GATE, GMAT, GRE, IIMB Test, UGC-NET
OBHR	CAT, GMAT, GRE, IIMB Test, UGC-JRF
SM	CAT, GMAT, GRE, IIMB Test, UGC-JRF

Notes

• The UGC-NET qualification shall include all three result categories:
  1. JRF & Assistant Professor
  2. Assistant Professor only
  3. PhD admission only
• GRE (at Home) and GMAT (Online) scores shall not be accepted.
• For the IS Area, “Other Tests” refers to any national-level or institution-specific test recognized for admission to a doctoral programme.

Applicants intending to rely on the IIMB Test score for their doctoral programme application to IIM Kozhikode shall be required to submit their application on or before 23 January 2026, in view of the IIMB Test being scheduled on 01 February 2026. The IIMB Test is administered independently by IIM Bangalore, and applicants shall be required to register directly for the test through the IIM Bangalore website. Further details regarding the test are available at the following link: https://www.iimb.ac.in/node/11966.

Applicants holding a PGDM (full-time two-year programme) or MBA degree from any of the IIMs, or an Executive PGDM/MBA degree from IIM Kozhikode, shall be exempted from the qualifying tests listed in Table B. However, such applicants shall be required to have obtained a minimum overall CGPA of 2.67/4.33, or an equivalent of at least a B- (B minus) grade, in the respective qualifying programme.

Work Experience Requirement

• DPM
  • No work experience requirement.
• DPM (Teaching Track)
  • Applicants shall possess a minimum of three years of full-time experience after graduation in teaching, training, research, or other equivalent knowledge-oriented roles at recognised higher-education, research, corporate, or professional institutions as on 30 November 2025.
  • Combinations of such experience (e.g., teaching with research, training with academic engagement) that cumulatively amount to three years shall also be considered.
• DPM (Practice Track)
  • Applicants shall possess a minimum of eight years of full-time work experience after graduation as on 30 November 2025.
  • Additional requirement for the SM Area: Applicants shall possess a minimum of fifteen years of full-time work experience after graduation as on 30 November 2025. Experience of heading a business unit, company, or large department/division/unit shall be preferred.
  • Academic work experience (such as teaching, teaching assistance, tutoring, or similar roles) shall not be considered for calculating total experience.

Application Process

• Applications shall be submitted only through the online portal/link specified in the official admission notification issued by IIM Kozhikode.
• An applicant may apply to one or more of the three doctoral programmes within a single application. However, the applicant shall select only one Area of Specialization, and this selected Area shall apply uniformly to all programme choices.
• A non-refundable application fee shall be payable online at the time of submission.

• Application opening: 24 November, 2025
• Application closing: 23 January, 2026
• Shortlisting and other processes: 6 February, 2026 to 28 March, 2026

• Notification
• Application
• IIM Kozhikode Website