IIT Goa PhD Admission 2026-27 Autumn Semester

IIT Goa invites online applications for admission to PhD Program for academic year 2026-27 Autumn Semester.

Application Categories for PhD admission

Full-Time or Regular PhD programme

• Teaching Assistantship (TA): Students get fellowship from the institute as per the guidelines by the Ministry of Education.
• TA through Project (TAP): Students get fellowship from the research project and partial support from the institute
• Govt./ Semi Govt. Fellowship Awards such as CSIR-JRF, UGC-JRF, etc.
• Sponsored: A student in this category is sponsored by an R&D organization, academic institution, government organization, or industry for doing research in the institute on a full-time basis. The institute does not provide any assistantship/fellowship to such a student.
• Self-financed: A student in this category works full-time or part-time towards the PhD program. The institute does not provide any assistantship/fellowship to such a student.

Part-Time PhD programme

A student in this category is a professionally employed person (including IIT Goa staff), who pursues the PhD program while continuing the duties of the employment. The institute does not provide any assistance/fellowship to such a student.

• Permanent employees from state or central government universities, colleges, or research institutes and labs
• External – This category refers to a student employed in an R&D organisation/academic institution/industry having adequate research facilities. The research work leading to the PhD degree may be carried out largely in the parent organisation of the candidate under a Local Supervisor from the organisation but with the overall guidance provided by a faculty member (Institute Supervisor) of the AU in which the student is registered.
• Self-sponsored
• Permanent staff of IIT Goa

Areas of Specialisation

Computer Science and Engineering (CSE)

• Institute TA category:
  1. Machine learning, Applied statistics
  2. Cyber Physical Systems
  3. Computing Systems (Hardware and Software) for TinyML and Edge AI; Open Source Electronic Design Automation
  4. Graph Algorithms
  5. Robust Optimization
  6. Game Theory, Mechanism Design, Machine Learning
  7. Theoretical Computer Science

Chemical and Materials Engineering (CME)

• Institute TA category:
  1. Development of Non-Vanadium Redox Flow Batteries for Grid-Scale Renewable Energy Storage
  2. Self-Assembly and Collective Behavior in Soft Matter and Colloidal Systems
  3. Sustainable electrode materials for green energy generation and storage
  4. Nanomaterials for Antibacterial Activity and Cancer Therapy Applications

Chemistry

• Institute TA category: (Candidates must have a valid GATE score for the Institute TA category)
  1. Theoretical Physical Chemistry
  2. Experimental Physical Chemistry
  3. Organic Chemistry and Polymer Chemistry
  4. Inorganic Chemistry
• JRF category:
  1. Theoretical Physical Chemistry
  2. Experimental Physical Chemistry
  3. Organic Chemistry and Polymer Chemistry
  4. Inorganic Chemistry

Humanities and Social Science

• Institute TA category:
  • Economics
    1. Macroeconomics
    2. Experimental Economics
    3. Behavioural Economics
    4. Health Economics
    5. Applied Microeconomics
    6. Financial Economics
  • Language and Literature
    1. Linguistics-Sociolinguistics
    2. Contact Linguistics
    3. Language Policy and Planning
• JRF category:
  • Economics
    1. Financial Economics, Sustainability

Electrical Engineering

• Institute TA category:
  • Communication and Signal Processing
    1. Signal Processing, Inverse Problems, Computational Imaging
    2. Signal Processing for 6G, Audio Signal Processing
  • Power Engineering
    1. Power Electronic Converters and Motor Drives
    2. Electrical Machines and Drives
    3. High Voltage and Plasma Technology
    4. High Voltage, Computational Electromagnetics and Insulation Materials
  • VLSI and Microengineering
    1. Analog/Mixed-Signal Circuits, VLSI Design, Circuits and Systems for Communication
    2. Sensors and Systems, IoT Systems, Semiconductor Devices*
• JRF category:
  • VLSI and Microengineering:
    1. Sensors and Systems, IoT Systems, Semiconductor Devices*
• TAP category:
  • Power Engineering
    1. Electrical Machines and Drives (SRF fellowship from the beginning of the program)
  • VLSI and Microengineering
    1. Sensors and Systems, IoT Systems, Semiconductor Devices*
• Part-time:
  • Communication and Signal Processing
    1. Signal Processing, Inverse Problems, Computational Imaging
  • VLSI and Microengineering
    1. Sensors and Systems, IoT Systems, Semiconductor Devices*
    2. Approximate Computing, Digital System Design *

*Candidates having an MSc in Electronics, Biotechnology, or allied areas with JRF/NET will also be considered for this area.

Mechanical Engineering

• Institute TA category:
  • Solid Mechanics and Design
    1. Architected Composite Materials, Mechanics of Marine Composites, Mechanics of 2D materials.
    2. Impact Mechanics of Composites.
    3. Piezoelectric-based ambient energy harvesting from mechanical/wind-induced vibrations, Structural Vibrations and Dynamical systems, Mechanics of smart materials and structures.
    4. Mechanics of granular materials, Granular systems in space and natural hazards.
    5. Micro-robotics for manipulation of biological cells.
    6. Robotics (Drones, Continuum Robots).
  • Fluid and Thermal Sciences
    1. Computational fluid dynamics, High-performance computing, Porous media flows.
    2. Interfacial Science, Experimental Fluid Dynamics.
    3. Effect of Hydrogen enrichment in particulate emissions, Quantification and reduction of ultrafine particles in ultrapure water, Use of low-cost sensors in monitoring indoor air quality.
    4. Computational combustion & modelling of sustainable fuel, Data-driven modelling of turbulent combustion, Aero-acoustic noise predictions from turbulent flows.
    5. Radiative heat transfer, Biological fluid mechanics.
    6. Experimental combustion for sustainable energy, Carbon-free fuels (metals, hydrogen, biofuels), Emission mitigation technologies, Aerospace propellants and energetic materials.
  • Manufacturing
    1. Advanced finishing process, Robotic milling and soft grinding
• TAP category
  • Manufacturing
    1. Advanced finishing process, Robotic milling and soft grinding.

Mathematics

• Institute TA and JRF category:
  1. Nonlinear Analysis and Theory of Function Spaces
  2. Analytic Number Theory

Physics

• Institute TA category:
  1. Astroparticle Physics and Cosmology
  2. Experimental Quantum Photonics
  3. Quantum Information and Communication Theory
  4. Statistical mechanics at the micrometer scale
  5. Theoretical High Energy Physics
• JRF category:
  1. Astroparticle Physics and Cosmology
  2. Experimental Quantum Photonics
  3. Quantum Information and Communication Theory

Eligibility Criteria

Full-time PhD program

Applicants must have one of the following in appropriate subject areas:

• Master’s Degree in Engineering/Technology or equivalent degree with 60% marks or CPI 6/10 or equivalent. (55% marks or CPI 5.5/10 or equivalent for SC/ST).
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent degree in Engineering/Technology with 70% marks or CPI 7/10 or equivalent. (65% marks or CPI 6.5/10 or equivalent for SC/ST).
• Master’s degree in science, arts, social sciences, or equivalent degree with 60% marks or CPI 6/10 or equivalent. (55% marks or CPI 5.5/10 or equivalent for SC/ST).
• Bachelor’s degree in science with 4-year/8-semester or equivalent degree with 70% marks or CPI 7/10 or equivalent (65% marks or CPI 6.5/10 or equivalent for SC/ST).

Applicants must also fulfill one of the following additional requirements:

• For engineering stream:
  • Qualified GATE in the relevant streams. (Candidates with B.E./B.Tech/B.S./MCA/M.Sc. degree or equivalent relevant degree must have a valid GATE score).
  • Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) of CSIR/ UGC/ NBHM/ DBT/ ICAR/ ICMR/ ICPR Fellowship in the relevant streams.
  • B.Tech/B.S./Dual degree from CFTIs with a minimum CPI/CGPA of 7.5 or equivalent (CPI/CGPA 7/10 or equivalent for SC/ST).
  • Minimum of 2 years of professional experience. (Acquired after obtaining the qualifying degree and completed before the start of the semester in which admission is sought) in the relevant areas. (Applicable to B.Tech/ B.E./ B.S./MCA/M.Sc. qualifying degree candidates).
• For science stream:
  • Qualified GATE/CSIR /UGC-NET/JEST in the relevant streams.
  • Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) of CSIR/ UGC/ NBHM/ DBT/ ICAR/ ICMR/ ICPR Fellowship, etc, in the relevant streams.
  • B.Tech 3 degree in Mathematics and Computing from IIT with a CPI/CGPA of 8.0 or more.
• For humanities and social science stream:
  •  UGC-NET/GATE Qualified in the relevant streams.
  • UGC-NET/JRF Qualified Candidates are encouraged to apply
  • Candidates with a minimum 70% marks or equivalent in their Master’s degree (65% or equivalent for SC/ST) in Economics may also be considered (Non-UGC-NET/GATE Candidates)

Part-time PhD program

Applicants must have ONE of the following in appropriate subject areas:

• Master’s Degree in Science/ Engineering/ Technology or equivalent degree with 60% marks or CPI 6/10 or equivalent. (55% marks or CPI 5.5/10 or equivalent for SC/ST) marks or equivalent and a minimum of two (02) years of work experience at the time of application.
• Bachelor’s degree in Science/Engineering/Technology with 60% marks or CPI 6/10 or equivalent. (55% marks or CPI 5.5/10 or equivalent for SC/ST) or equivalent and a minimum of four (04) years of work experience at the time of application.
• Master’s degree in Science/Engineering/Technology or equivalent degree with 60% marks or CPI 6/10 or equivalent. (55% marks or CPI 5.5/10 or equivalent for SC/ST) or equivalent from IIT/ IISER/ IIIT/ IISc/ NIT and a minimum of one (01) year of work experience at the time of application.
• Bachelor’s degree in Science/Engineering/Technology or equivalent degree with 80% marks or CPI 8/10 or equivalent (75% marks or CPI 7.5/10 or equivalent for SC/ST) or equivalent from IIT/ IISER/ IIIT/ IISc/ NIT and a minimum of one (01) year of work experience at the time of application.

Application Process

Candidates are required to submit the online application at www.iitgoa.ac.in

Please read the instructions carefully before applying.

How to Apply

1. To initiate the new registration process, please click on “New User Registration”.
2. Enter a valid email ID for verification. (Note: Your email ID will be verified only once and can be used for applying to multiple programs.)
3. After successfully verifying your email ID, you may proceed to register for different programs. Kindly submit separate applications for each program.
4. Please log in to the portal using your registered credentials.
5. Candidates are required to accurately complete all sections of the form and save the information.
6. Upload the following documents: recent passport size photograph (maximum 200KB), scanned copy of your signature (maximum 12KB), a comprehensive CV, and relevant mark sheets in accordance with eligibility criteria (Maximum 400KB). Ensure that your CV includes details of projects completed during your bachelor’s and master’s studies, as well as any awards or recognitions received.
7. Provide the necessary payment details. Please be note that the application submission process will not proceed without this information.
8. Carefully enter the payment details, as they cannot be edited after submission (refer to the corresponding section).
9. Once you have filled in all the required details, review your application by clicking “Preview and Submit”. After the final submission, the system will not allow any further edits.
10. Candidates desirous to apply for more than one program should apply for each program separately along with payment of the application fee for each program.

For academic queries, please contact: academic_query@iitgoa.ac.in
For technical issues, please contact: phd_tec_issue@iitgoa.ac.in

• Start date of application (online only): 26 March, 2026
• Last date for submitting an online application form and completing the payment: 3 May, 2026
• Commencement of classes for the Spring Semester: 27 July, 2026

• Brochure
• Application
• IIT Goa Website