Indian Institute of Science (IISc) PhD Admission 2026 (Jan)

Applications invited for admission to the Research Programmes at the Indian Institute of Science Bangalore for Mid-Year Admission for the Academic Year 2025-26 (Session starting from January 2026).

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants possessing a minimum of second class or equivalent in the following degrees, as applicable to the individual departments/areas, are eligible to apply:

Sl. No.	Qualifying degree	Qualifying in national entrance tests (Mode of entry)
1	Bachelor’s degree in Engineering/Technology/ 4-year Bachelor of Science	Valid GATE score / NET JRF* is mandatory
2	Master’s degree in Science / Master’s degree in Economics, Geography, Psychology, Management, Commerce, Operations Research, Computer Science/ Application	Valid GATE score / NET JRF is mandatory
3	Master’s degree in Engineering / Technology / Architecture / Agriculture / Pharmacy / Veterinary Sciences	Desirable to have a valid GATE score / NET JRF/GPAT.
4	Graduates of any course with a minimum duration of FOUR years, from any Centrally Funded Technical Institution (including IIITs in PPP mode) with a minimum CGPA of 8 out of 10 or its equivalent.	Desirable to have a valid GATE score / NET JRF.
5	MBBS/MD/MDS/Pharm D	Desirable to have a valid GATE score/NET JRF.
6	B Pharm	Valid GPAT score/ NET JRF is mandatory
7	BDS (Bachelor of Dental Surgery)	Valid NET JRF is mandatory
8	BE/ B.Tech. equivalent examinations of Professional Societies, recognized by MoE/ UPSC/ AICTE (e.g. AMIE by Institutions of Engineers). Note: Candidates enrolled upto 31.05.2013 with professional societies (e.g AMIE) recognized by MoE are only eligible to apply.	Valid GATE score/NET JRF is mandatory
9	Master’s degree in Life Sciences/ Chemical Sciences from IISc with a minimum CGPA of 8.5 or equivalent (for Ph.D. only).	Valid GATE score/NET JRF is mandatory (no minimum cutoff)
10	1 Year M. Engg from IISc	Must have been admitted to the M. Engg. program through GATE.

Notes

• The GATE/ GPAT/ JEST/ NET JRF/other National entrance test passing certificate/ score card should be valid as on 01st January 2026.
• *NET JRF includes –Joint CSIR-UGC NET for JRF; UGC-NET for JRF; DBT JRF; ICMR JRF; JEST; NBHM Research Award; INSPIRE. Applicants must be qualified for Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) to be eligible to apply through NET JRF mode. Candidates who have qualified only for Lectureship (LS)/Assistant Professorship/qualified under Category-2 or Category-3, are not eligible for admission to the Research Programme at IISc.
• Applicants applying through INSPIRE mode must have a valid provisional INSPIRE offer for consideration of their application at level II of the selection, issued by DST at the time of interview.
• Applicants who have qualified in the Joint Graduate Entrance Examination for Biology and Interdisciplinary Life Sciences-2025 (JGEEBILS) are also eligible to apply.
• Candidates who were called for the interview held in May 2025 in any of the above-mentioned departments are also eligible to apply again.

External Registration Programme [Ph.D.]

The External Registration Programme (ERP) is meant for:

• Professionals from R&D Organizations / Industries
• Faculty members from Engineering, Agricultural, Pharmaceutical, Veterinary, Medical Colleges/ Universities, recognized by the appropriate government agencies.

Eligibility

• The educational qualifications remain the same as for the regular candidates. Qualifying in one of the national entrance tests like CSIR-UGC NET for JRF, UGC-NET for JRF, DBT JRF, ICMR JRF, GATE, NBHM is desirable but not mandatory.
• Further, the candidate should have completed two years of full-time employment as on 1st January of the respective Academic year.
• The candidates must be officially sponsored by their employing organizations and compulsorily fill in an online application form and submit the printed version, in duplicate, on or before 04.11.2025.
• For the detailed eligibility criteria, please visit https://iisc.ac.in/admissions/external-registration-programme-ph-d/

Selection Procedure

• Candidates will be shortlisted for the in-person interview based on their performance in the National Entrance Test and/or the qualifying degree as detailed in the above table.
• The selection is based on the performance in the interview (in some of the departments, an aptitude test/preliminary interview will precede the final Interview).
• For External Registration Programme [Ph.D.] Selection procedure: Based on the performance in the in-person interview.

Scholarships

• All the regular PhD students who join the Institute are eligible for scholarship from MHRD / CSIR / UGC/ ICMR / DBT / DST/ AICTE / DAE (NBHM) depending upon their mode of entry.
• Scholarships from many Indian and multinational agencies, and business houses are also available for meritorious students.
• IISc has many merit-based private/donor fellowships that provide enhanced monthly fellowship (upto two times) for course (M.Tech.) and Research {M.Tech. (Research)/Ph.D.} programs of IISc.

How To Apply

Applications for IISc Bangalore PhD Admission are available online. Visit website www.iisc.ac.in → Admissions and register online and fill the application.

• Reservation/concession /relaxations for SC/ST /OBC/EWS/Person with disability (PwD) and Kashmiri-Migrant (KM), Kashmiri Pandits/ Kashmiri Hindu Families (Non-Migrants) living in the Kashmir valley: As per Government of India regulations.
• The minimum class prescribed in the qualifying examination is relaxed to a “Pass Class” for SC/ST candidates.
• Applicant applying under EWS/OBC (as per central list of OBC available at www.ncbc.nic.in) category must ensure that they have valid EWS/OBC-NCL Certificates issued on or after 01st April 2025 (i. e. FY: 2025-26) at the time of interview and admission.

• Website opens for online submission of applications: 3 October, 2025
• Last date for online submission of applications: 27 October, 2025
• Last date for the submission of hard copies of the application and other relevant documents for ERP: 4 November, 2025
• Date of Interview: 17 November, 2025 – 20 November, 2025
• Commencement of session: 1 January, 2026

• Admission Notice
• Application Link
• IISc Bangalore Website