PhD at School of Arts and Sciences: Admission & Eligibility

Eligibility

The candidate must have passed the Master’s degree examination in Arts, Sciences (Physics/Maths/Life Sciences as per programme requirement) with a minimum of 55% marks or an equivalent grade in a point scale where the grading system is followed.

There is a provision for candidates to enrol for the doctoral programme after a four year Bachelor’s degree provided the candidate has passed the Bachelor’s degree examination with at least seventy five percent marks or an equivalent grade in a point scale where the grading system is followed. Such students will be admitted to the PhD programme first as predoctoral candidates, and only upon completion of the requirements will they be treated as doctoral candidates.

Candidates can also register for a part-time doctoral programme. However, the course requirements will remain the same as for full-time students. There is no provision for online classes for doctoral candidates, and the course credits will have to be completed by attending the classes in person.

Admission Process

Fill out the application form here
Attach the required documents
Confirm your application details
Pay INR 500/- as application fee via Debit card/ Credit card/ Net Banking

Selection Matrix

All the shortlisted candidates will have to appear for the written test and interviews. The shortlisting will also be based on the merit of the application material received. The School reserves the right to alter the eligibility requirements, selection criteria, and course specifications as and when required. After that, the admission offers are made to the selected candidates.

Fees and Financial Aid

Ahmedabad University awards full tuition fee waiver and financial support to full-time doctoral students. The financial support could be in the form of a University Assistantship or University Fellowship or from sponsored projects. We offer University Assistantships at INR 40,000 per month plus tuition fee waiver and University Fellowships at INR 50,000 per month plus tuition fee waiver.

Fellowship is available for five years based on satisfactory performance.

The Tuition Fee for part-time doctoral students of Physics, Mathematical and Computational Sciences, and Interdisciplinary Humanities and Social Sciences is INR 24,000 per semester, and for part-time doctoral students of Biological and Life Sciences is INR 31,500 per semester.

Biological and Life Sciences, Physics, Mathematical and Computational Sciences

2026

February, 2026

Application Opens

April, 2026

Application Closes

May, 2026

Announcement of Decision

VIEW SCHEDULE FOR
TEST AND INTERVIEWS

Interdisciplinary Humanities and Social Sciences

2026

February, 2026

Applications Opens

March, 2026

Application Closes

March, 2026

Written Test

March, 2026

Interviews

April, 2026

Announcement of Decision

Selection Process

The candidates will be shortlisted based on the eligibility criteria mentioned above. Applications not meeting the eligibility criteria and/or incomplete applications will be summarily rejected. Please note that all the candidates meeting the minimum eligibility criteria may NOT be shortlisted.

Interdisciplinary Humanities and Social Sciences

Candidates should clearly indicate the thematic area of their research in the application drop-down menu, to help determine whether they fit the research profile of the programme.
Based on the information submitted through the application portal, candidates will be shortlisted for a written exam. Those who are successful in the written exam will be selected for an interview.
Shortlisted candidates who have successfully passed the UGC-NET (JRF) exam will directly appear for the interview.
The written exam will be one hour long and will involve writing a short original reflection (800-1000 words) in response to a prompt on a general theme or issue. There is no specific syllabus or list of topics to be covered. It will be administered via Google form. All written responses will be checked for plagiarism, and anyone found to have plagiarised will be automatically disqualified from the selection process.

Mathematical and Computational Sciences

Students will be shortlisted for interviews based on their qualifications and performance in national-level or standardized tests (CSIR-UGC, NBHM, DBT, DST-INSPIRE, JEST, GATE, GRE Subject Test). Mere qualification does not guarantee shortlisting; only candidates in the top percentile, as determined by the selection committee, will be called for interviews.

Biological and Life Sciences

Shortlisted candidates will be called for a written test, and those qualifying will be requested to appear for an interview.
Candidates with national level fellowships/certificates such as UGC-NET(JRF) /CSIR/ICMR/DBT/DST INSPIRE/ (with 90 percentile or above in GATE/JEST) will be exempted from the written test and be required to appear directly for an interview. Only shortlisted candidates will be called for an interview. No TA/DA will be provided to candidates for appearing in the interview.

Physics

The candidates who have qualified CSIR-UGC NET (JRF)/GATE/JEST/ (with 90 percentile or above in GATE/JEST) will be exempted from the written test and will be directly called for the interview. Only shortlisted candidates based on their performance in the national level PhD entrance tests / written test will be called for an interview. No TA/DA will be provided to the candidates for appearing in the interview.

Upcoming Events

12 March 2026
Webinar: PhD in Physics

18 March 2026
Webinar: PhD in Biological and Life Sciences

Frequently asked Questions

Is a part-time PhD available at Ahmedabad University? If yes, what's the fee?

Yes, candidates can also register for a part-time doctoral programme.

However, the course requirements will remain the same as for full-time students. There is no provision for online classes for doctoral candidates. They must complete the course credits by attending the classes in person.

Do we get to choose our mentor/dissertation advisor for the department we want to work with, or will the University assign the mentors?

As soon as the student joins the programme, the Programme Chair will appoint a faculty mentor in consultation with the School Dean, considering the student's interests. The mentor will help the candidate select courses for study, suggest additional course requirements to broaden the area of research, and provide guidance in preparing for the comprehensive examination. In the AMSOM, the Area Coordinator in which the student is enrolled will be the mentor.

After clearing the comprehensive exam, the student will select a dissertation advisor and two to three members of the dissertation advisory committee (DAC) based on mutual discussion with the faculty. The dissertation supervisor will chair the DAC.

What’s the duration of the fellowship given to the PhD students?

University Fellowship/Assistantships are usually awarded to students for a maximum of four years, subject to satisfactory academic performance. The student must maintain a minimum CGPA of 3.0 at the end of two consecutive semesters to continue the fellowship/assistantship each year.

Are fellowships awarded to all PhD students?

Ahmedabad University awards full tuition fee waivers and financial support to full-time doctoral students. The financial support could be a University Fellowship, University Assistantship, or fellowship from sponsored projects. Presently, the University Assistantship is INR 40,000 plus a tuition fee waiver, and the University Fellowship is INR 50,000 plus a tuition fee waiver.

What's the duration of the PhD programme?

Generally, completing the programme requirements and getting a degree takes 4-5 years. The student will have up to 10 years (including any academic leave) from joining to complete all academic requirements related to the doctoral programme.

Does the University provide any hostel facilities?

Yes, hostel facilities are available for Ahmedabad University students. For more information, please visit the webpage.

How does one apply for PhD at Ahmedabad University?

Fill out the application form here
Attach the required documents
Confirm your application details
Pay INR 500/- as application fee via Debit card/ Credit card/ Net Banking

What PhD programmes are offered by the School of Arts and Sciences at Ahmedabad University?

The School of Arts and Sciences offers PhD programmes in various disciplines, including Life Sciences, Physics, Mathematical and Computational Sciences, Interdisciplinary Humanities and Social Sciences.

Know More

Faculty

Programme

Contact Information

Office of Graduate Admission
School of Engineering and Applied Science
Central Campus
Ahmedabad University
Navrangpura, Ahmedabad 380009
Gujarat, India.

Contact Details:
+91.79.61911125 | doctoral.admissions@ahduni.edu.in

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