IIT Madras PhD and MS Admission January 2027: Apply by 30 October

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras is accepting applications for Ph.D. and M.S. (by Research) admission for the January 2027 session. Online registration opened on 10 April 2026 and the last date for receipt of the online application is 30 October 2026 at 5:00 PM. Applications received up to that date are considered against January 2027 admission by the respective department.

Selected full-time research scholars get the Half-Time Research Assistantship (HTRA) – for a Ph.D. that is Rs 37,000 per month for the first two years and Rs 42,000 per month for the next three years, plus HRA as per Government of India norms. No hard copy application is entertained – the whole process is online.

IIT Madras research admission January 2027: quick facts

IIT Madras Ph.D. and M.S. admission 2027: important dates

Online application website activated	10 April 2026
Last date for receipt of the online application	30 October 2026 at 5:00 PM
Written test and interview	Intimated by each department through email to the shortlisted candidates
Session considered for applications received up to the closing date	January 2027 admission

IIT Madras invites research applications throughout the academic year 2026-27. Applications received up to 30 October 2026 are taken up against January 2027 admission; departments publish their own shortlist, test and interview schedule on the department website.

Financial assistance: the Half-Time Research Assistantship

• Scholars admitted to the Ph.D. and M.S. programmes under the Regular scheme are eligible for the Half-Time Research Assistantship (HTRA) and have to work 8 hours per week in the department to earn it.
• Ph.D. HTRA scholars get an Institute Fellowship of Rs 37,000 per month for the first two years and Rs 42,000 per month for the next three years, and are also eligible for HRA as per Government of India norms.
• M.S. (by Research) HTRA scholars get an Institute Fellowship of Rs 12,400 per month for the initial 2 years, extendable by 6 months with a specific recommendation of the Graduate Test Committee.
• Renewal of the assistantship every semester depends on enrolment, satisfactory progress in research work and good performance in the research assistant duty during the previous semester.
• Other scholarships such as UGC-JRF, CSIR-JRF, DBT-JRF, NBHM and INSPIRE may also be available to candidates who have qualified for them – if admitted under one of those fellowships, the amount is paid as per the norms of the funding agency.

Categories of admission

• Ph.D. – Regular HTRA, regular national-level fellowship, regular Project-HTRA, Project N-HTRA (project staff), Quality Improvement Programme (QIP), permanent Institute staff, external registration for candidates employed in industry or an institution with at least 2 years of relevant work experience, foreign nationals, and candidates holding a tenable national JRF.
• An M.Tech-Ph.D. Dual Degree programme is offered by the Department of Engineering Design; selection is through the Direct Ph.D. admission process.
• Scholars admitted under the Project N-HTRA, External, Staff or QIP categories cannot move to the Regular HTRA category at any time.
• M.S. (by Research) – Regular HTRA, national fellowship, Project-HTRA, Project N-HTRA, external and staff categories, plus M.S. (Entrepreneurship).
• Candidates who do not hold a valid GATE score are considered under the N-HTRA (External or Project) categories as per their eligibility.

Minimum eligibility for Ph.D. admission at IIT Madras

Ph.D. in Engineering	A master’s degree in Engineering or Technology, a master’s degree by Research in Engineering or Technology, or a 5-year dual degree in Engineering, with a good academic record. A 2-year M.Sc. from an IIT (entry through JAM) with 8.0 and above is exempt from the national level examination, otherwise a valid GATE or UGC-JRF, NET or CSIR-JRF score tenable for the year of registration is required
Ph.D. in Sciences	A master’s degree in Sciences with a good academic record and a valid GATE, UGC-JRF, NET, CSIR-JRF, NBHM, INSPIRE or JEST score tenable for the current year. M.Sc. students of IIT Madras science departments with more than 8.0 CGPA can be admitted directly through a departmental interview
Ph.D. in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence	A postgraduate degree in Engineering or Technology
Ph.D. in Humanities and Social Sciences	A master’s or dual degree in a relevant discipline other than Engineering or Technology, plus UGC-NET or JRF, CSIR-JRF, GATE or an equivalent qualification tenable for the current year
Ph.D. in Management	A master’s degree or 2-year PG diploma in a relevant discipline with a bachelor’s degree (minimum five years of undergraduate and postgraduate education), or a 5-year integrated master’s degree, plus GATE, CAT, UGC-JRF, NET or CSIR-JRF (GMAT or GRE for OCI, NRI and foreign nationals)
Direct Ph.D. after a 4-year bachelor’s degree	A B.Tech. or 4-year BS (Research) from a Centrally Funded Technical Institute with a minimum CGPA of 8.0 or a valid GATE score; or a bachelor’s degree in Engineering or Technology with a minimum CGPA of 8.0 from any other university and a valid GATE score

Minimum eligibility for M.S. (by Research) admission

• M.S. in Engineering – a bachelor’s degree in Engineering or Technology, a recognised 4-year B.Sc. or 4-year BS degree, or a master’s degree in Engineering, Technology, Sciences or Management, with a valid GATE score. Candidates from Centrally Funded Technical Institutes with a CGPA of 8.0 and above can apply without a GATE score.
• M.S. in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence – any 4-year undergraduate degree of an IIT, CFTI, UGC or AICTE recognised institution with a valid GATE score in any discipline. Students who completed the online BS in Data Science from IIT Madras can also apply.
• M.S. in Management – a bachelor’s degree of at least four years or a master’s degree in a relevant discipline, with GATE for HTRA and GMAT or GRE for OCI, NRI and foreign nationals.

Application fee and how to apply

GN, EWS and OBC-NCL male candidates	Rs 1,000
GN, EWS and OBC-NCL transgender candidates	Rs 1,000
GN, EWS and OBC-NCL female candidates	Rs 500
SC and ST candidates	Rs 500
PwD candidates	Rs 500

1. Open the research admission website at research.iitm.ac.in and register a separate online application for each department or research programme you want to apply to.
2. Fill the online form and upload the current OBC (Non-Creamy Layer) certificate or the Income and Assets certificate for EWS, issued after 1 April 2026, in the prescribed format.
3. Pay the non-refundable application fee and submit the form online. There is no downloadable form and no hard copy application is entertained.
4. Keep a printout of the submitted application – shortlisted candidates have to send a soft copy of it with the relevant certificates and documents.

Documents needed at the interview and at admission

• Printed copy of the online application, mark sheets or grade cards of all semesters from the first degree onwards, and the course completion, provisional or degree certificate.
• Copy of the GATE score card, or the original UGC-JRF, NET, CSIR-JRF or DAE-JEST award letter.
• SC, ST or OBC-NCL community certificate issued by the State Government (the OBC-NCL certificate must have been obtained after 1 April 2026), or the Income and Assets certificate for EWS.
• Authorised doctor’s certificate with the disability description for PwD candidates, and an NOC from the present employer for External and Staff candidates.
• At admission: birth certificate, Aadhaar card, the first page of the SSLC or matriculation certificate and the degree certificate or provisional certificate with mark sheets.
• Candidates joining in the January-June session must produce the degree certificate for having passed the qualifying examination on or before 31 March.

Selection process and travel allowance

• Eligible candidates who meet the minimum educational qualifications, the eligible degree requirement and any stiffer departmental criteria are called for a test and interview or an interview by the selection committee of the department.
• Candidates who obtained the qualifying degree 10 years earlier, as on the last date for receipt of the application, have to take a departmental test.
• Candidates called for a Ph.D. or Direct Ph.D. interview under the Regular HTRA category are paid second sleeper class single to and fro rail or bus fare from their place of residence to Chennai by the shortest route – one TA is allowed even if the candidate attends interviews in more than one department in the same trip.
• IIT Madras also offers Joint Ph.D. programmes with partner universities including the National University of Singapore, the University of Melbourne and RWTH Aachen, and an interdisciplinary route through the School of Interdisciplinary Studies.

Frequently asked questions

Official links

• IIT Madras research admission website (official)
• Research Admission Brochure, January 2027 (official PDF)
• IIT Madras (official website)

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