- Frequently asked questions about the Ph.D. Programme
- Frequently asked questions about the entrance test and interview
Frequently Asked Questions About Ph.D. Programme
- What are the various scholarships available for Ph.D. scholars?
- Are there any entrance exam or interview for getting into the Ph.D. programme?
- How do I get the application forms?
- Should I enrol in full-time or part-time Ph.D. programme?
- I am currently working with an organization. I can get a maximum of 2 years off work to pursue Ph.D. What category should I apply under?
- How long does a typical Ph.D. take?
- What do I expect out of a Ph.D? What do I need do to get a Ph.D.?
- I would like to come and meet with the faculty and students of IEOR, before I make my decision to do a Ph.D. in IEOR. Can I do that?
- What level of professional exposure is given to Ph.D. Scholars?
- What facilities can a Ph.D. scholar expect at IIT?
- What are my job prospects after doing my Ph.D. in IEOR?
- Where can I get additional information?
- How do I select my guide? I want to work with faculty “ABC”. How can I ensure that?
- What are the kind of courses that are offered? What should I expect?
- Ph.D. at IIT Bombay ... is it going to be tough?
- How to apply for Ph.D. in IITB-Monash Research Academy? Is it through the same admissions test?
Q. What are the various scholarships available for Ph.D. scholars?
Institute scholarships (Teaching assistantships) are available for those who clear the GATE exam (for B.Tech/ M.Tech) and UGC/ CSIR/ MHRD exams (for M.Sc.).
Other sources of funding (through UGC/ CSIR/ MHRD awards, sponsored projects in the institute, etc.) also may be available to students as applicable.
The scholarships for Full-time Scholars are typically for a duration of four years.
Q. Are there any entrance exam or interview for getting into the Ph.D. programme?
Yes, there is an entrance exam AND an interview, which all the applicants are expected to attend. Typically, both the exam and interview are held on the same day. The dates can be found in the schedule displayed in the site http://www.iitb.ac.in/newacadhome/phd.jsp
The entrance test covers topic to do with Optimization, Stochastic Models and other areas to do with Industrial Engineering and Operations Research. Read the FAQs on exam and interview for more information.
Q. How do I get the application forms?
Application forms can be downloaded from the site: http://www.iitb.ac.in/newacadhome/phd.jsp
Q. Should I enrol in full-time or part-time Ph.D. programme?
The part-time Ph.D. programme is open to (1) College teachers in and around Mumbai, (2) IIT-B faculty/ staff, (3) IIT Project staff, (4) IIT Research Assistants and (5) External sponsored candidates from other organizations in and around Mumbai. All others have to apply for Full-time Ph.D. programme.
Q. I am currently working with an organization. I can get a maximum of 2 years off work to pursue Ph.D. What category should I apply under?
One option is to enrol as a Part-time Research Scholar under one of its categories (mentioned above), as applicable.
Q. How long does a typical Ph.D. take?
Full-time Scholars registered under QIP are expected to complete Ph.D. in 3 years. Other full-time scholars typically complete Ph.D. in 4-5 years. In some cases it may take longer or shorter depending upon the progress of the candidate. Part-time scholars typically complete Ph.D. in 4-6 years. As per Institute norms, for all categories of students, the period of validity of their Ph.D. registration is six years from the date of registration.
Q. What do I expect out of a Ph.D? What do I need do to get a Ph.D.?
The description of the Ph.D. programme (course and research requirements) can be found here . Towards the end of the student’s Ph.D., the candidate submits to the Institute a thesis which will be judged by a panel of experts (both from IITB and outside) for "its contribution to advancement of knowledge."
Q. I would like to come and meet with the faculty and students of IEOR, before I make my decision to do a Ph.D. in IEOR. Can I do that?
Of course! You are welcome to meet the faculty and students of IEOR. Please fix up an appointment beforehand by mailing the 2020 admissions coordinator, Prof. Vishnu Narayanan at vishnu@iitb.ac.in with the subject as ‘2020 Ph.D. Admissions’.
Q. What level of professional exposure is given to Ph.D. Scholars?
- IEOR actively encourages Ph.D. students to participate in National as well as International Conferences and Workshops.
- Periodic dissemination of student findings in academic journals and obtaining in the feedback of peer community is encouraged.
- Travel grants are available for attending national and international conferences.
- Original ideas and submission of research proposals to national funding agencies is also encouraged.
- Handling of course lectures and tutorials can be done by Ph.D. Research Scholars, based on their interest and initiative.
- Early Faculty Induction Programme (EFIP) to provide opportunity and nurture students to take up teaching career in Engineering Colleges.
- Collaborations with companies on projects are also possible.
- Placement after completion of the programme is strongly influenced by such activities.
Q. What facilities can a Ph.D. scholar expect?
- Each Full time Ph.D. Scholar will be provided with a dedicated work area with a desktop computer and supporting infrastructure. They have access to computational servers and software in IEOR. Part-time Ph.D. scholars can also avail the use of IEOR Computation Lab.
- A huge Central Library is available on campus, which houses plenty of books in the IEOR area.
- IEOR also maintains a good collection of books.
- IIT Bombay has subscribed to plenty of electronic journals which can be easily accessed via the Internet.
- High speed 1GBps LAN is available on campus and in all hostel room to access the Internet.
Q. What are my job prospects after doing my Ph.D. in IEOR?
There is an increasing demand for specialised placement of doctoral candidates in consulting, research organisations/ labs in government and other sectors (MNCs), academics, specialist technology firms (e.g. data analytics, financial engineering), and other organisations. Such jobs require people who are capable of doing sustained, rigorous and high quality work in the relevant area, for which our Ph.D. programme is a good training ground.
Q. Where can I get additional information?
Browse the IEOR website. There is plenty of information regarding the IEOR programme in general, academics, our research, IEOR activities, employment history and more. The list of current Ph.D. students of IEOR can be found here . You can get in touch with them for more information. If you need additional information, please e-mail our 2017 Admissions Coordinator, Prof. Vishnu Narayanan at vishnu@iitb.ac.in with the subject as ‘2017 Ph.D. Admissions’.
Q. How do I select my guide? I want to work with faculty “ABC”. How can I ensure that?
Once you are offered admission, you begin your Ph.D. with course requirements. This is the time where you try and gain some breadth across the field by picking various courses, not just the ones of your interest. After successful completion of courses, you are encouraged to have discussions with different faculty member from diverse backgrounds. Then based on mutual interest, guides can be decided.
Q. What are the kind of courses that are offered? What should I expect?
Refer to this link for list of courses: http://www.ieor.iitb.ac.in/acad/courses
You will get plenty of opportunity to brush up on different OR skills, if you feel you need more training.
Q. Ph.D. at IIT Bombay ... is it going to be tough?
As postgraduate students, we are expected to be motivated for rigorous reading writing exercises. To achieve one of the highest degrees offered by an institute of national importance certainly asks for commitment and perseverance. However, more often than not, the process turn out to be satisfying as well as enjoyable.
Q. How to apply for Ph.D. in IITB-Monash Research Academy? Is it through the same admissions test?
IITB and IITB-Monash Research Academy (IMURA) have separate admissions process. Please refer http://www.iitbmonash.org for IMURA admissions and details.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Entrance Test and Interview
Disclaimer: The answers to these questions are merely suggestive. They based on experiences of students in the previous admissions tests and should not be considered as official policies.
- What is the syllabus for the exam? What kind of questions come for the exam?
- How do I prepare for this screening test? Please suggest some standard text books/study material/online lecture series that I could follow.
- What is the role/requirement of programming skills?
- I do not have a masters in IE or OR. Will that reduce my chances?
- What are the employment prospects after completing Ph.D.?
- My gate score is not valid. What should I do?
- Is work experience mandatory?
- What are the dates for interview/publication of results?
- I will not be able to attend the interview/ written exam on the scheduled date. What do I do?
Q. What is the syllabus for the exam? What kind of questions come for the exam?
Please refer to the link http://www.ieor.iitb.ac.in/model_questions
Q. How do I prepare for this screening test? Please suggest some standard text books/study material/online lecture series that I could follow.
You can read any standard textbook like "Introduction to Operations Research" by Hillier and Lieberman, or Chvatal's Linear Programming book. Any basic course on statistics should take care of the rest, Sheldon Ross, for example. The screening test (objective type) is used for the screening and the subjective part is used for the interview where the applicant's inclination is judged.
Q. What is the role/requirement of programming skills?
For admission, your programming skills will be valued but background and understanding of IEOR subjects is more important. You will get to know a lot of new tools and programming languages if you are interested, which can help you in implementing your research findings.
Q. I do not have a masters in IE or OR. Will that reduce my chances?
You should not face any serious impediment because this is an interdisciplinary program, where a basic level of IE&OR knowledge is required. In the course of study, you get an opportunity to learn from scratch here.
Q. My gate score is not valid. What should I do?
The prerequisites for admission to a particular category are decided by the institute. Here is a link: http://www.ieor.iitb.ac.in/admissions/phd
Q. Is work experience mandatory?
Many of the students have joined Ph.D. without any work experience. For mandatory requirements, refer link in Q8.
Q. What are the dates for interview/publication of results?
Please visit http://www.iitb.ac.in/newacadhome/phd.jsp for the detailed information and dates.
Q. I won’t be able to attend the interview/ written exam on the scheduled date. What do I do?
The scheduled dates are fixed and cannot be changed. You need to attend on the given date.