Integrated PhD Program
JAM Based Admission

Important Notice

The following information is under revision and review process and subject to approval by SPGC, IIT Kanpur. These details may change from time to time. Students should refer to the PG Manual and department website for updated information.

Admission Criteria

Admission of students with a BSc degree in science to the proposed PhD program will be made through JAM. The general eligibility criteria are:

• Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree of a minimum three-year duration in Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics with a major in Physics or Chemistry with at least 55% marks or a 5.5 CPI (on a 10-point scale), provided this is above the minimum pass mark; otherwise, the minimum pass mark will be the minimum eligibility criterion.
• Departments may impose additional eligibility requirements (such as interviews, written exams, requirements of any additional subjects in a bachelor’s course, irrespective of the major subject of the degree), subject to SPGC approval.
• Candidates must have qualified in the corresponding JAM paper for their discipline (e.g., Physics majors must qualify in the JAM Physics paper).
• Allocation in each department will be based on seat matrix specifying intake from Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics/Statistics backgrounds.

Overview of the Program

• During the first year, students will undergo UG-level foundational courses with a course load of 100 credits.
• Students must complete the foundational courses within 2 years with minimum CPI of 6.5.
• The students must complete the UG-level foundational course requirements within the 2 years of admission with a minimum CPI of 6.5. Failing to achieve this will result in the termination of the program for such students.
• After completion of the foundational courses, all of their program requirements and timelines will be the same as those of the students inducted into the PhD programs directly after BTech/BS or MSc i.e, the semester after finishing all foundational coursework will be equivalent to the 1st semester of students inducted into the PhD programs directly after BTech/BS or MSc.
• Other academic requirements (minimum course and thesis credits, exit options, award of M.Tech./MSR degree with PhD degree, etc.) beyond the foundational segment will be the same as a four-year Bachelor's program student entering into the PhD program. Please refer to the PG manual for details..
• Students will not be assigned TA duties during the first two years.

Financial Assistance

• Financial assistance for first 2 years under review.
• After successfully completing the requirements of foundational courses and CPI requirements, the students will receive a financial assistantship (after IVth semester) similar to a typical PhD student for five years.

Academic Performance Evaluation norms (including academic deficiency norms)

• The students must complete the UG-level foundational course requirements within 2 years of admission with a minimum CPI of 6.5. Failing to achieve this will result in the termination of the program for such students.
• Once the student has completed foundational courses, the student’s academic evaluation and deficiency norms will be the same as any other PhD student of IIT Kanpur. Such students will be guided by the norms of the PG manual.

Foundational Course Requirements (Semesters 1 and 2)

• The following template depends on the actual offering of electives in each semester. All the students must complete 100 foundational credit requirements as per the following template. In addition, the student may also be required to pass an English language course (ELC111/ELC112/ELC113), depending on their score on the English proficiency test.

Summer Semester

Makeup or repeat courses if required. No thesis credits required.

Semester III Onwards

As per the department template for PhD students with B.Tech./B.S. (4 years)/M.Sc. degree. The course templates of such programs are available on https://www.iitk.ac.in/see/files/course-templates/Course-Template-PhD_19March2025.pdf

FAQ

What are the exit options available in this program?

Once the students have successfully finished the foundational segment, they can exit as per clause 7.8.1 of PG manual:
7.8.1 If a Ph.D. student in an engineering department does not hold a master’s degree in engineering, he/she may exit from the program with an M.Tech. degree provided.

1. A request to this effect is made not before the student has completed two-and-a-half years (in this case, this will be two-and-a-half years after finishing the foundational segment) (excluding the period of sanctioned leave, if any) in the program;
2. the request is approved by the Senate on the recommendations of DPGC and SPGC; and
3. the student has completed all the requirements of the M.Tech. degree (including a thesis).