How is the Direct PhD program of IIT Madras?

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Arati Sinha Posted On - Mar 29, 2023

studied at Indian Institute of Technology, Madras

If you are considering pursuing a Ph.D. at IIT-M, you might be interested in knowing about the similarities and differences between a regular Ph.D. and a direct Ph.D. Here's what you need to know:

Selection Procedure:

All Ph.D. candidates, whether applying for a regular or direct Ph.D., have to clear a written exam followed by an interview at the institute.

Coursework:

A regular Ph.D. scholar has to complete four courses, while a direct Ph.D. candidate has to complete eight courses.
If you are interested in a dual degree (i.e., MS by research and Ph.D.), you will need to complete two extra courses.

Comprehensive Exam:

After completing the coursework (usually taking two semesters), every candidate has to undergo a comprehensive exam consisting of a written test and an interview.
You will have two chances to clear the comprehensive exam.
If you fail to clear the comprehensive exam, you can still obtain an MS degree and get placed or join the Ph.D. program later.
The amount and quality of research work by both kinds of Ph.D. candidates are the same.

Financial Assistance:

A regular Ph.D. candidate is eligible for financial assistance once to attend any international conference outside India.
A direct Ph.D. candidate is eligible for financial assistance twice to attend an international conference outside India.
Both regular and direct Ph.D. candidates can attend any national/international conference within India once every semester with full financial assistance.

Stipend:

The stipend for regular Ph.D. candidates is up to five years.
The stipend for direct Ph.D. candidates is up to six years.

Pre-Post Doc Fellowship:

If you submit your degree within 4.5 years for a regular Ph.D. or 5 years for a direct Ph.D., you are eligible for a pre-postdoc fellowship.

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Anuradha Karmakar Posted On - Jul 23, 2021

Studied at IIT Madras (2019)

You can easily be misguided about this topic; I would try my best to make you more aware in this regard. I will share some points which might help you understand it a bit better.

The professors allocated for lectures here, especially in the EE department, are extremely active and the best.
My friend can easily vouch for this since she is a Ph.D. scholar in the EE department from IIT M.
She enrolled for an M.S. at the institution and later opted for an M.S.+ Ph.D. program in her second year of college.However, the direct Ph.D. program offered by the institute is also excellent.
You can also opt for an M.S. + Ph.D. candidature with the help of the direct PhD program.
You can also alternatively apply for the M.S. program as well and then can get it converted to a dual M.S. + PhD program after a year.
Both of these programs would have a duration of about 5 years (on average) to be completed.

My suggestion for you would be to apply for both the direct Ph.D. and the M.S. programs. If you are interested in studying, I also would suggest that you thoroughly prepare for the interviews for the application process. After the completion of the course, you can go and pursue a postdoctoral program or get recruited for a job of your choice.