Ashoka University is a pioneer in providing world-class liberal education in India. It aims to train students to think critically from a multi-disciplinary perspective to solve real-world problems. The Computer Science Ph.D. programme at Ashoka puts emphasis on novel research themes that cut across several disciplines, and faculty members are actively engaged in research in these disciplines.

We invite applications for a fully funded Ph.D. program in Computer Science with a generous stipend. We are looking for candidates, who are highly motivated to do cutting-edge research and innovation.

The key features of the Ph.D. program include a research focus on multi-disciplinary areas of computer science, well-established faculty advisors, excellent research facilities and a world-class residential campus. Students may also have opportunities for exchange visits to various prominent Universities as well as prominent industry research labs. Travel funding for quality international conferences will be provided. There could also be opportunities for supplementary industrial fellowships. 

Focus areas for research include AI/ML and data science, mobile sensing and IoT, Urban informatics, political data science, digital humanities, cyber-security, cryptology, information security, blockchain, HCI and ICTD, computer architecture and distributed systems.

There are two admission cycles, one beginning in September and one beginning in March every year. Besides these two admission cycles, we also encourage interested candidates to apply at any point of time during the course of the year by sending an email to anirban.mondal@ashoka.edu.in.

Candidates satisfying at least one of the following criteria are exempted from taking the written test and will be scheduled to directly appear for the interview:

1. A Bachelors/Masters degree in CS or related discipline with a CGPA of at least 8.0 out of 10, or 75% from a "University" or "Engineering College/Institute" ranked within the top 50 as per NIRF ranking in any of the last three available rankings for either "Universities" or "Engineering Colleges/ Institutions"

2. A Bachelors/Masters degree in CS or related disciplines with a GPA of at least 3.0 out of 4 from any of the Universities in the following ranked lists.

   1. CS Rankings.

   2. Business Insider Ranking of CS Schools.

   3. Time Higher Education Ranking of CS Schools.

3. A valid GATE score of 700 or above or a subject GRE score with 90 percentile or above.

Eligibility Criteria

Written Test

The written test will be of two hours duration and will be conducted at Ashoka campus (Sonepat), Bangalore, Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai and Hyderabad. The written test will consist of both open-ended questions (short-answers) and multiple-choice questions. The objective of the written test is to assess the basic computer science concepts of the applicant. The topics for the written test are: (1) Discrete Mathematics (2) Probability and Statistics (3) Design and Analysis of Algorithms (4) Data Structures (4) Database Management Systems (5) Programming Languages (6) Operating Systems (7) Computer Organization and Architecture.

Timeline 

Application submission deadline: November 22, 2019 (11:59 PM IST)

Notification for short-listed candidates (for written exam): TBD

Written exam Date: TBD

Notification for shortlisted candidates for interview:

Interview Date: 

Written Exam Venues: Ashoka Campus (Sonepat), Bangalore, Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai and Hyderabad

Final Notification to Selected Candidates: TBD

Interview

All the students, who qualify in the written test, will be called for an oral interview. A typical interview will be conducted by the faculty members of the Computer Science department. The objective of the interview is to assess the student’s understanding of proposed area of research, communication skills and commitment to pursue Ph.D.

Selection Criteria

Selection will be based on merit taking a combination of factors into consideration. These factors include (but are not limited to) performance of the candidate in the written test and interview, academic record and achievements such as scholarships, awards in competitions, paper publications and internship or work experience in a prestigious organization.

A Ph.D. student with an MTech in CS is required to successfully complete 2 to 3 courses (8 credits) within 18 months of admission. However, a student with an MSc in Mathematics or BTech in CS must complete 6 to 7 courses (24 credits) of course-work within 2 years. However, the student’s “Doctoral Research Committee (DRC)” may insist on the student taking one or more additional courses to ensure adequate preparation for undertaking research in his/her proposed area of research.

The coursework will include at least one course (3 to 4 credits) on Research Methodology.

Upon completion of his/her coursework, a student is expected to demonstrate that he/she possesses the required depth of knowledge to undertake proposed research, and possesses adequate knowledge in one or more areas that are distinct from his/her proposed area of research.  

By the end of the 2^nd year, the student should prepare and orally “defend” a “Research Plan” before “Doctoral Research Committee” specifically constituted for each individual PhD student. Then the student is expected to work towards his/her doctoral dissertation. Upon completion of the doctoral dissertation, the student will defend his/her dissertation before a specially constituted committee. Upon the completion of successful defence, the student will be awarded the Ph.D. degree.

Stipend and accommodation: Ph.D. students will receive Rs. 35,000 per month as stipend. Students will also be provided on-campus accommodation depending upon availability. In case on-campus accommodation is not available, students will be provided an additional Rs. 7000 per month as house rent allowance. There could also be opportunities for supplementary industrial fellowships.

Fee: Rs. 12,500 per semester