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, cyber-security, cryptology, information security, blockchain, HCI and ICTD, computer architecture, operating systems and distributed systems.

News: The Department of Computer Science will be conducting an additional round (Round 2) for admission to the PhD program for the Monsoon 2020 semester. In light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the entire process including tests and interviews will be held online.

Application Portal : Ashoka University PhD Admissions

Select "Round 2" in the application form for the August 2020 admission cycle. Deadline for application submission is 5th August, 2020 (11:59 pm IST) 

There are two admission cycles, one beginning in September and another beginning in March every year.

Besides the two regular admission cycles, 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 valid GATE score of 700 or above.

Note: If you meet any of the exception criteria listed above, please send an email to phd.cs@ashoka.edu.in, along with a current resume and documentation supporting the criteria that you fulfil. 

Stipend and accommodation: Ph.D. students will receive Rs. 35,000 per month as stipend.  Once PhD Scholars are eligible for Senior Research Fellowship (SRF) after completing the candidacy, the University will pay a stipend of Rs. 40,000 per month to each Senior Research Fellow. 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

Eligibility Criteria

Note: If you have appreared for the written test and/or the interview for any of the previous two cycles, you are not eligible to apply in the current cycle. 

Written Test

The written test may consist of subjective, open-ended 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: August 5th, 2020 (11:59 PM IST). Applications submitted after the deadline will not be considered. 

Written exam Date: August 11th, 2020

Interview Date: August 14th, 2020

Note: Written exam and interviews will be held online.

Interview

In this cycle, 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.

Intersted candidates can apply for the PhD program through Ashoka University's PhD application portal, located at the link below:

https://apply.ashoka.edu.in/

Q: How and when do I apply for admission to the PhD program?

Ans: Presently, the Department runs two admission cycles. One for admission in the Monsoon semester, the application deadline for which (typically) is in April. The other cycle is for the Spring admission - the deadline for this cycle is in November. 

Q: What can I expect during the PhD admission process? What kind of questions can I expect in the written test? What would be asked in the interview?

Ans: We have prepared detailed guidelines on what to expect during the admission process, including the written tests and the interviews. This document can be accessed here.