General Information
The PhD programme in Mathematics at TIFR CAM is a five-year programme designed for students who have completed a Master’s degree in Mathematics (or equivalent). The program will have intensive coursework in the 1st year followed by cutting-edge research under the supervision of a faculty member at CAM. The research expertise and interests of the CAM faculty can be found at https://www.math.tifrbng.res.in/people/faculty
The PhD Programme consists of 3 stages
Year 1: The student undergoes rigorous training in advanced Master’s/PhD level mathematics with a strong emphasis on Analysis, Probability, and theoretical and numerical study of PDEs. In the first semester, they will take a mandatory course on Advanced Real Analysis and choose three other electives from Introductory PDE, Probability Theory, Complex Analysis, and Advanced Functional Analysis. In the second semester, the student will do a reading course with a faculty member and will take three other courses from those offered as electives in the Integrated PhD programme. The detailed syllabi of these courses can be found here (link).
Year 2: The student completes a year-long project — usually done under the mentorship of one faculty member (the presumed PhD advisor). In addition, the student takes the following courses :
- Research Methodology (4 credits)
- Research and Publication Ethics (2 credits)
- Non-reading course(s) totalling 6 credits
By the end of the second year, the student must pass the Candidacy Examination to register for PhD (details below).
Years 3, 4, and 5: PhD work under the supervision of a faculty member.
Fellowship
| Year | Fellowship (monthly) | Contingency (yearly) |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 |
Rs. 37,000 |
Rs. 60,000 |
| On registration for PhD degree ( Typically from 3rd Year) |
Rs. 42,000 |
Rs. 60,000 |
Normal progress in the PhD programme
Year 2: In the second year, the student
- completes non-reading courses, Research Methodology, and Research and Publication Ethics courses with an S (Satisfactory) grade.
- completes a year-long research project with the potential PhD advisor in the run-up to the candidacy exam, and
- passes the Candidacy Examination and registers for a PhD with the thesis advisor.
Years 3, 4 and 5:
In the third, fourth and fifth years, the student is expected to work on research problem(s) and successfully defend their PhD thesis before the end of the fifth year. At the end of each year, the Thesis Monitoring Committee approves the student’s continuation to the next year based on satisfactory research progress.
Candidacy Examination and Registration for PhD.
The eligibility requirements to appear for a candidacy exam are:
- Having a potential PhD advisor.
- Passing the Research Methodology and Research and Publication Ethics courses.
The candidacy examination consists of a research presentation followed by a question/answer session before the Candidacy Examination Committee. The research presentation typically consists of background research material as well as potential research problems the student plans to pursue as part of their PhD work.
After passing the Candidacy Examination, the student can register for a PhD by applying to the Subject Board within 6 months. The application should contain the name of the proposed thesis adviser and a broad description of the topic of research intended to be pursued, and endorsed by the proposed thesis adviser. At the time of registration of PhD, a Thesis Monitoring Committee will be constituted.
The student is responsible for choosing a research topic and finding an advisor who matches their aptitude and interests. There is no formal procedure for drawing up research programmes and assignments to advisers. The student is expected to develop a serious interest in a broad area of specialization by the end of their first year, and they are welcome to consult any faculty member at the Centre for suggestions. Any regular academic member of the School of Mathematics is eligible to be a student’s thesis adviser.
For more information, please visit https://www.tifr.res.in/academics/academic_procedures.php
Submission of PhD Synopsis and PhD Thesis
After the student completes their PhD research project(s), with the permission of the thesis adviser, the student forwards a synopsis of the thesis to the Subject Board, to obtain approval for submission of the synopsis to the TIFR Mumbai Graduate Studies Office. The same procedure will once again be followed to obtain approval for submission of their thesis. Once the Subject Board approves the submission of a synopsis/thesis, the rest of the process of submission and evaluation of the synopsis and thesis will be as per the guidelines prescribed by the Academic Council of TIFR.
For more information, please visit https://www.tifr.res.in/academics/academic_procedures.php
What if normal progress is not maintained at any stage of the PhD programme?
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If a student fails a particular course or if their performance is not satisfactory, the Graduate Studies Committee will decide the future course of action in consultation with the concerned instructor(s).
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If a student fails in 2 or more courses, then the Graduate Studies Committee may recommend expulsion of the student from the programme.
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A student who has not obtained an S grade in 4 Topics courses will be asked to take further such courses to satisfy this requirement, and this has to be done prior to their candidacy examination.
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If a student fails the candidacy examination, the Graduate Studies Committee in consultation with the adviser and the Candidacy Exam Committee, may ask the student to give another one in a few months time. If a student fails the candidacy exam the second time, they will be asked to leave the programme.
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If the Thesis Monitoring Committee of a student is not satisfied with the progress of the student at any point, the Graduate Studies Committee may ask the student to leave the programme.
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If a student is not in a position to defend the thesis by the end of the 5th year, an extension of a few months with half the normal salary may be granted subject to some restrictions. Therefore a student is strongly advised to successfully defend the thesis by the end of the 5th year.