About the PhD program

The doctoral program at IIM Amritsar is aimed at producing high quality researchers and effective management teachers. The program will train participants to adopt a scientific approach to study phenomenon of interest to them and to disseminate this knowledge through scientific publications, teaching, and organizational interventions. Doctoral students pursue their program in the following areas of specialization:

• Economics & Public Policy
• Finance, Accounting & Control
• IT & Computational Systems
• Marketing & Communications
• Organizational Behavior & Human Resources Management
• Quantitative Methods & Operations Management
• Strategic Management

The program structure includes compulsory course work, comprehensive examination, thesis proposal, and doctoral level research (including thesis work). During the first two years of the program, as part of the compulsory coursework, doctoral students study foundation level and doctoral level courses, including research methodology courses. After completing the second-year course work, doctoral students take the comprehensive examination. The comprehensive examination tests whether the doctoral student has obtained the satisfactory knowledge in respective field of specialization (including research methodology). It may consist of written and oral examination. After successful completion of the mandatory course work and comprehensive examination, doctoral students undertake their research work, supervised by a thesis advisory committee.

IIM Amritsar provides limited financial assistance to its doctoral students including monthly fellowship, annual contingency grant, and research grant to attend conferences / workshops. The details of the same are as follows:

• A consolidated doctoral fellowship amount of Rs 40,000 (Rupees Forty Thousand only) per month during the first and second years of the program.
• A consolidated doctoral fellowship amount of Rs 45,000 (Rupees Forty-five Thousand only) per month after successful completion of the comprehensive examination, i.e., starting from the third year to the end of the fourth year or till the submission of the thesis, whichever is earlier.

*Subject to satisfactory progress, the grant of the doctoral fellowship for the fifth year (Rs 45,000 per month) may be considered by the doctoral committee, subject to approval by the Director, IIM-Amritsar.

• A one-time computer purchase grant of Rs. 50,000 at the end of the course work, i.e. after the successful completion of a comprehensive examination.
• Rs. 25,000 per year (for four years) as contingency grant to cover expenses related to attending conferences, workshops, purchase of books, and relevant research activities on a reimbursement basis upon the production of receipts.
• Rs.1,75,000/- (upper limit) for attending international conferences/workshops/summer schools during their entire tenure with the Doctoral Program, on a reimbursement basis, upon production of receipts.
• The students are provided medical insurance as per the Institute’s student welfare policy

IIM Amritsar reserves the right, solely at its discretion, to effect changes in the financial assistance offered to doctoral students.

The doctoral program at IIM Amritsar is a full-time residential program. However, the hostel will be allotted to students subject to the availability of rooms.

• Full time doctoral students will get free accommodation on twin sharing basis; subject to availability or an HRA amounting to Rs.6,000/- per month.
• Full-time married PhD students will receive accommodation or HRA in case of non- availability amounting to Rs. 10,000 per month.