Institute of Management, Nirma University Ahmedabad Ph.D Management: Fees 2026, Course Duration, Dates, Eligibility

Ans. Yes, the part-time PhD programme is specifically designed for working professionals. However, you must obtain a No Objection Certificate from your employer stating that your official duties permit sufficient time for research. The minimum duration is 4 years and maximum is 6 years, providing flexibility to balance work and research. You should be prepared to dedicate significant time to coursework, research, and thesis writing alongside your professional responsibilities.

Ans. All PhD candidates must complete one-year prerequisite course work of 32 credit hours before formal registration. This course work covers core management courses relevant to your doctoral area and research methodology. The Institution Research Committee specifies which courses you must take from the MBA (Full-Time) or MBA (Family Business) programmes. You must achieve a minimum CGPA of 6.00 and not obtain any 'FF' or 'IF' grades to successfully complete this requirement.

Ans. Before thesis submission, you must either publish at least one research paper in a refereed journal indexed in Web of Science or Scopus (Q3 or higher category) and present two papers at national/international conferences, OR publish two research papers in refereed journals indexed in Web of Science/Scopus and present one paper at a national/international conference. These publications must be in your area of research and you must provide evidence through presentation certificates and/or reprints.

Ans. The maximum duration for PhD completion is 6 years from the date of registration (till thesis submission). However, female PhD scholars and persons with disabilities (more than 40% disability) may be allowed an additional relaxation of 2 years, extending the maximum period to 8 years. In exceptional circumstances, the Director General may permit registration renewal for up to 8 years on the recommendation of the Research Advisory Committee and Dean of Doctoral Studies.

Ans. Final selection is based on a weighted score: 70% weightage is given to the entrance examination performance and 30% weightage to the viva-voce interview. The Departmental Research Committee evaluates whether you possess competence for proposed research, whether the research can be suitably undertaken at the institution, and whether the proposed area can contribute to new or additional knowledge. The final merit list is prepared based on this combined evaluation.

Ans. The university provides a Research Advisory Committee (RAC) consisting of the Head of Department, your Research Supervisor, a Co-Supervisor (if applicable), and two external experts. The RAC meets at least once per semester to monitor your progress and provide guidance. You have access to university library resources, research facilities, and computing infrastructure. The university also facilitates publication support and provides guidelines for research ethics and plagiarism prevention. Additionally, part-time scholars may be exempted from attending the department daily after completing minimum 3 years if they have completed experimental work to RAC's satisfaction and submitted their synopsis.