Content Curator | Updated on - Mar 31, 2026

The Ph.D. (Fashion Design) Part Time program at Manipal University Jaipur (MUJ) is a research-oriented doctoral program offered under the Department of Fashion Design, Faculty of Science, Technology and Architecture (FoSTA). The program spans a minimum of 4.5 years and a maximum of 6 years, making it well-suited for working fashion professionals, design educators, and industry practitioners who wish to pursue advanced research without leaving their careers. The annual fee is Rs. 30,000 (payable till final thesis submission), with a one-time registration fee of Rs. 10,000, making the total cost approximately Rs. 1,45,000 over the minimum duration. Admissions are conducted twice a year (July and January batches) through a university-level entrance test and interview. The program attracts candidates from the fashion industry, textile sector, design education, and retail who seek to contribute original research in areas such as sustainable fashion, textile innovation, fashion history, consumer behaviour, and design pedagogy.

Admission for the January 2026 batch is now closed (results were declared in January 2026). The next admission cycle is expected to be the July 2026 batch, with applications likely to open around June 2026, based on the previous year's schedule. Candidates are advised to monitor the official MUJ PhD page at jaipur.manipal.edu/research-phd.php for the July 2026 notification.

Key Points

The Part Time Ph.D. in Fashion Design is specifically designed for working professionals in the fashion, textile, and design industries who wish to pursue doctoral research alongside their careers.
The Department of Fashion Design at MUJ has strong industry collaborations with leading fashion houses including Manish Malhotra, Tarun Tahiliani, Rahul Mishra, Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail, and Arvind Fashions.
Scholars have access to state-of-the-art facilities including a Sewing Lab, Pattern Making Lab, CAD Lab (with Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, CorelDRAW), and a Textile Design Lab with CNC machines and 3D printing capabilities.
Scholars with UGC-NET/JRF, CSIR-NET/JRF, GATE, SLET, or M.Phil. qualifications are exempted from the university entrance examination.
The department's faculty has received national recognition including the Best Professor in Fashion Design award at the Dewang Mehta National Education Awards.
MUJ conducts admissions twice a year, giving candidates two opportunities annually to apply.

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Highlights
Fees
Admission
Scholarships
Ranking
FAQs

MUJ Ph.D (Fashion Design) Fees

The Ph.D. (Fashion Design) Part Time program at MUJ has a straightforward and affordable fee structure. The key recurring charge is the Annual Fee of Rs. 30,000, payable each year until the final thesis is submitted. A one-time non-refundable Registration Fee of Rs. 10,000 is charged at the time of admission. Over the minimum duration of 4.5 years, the total program cost works out to approximately Rs. 1,45,000.

Fee Components

Fee Component	Amount (INR)
Registration Fee (one-time, non-refundable)	10,000
Annual Fee (per year, till thesis submission)	30,000
Annual Fee for Minimum Duration (4.5 years x Rs. 30,000)	1,35,000
Total Fees (Registration + Annual for minimum duration)	1,45,000
Hostel Fees - Double Occupancy (per year, optional)	1,74,050
Hostel Fees - Triple+Double Occupancy (per year, optional)	1,57,220

The Registration Fee of Rs. 10,000 is non-refundable.
Annual fees are payable each year until the final thesis is submitted.
If the scholar takes longer than the minimum duration, additional annual fees will apply.
For Foreign/NRI scholars: Registration Fee is USD 300 and Annual Fee is USD 1,100.
Hostel accommodation is optional and not mandatory for Part Time scholars.
Hostel fees shown are for the academic year 2026-27 and are subject to change.
A refundable security deposit of Rs. 24,250 is applicable if hostel accommodation is availed.
Fees can be paid via Demand Draft drawn in favour of 'Manipal University Jaipur' payable at Jaipur.

MUJ Ph.D (Fashion Design) Admission 2026

MUJ conducts Ph.D. admissions twice a year - in July and January. The selection process involves a written entrance test (conducted online) followed by an interview of shortlisted candidates. The January 2026 batch admission cycle has been completed. The July 2026 cycle is expected to follow a similar timeline as the July 2025 cycle.

MUJ Ph.D. Admission Schedule

Event	January 2026 Batch (Completed)	July 2026 Batch (Tentative)
Call for PhD Applications	December 8, 2025	June 2026 (Tentative)
Last Date to Apply	December 27, 2025	June 2026 (Tentative)
PhD Entrance Test (Online)	January 5, 2026	July 2026 (Tentative)
Interview of Shortlisted Candidates	January 6-8, 2026	July 2026 (Tentative)
Declaration of Results	January 9, 2026	July 2026 (Tentative)
Fee Submission and Document Verification	January 16, 2026	July 2026 (Tentative)
Last Date of PhD Registration	January 20, 2026	July 2026 (Tentative)
PhD Course Work Starts	January 21, 2026	July 2026 (Tentative)

Relevant Entrance Exam Dates

Exam	Registration Period	Exam Date	Result Date
GATE 2026	Aug 28 - Oct 13, 2025	Feb 7, 8, 14, 15, 2026	March 19, 2026
UGC-NET Phase 1 (Dec 2025)	Oct 7 - Nov 7, 2025	Dec 31, 2025 - Jan 7, 2026	February 4, 2026
UGC-NET Phase 2 (Jun 2026)	Apr 1 - May 1, 2026 (Tentative)	June 2026 (Tentative)	July 2026 (Tentative)
CSIR-NET (Jul 2026)	May 1 - May 21, 2026 (Tentative)	July 25-27, 2026 (Tentative)	September 2026 (Tentative)

Note: Candidates who have qualified UGC-NET/JRF, CSIR-NET/JRF, GATE, SLET, or M.Phil. are exempted from the MUJ PhD Entrance Examination. UGC-NET Visual Arts (Subject Code 29) is relevant for Fashion Design research scholars.

The dates mentioned above are tentative and subject to change.

Eligibility Criteria

Candidates must hold a Master's degree from a UGC-recognized institution with a minimum of 55% marks or a CGPA of 5.5 on a 10-point scale.
A candidate may register for Ph.D. in a department relevant to their field of study (Fashion Design or related design disciplines).
Candidates holding a qualifying degree from foreign universities must have their equivalence determined by the Directorate of Research (DoR) at MUJ.

Admission Process

Apply online at admissions.jaipur.manipal.edu during the application window.
Appear for the MUJ Ph.D. Entrance Test (online mode) - exempted if UGC-NET/JRF, CSIR-NET/JRF, GATE, SLET, or M.Phil. qualified.
Shortlisted candidates are called for a personal interview conducted by the department.
Results are declared, followed by fee submission, NOC submission, and document verification.
Final registration and commencement of coursework.

MUJ Ph.D (Fashion Design) Scholarships 2026

The Dr. Ramdas Pai Scholarship at MUJ is exclusively available to full-time Ph.D. scholars and is not applicable for Part Time scholars. However, Part Time scholars may benefit from general institutional scholarships available across all programs, and are encouraged to explore external funding options such as UGC-JRF, CSIR-JRF, and DST fellowships for their research.

Scholarship Details

Scholarship	Eligibility	Amount	Duration
Dr. Ramdas Pai PhD Scholarship	Full-time Ph.D. scholars only (NOT applicable for Part Time)	Rs. 35,000/month (Year 1), Rs. 40,000/month (Year 2), Rs. 45,000/month (Year 3)	Maximum 3 years
Scholarship for Differently-Abled Students	All programs, 40-75% disability	20% fee waiver on annual tuition fee	Per year (with CGPA >= 7.5)
Scholarship for Differently-Abled Students	All programs, >75% disability	50% fee waiver on annual tuition fee	Per year (with CGPA >= 7.5)
Scholarship for Wards of Martyrs of Defence Personnel	All programs	20% fee waiver on annual tuition fee	Per year (with CGPA >= 7.5)
Scholarship for Wards of Single Mother	All programs	20% fee waiver on annual tuition fee	Per year (with CGPA >= 7.5)
Conference Presentation Support (Full-time only)	Full-time scholars presenting at Scopus/WoS-indexed conferences	Up to Rs. 30,000 (one-time)	Once during program duration

The Dr. Ramdas Pai Scholarship is available only to full-time scholars.
Part Time scholars are not eligible.
Scholars with CSIR/UGC NET-JRF, DBT/ICMR JRF, or those engaged in EMR projects as JRF/SRF/RA/Project Fellow are not eligible for the Dr. Ramdas Pai Scholarship even if they switch to full-time mode.
All scholarship applications must be submitted through the proper channel.
A student may apply for only one scholarship per academic session.
Scholarship continuity requires maintaining a CGPA of 7.5 or above each year without any backlogs.

Manipal University Jaipur Ph.D Fashion Design Ranking

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MUJ Ph.D (Fashion Design) FAQs

Ques. Can a fashion industry professional pursue the Part Time Ph.D. in Fashion Design at MUJ while continuing their job?

Ans. Yes, the Part Time Ph.D. at MUJ is specifically designed for working professionals. Scholars can conduct research alongside their professional commitments in the fashion, textile, or design industry. However, they are expected to be present on campus for coursework, seminars, and interactions with their supervisor as required by the university's PhD regulations.

Ques. What is the difference between the Full Time and Part Time Ph.D. in Fashion Design at MUJ?

Ans. The Full Time Ph.D. requires scholars to be present on campus full-time and has a minimum duration of 3 years. The Part Time Ph.D. has a minimum duration of 4.5 years and is suited for working professionals. The fee structure is the same for both modes. However, the Dr. Ramdas Pai Scholarship (monthly stipend) is available only to full-time scholars.

Ques. What research areas are available under Ph.D. (Fashion Design) at MUJ for Part Time scholars?

Ans. Part Time scholars can pursue research in areas such as sustainable and eco-friendly fashion, textile design and innovation, fashion history and cultural studies, consumer behaviour in fashion, digital fashion and CAD-based design, fashion retail and merchandising, and design pedagogy. The research topic is finalized in consultation with the assigned supervisor from the Department of Fashion Design.

Ques. Is the MUJ Ph.D. entrance test mandatory for all Part Time applicants?

Ans. No. Candidates who have qualified UGC-NET/JRF, CSIR-NET/JRF, GATE, SLET, Teacher Fellowship, or hold an M.Phil. degree are exempted from the MUJ Ph.D. Entrance Test. They can directly appear for the interview round. UGC-NET Visual Arts (Subject Code 29) is the most relevant subject for Fashion Design scholars.

Ques. How many times a year does MUJ conduct Ph.D. admissions for the Part Time program?

Ans. MUJ conducts Ph.D. admissions twice a year - once in July and once in January - for both full-time and part-time modes. This gives candidates two opportunities annually to apply and join the program.

Ques. What is the total cost of the Part Time Ph.D. in Fashion Design at MUJ if completed in the minimum duration?

Ans. The total cost for the minimum duration of 4.5 years is approximately Rs. 1,45,000, which includes a one-time non-refundable Registration Fee of Rs. 10,000 and an Annual Fee of Rs. 30,000 per year for 4.5 years (Rs. 1,35,000). Hostel accommodation is optional and costs an additional Rs. 1,57,220 to Rs. 1,74,050 per year (2026-27 rates).