Content Curator | Updated on - Apr 8, 2026

The Ph.D. (Mechanical Engineering) programme at Sarala Birla University (SBU), Ranchi is a full-time, on-campus doctoral research programme offered under the Faculty of Engineering and Computer Science. The programme focuses on advanced research in core mechanical engineering disciplines including Design Engineering, Thermal Engineering, Production Engineering, CAD/CAM, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), Manufacturing Technology, Renewable Energy Systems, and Sustainable Engineering. With a minimum duration of 3 years (6 semesters), the programme follows UGC Regulations 2018 and SBU's Academic Council Ordinance. The total programme fee is approximately INR 3.16 Lakhs for the entire programme. The Mechanical Engineering department has 5 seats per session for the PhD programme. The primary selection route is through SBU's Offline PhD Entrance Test, with exemption available for candidates holding GATE, UGC-NET, CSIR-NET, or similar national fellowships. The programme is well-suited for M.Tech/M.E. graduates in Mechanical Engineering who wish to pursue research careers in academia, PSUs, defence organisations, or the manufacturing and energy sector.

Admissions for the 2026-27 session are expected to open tentatively in November 2026, based on the pattern of previous years (the 2025-26 session opened in November 2025). As of March 2026, the 2025-26 Spring session admissions are closed, with admissions having been completed by January 2026. Candidates interested in the upcoming session should monitor the official SBU website (sbu.ac.in) for announcements expected around October-November 2026.

Key Points

The Ph.D. (ME) programme at SBU is a full-time on-campus programme requiring a minimum residential period of six semesters at the university.
The ME department has 5 PhD seats per session, with research focus areas spanning Design, Thermal Engineering, Production Engineering, CFD, and Sustainable Manufacturing.
The department has a dedicated CFD Simulation Laboratory with advanced computational tools for modelling and analysis, reflecting strong alignment with current industry requirements.
Laboratories include a Manufacturing Lab (CNC, lathe, milling machines), Thermal Engineering Lab, CAD/CAM Lab (AutoCAD, CATIA, SolidWorks), Fluid Mechanics Lab, Materials Testing Lab, and Simulation Lab (ANSYS, MATLAB).
Candidates with GATE qualification (ME paper) are directly exempted from the SBU PhD Entrance Test and are called directly for the interview.
A limited number of University Research Fellowships (URF) are available for meritorious full-time scholars, providing a monthly stipend of INR 25,000 for the first two semesters and INR 28,000 for the next two semesters.

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Highlights
Fees
Admission
Scholarships
FAQs

SBU Ph.D. (ME) Fees

The Ph.D. (Mechanical Engineering) programme at SBU involves a one-time payment at the time of admission and a per-semester fee payable each semester. The one-time charges include an application fee, provisional admission fee, degree fee, and caution money totalling INR 31,000. The per-semester fee is INR 47,500, covering tuition, development, exam, and ICT charges. For the full 6-semester (3-year) programme, the total course fee amounts to INR 3,16,000. Hostel accommodation is optional and available at an additional annual charge of INR 96,000.

Fee Breakdown

Fee Component	Amount (INR)
Application Fee (One-time)	1,000
Provisional Admission Fee (One-time)	15,000
Degree Fee (One-time)	5,000
Caution Money (One-time)	10,000
Tuition Fee (Per Semester)	38,500
Development Fee (Per Semester)	5,000
Exam Fee (Per Semester)	2,500
ICT Fee (Per Semester)	1,500
Per Semester Total	47,500
Total Programme Fee (6 Semesters + One-time)	3,16,000

Caution Money of INR 10,000 is refundable at the time of leaving the university, provided there are no outstanding dues or penalties.
Application fee of INR 2,000 (paid separately at the time of applying online via IOB Payment Gateway) is non-refundable under any circumstances.
Hostel Fee: INR 96,000 per year (optional, not mandatory). A security deposit of INR 5,000 is also applicable for hostel residents (refundable).
Full Time PhD scholars are required to maintain a minimum residential period of six semesters at the university campus.
If a student withdraws before commencement of classes, a processing charge of INR 10,000 is deducted and the remaining fee is refunded. Refund percentages reduce progressively based on the date of withdrawal after classes commence.
University Research Fellowship (URF) holders receive INR 25,000/month for the first two semesters and INR 28,000/month for the next two semesters (limited seats, merit-based).

SBU Ph.D. (ME) Admission 2026

SBU conducts PhD admissions typically twice a year (Autumn and Spring sessions). The 2025-26 Spring session admissions have been completed. Based on the previous year's schedule, the upcoming 2026-27 Autumn session is expected to follow a similar timeline. Candidates with GATE/UGC-NET/CSIR-NET qualifications are directly eligible for the interview round, bypassing the entrance test. The ME department offers 5 seats per session, and selection is based on a combination of entrance test performance, academic record, and interview.

SBU PhD Mechanical Engineering Admission Schedule

Event	Tentative Date (2026-27)
Online Application Opens	November 2026 (Tentative)
Last Date for Online Application	December 2026 (Tentative)
Offline PhD Entrance Test	December 2026 (Tentative)
Interview of Selected Candidates	December 2026 (Tentative)
Final Selected Candidates List	December 2026 (Tentative)
Admission Begins	January 2027 (Tentative)

Note: The 2025-26 Spring session followed this schedule: Application open Nov 11, 2025; Last date Dec 11, 2025; Entrance Test Dec 22, 2025; Interview Dec 18, 2025; Final list Dec 24, 2025; Admission Dec 29, 2025 - Jan 5, 2026.

Relevant Exam Dates

Exam	Registration	Exam Date	Result
GATE 2026	Aug 28 - Oct 13, 2025	Feb 7, 8, 14, 15, 2026	Mar 19, 2026
UGC-NET (Phase 2)	Apr 1 - May 1, 2026 (Tentative)	Jun 1, 2026 (Tentative)	Jul 1, 2026 (Tentative)
CSIR-NET	May 1 - May 21, 2026 (Tentative)	Jul 25-27, 2026	Sep 4, 2026 (Tentative)

Note: Candidates who have already qualified GATE/UGC-NET/CSIR-NET or hold DBT/BINC/ICMR-JRF/DST-INSPIRE or similar national fellowships are exempted from the SBU PhD Entrance Test but must appear for the interview.

The dates mentioned above are tentative and subject to change.

Eligibility Criteria

Candidates must hold an M.Tech./M.E./M.Sc.(Engg.) or equivalent degree in Mechanical Engineering or a relevant branch from a recognized university with a minimum of 55% marks or 6.0 CGPA on a 10-point scale.
SC/ST candidates are eligible with a relaxation of 5% marks (i.e., minimum 50% marks).
University employees must obtain a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the university before appearing for the admission test; employees from other organizations must produce an NOC from their respective employers before fee payment.

Admission Process

Fill the online application form on the SBU admissions portal (admission.sbu.ac.in) and pay the application fee of INR 2,000 via IOB Payment Gateway.
Candidates without national fellowship/GATE exemption must appear for the Offline PhD Entrance Test at the SBU campus.
Candidates shortlisted based on the entrance test are called for an Offline Interview.
Final selection is based on a composite score: Entrance Test (out of 100), Academic Record (out of 60), and Interview (out of 40), totalling 200 marks.
Minimum qualifying marks: General - 40% in entrance test and 45% overall; SC/ST - 35% in entrance test and 40% overall.
Submit original documents for verification at the time of interview, including marksheets, certificates, and migration certificate.
Complete admission formalities and fee payment within the stipulated admission window.

SBU Ph.D. (ME) Scholarships 2026

SBU offers a range of institutional scholarships applicable on the tuition fee component for PhD students. These scholarships benefit meritorious students and those from special categories, helping reduce the overall financial burden of the programme. The University Research Fellowship (URF) is particularly valuable for full-time ME research scholars, providing a monthly stipend to support dedicated research work in mechanical and thermal engineering domains.

Scholarship Details

Scholarship Type	Eligibility Criteria	Benefit
Merit Scholarship	Outstanding academic performance	Up to 50% on tuition fee
Defence Personnel Scholarship	Serving or retired defence personnel and their wards	15% on tuition fee
SBPS Students Scholarship	Students from Sarala Birla Public School	25% on tuition fee
Freedom Fighters Scholarship	Freedom fighters and their immediate families	10% on tuition fee
Differently Abled Scholarship	Students with special abilities (PwD)	25% on tuition fee
Kashmiri Migrants Scholarship	Kashmiri migrant students	15% on tuition fee
University Research Fellowship (URF)	Merit-based, limited seats (Full Time scholars)	INR 25,000/month (Sem 1-2); INR 28,000/month (Sem 3-4)

Scholarships are applicable on the tuition fee component only and are not applicable on hostel fee, transport fee, or other charges.
URF is available only for full-time PhD scholars and is awarded based on merit; the number of fellowships is limited.
Scholarship applications and eligibility are assessed at the time of admission; candidates must submit relevant supporting documents.
Government scholarships such as SC/ST/OBC post-matric scholarships from the Jharkhand state government and e-Kalyan scholarships (Govt. of Jharkhand) may also be applicable separately.

SBU Ph.D. (ME) FAQs

Ques. What are the key research areas available under Ph.D. (Mechanical Engineering) at SBU?

Ans. The ME department at SBU has active research in Design Engineering, Thermal Engineering, Production and Manufacturing Engineering, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), CAD/CAM, Finite Element Analysis (FEA), Renewable Energy Systems, and Sustainable Manufacturing. The department has a dedicated CFD Simulation Laboratory and a Thermal Engineering Lab. Candidates are advised to contact the department or email rnd@sbu.ac.in to discuss specific research topics and supervisor availability before applying.

Ques. Is GATE (ME) mandatory for PhD Mechanical Engineering admission at SBU?

Ans. No, GATE is not mandatory. SBU conducts its own Offline PhD Entrance Test for candidates who do not hold a national qualification. However, candidates with a valid GATE score in Mechanical Engineering (ME) are exempted from the entrance test and are directly called for the interview. UGC-NET, CSIR-NET, DBT-JRF, ICMR-JRF, and DST-INSPIRE qualifications also provide exemption from the entrance test.

Ques. What is the total fee for the Ph.D. (ME) programme at SBU, and is there any financial support available?

Ans. The total programme fee for 3 years (6 semesters) is INR 3,16,000, which includes one-time charges of INR 31,000 and per-semester fees of INR 47,500 x 6 = INR 2,85,000. The caution money of INR 10,000 is refundable. Additionally, a limited number of University Research Fellowships (URF) are available for meritorious full-time scholars, providing INR 25,000/month for the first two semesters and INR 28,000/month for the next two semesters.

Ques. How many seats are available for PhD ME at SBU, and what is the selection process?

Ans. The ME department has 5 seats per session for the PhD programme. Selection is based on a composite score of Entrance Test (100 marks), Academic Record (60 marks), and Interview (40 marks), totalling 200 marks. Candidates must score at least 40% in the entrance test and 45% overall (General category) to qualify.

Ques. What career opportunities are available after completing Ph.D. (Mechanical Engineering) from SBU?

Ans. PhD (ME) graduates from SBU can pursue careers in academia (Assistant Professor positions in engineering colleges), research positions in PSUs like BHEL, NTPC, DRDO, ISRO, and BARC, as well as in automotive companies, aerospace firms, manufacturing industries, and energy sector organisations. The growing focus on sustainable manufacturing, electric vehicles, and renewable energy makes mechanical engineering research highly relevant in today's industry landscape.

Ques. What simulation and design tools are available for PhD ME research at SBU?

Ans. The ME department at SBU is equipped with industry-standard tools including ANSYS (for FEA and CFD), MATLAB, AutoCAD, CATIA, and SolidWorks. Laboratory facilities include the Manufacturing Lab (CNC machines, lathe, milling machines), Thermal Engineering Lab (heat transfer, refrigeration, IC engines), CAD/CAM Lab, Fluid Mechanics Lab (flow measurement, turbomachinery), Materials Testing Lab (tensile, compression, hardness, impact testing), and a dedicated CFD Simulation Laboratory for advanced computational modelling and analysis.