IIT Madras Ph.D. interview process for material science can vary depending on the department and the faculty members involved in the selection process. Generally, the interview process would consist of the following stages:
Here are some tips that may help you prepare for your Ph.D. interview at IIT Madras for material science:
Overall, the Ph.D. interview process at IIT Madras is designed to evaluate the candidate's research potential, academic background, and communication skills. By preparing thoroughly and demonstrating your enthusiasm and commitment, you can increase your chances of success in the interview process.
I have a few friends who pursued an M.Tech (Research) at IISc Bangalore. They told me that placement opportunities are good and at par with the M.Tech program.
At IISc Bangalore, for any Engineering branch where the placements are good, you will get equal opportunities in M.Tech and M.Tech (Research).
Make sure to go for an M.Tech (Research) only if have a passionate interest in your branch because you will be working on your research project. Though you will be spending an extra 0.5 to 1 year on your research project, the coursework load will be comparatively less on you.
You will also get enough time to spend on a particular course, so you can go for your Ph.D. in that area with a more informed mind.
Some Business, Finance, and IT firms may not allow M.Tech (Research) students to sit for the placement process. However, core companies make no such differentiation.
Therefore, the placement of M.Tech (Research) at IISc Bangalore is pretty decent and at par with M.Tech.
Placements for MSIT programs at IIIT Hyderabad are not that great. The placement packages and profiles offered in the placement drive do not match the skill you learn in the program. If you are choosing these programs only because of placement, it will be better to consider other options. I know a little bit about this program as I have some friends who are pursuing it.
So, consider all these factors carefully and talk to the students pursuing the course if necessary, before making any decision. Hope it helps.
In IISc Bangalore, the MTech (Research) students sit for placements along with MTech (Course) students. In fact, MTech (Research) students are often treated as rivals by the course students. Here are a few reasons for their differences
Because of the above reasons, the majority of MTech (Research) students get placed better than course students. These research students usually go into 3 streams, theory, systems, and intelligent systems. The placement scenario for each has been given below
Although research is time-consuming, the light coursework helps the research students prepare for placements. Over the past few years, MTech (Research) students receive packages around INR 22 LPA and the scenario is just going to get better!
My brother is a student of MSIT at IIIT-H and the following points are his experience at the institute:
Hope you find this helpful.
The personal interview for a Ph.D. at IIT Madras takes place after a written test. In case your Undergraduate branch and PG branch are not the same, be ready to justify them with plausible reasons.
Some tips that will help you prepare for this interview are
All these pointers will help you ace the Ph.D. interview.
My friend had the opportunity to appear for the written test and interview at IIT Hyderabad for Ph.D. this year in July for the Communication and Signal Processing Electrical Engineering department. There were 2 tests conducted out of which the first comprised 6 questions. 5 questions were based on probability and random processes while the other one was on signal and systems. The test lasted for 2 hours. The questions asked in this fest were quite difficult and tested functions of one and two random variables.
For the second test, a transfer junction was provided and 9 questions were asked related to it. The entire test lasted for an hour. The questions in the test were comparatively easier than those of the first. The only challenge was to complete the lengthy questions in a short duration of 1 hour.
Out of the 60 applicants that appeared with my friend, only 8 were shortlisted for the interview.
Overall, the professors were very supportive and helped students wherever necessary. The duration of the interview is around 20 minutes.
My brother shared his experience of pursuing an MS in Biomedical Engineering (BME) at the Dept of Applied Mechanics (App Mech). BME is a multidisciplinary branch and covers a number of fields. The BME department has 8 professors in different fields of Biomedical Engineering namely
My brother worked in Biomedical Ultrasound Lab under the guidance of Prof. Arun K Thittai and was fortunate enough to have graduated with two conference abstracts and two journal publications in reputed journals of the Biomedical Ultrasound Imaging field. He had the absolute delight of having received his degree within 2 years which is a rare case.
From his batchmate's experience, even the other professors were approachable and humble, always ready to guide him in every possible way. It’s the professors’ continuous nudging that enabled students to achieve their research goals.
If you are concerned about the job prospects then rest assured as most of his batchmates landed good jobs in top R& D companies of India. So, go for this program without much thinking and pursue your passion in the same.
The specific interview questions asked during a Ph.D. interview in thermal engineering at IIT Madras may vary based on the particular research interests of the applicant and the research interests of the faculty members conducting the interview. However, some possible general interview questions that may be asked in a Ph.D. interview in thermal engineering at IIT Madras are:
It is important for the applicant to thoroughly research the specific research interests of the faculty members they are interested in working with, as well as the current research being conducted in the department, to prepare for the interview
My friend is a PhD student at IIT Madras and shared his interview experience which is similar in all the branches.
Candidates are shortlisted based on written exams that make it easy for the panels to choose among the best. This exam comprises basic GATE-level MCQs and very few questions related to the department. The entire selection procedure is wrapped in 3-4 days. The written test is quite basic and is checked by research or teaching assistants. A few departments like applied mechanics have some difficult questions related to the discipline. But this is a rare occurrence.
Usually, the level of difficulty of the exam depends on the number of candidates. It’s advisable to go through the basic topics before attempting the written test and you are good to go.