Phd in Tech: Admission Information 2026

Broad areas of research in the PhD program at the Faculty of Technology:

• Climate-Responsive Building Design, Construction, and Operation
• Daylighting and Artificial Lighting
• Indoor Air/Environmental Quality, Low Energy Cooling Systems
• Automation and Lean Construction
• Construction Materials
• Construction Project Management

Minimum Qualifications & Eligibility Criteria

• A Bachelor's degree in Civil, Electrical, Mechanical, Environmental, Computer Science, Information Technology, Urban Planning, Urban Design and Architecture is required.
  
• A professional Master's (or equivalent) degree in fields related to Planning (Urban planning, Infrastructure, Housing, Transport, or any other planning programs) or in Urban Design, Civil, Electrical, Mechanical, Environmental, computer science, information technology, energy engineering, Urban Design and Architecture  Geomatics/Geoinformatics/Geographical Information System/Remote Sensing, or Master’s degree in Geography, Physics, Economics, Environmental Science, Climate Studies,  Development Studies, is also acceptable. Applicants who have completed a 1-year/2-semester Master’s degree with a 4-year/8-semester Bachelor's degree are also eligible to apply.
  
• Applicants in the general category shall have a minimum of 55 % aggregate marks, and those in the reserved categories shall have a minimum of 50 % aggregate marks in a Master's degree (or equivalent) from a recognised University/Institution.

CEPT University offers financial assistance in form of full tuition fee waiver for doctoral students. However, a registration/continuation fee of Rs 30,000/- per semester will be applicable for the entire term of registration in the program.

The applicants seeking admission in the PhD program shall be eligible for the President's Scholarship, amounting to *Rs 40,000 per month for one year of coursework residency. The selection for the President’s scholarship will be based on the applicants’ performance during the admission process. For students outside this scholarship scheme, there will be an opportunity to work on campus as teaching or research associates or tutors, as applicable. They shall be paid as per the University norms for each position.

Students enrolled in the Doctoral Program at the Faculty of Technology, in the stream of Building Energy Performance (BEP), are eligible to apply for the Doctoral Research Fellowship under the PhD Support Program instituted by the CEPT Research and Development Foundation (CRDF). The fellowship support will be provided in the form of technical assistance, research and infrastructure support, and complete financial support for the entire duration of the doctoral studies. In addition, selected students will be offered a Doctoral Research Fellow position at the Centre for Advanced Research in Building Science and Energy.

Intake: 5 seats in the Faculty of Technology
Reservations as per CEPT PG policy

Entrance Exam Procedure

Step 1: The admission applications will be reviewed by the admission selection committee, and the shortlisted applicants will be called for a written test and admission interview.

Step 2: Written test: This will comprise one impromptu response essay of 500 words on any relevant debatable issue related to: architectural built environment, history, and theory

There will be a separate section in the written test that will focus on research methodological debates.

The essay will be evaluated on the:

[i] logical flow of the narrative,

[ii] strength of analysis,

[iii] critical thinking, and

[iv] communication/articulation

Step 3: Admission interview with the admission selection committee and announcement of final selected applicants.

Admissions timeline for Monsoon/July 2026 intake.

• Last date for receiving applications- 10 Apr (Extended)
• Announcement of shortlisted for Interview- 17-Apr
• Admission written exam & interviews- 4-6 May*
• Announcement of admitted candidates- 8-May
• Admission secure fee payment by- 20-May
• Monsoon Semester begins- 20-Jul

*these dates are subject to change depending upon the availability of the admission committee members