IIM Kozhikode Ph.D: Fees 2026, Course Duration, Dates, Eligibility

Ans. The Regular DPM is a fully-funded full-time track for candidates aiming at academic careers in management research. It carries no tuition fee and pays INR 42,000 to INR 50,000 per month depending on stage. The Teaching Track blends online and campus-based coursework and costs INR 5,00,000. The Practice Track is for experienced professionals integrating industry knowledge with research and costs INR 12,50,000. All three tracks lead to the same IIM Kozhikode doctoral qualification.

Ans. No. IIM Kozhikode requires that the entrance test score must not be older than 3 years from the application closing date. This applies to CAT, GMAT, GRE, JRF, and GATE scores. The only exception is for candidates who opt for the IIMK Test, which is conducted by the institute and has no validity restriction. Candidates whose test score has lapsed must re-appear for any recognised test or register for the IIMK Test option instead.

Ans. The DAC is the final stage of the selection process and is conducted by faculty of the chosen specialisation area. It is a content-specific interview assessing research orientation, awareness of current literature, and ability to articulate a research problem. A candidate applying to Finance is expected to demonstrate awareness of finance research debates, while one applying to Marketing is assessed on marketing theory and methods. Strong preparation includes reading recent journal publications in the chosen area before the interview.

Ans. The CQE is a written examination typically held in the second or third year to confirm comprehensive command of the specialisation before independent thesis research begins. Passing it at IIM Kozhikode triggers a fellowship increase from INR 42,000 to INR 45,000 per month. A further increase to INR 50,000 follows the successful defence of the thesis proposal. Scholars who do not clear the CQE within the permitted attempts are typically asked to exit the programme per IIM Kozhikode doctoral regulations.

Ans. IIM Bangalore pays a flat INR 52,000 per month throughout the programme, which is higher than the IIMK pre-CQE rate of INR 42,000 but lower than the post-proposal rate of INR 50,000. IIM Calcutta uses the same three-stage structure as IIMK: INR 42,000 pre-CQE, INR 45,000 post-CQE, and INR 50,000 post-proposal. IIM Bangalore provides additional housing subsidies for off-campus scholars, while IIMK offers up to INR 5,00,000 in conference and contingency grants. The overall financial package across all three institutions is broadly comparable for Regular track scholars.