Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering at IIT Kanpur

IIT Kanpur, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, offers Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering as a 3-year doctoral degree. The total fee on record is ₹74,300, which works out to about ₹25,000 a year.

Expect to spend most of your time on electrical machines, power systems, control systems and power electronics.

IIT Kanpur is a public/government institute, founded in 1959. This page brings together what is on record for this course at IIT Kanpur — fees, seats, eligibility, the admission route and placements — so you can judge it before you apply.

Most Ph.D programmes follow a similar pattern: the first year builds the foundations, the middle years go deep into the subject, and the final year is given over to electives, a major project and usually an internship.

Here that means electrical machines, power systems, control systems and power electronics. Typical first jobs: electrical engineer in power, manufacturing, electric-vehicle or utility companies.

The exact syllabus is set by the college or its affiliating university and changes from year to year, so ask IIT Kanpur for the current semester-wise plan.

The fee figures on record for this course are below. Fees are for the whole course unless marked otherwise, and apply to Ph.D programmes at IIT Kanpur as a group.

Colleges revise fees most years, and hostel, transport and exam charges are often billed separately. Confirm the current figure with IIT Kanpur before you pay anything.

To get into Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, you usually need a master's degree in a related subject.

IIT Kanpur accepts Joint Entrance Exam Main for its courses. Reserved-category candidates generally get a relaxation in the minimum marks. Check IIT Kanpur's prospectus for the exact cut-off this year.

In most years, admission follows these steps:

1. Check that you meet the eligibility above and register for the entrance exam in time.
2. Take Joint Entrance Exam Main and keep your scorecard.
3. Apply to IIT Kanpur on its website (www.iitk.ac.in) or through the enquiry form on this page, and take part in counselling if a state or central body runs it.
4. Once you are offered a seat, verify your documents (marksheets, ID, category certificate if any) and pay the admission fee to confirm it.

The most recent placement data we hold (2024) show an average package of ₹26.27 lakh, a median package of ₹19.9 lakh and a highest package of ₹24 lakh at IIT Kanpur. 913 students were placed that year. These are college-wide figures, not only for this specialisation.

Placement numbers vary a lot by year and by branch. Ask the placement cell for the branch-wise report of the last two batches.

IIT Kanpur runs 14 Ph.D specialisations in all. If this one is not quite right, compare it with:

• Ph.D. in Sociology
• Ph.D. in Chemistry
• Ph.D. in Physics
• Ph.D. in Statistics
• Ph.D. in Philosophy
• Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering
• Ph.D. in Mathematics
• Ph.D. in English (Literature, Linguistics and ELT)
• Ph.D. in Biological Sciences and Bio-Engineering
• Ph.D. in Psychology
• Ph.D. in Fine Arts
• Ph.D. in Economic Sciences
• Ph.D. in Computer Science and Engineering

Ask yourself — and the college — these questions first:

• Are you genuinely interested in electrical machines? You will spend 3 years on it.
• Can you manage ₹74,300 over the course, plus hostel and living costs? Ask about scholarships and education loans.
• Are the placement figures above good enough for your goals? Ask for the branch-wise numbers.
• How does IIT Kanpur compare with other colleges offering Ph.D in and around Kanpur?