Admission Process

The doctoral program at IIM Amritsar aims to produce high-quality management researchers for careers in academia, government, and industry. The program structure comprises two years of rigorous coursework, followed by two years of research, culminating in a high-quality thesis with practical implications. IIM Amritsar admits students who have strong academic credentials, are highly motivated, and have the curiosity to pursue original research.

Candidates can apply to the following areas of specialisation: (1) Economics (2) Finance, Accounting & Control (3) IT & Computational Systems (4) Marketing & Communications (5) Quantitative Methods & Operations Management (6) Organizational Behavior & Human Resources Management and (7) Strategic Management

Basic eligibility criteria:

A candidate for the program must have one of the following qualifications obtained from any of the universities incorporated by an act of the central or state legislature in India or other educational institutions established by an act of parliament or declared to be deemed as a university under Section 3 of the UGC Act, 1956, or possess an equivalent qualification recognized by the Ministry of HRD, Government of India, or an equivalent qualification from an institution approved by AICTE, or any equivalent qualification from recognized foreign universities or institutions.

1. Master’s degree or Post Graduate Diploma or its equivalent in any discipline with first class

OR

1. B.Tech. / 4 Years Degree with 6.5 CGPA or equivalent

OR

1. Any professional qualification such as CA/ ICWA/ CS/ CFA- Level-II (USA) with a graduate degree in the relevant subject having a minimum of 55% aggregate marks or equivalent grade point average.

Those who are appearing for their final year of Master’s / Bachelor’s examination in the current academic year may also apply. However, their admission to the program will be provisional subject to their successful completion of all requirements for obtaining the relevant degree before 30th June 2026. These candidates are expected to submit their marksheet and degree certificate on or before December 31, 2026. Non-fulfilment of this condition will automatically result in the cancellation of the provisional admission.

Selection Process:

Candidates who fulfil the above eligibility criteria and are seeking admission into the program must take the Common Admission Test. Alternatively, those who have taken GATE, GMAT, GRE, or JRF (UGC/CSIR) (in the respective specialisation) examinations can also apply in the relevant area of specialisation. Scores of these examinations (including CAT) taken during the last two years (July 2024 or after) will be considered valid for the admission process.

The candidates shortlisted based on their academic record, performance in the competitive examinations mentioned above, and research interests will be called for a personal interview (including a Research Aptitude Test and a Written Analysis Test) for final selection in March/April 2026. The successful candidates will receive admission offers by the end of May 2026.

Application Process:

Online application window will open on November 17, 2025.

The last date for submitting the completed application form is February 28, 2026.

We will notify the shortlisted candidates by March 2026. All the shortlisted candidates need to appear for the online Research Aptitude Test (RAT) tentatively in March 2026 and should be available for the personal interview in April 2026 (tentative). Confirmed dates will be shared in due course.

Date of Research Aptitude Test (RAT): - will be notified

Date of Personal Interviews (PIs): - will be notified