Content Curator | Updated on - Mar 31, 2026

The Ph.D. in Electronics Engineering at UPES (University of Petroleum and Energy Studies), Dehradun, is a full-time, research-intensive doctoral program offered under the School of Advanced Engineering. The program spans a minimum of 3 years and a maximum of 6 years, covering advanced coursework, research methodology, and an original dissertation. The program fee is INR 1,00,000 per semester, though full-time scholars receive a 75% waiver, bringing the effective semester fee down to INR 25,000. Admission is primarily through the UPES Research Entrance Test (RET), with exemptions available for UGC-NET/GATE/CSIR/INSPIRE qualified candidates. The program covers a wide spectrum of research areas including VLSI, 5G/6G networks, signal processing, embedded systems, RF/antenna design, robotics, and semiconductor devices, making it a sought-after choice for aspiring researchers and academics in the electronics domain.

As of March 2026, the January 2026 intake session has already commenced (session began February 16, 2026). The next upcoming intake is the July 2026 batch. Based on the July 2025 admission cycle, the tentative dates for the July 2026 intake are: applications expected to open by April-May 2026, with the last date to apply around June 1, 2026, RET exam around June 11, 2026, and session commencement expected in late August 2026. Candidates are advised to monitor the official UPES PhD admissions portal at phd.upes.ac.in for confirmed dates.

Key Points

The program is offered under the UPES School of Advanced Engineering, which is ranked 42nd in Engineering by NIRF 2024.
Full-time PhD scholars are eligible for a monthly stipend of INR 25,000 during coursework and INR 30,000 thereafter, up to 3 years from session commencement.
Candidates who qualify national fellowships such as INSPIRE or CSIR-NET-JRF receive an additional INR 2,00,000 per year as a contingency/scholastic grant from UPES.
The program features state-of-the-art Electrical clusters for RF/Antenna design and Communication, funded by DST-FIST.
Research areas span VLSI design, 5G/6G networks, signal processing, embedded systems, robotics, opto-electronics, and semiconductor devices.
Faculty mentors include alumni and researchers from IITs, NITs, and top QS-ranked universities globally.
UPES has 51 faculty members listed among the top 2% researchers globally as per the Stanford University list (2025).
The program follows UGC PhD Regulations 2022, ensuring national academic recognition of the degree.
Scholars can participate in international conferences, workshops, and collaborative research with global partner universities in the UK, Germany, Australia, Canada, and the USA.

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Highlights
Fees
Admission
Scholarships
Ranking
FAQs

UPES PhD Electronics Engineering Fees

The Ph.D. in Electronics Engineering at UPES carries a program semester fee of INR 1,00,000 per semester. Full-time scholars benefit from a 75% waiver, making the effective fee INR 25,000 per semester. Over a minimum 6-semester (3-year) duration, the total effective fee for full-time scholars comes to INR 1,50,000, while the gross fee (before waiver) totals INR 6,00,000 for 6 semesters. A one-time refundable security deposit of INR 20,000 is also applicable at the time of registration.

Fee Structure

Fee Component	Per Semester (Gross)	Waiver (Full-Time)	Per Semester (Effective - Full Time)
Program/Tuition Fee	INR 1,00,000	75%	INR 25,000
Refundable Security Deposit (one-time)	-	-	INR 20,000 (one-time)
Total Fees (6 Semesters / 3 Years - Full Time, after waiver)	INR 6,00,000	-	INR 1,50,000 + INR 20,000 (security)

The 75% fee waiver is applicable for the full tenure of the PhD program for full-time scholars only.
The refundable security deposit of INR 20,000 is interest-free and returned upon program completion as per university norms.
Application fee of INR 1,000 is non-refundable and payable at the time of form submission.
Hostel facility is optional and not mandatory.
Hostel fees (for AY 2026-27) are as follows:
Bidholi Campus: INR 1,83,000/year (triple sharing, common washroom) or INR 2,32,000/year (double sharing, attached washroom - Girls only)
Kandoli Campus: INR 1,83,000/year (triple sharing, common washroom) to INR 2,20,000/year (triple sharing, attached washroom with AC - Girls only)
An additional interest-free refundable hostel security of INR 10,000 is applicable.
No EMI option is officially mentioned; fee payment is semester-wise as per the university's payment schedule.
All scholarships are payable as per the university's policy and are subject to change.

UPES PhD Electronics Engineering Admission 2026

Admissions to the Ph.D. in Electronics Engineering at UPES are conducted twice a year - for the January intake and the July intake. The selection process involves an online application, the UPES Research Entrance Test (RET) (exempted for UGC-NET/GATE/CSIR/INSPIRE/SET/GPAT qualified candidates), submission of a research proposal, and an online interview conducted via MS Teams. The January 2026 session has already commenced; the next cycle is the July 2026 intake, for which tentative dates are based on the July 2025 pattern.

UPES PhD Electronics Engineering Admission Dates

Event	Tentative Date (July 2026 Intake)
Application Portal Opens	April 2026 (tentative)
Last Date to Apply	June 1, 2026 (tentative)
RET Exam	June 11, 2026 (tentative)
RET Result Declaration	June 27, 2026 (tentative)
Submission of Research Proposal	July 5, 2026 (tentative)
Online Interview Booking/Scheduling	July 15, 2026 (tentative)
Interviews (Online - MS Teams)	July 28, 29 & 30, 2026 (tentative)
Interview Result / Offer Letters	August 12, 2026 (tentative)
Last Date to Pay Fee	August 17, 2026 (tentative)
Registration Date	August 22, 2026 (tentative)
Orientation	August 25, 2026 (tentative)
Commencement of Session	August 27, 2026 (tentative)

Accepted Entrance Exam Dates

Exam	Exam Date	Result Date	Remarks
GATE 2026	February 7, 8, 14 & 15, 2026	March 19, 2026	Valid GATE score exempts from RET
UGC-NET (Phase 1)	December 31, 2025 - January 7, 2026	February 4, 2026	Qualified candidates exempted from RET
UGC-NET (Phase 2)	June 2026 (tentative)	July 2026 (tentative)	Qualified candidates exempted from RET
CSIR-NET	July 25-27, 2025 (last held)	September 2025	Valid score exempts from RET
INSPIRE Fellowship	Ongoing (DST)	-	INSPIRE awardees exempted from RET

The dates mentioned above are tentative and subject to change.

Eligibility Criteria

Candidates must hold a Master's degree or equivalent in a relevant discipline (Electronics Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or allied fields) with a minimum of 55% marks or equivalent grade from a recognized university.
A relaxation of 5% (from 55% to 50%) is applicable for SC/ST/OBC (non-creamy layer)/Differently-abled candidates as per UGC norms.
Candidates with a 4-year Bachelor's degree (e.g., B.Tech) are also eligible for full-time admission, provided they have a minimum of 75% marks or 7.5 CGPA, along with a minimum of 75% in the UPES written test and interview, and preferably at least one research publication from their undergraduate project work in a peer-reviewed journal.

Admission Process

Fill the online application form at phd.upes.ac.in and pay the non-refundable application fee of INR 1,000.
Appear for the UPES Research Entrance Test (RET) - a 3-hour online proctored test (100 marks: 50 marks Research/General Aptitude + 50 marks Domain-specific). Candidates with valid UGC-NET/GATE/CSIR/INSPIRE/SET/GPAT scores are exempted.
Shortlisted candidates (RET qualified or exempted) must submit a research proposal of approximately 1,000 words to phd@upes.ac.in.
Book an online interview slot through the link shared by the university.
Appear for the online interview conducted via MS Teams.
Receive offer letter upon selection and pay the enrollment fee by the stipulated deadline.
Complete registration and attend orientation on campus.

UPES PhD Electronics Engineering Scholarships 2026

UPES offers a robust financial support ecosystem for PhD scholars in Electronics Engineering, combining institutional fee waivers, monthly stipends, and national fellowship top-ups. Full-time scholars automatically receive a 75% waiver on the program semester fee, and up to 100 scholars per batch are awarded a monthly fellowship. Additionally, UPES alumni enrolling in the part-time PhD program are eligible for a 50% fee waiver. The combination of stipend, fee waiver, and contingency grants makes the program financially accessible for meritorious candidates.

Scholarship Details

Scholarship / Financial Support	Amount / Benefit	Eligibility
Full-Time PhD Fee Waiver	75% waiver on program semester fee (effective fee: INR 25,000/semester)	All full-time PhD scholars
Monthly Stipend (Coursework Phase)	INR 25,000 per month	Selected full-time scholars (up to 100 per batch)
Monthly Stipend (Post-Coursework)	INR 30,000 per month	Selected full-time scholars (up to end of 3 years)
INSPIRE/CSIR-NET-JRF Contingency Grant	INR 2,00,000 per year (scholastic/research purposes)	Candidates with valid INSPIRE or CSIR-NET-JRF fellowship
Alumni Scholarship (Part-Time PhD)	50% fee waiver on part-time PhD program fee	UPES alumni (graduated 2021 onwards)
Employee Ward Scholarship	75% waiver on semester fee (Tuition + Academic Service)	Wards of UPES employees enrolled in part-time PhD
Employee Spouse Scholarship	50% waiver on semester fee	Spouses of UPES employees enrolled in part-time PhD

All scholarships and fellowships are payable as per the university's policy and are subject to change at the university's discretion.
The monthly stipend and fee waiver are applicable for the full tenure of the PhD program (subject to satisfactory progress).
The INSPIRE/CSIR-NET-JRF contingency grant of INR 2,00,000 per year is in addition to the university's fee waiver and stipend.
The university reserves the right to withdraw or modify fellowship amounts based on performance and policy updates.
Candidates are advised to confirm scholarship details at the time of admission offer.

UPES Ph.D Electronics Engineering Ranking

Collegedunia Ranking

#87 out of 762 in India 2025

#4th in Uttarakhand

NIRF Ranking

#43 out of 300 in India 2025

#2nd in Uttarakhand

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UPES PhD Electronics Engineering FAQs

Ques. Is the UPES RET exam mandatory for PhD admission in Electronics Engineering, or can I get an exemption?

Ans. The RET (Research Entrance Test) is mandatory for most candidates. However, if you have a valid score in UGC-NET, GATE, CSIR-NET, INSPIRE Fellowship, SET, or GPAT, you are exempted from appearing in the RET. Exempted candidates directly proceed to the research proposal submission and interview stages. This is a significant advantage for candidates who have already cleared national-level exams.

Ques. What is the actual fee I will pay as a full-time PhD scholar in Electronics Engineering at UPES?

Ans. As a full-time PhD scholar, you receive a 75% waiver on the program semester fee of INR 1,00,000, making your effective fee INR 25,000 per semester. Over the minimum 3-year (6-semester) duration, the total program fee comes to INR 1,50,000. Additionally, a one-time refundable security deposit of INR 20,000 is payable at registration. If you are among the selected 100 scholars, you also receive a monthly stipend of INR 25,000 (during coursework) and INR 30,000 (post-coursework), which effectively offsets the fee and living expenses.

Ques. What research areas are available under the PhD in Electronics Engineering at UPES?

Ans. The program covers a broad range of research domains including VLSI design, embedded systems, semiconductor devices, RF and antenna design, 5G/6G communication networks, signal processing, robotics and automation, optical systems, FPGA/ASIC design, wearable technologies, biomedical electronics, and high-performance computing. The School has dedicated DST-FIST funded labs for RF/Antenna and Communication research.

Ques. Can a B.Tech graduate (without a Master's degree) apply for the PhD in Electronics Engineering at UPES?

Ans. Yes, candidates with a 4-year B.Tech degree are eligible for full-time PhD admission at UPES, provided they have a minimum of 75% marks or 7.5 CGPA at the undergraduate level. They must also score a minimum of 75% in the UPES written admission test and the oral interview. It is also desirable (though not mandatory) to have at least one research publication from the undergraduate project work in a peer-reviewed journal. Note that part-time PhD admission is not available for 4-year Bachelor's degree entry-level candidates.

Ques. How is the interview conducted for PhD admission at UPES? Do I need to visit the campus?

Ans. The interview is conducted entirely online via Microsoft Teams. You do not need to visit the UPES campus for the interview. Once shortlisted after the RET (or if exempted), you will receive a link to book your interview slot. The interview evaluates your research proposal, domain knowledge, and research aptitude. Only the orientation and commencement of session require physical presence on campus.

Ques. What career opportunities are available after completing a PhD in Electronics Engineering from UPES?

Ans. Graduates can pursue academic careers as faculty or researchers at universities and research institutions. Industry opportunities include roles in R&D departments of electronics, semiconductor, telecom, and defence companies. Specific career paths include VLSI design engineer, embedded systems researcher, RF/antenna design specialist, 5G/6G network researcher, and AI/ML applications in electronics. UPES's strong industry partnerships with global enterprises also open doors to consultancy and technology transfer roles. Graduates with a strong publication record can also target positions at IITs, NITs, and other reputed institutions.