Content Curator | Updated on - Mar 31, 2026

The Ph.D. (Law) at UPES School of Law, Dehradun, is a full-time, on-campus doctoral program designed for scholars seeking to make original contributions to legal knowledge and practice. Spanning a minimum of 3 years and a maximum of 6 years, the program covers research areas such as Corporate Law, Intellectual Property, Environmental Law, Cyber Law, and International Law. The program fee is INR 1,00,000 per semester, with a 75% waiver for full-time scholars, bringing the effective semester fee to INR 25,000. UPES School of Law is ranked 29th in India in the Law category (NIRF 2024), and the program is popular for its strong research culture, industry connections, and a monthly fellowship of INR 30,000 for selected full-time scholars. Admissions are held twice a year (January and July intakes), with selection based on the UPES Research Entrance Test (RET) followed by an interview; candidates with UGC-NET/GATE/SET/GPAT/CSIR/INSPIRE qualifications are exempted from the RET.

The upcoming admission season is the July 2026 intake. Based on the July 2025 intake timeline, the application deadline is expected around June 2026, with the RET exam tentatively in June 2026 and session commencement in August 2026. The January 2026 intake has already commenced (session started February 16, 2026), and the January 2026 batch is currently in progress. Applications for the July 2026 intake are expected to open by April-May 2026.

Key Points

UPES School of Law is ranked 29th in India in the Law category as per NIRF 2024.
Full-time PhD scholars receive a monthly fellowship of INR 25,000 during coursework and INR 30,000 after clearing the coursework examination, valid for up to 3 years from session commencement.
An annual contingency grant of INR 30,000 is available for consumables, experiments, and conference participation.
INSPIRE/CSIR-NET-JRF qualified candidates receive an additional INR 2,00,000 per year for scholastic purposes.
The program offers interdisciplinary research opportunities across Corporate Law, Intellectual Property, Environmental Law, Cyber Law, and International Law.
UPES has academic collaboration with the University of Law, UK, and a tie-up with Surana & Surana International Attorneys.
The program is offered in both full-time and part-time modes; full-time scholars benefit from a 75% fee waiver on semester fees.
Scholars with 2 publications as first author in Q1/Q2 journals may be eligible for an enhanced fellowship of up to INR 34,000 per month.
The admission process involves a two-step evaluation: RET (or exemption via national eligibility tests) followed by a panel interview conducted online via MS Teams.

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UPES PhD(Law) Fees

The Ph.D. (Law) program at UPES carries a base semester fee of INR 1,00,000. Full-time scholars receive a 75% waiver, reducing the effective semester fee to INR 25,000 per semester. For a minimum 6-semester (3-year) full-time program, the total tuition outgo after waiver amounts to INR 1,50,000. Part-time scholars pay the full INR 1,00,000 per semester with no waiver. In addition to the program fee, scholars are required to pay a one-time refundable security deposit and an application fee at the time of applying.

Fee Components

Fee Component	Full-Time (Per Semester)	Full-Time (After 75% Waiver)	Part-Time (Per Semester)
Program/Tuition Fee	INR 1,00,000	INR 25,000	INR 1,00,000
Application Fee (One-Time)	INR 1,000	INR 1,000	INR 1,000
Refundable Security Deposit (One-Time)	INR 20,000	INR 20,000	INR 20,000
Total Fees (3 Years / 6 Semesters - Tuition Only)	INR 6,00,000	INR 1,50,000	INR 6,00,000

The 75% fee waiver on program semester fee 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 is returned upon completion/exit from the program.
The application fee of INR 1,000 is non-refundable.
Hostel facility is optional and not mandatory. Hostel fees (if availed) at Bidholi/Kandoli Campus range from INR 1,83,000 to INR 2,32,000 per year depending on room type and campus, plus a refundable hostel security of INR 10,000.
Fee payment schedule: 1st semester fee is payable at the time of admission; subsequent semesters are payable as per the university's notified schedule.
All scholarships and fellowships are payable as per the University's policy and are subject to change.

UPES PhD(Law) Admission 2026

Admissions to the Ph.D. (Law) program at UPES are conducted twice a year, in January and July. The selection process involves a UPES Research Entrance Test (RET) followed by a panel interview; candidates who have qualified UGC-NET, GATE, SET, GPAT, CSIR, or INSPIRE are exempted from the RET. The January 2026 batch has already commenced. The next upcoming intake is July 2026, for which dates are tentative based on the July 2025 cycle.

College Admission Dates

Event	January 2026 Intake (Completed)	July 2026 Intake (Tentative)
Last Date to Apply	December 4, 2025	~June 2026
RET Exam	December 12, 2025	~June 2026
RET Result Declaration	December 24, 2025	~Late June 2026
Submission of Research Proposal	December 30, 2025	~Early July 2026
Online Interview Booking/Scheduling	January 8, 2026	~Mid July 2026
Online Interviews	January 19-21, 2026	~Late July 2026
Interview Result Declaration	February 5, 2026	~Early August 2026
Last Date to Pay Fee	February 8, 2026	~Mid August 2026
Orientation/Registration	February 12, 2026	~August 2026
Commencement of Session	February 16, 2026	~August 2026

Entrance Exam Dates

Exam	Exam Dates	Result/Key Dates	Official Website
UGC NET December 2025	December 31, 2025 - January 7, 2026	Results declared	ugcnet.nta.ac.in
UGC NET June 2025	June 25-29, 2025	Completed	ugcnet.nta.ac.in
GATE 2026	February 7, 8, 14, 15, 2026	Result: March 19, 2026	gate2026.iitg.ac.in

Note: Candidates who have qualified UGC-NET, GATE, SET, GPAT, CSIR, or INSPIRE are exempted from the UPES RET exam. Only the interview stage is mandatory for all candidates.

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 with a minimum of 55% marks (or equivalent grade) from a recognized institution.
A relaxation of 5% (from 55% to 50%) is applicable for SC/ST/OBC (non-creamy layer)/Differently-abled candidates as per UGC regulations.
Candidates in the final semester of their postgraduate program are also eligible to apply and appear for the RET; admission offer is subject to successful completion of the PG program.
Candidates with a 4-year Bachelor's degree (applicable for full-time only) must have a minimum of 75% marks or 7.5 CGPA, along with 75% marks in the UPES written test and interview, and desirably at least one research publication from their Bachelor's project.

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 with 100 marks (50 marks Research/General Aptitude + 50 marks Domain-specific); candidates with UGC-NET/GATE/SET/GPAT/CSIR/INSPIRE qualification are exempted.
Shortlisted candidates (RET-qualified and exempted) submit a research proposal of approximately 1,000 words to phd@upes.ac.in.
Book an online interview slot and appear for the panel interview conducted via MS Teams (no campus visit required).
Receive offer letter upon selection; pay the enrollment fee by the stipulated date.
Attend orientation on campus and commence the session.

UPES PhD(Law) Scholarships 2026

UPES offers a robust set of financial support mechanisms for PhD (Law) scholars, with the most significant being the built-in 75% fee waiver for full-time scholars and a monthly fellowship. Additional institutional scholarships are available for alumni, employees' wards, and sports achievers. In 2023-24, UPES awarded INR 46 crore in scholarships benefiting 6,844 students across all programs.

Scholarship Details

Scholarship / Fellowship	Amount / Benefit	Eligibility	Remarks
Full-Time PhD Fee Waiver	75% waiver on program semester fee (effective fee: INR 25,000/semester)	All full-time PhD scholars	Valid for full tenure of PhD program; subject to university policy
Monthly Fellowship (Coursework Phase)	INR 25,000 per month	Selected full-time PhD scholars (100 seats)	During coursework period
Monthly Fellowship (Post-Coursework)	INR 30,000 per month	Selected full-time PhD scholars	From clearing coursework exam until end of 3 years or thesis submission, whichever is earlier
Annual Contingency Grant	INR 30,000 per year	All full-time PhD scholars receiving fellowship	For consumables, experiments, conference participation
INSPIRE/CSIR-NET-JRF Contingency	INR 2,00,000 per year	Scholars with external JRF/INSPIRE funding	For consumables, experiments, international conferences
Enhanced Fellowship	Up to INR 34,000 per month	Scholars with 2 first-author publications in Q1/Q2 journals	Subject to university discretion
Alumni Scholarship	50% fee waiver on Part-Time PhD program fee	UPES alumni (graduated 2021 onwards)	Not applicable for full-time PhD; renewal requires min. 8 SGPA/CGPA with no backlog
Employee Ward Scholarship	75% on semester fee (Tuition + Academic Service)	Wards of UPES employees in Part-Time PhD	Applicable for 1st year; continuation subject to conditions
Vijay Scholarship (Sports)	35% to 100% on tuition fee	National/International level sports achievers	Subject to seat availability and Scholarship Committee approval
Domicile Scholarship	25% on tuition fee per semester	Uttarakhand domicile students	Submission of domicile certificate required at admission

All fellowships and scholarships are payable as per the University's policy and are subject to change/withdrawal at the University's discretion.
A student is eligible for only one type of scholarship at a time; the highest applicable scholarship is awarded.
Fellowship is available for a maximum of 100 full-time PhD scholars across all schools; seats are limited.
The monthly fellowship and fee waiver are separate benefits; full-time scholars receive both.

UPES Ph.D Law Ranking

NIRF Ranking

#18 out of 40 in India 2025

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UPES PhD(Law) FAQs

Ques. Is the UPES RET exam mandatory for PhD (Law) admission, or can I get exempted?

Ans. Candidates who have qualified UGC-NET, GATE, SET, GPAT, CSIR, or INSPIRE are fully exempted from the UPES Research Entrance Test (RET). They directly proceed to the research proposal submission and interview stage. Only candidates without any of these qualifications need to appear for the RET, which is a 3-hour online proctored test conducted via the Codetantra platform.

Ques. What is the actual fee I will pay as a full-time PhD (Law) scholar at UPES after the waiver?

Ans. As a full-time PhD scholar, you receive a 75% waiver on the program semester fee. The base fee is INR 1,00,000 per semester, so after the waiver, you pay only INR 25,000 per semester. For a 3-year (6-semester) program, the total tuition outgo is INR 1,50,000. Additionally, a one-time non-refundable application fee of INR 1,000 and a refundable security deposit of INR 20,000 are payable.

Ques. Do full-time PhD (Law) scholars at UPES receive a monthly stipend/fellowship?

Ans. Yes. UPES offers a monthly fellowship of INR 25,000 during the coursework phase and INR 30,000 after clearing the coursework examination, for up to 3 years from the commencement of the session. This fellowship is available for 100 full-time PhD scholars across all schools and is subject to the University's policy. Scholars with INSPIRE/CSIR-NET-JRF funding additionally receive INR 2,00,000 per year as a contingency grant.

Ques. Can I pursue the PhD (Law) program at UPES in part-time mode while working?

Ans. Yes, UPES offers the PhD (Law) program in both full-time and part-time modes. Part-time scholars pay the full semester fee of INR 1,00,000 per semester (no fee waiver). The monthly fellowship is also not available for part-time scholars. The eligibility criteria (minimum 55% in Master's degree) remain the same for both modes. Note that the 4-year Bachelor's degree entry route is only available for full-time candidates.

Ques. What research areas can I pursue in the PhD (Law) program at UPES?

Ans. The PhD (Law) program at UPES School of Law covers a wide range of research domains including Corporate Law, Intellectual Property Rights, Environmental Law, Cyber Law, International Law, Human Rights Law, Constitutional Law, and Energy Law. The program encourages interdisciplinary research, allowing scholars to incorporate perspectives from technology, economics, and policy into their legal research. The school has specific strengths in energy and petroleum law given UPES's overall focus.

Ques. Is the interview for PhD (Law) admission at UPES conducted online or do I need to visit the campus?

Ans. The interview is conducted entirely online via Microsoft Teams. You are not required to visit the UPES campus for the interview. However, the orientation and commencement of session are held on campus in Dehradun. International scholars who are selected are required to share documents needed for visa formalities with the university.