To apply for the Full time residential Doctoral Program (Ph.D.) at IIM Shillong, following are the eligibility criteria.

• A master’s degree post bachelor’s degree obtained in 10+2+3 pattern with at least 55% marks (or equivalent CGPA) in the bachelor’s level and 60% (or equivalent CGPA) in the master’s level.
• (OR)
• A 5-year integrated master’s degree obtained after completing higher secondary schooling in 10+2 pattern, with at least 55% marks in the bachelor’s level (if explicitly provided) and 60% in the master’s level.
• (OR)
• A professional qualification – CA, CS, CMA (with a minimum of 50% marks) in addition to a Bachelor’s degree (with at least 55% marks or equivalent).
• (OR)
• A four-year/eight-semester Bachelor’s degree with a minimum of 65% marks or equivalent.

Additional Information about admission to Ph.D. Fulltime residential 2027 admission.

Note:

• In case a candidate is awarded grades/CGPA instead of marks, the equivalence would be based on the equivalence certified by the institution/university from where they have obtained the bachelor's degree. In case the institution/university does not have any scheme for converting the CGPA into equivalent marks (or percentages), the equivalence would be established by IIM Shillong by dividing the obtained CGPA by the maximum possible CGPA and multiplying the result by 100.
• If a candidate belongs to the following reserved categories – Scheduled Caste (SC)/Scheduled Tribe (ST)/Persons with Disabilities (PwD)/Non-creamy Other Backward Classes (NC-OBC)/Economically Weaker Sections (EWS), the minimum degree marks requirement for eligibility as part of the basic eligibility criteria given above will be relaxed by 5 percentage points.
• The Bachelor's/Master's degree or equivalent qualification should be 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 UGC Act, 1956; or be recognized by the Ministry of HRD, Government of India; or possess an equivalent qualification from an institution approved by AICTE.

Candidates in their last year of a Master's/Bachelor’s program that would qualify them to apply may also apply. Such candidates, if selected, will only be allowed to join the program provisionally if they submit a certificate latest by May 31, 2027 from the Principal/Head of the Department/Registrar or Director of the university/institute (issued on or before May 31, 2027) stating that they have appeared for the examinations (including practical examinations) in all the subjects required for obtaining the Master's/Bachelor’s degree/equivalent qualification. Their admission will be confirmed when they submit mark sheets and a certificate of having completed the Master's/Bachelor’s degree/equivalent qualification referred in the certificate issued by the Principal/Registrar of their college/institution. The deadline for the submission of Marksheet and Certificate is December 31, 2027. Non-fulfillment of previously mentioned basic eligibility criteria at the end of their Master’s/Bachelor’s program will automatically result in the cancellation of their provisional admission.

• Qualified Common Admission Test (CAT) held by IIMs in last 2 years form the date of application, or
• Candidates who have valid GATE, GRE, GMAT, UGC – NET (JRF and/or Eligibility for Assistant Professorship and/or Admission to PhD only), and CSIR UGC-NET (JRF and/or Eligibility for Assistant Professorship and/or Admission to PhD only) examinations till February 2027 (or as per notification) can also apply in the relevant area of specialization
• Candidates who have already obtained a two-year PGDM from any of the IIMs with a CPGA equivalent to 60% or more are exempted from the above requirement and can apply directly through the prescribed Application Form.
• Admission to the program is open to overseas candidates including NRIs and foreign nationals. Their admission will be based on valid GMAT/GRE scores including the other criteria as mentioned above.

The validity of the CAT and the other standard test scores are given in the following table. The scores should be valid on the deadline for submission of the application form. Note: Online GMAT/GRE (take-home) exam scores are not valid. Only test center-based GMAT/GRE scores are valid.
Government of India guidelines for reservation are followed during admissions.

Limit, Test Scores, Selection Process, Reservation Policy, Program Duration and Financial Support guidelines, Hostel Accommodation, Expenses for PhD admissions at IIM Shillong must be adhered to.

Provisions of the National Eligibility Test (NET) for Admission to PhD Full-Time residential program as per UGC Norms.

Beginning with the academic year 2024–25, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has mandated that scores from the National Eligibility Test (NET) will be accepted for admission to PhD program across all universities and Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs). This move eliminates the need for separate entrance examinations conducted by individual institutions.

Under the revised framework, Ph.D. admissions will be categorized as follows:

• Category 1: Admission to PhD with Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) and eligibility for appointment as Assistant Professor.
• Category 2: Admission to PhD without JRF but with eligibility for appointment as Assistant Professor.
• Category 3: Admission to PhD only, without eligibility for JRF or Assistant Professorship.

For Categories 2 and 3, the admission process will be based on a 70% weightage of NET scores and 30% weightage for interview/viva voce. NET scores for these categories will be valid for one year from the date of result declaration.

This change aligns with the UGC’s efforts to streamline PhD admissions and reduce the burden of multiple entrance exams for aspiring scholars.

From June 2024 onwards, therefore, the NET candidates will be declared eligible in three categories:

• Category 1: Eligible for (i) admission to PhD with JRF and (ii) appointment as Assistant Professor.
• Category 2: Eligible for (i) admission to PhD with JRF and (ii) appointment as assistant Professor.
• Category 3: Eligible for admission to PhD program only and not for the award of JRF or appointment as Assistant Professor.

The determination of the eligibility of NET for different categories is summarized below: