The Ph.D. Programme at the Department of Electrical, Electronics and Communication Engineering, IIT Dharwad offers research opportunities under the broad disciplines of Electrical Engineering e.g. Communications, Signal Processing and AI/ML, Integrated Electronics, Circuits and Devices, Power Systems and Power Electronics, and Control & Automation. The programme is aimed at promoting research, innovation, and critical thinking in core and interdisciplinary fields, expanding the frontiers of knowledge, and training human resources for research that caters to the needs of the nation.

The structure of the Ph.D. Programme is two-pronged involving credits accumulated through coursework and a research thesis. It undertakes collaborations, sponsored projects, and other forms of research through engagements with organizations in the public and private sectors. The department provides exposure to a rich knowledge base by facilitating interactions with industry experts, thinkers, scientists, and academics from India and abroad. Lectures, workshops, seminars, industry visits, and other similar avenues of thinking/learning are made available to all students. 

The department has well-equipped labs with sophisticated research equipment for cutting-edge research, development, and dissemination e.g. OpalRT real-time simulator (under purchase process), microgrid(under purchase process), high-performance computers, network analyzer, basic software-defined radios (SDRs), advanced SDRs supporting 4G LTE protocol stack, DSP kits, and Deep learning server, etc.

Researchers are also offered opportunities of pursuing research under
various scholarships. The department caters to scholars undertaking
projects and other defined academic schemes while mentoring them through
experts from within the Institute and outside. A hostel facility is also normally provided to scholars during the residential period requirements of their research.

Applications are called twice a year around the month of March/April and October/November. Details rules, regulations, and admission criteria can be found here.