Ph.D. program

Ph.D. in Biological Engineering

The Ph.D. program in Biological Sciences and Engineering and has been developed with the aim of training bright, motivated, and creative students that have a deep passion for research. The Ph.D. program offers opportunity to students to pursue their research in any of the diverse areas of Biological Sciences and Engineering currently represented by the core or associated faculty members including but not limited to –

  • Genomics and Epigenetics

  • Neuroscience and Neurodegenerative Disorders

  • Biosensors and Bioimaging
  • Structural Biology and Computational Biology
  • DNA Regulatory Mechanisms and DNA Nanotechnology

    Further details about the Ph.D. program at IIT Gandhinagar can be found here.

    The details regarding admission to the Ph.D. program can be found here.

    IIT Gandhinagar also offers a Start Early Ph.D. admission to the highly motivated students interested in research. The details of this program can be seen here. 

    Curriculum

    Program Requirements

    Although the core of the PhD programme emphasizes top-quality research, there is also a coursework requirement in the PhD programme at IITGN. This coursework provides students with the fundamentals needed in their research and allows them to explore other areas. Students are also required to take project course(s) that foster a spirit of curiosity and creativity and prepare them to face a diversity of challenges.

    Students entering the programme will have to take total credits ranging from 96 through 100, out of which coursework credits (typical course is of 4 credits) can go anywhere between 16 through 20, depending upon the area of interest/discipline and the previous degree attained by the student.

    The thesis advisor and/or doctoral studies committee may set additional requirements of up to 32 credits for courses over and above the minimum requirements for graduation, for enhancement of knowledge. In addition, all PhD students are required to complete the PG Orientation Programme Aarohan (2 credits) and one course of Physical Education (0 credits). See the table below for a detailed description of the minimum coursework and research credits required. However, meeting this minimum credit requirement will not automatically lead to a PhD degree.

    Link of Advisories: NORMS FOR PhD PROGRAMME

    Courses offered by the Department

    Dept. Electives Courses:

    • BE 101 Introduction to Life Sciences: Fundamentals of Life (4 credits)
    • BE 301 Molecular Genetics (2 credits)
    • BE303 Bionanotechnology – Principles and Applications (4 credits)
    • BE 304 Introduction to Biomedical Engineering (4 credits)
    • BE401 Methods in Biology (2 credits)
    • BE403 Stem Cells: Science and Applications (4 credits)
    • BE404 Genetic Engineering – Principles and Applications (4 credits)
    • BE405 Introduction to Plant Biotechnology (4 credits)
    • BE406 Systems Biology (4 credits)
    • BE407 Introduction to Cell Biology (4 credits)
    • BE606 Neurophysiological basis of Movement (4 credits)
    • BE608 Molecular Basis of Neurodegenerative Diseases (4 credits)
    • BE610 Molecular Oncology (4 credits)
    • BE612 Biological Physics (4 credits)
    • BE613 Biochemistry (4 credits)
    • BE614 Biostatistics (4 credits)
    • BE616 Human Physiology (4 credits)
    • BE617 Novel Drug Delivery Technologies: Fundamental Principles and Engineering (4 credits)

    Upcoming revised/new Dept. Electives courses planned for academic year 2024-25 onwards

    • BE6XX Molecular Biotechnology (4 credits) (Lecture+Lab)
    • BE6XX Protein Biotherapeutics: Concept to Product (4 credits)
    • BE6XX Cellular Communications (4 credits)
    • BE6XX Biocomputing (Lecture+Lab) (2 credits) (2 credits)
    • BE6XX Peptides: Solid Phase Synthesis and Characterization (Lecture+Lab)
    • BE6XX Bioinformatics (2 credits) (Lecture+Lab)
    • BE6XX Advances in computational Biology (2 credits)
    • BE6XX Oligonucleotide and Cell based therapies (2 credits)
    • BE6XX Structural Biology or Advanced Biomolecular Crystallography (4 credits) (Lecture+Lab)
    • BE6XX Characterization of Biologicals (4 credits) (Lab)
    • BE6XX Cell Culture technologies (2 credits) (Lab)
    • BE6XX Immunoengineering (2 credits)