The Indian Maritime University (IMU), a central university under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Government of India, has announced admissions for its PhD (Full-time/Part-time), Integrated PhD, and MS (By Research) programmes for the academic year 2025–26. The University’s headquarters is located at Semmencherry, Sholinganallur, Chennai.
The research programmes are offered across four schools — Marine Engineering & Technology, Nautical Science, Maritime Management, and Naval Architecture & Ocean Engineering. Indicative thrust areas for research include marine security, naval architecture , green and renewable technologies, cyber security for seaports, marine environment and pollution studies, autonomous shipping, marine propulsion systems, maritime management , blue economy, recycling, and seafarer well-being.
Eligibility
For the PhD programme, applicants must hold:
A 1-year/2-semester Master’s degree after a 4-year Bachelor’s programme, or
A 2-year Master’s degree after a 3-year Bachelor’s degree, or
A 4-year Bachelor’s degree with 75% marks (70% for SC/ST/OBC-NCL/EWS/Differently-abled), or
An M.S (By Research) awarded by IMU.
Mariners holding Master/MEO Class I Certificates of Competency or PGDMOM qualifications with two years of teaching experience in IMU or affiliated institutes are also eligible.
For Integrated PhD and MS (By Research) programmes, a relevant UG degree with 55% marks (50% for reserved categories) is required. Mariners with a Master/MEO Class I CoC are eligible.
Selection Process
Admissions will be based on a written test and interview.
The written test will have 50% Research Methodology and 50% subject-specific questions.
Candidates scoring at least 50% (45% for reserved categories) in the test will qualify for the interview.
Exemptions from written test apply for candidates with valid UGC-NET/CSIR-NET/GATE/CEED/CAT, JRF/SRF in IMU-affiliated research projects, and scientists of Level ‘B’ and above with at least two years of experience, subject to eligibility criteria. Such candidates will be directly called for the interview.
Final selection will carry 70% weightage for written test and 30% for interview. For candidates directly eligible for the interview, the final decision will be based on interview performance alone.
Fellowships
IMU offers six university fellowships each year for full-time PhD scholars. The fellowship amount is ₹31,000 per month for the first two years (JRF) and ₹35,000 per month for the third to fifth years (SRF).
How to Apply
Applications must be submitted online at the IMU website by 20 December 2025.
The dates for the written test and interview will be announced later. Programmes will commence on 1 March 2026.
