PH.D IN ANIMAL SCIENCE: Course

PhD in Bioinformatics is a semester-based doctorate course in Bioinformatics. The course may have a duration of 3 to 5 years. This course offers research opportunities to the students in the field of Computational Biology and Bioinformatics.

At the end of the course, the students will have to submit their research papers on various topics related to Bioinformatics. Check the full list of Bioinformatics colleges in India.

To be eligible for the PhD in Bioinformatics course, you need to have a postgraduate degree in Biotechnology/Bioinformatics. Some colleges also consider candidates with a bachelor’s degree in Biotechnology or Bioinformatics who have enormous research experience.

Most of the reputed colleges demand for a minimum 50% marks in the bachelor's/Master's level to be eligible for this course.

For securing admission to the course, the candidates will have to appear for an entrance test followed by a personal interview. The candidates who perform well in the interview will be able to take admission to the college. Some of the most popular PhD entrance exams in India are UGC-NET, UGC-CSIR-NET, etc.

Syllabus

The syllabus for PhD in Bioinformatics is mostly the same for most universities. Given below are few of the important topics and subtopics covered in the course duration.

Admission Process

• The admission is done either based on the marks acquired by the candidates in the entrance exam or on their performance in their master degree course.
• In some cases, a personal interview may also take place.
• Some of the most common entrance tests for the PhD in Bioinformatics students are GATE, BINC (Bioinformatics National Certification Examination) and NET UGC.
• The application forms for entrance to the PhD courses are released in the month of May or June.
• The shortlisted candidates are either called for admission or they have to sit for the entrance test.
• All details related to the admission process can be found on the official website of the respective universities.

Read about the admission process of IIIT Hyderabad in detail.

Merit-Based Admission

• Step 1: Fill the application form: Once you have finalised the colleges, you will have to fill up the application form. The application forms will have to be submitted before the deadline.
• Step 2: Admission to the college: The candidates will be shortlisted based on their performance in their master's degree course. The marks requirement may vary from college to college.

Entrance-Based Admission

• Step 1: Fill the application form: The first step of the admission process is filling up the application form. Once you have successfully submitted the application form, you may proceed with the further steps of the admission process.
• Step 2: Appear for the entrance test: Most of the universities accept students based on the marks scored by them in the entrance test. The cut-off for the entrance test is determined by the college authorities.
• Step 3: Appear for an interview (optional): Some colleges also conduct a personal interview. The candidates will be shortlisted based on their performance in the interview.
• Step 4: Admission to the college: The final stage of the admission process is getting admitted to the college. For that, they need to submit all the required documents and pay the admission charges.

Eligibility

There are a few eligibility criteria that the students must fulfill if they wish to be a part of this course. Here, we have listed some of the most important eligibility criteria:

• The candidate must complete his masters in Science, Mathematics, Biotechnology or Bioinformatics from a recognized university.
• The candidates must have at least 50% marks in their post-graduation and graduation. The SC/ ST/ OBC/ PwD candidates may get certain relaxation.
• If the college conducts an admission test, the candidates must also clear the entrance test and perform well in the personal interview.

Entrance Exams

• There are a number of top institutes in India which conduct an entrance test followed by an interview for admission to the various PhD courses.
• The dates of the entrance test are released after the candidates have submitted their application forms.
• The exam dates for the present year have, however, been postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic.
• The latest updates regarding the dates of the entrance tests are yet to be released.

Here we have mentioned some of the most common entrance tests for the PhD Bioinformatics course:

• UGC NET Exam 2020: The UGC National Eligibility Test (NET) is conducted in various parts of the country for admission to the various PhD institutes. The examination is held in online mode and the total duration of the test is 3 hours.
• GATE 2020: GATE or Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering is the admission test for graduate engineering candidates. The examination is conducted for the MTech and PhD candidates.
• UGC CSIR NET 2020: Council of Scientific & Industrial Research – National Eligibility Test is the entrance examination for the post of Junior Research Fellowship post. The test is conducted twice every year in pen and paper mode.
• BINC 2020: Bioinformatics National Certification Examination is the examination conducted by the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India for admission to the various Bioinformatics-related courses in the country. The test is held in two parts.
• DTU PhD Entrance Test 2020: The Delhi Technical University Entrance Exam is held every year for the applicants who wish to pursue a PhD in various fields. The examination may be followed by a round of interviews.

FAQs

Ques. Are there any lucrative career paths related to the field of bioinformatics?

Ans. Yes, there are loads of career paths available for you. You may opt for an academic career. You can become a part of healthcare organizations, research institutes, pharmaceutical industries, and so on.

Ques. How many years will it take to complete my PhD in Bioinformatics?

Ans. It takes around 3-5 years to complete your PhD in Bioinformatics course.

Ques. Is it possible to study bioinformatics after graduating in computer science?

Ans. Yes, it is quite possible for the candidates to go for a Bioinformatics course after completing their graduation in Computer Science.

Ques. Is an entrance test necessary for admission to the PhD in Bioinformatics course?

Ans. Few universities conduct an entrance test followed by an interview. Some of the common entrance tests include UGC NET, GATE, UGC CSIR NET, etc.

Ques. What are some best PhD colleges in India for Bioinformatics??

Ans. Some of the top colleges/ universities are:

• Amity University, Noida
• International Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad
• Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology, Bhopal
• Karunya Institute of Technology and Sciences, Coimbatore

Ques. What is the eligibility criteria for a PhD in Bioinformatics course?

Ans. The candidates need to have a postgraduate degree in Maths, Science, Bioinformatics or BioTech.

Ques. What are the popular job profiles for the PhD in Bioinformatics students?

Ans. Common job profiles are Professors, Medical Coders, Bioinformatics Trainees, Clinical Bioinformaticians and many more.

Ques. What is the average tuition fee for the PhD in Bioinformatics students?

Ans. The average tuition fee is between INR 40,000 to INR 3,00,000.

Ques. Does AIIMS provide a PhD program in Bioinformatics?

Ans. Yes, AIIMS does provide a PhD course in Bioinformatics. However, you need to sit for an entrance test.

Ques. What should be the expected annual salary of a PhD in Bioinformatics candidates?

Ans. Your expected salary should be around 3 LPA to 15 LPA

Ques. Has the dates for the admission process to the PhD in Bioinformatics course been postponed?

Ans. Yes, all admission dates have been postponed due to the COVID-19 crisis.

Ph.D. (Bioinformatics) Fee Structure in India