Apply for the BITS-RMIT PhD Program

Are you ready to complete a PhD across two counties at two leading universities? Follow the instructions below to apply for the joint BITS-RMIT PhD Program.

Apply now

PhD Application timeline

All dates are approximate  August Intake  January Intake 
Applications submission period  Early September Mid-March 
First round interviews with supervisors  Mid-October Late April 
Second round interview with joint selection committee  Early November Mid-May 
Students receive letter invitation to formally apply to RMIT and BITS. 

Students formally apply to RMIT and BITS (separately and simultaneously)
Please note, the formal application process is lengthy so we encourage all students to apply as soon as possible to facilitate the timely processing of applications.) 

 Late November Early June 
Candidates begin coursework at BITS  Early August Early January

 

Information required to submit your application

You will need to prepare some documents before you commence your application. 

  1. Select your projects
  • Search for a suitable project to commence in July 2024 
  • Make a note of the Project codes for those you would like to apply for (eg. BITSRMIT123456). 
  • Shortlist up to two projects (you do not need to apply for both, this is optional) 
  1. Prepare a Statement of Purpose (SOP)

You will need one Statement of Purpose for each project you are interested in applying for.  Ensure you target the specific project.  Include the following in your statement: 

  • What motivated you to apply for this project 
  • Share your capabilities and how they are a great fit for this project 
  • Share how you would address the requirements of the project 
  • Additional requirements may be specified by the project – please read and understand these in the project details and include in your SOP. 

Your SOP should be submitted as a PDF or Word document, 1 page only, max 500 words. 

  1. Prepare supporting documents
  • C.V (Please include research experience, publications, awards/prizes) 
  • Academic transcripts 
  • Entrance certifications: GATE Certificate, UGC-NET, CSIR, ICAR, ICMR, DST-INSPIRE 
  • Any relevant papers/publications you have authored 
  • Any other relevant documents in support of your application 
  • Statement of Purpose including project proposal (One for each project applied for) (PDF) 

All documents should be PDF , max 4MB per document. If you experience issues uploading documents, contact us at enquiry-bitsrmitphd@pilani.bits-pilani.ac.in. 

  1. English language requirements

To enter Australia there are a number of requirements surrounding English language. 

Refer to item Number 20 in the RMIT English Language Proficiency Procedure.

You should be confident you will satisfy one or more of these requirements: 

  • I come from a recognised English speaking country AND I have a qualification that was taught and assessed entirely in English 
  • I am NOT from an English speaking country, however I have a postgraduate qualification from an accredited institution where English was the medium of instruction and assessment of study AND the final year of University study was completed during the 5 years immediately prior to this application
  • I have evidence of professional experience and/or academic publications in English, such as: sustained work for two years immediately prior to commencement at RMIT in a country where English is an official language OR authorship or co-authorship of at least two English language peer-reviewed journal articles or a book chapter written and published in English within the three years prior to commencement at RMIT 
  1. Visa for Australia
  • You will be required to apply for a student visa to visit Australia 
  • Refer to the Australian Government Department of Home Affairs for further information. Once you have been made a formal offer from RMIT and know the dates you will come to Australia, you can apply for the visa 

 

Application process

  • Select Apply Now and work through Parts A to E providing personal details, project selection and statement of purpose, qualification details, other specific information and upload relevant documents.
  • You will receive an initiation email once you have started your application. This will include a reference number so you can log back into your application if you don’t want to complete it in one session
  • Once you have submitted your application you will receive an acknowledgement of receipt
  • You only need to complete one application form. This form can list up to two projects of interest. Secondary application forms will be discounted
Apply Now

What happens after submission of application?

  1. Interview #1 – Supervisors

Successful applicants will be invited to attend a first-round interview with supervisors from BITS and RMIT. The interview will be held online via Microsoft Teams or Google Meet.

Successful first-round interviewees will be invited to a second-round interview with the Selection Committee. Unsuccessful applicants will exit the process.

  1. Interview #2 – Selection Committee

Successful first-round interviewees will attend a second interview with the Selection Committee. The interview will be held online via Microsoft Teams or Google Meet.

Successful second-round interviewees will receive a joint congratulatory letter to progress to formally apply via the RMIT and BITS admission systems. This letter will contain all the details of this process.

  1. Apply into the individual RMIT and BITS admission systems

Your position will only be guaranteed after successfully providing all the required documentation within the given timelines to ensure you are registered on the RMIT and BITS admission systems.

Please note, the formal application process is lengthy, so we encourage all students to apply as soon as possible to facilitate the timely processing of applications.

Overview and qualifications required
PhD Program duration and fees