IIMC Opens PhD Admissions for 2025–26 Session

New Delhi: The Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) has announced the commencement of online applications for admission to its PhD programme for the 2025–26 academic session. The institute has invited eligible candidates to apply through its official website, iimc.gov.in. IIMC is a Deemed-to-be-University under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India.

As per the official notification, the online application process began on January 1, 2026, and interested candidates can submit their applications till January 30, 2026. The doctoral programme is being offered in both full-time and part-time modes.

The PhD programme will cover a wide range of research areas, including journalism, mass communication, digital media, advertising, public relations, strategic communication, political communication, film studies, and development communication. The institute has announced a total of 22 seats, of which 18 seats are for full-time candidates and four seats are for part-time candidates.

For full-time PhD admission, candidates must hold a master’s degree in journalism, mass communication, or allied disciplines with at least 55 per cent marks, or a four-year bachelor’s degree with a research component and a minimum of 75 per cent marks. In addition, applicants must have qualified UGC NET in Mass Communication and Journalism.

Part-time candidates must meet the same academic eligibility criteria and must also be currently employed, have at least three years of professional experience, and submit a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from their employer.

The selection process for full-time PhD candidates will be based on UGC NET scores and interview performance, with 70 per cent weightage given to UGC NET percentile and 30 per cent to the interview. No separate entrance examination will be conducted for full-time applicants. For part-time candidates, an offline entrance examination will be conducted at IIMC Delhi, unless the candidate is exempted due to valid UGC NET qualification.

The institute has also released a detailed schedule for the admission process. The part-time entrance examination will be held on February 15, 2026, and the results will be declared on February 20, 2026. The shortlist for interviews will be published on February 23, 2026, and interviews will begin from March 9, 2026. The final result is scheduled to be declared on March 19, 2026, followed by admission and document verification from March 23 to March 27, 2026. The PhD coursework will commence from April 1, 2026.

Candidates are required to pay an application fee of ₹2,500 for General category candidates and ₹1,500 for OBC/SC/ST/EWS/PwD candidates. International applicants are required to pay a fee of $100. The fee must be paid online and is non-refundable.

Applicants are advised to regularly visit the official website for updates related to admit cards, interview schedules, and further admission-related announcements.