Ph.D. in Management Admission 2026-27 at NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad (10 Seats)

NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad, a residential University established by the NALSAR University Act, 1998 (Act 34 of 1998), invites applications for admission to the Ph.D. Programme in Management for the academic year 2026-27, offered by its Department of Management Studies.

The programme is designed to foster multidisciplinary research skills, develop leadership and entrepreneurial orientation, and strengthen engagement with organisations, institutions, the economy, society and the environment. NALSAR's interdisciplinary orientation places emphasis on the social moorings of law and on the relevance of social science methodologies for legal research, and the written entrance test itself examines proficiency in basic legal and social theory alongside management knowledge.

Indicative areas of research include, but are not limited to, finance, marketing, accounting, business analytics, business ethics, human resources, operations and information systems.

The University has 10 vacancies across Management and other cognate disciplines. NALSAR is especially seeking proposals in new and emerging areas with a cross-cutting focus on intersecting areas in management, and the area selected should enable the candidate to make an original contribution to knowledge.

Admissions against these vacancies shall only be made if a research proposal is found satisfactory and suitable. The University reserves the right not to fill the advertised seats if the Research Board does not find the requisite number of research-worthy proposals, and may admit more candidates if the Research Board finds proposals correlating with the University's research agenda. The University adheres to the national-level reservation policy in its admissions.

• Candidates who have obtained a Master's Degree or equivalent qualification in Management or other cognate disciplines from any recognised University or Autonomous Institution, securing not less than 55% marks or its equivalent.
• Candidates who have passed the Company Secretary Examination conducted by the Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) and been awarded Associate Membership of the Institute (ACS).
• Candidates who have passed the final examination of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI), New Delhi.
• Candidates who have passed the final examination of the Institute of Cost Accountants of India.

For candidates belonging to Scheduled Castes / Scheduled Tribes / Other Backward Classes (Non-creamy layer) / Persons with Disabilities / EWS, the requirement of marks at the Master's Degree is 50% or its equivalent. The University shall adhere to the University Grants Commission's Guidelines as decided from time to time.

Candidates must appear in a written entrance test of two hours' duration, to be held on 9 August 2026 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the NALSAR University of Law campus, Shamirpet, Hyderabad.

The examination carries 100 marks in two components: Multiple Choice Questions (40% weightage, 30 minutes) testing proficiency in basic legal and social theory and research and writing aptitude; and Analytical Questions (60% weightage, 90 minutes) seeking descriptive and analytical reflections that demonstrate theoretical and conceptual familiarity in management and research methodology.

Applicants who have qualified the UGC-NET / UGC-CSIR NET (including JRF) in their respective disciplines are exempted from writing the entrance examination.

The admission process has two stages. To be considered for the second stage, a candidate must secure 50% of the marks in the written examination, though the University may set a higher cut-off depending on the number of applicants and seats.

Qualified candidates and those exempted from the written test must submit a preliminary research proposal of 2,500-3,000 words (approximately 12-15 typed double-spaced pages, excluding references) following the University's prescribed template. Non-compliance with the template may result in disqualification. Proposals are scrutinised for plagiarism, and a similarity index above 15% (excluding appropriately cited sources, footnotes and bibliography) will bar the applicant from the interview. Applicants proposing topics already registered with the University may also not be called for interview.

Only applicants whose proposals clear the plagiarism check and are found researchable by the University Research Board are invited for an interview. Those qualifying the interview are provisionally admitted. Candidates who qualify the entrance test but fail the interview get a second opportunity to submit a proposal, on the Research Board's recommendation, without reappearing for the entrance exam.

The availability of internal expertise for research supervision is a key factor in the admission process; applicants are encouraged to review the University's faculty profiles and may contact faculty members whose specialisations conform with their research interests.

Each candidate shall have a Research Advisory Committee (RAC) consisting of the principal Supervisor allotted by the University Research Board and two experts nominated by the Supervisor and the candidate respectively.

Provisionally admitted candidates must compulsorily undergo 12 credits of coursework, including a Foundational Research Methodology course. After successfully completing the coursework, candidates defend their modified proposal before university faculty. Candidates pursuing the Ph.D. programme may assist in the teaching or research activities of the University.

• Registration fee with application: Rs 2,000 (Rs 1,000 for SC/ST)
• Admission Fee: Rs 10,000
• Tuition Fee: Rs 20,000 (one time, at the time of admission)
• Retention Fee for every completed six months: Rs 1,000
• Library Fee: Rs 5,000 p.a.; Internet Fee: Rs 8,000 p.a.
• Thesis Fee: Rs 12,000; Re-registration Fee: Rs 2,500 p.a.
• Resident candidates only: Electricity Rs 12,000 p.a., Generator Diesel Rs 5,000 p.a., Water Rs 12,000 p.a., Outsourced Services Rs 3,000 p.a., Room Rent Rs 24,000 p.a., Mess Advance Rs 40,000 p.a.
• Refundable deposits: Library Rs 5,000, Mess Rs 5,000, Hostel Rs 10,000 (Rs 4,000 for SC/ST)

Applications must be submitted online through the NALSAR application portal along with the registration fee of Rs 2,000 (Rs 1,000 for SC & ST) and the required documents. Online registration opened on 7 July 2026 and the last date of submission is 31 July 2026.

The email ID submitted at the time of registration will be used for all correspondence until enrolment is completed, and a change of email ID will not be permitted. Applicants are advised to consult the list of already registered Ph.D. topics before finalising a proposal, and to download the model test paper and the suggested proposal structure from the official notification page.

All correspondence relating to admissions should be addressed to the Registrar at registrar@nalsar.ac.in with a copy marked to phdadmissions@nalsar.ac.in.