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Ph.D. in Communication Systems is a postgraduate degree course affiliated to the doctoral level and designed for candidates who would like to pursue higher learning in the field of communication systems and networks. The expected completion time for Communication Systems Ph.D. program ranges from 3 to 5 years. It includes the basic set of courses in the first year such as advanced communication networks, mobile and wireless communications, satellite communications, optical communication system and so on.To check the concept clarity there is a set of examinations for the first year. The next 2-4 years involve, conducting research on an individual topic in an area of specialization and writing a dissertation that presents an original work to the discipline. Other activities in the program comprise seminar presentations as well as capacity building in research, technical writing, and teaching.
The two most popular entrance examinations to study at the national level for the Ph.D. Communication Systems programs are GATE and NET. It is noteworthy that majority of institutes recognize the score obtained in GATE as a viable qualification for admission in addition to interview performance and academic record. Passing the UGC NET examination is compulsory for appointment as lecturers in India, and many universities prefer candidates who have passed this examination for the admission to the Ph.D. programme. There are other tests also, which are conducted to test the capability of the applicants which are institute specific and these tests include analytical ability test, subject knowledge tests, communication skills test and research skills test and on the basis of this the final selection is made. Students interested in the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores may also apply as internationals.
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Full Form | Doctor of Philosophy (Communication Systems) |
| Duration | Typically 4-5 years (full-time) |
| Course Level | Doctoral Level |
| Eligibility | Master's degree in Electronics & Communication Engineering, Telecommunication Engineering, or related field with a good academic record (often minimum GPA requirement) |
| Top Colleges (India) | Indian Institute of Technology (IITs), Indian Institute of Science (IISc), National Institutes of Technology (NITs), Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIITs) |
| Entrance Exams (India) | GATE (Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering), UGC NET (University Grants Commission National Eligibility Test) |
1. Pass the final examination of masters degree in electronics/electrical engineering or any equivalent degree with not less than fifty six percent marks or its equivalent grade point average.
2. Possess a valid score in any GATE/NET/Equivalent Exam. Some universities may have their own examination that is written or entrance test.
3. Provide research proposal that is related to the specialization that the university is offering and that the candidate is applying for consideration.
4. Submit letters of recommendation from the previous school or from employers, if any.
5. Clarify any interviews that the selection committee implied in the assessment of research potential/aptitude.
6. Any additional criteria that the university may set, such as work experience, publications, etc. Selection process involves academic performance, the outcome of entrance tests, research ability, and interview performance.
| Subject | Important Topics |
|---|---|
| Advanced Communication Theory | Information Theory: Entropy, Mutual Information, Channel Capacity Communication Signals & Systems: Random Processes, Spectral Analysis Error Correction Coding: Block Codes, Convolutional Codes, Turbo Codes Modulation & Demodulation Techniques: Advanced Analog & Digital Modulation Schemes (QAM, PSK, MSK, etc.) |
| Communication Networks | Network Architecture & Protocols (OSI Model, TCP/IP) Routing & Switching Algorithms Network Performance Analysis: Queuing Theory, Traffic Engineering Wireless Networks: Cellular Systems, Wi-Fi, Mobile Ad hoc Networks Network Security: Cryptography, Firewalls, Intrusion Detection |
| Signal Processing for Communications |
Digital Signal Processing (DSP) Techniques: Filtering, Transforms (FFT) Parameter Estimation & Source Coding |
| Communication System Design | Error Control Strategies: Forward Error Correction (FEC), Automatic Repeat Request (ARQ) Multiple Access Techniques: CDMA, OFDMA, NOMA Channel Coding & Decoding Techniques Communication System Optimization for Performance & Efficiency |
| Information Theory & Coding | Source Coding: Huffman Coding, Lempel-Ziv Coding Channel Capacity Theorems: Shannon's Theorem, Capacity of Fading Channels Error Correction Codes: Algebraic Codes, LDPC Codes, Reed-Solomon Codes Turbo Codes & Iterative Decoding |
| Advanced Topics (Electives) | Topics may vary depending on program & faculty expertise. Examples include: Optical Communication Systems, Satellite Communication Systems, Cognitive Radio Networks, Communication System Security, Information Theory & Quantum Communication |
| Research Methodology | Research Design & Proposal Writing Literature Review & Scientific Writing Quantitative & Qualitative Research Methods in Communication Data Collection & Analysis Techniques for Communication Systems Ethical Considerations in Research |
| Specialization | Jobs | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Communication Network Design & Optimization | Network Architect Network Engineer Routing & Switching Specialist Wireless Network Engineer |
$80,000 - $120,000 |
| Signal Processing for Communication Systems | Signal Processing Engineer Communication System Design Engineer DSP Algorithm Developer Audio/Video Signal Processing Engineer |
$90,000 - $130,000 |
| Information Theory & Coding | Error Correction Coding Engineer Communication System Security Specialist Channel Capacity Analysis Engineer Information Theory Researcher |
$100,000 - $140,000 |
| Optical Communication Systems | Optical Network Engineer Fiber Optic Communication Specialist Photonic Device Design Engineer Researcher in Optical Communications |
$95,000 - $135,000 |
| Wireless Communication Systems | RF (Radio Frequency) Engineer Wireless System Design Engineer Cellular Network Engineer Millimeter Wave & 5G Specialist |
$85,000 - $125,000 |
| Communication System Security |
Communication Security Engineer Network Security Architect |
$100,000 - $140,000 |
