PhD: Full Form, Admission 2024, Fees, Syllabus, Entrance Exam, Career Scope

PhD(Doctor of Philosophy) is a doctoral degree with an academic focus. A PhD course usually takes three years, and candidates need to complete the course within a maximum period of five to six years. However, the course duration may vary from one institute to the other. Aspirants need a master's degree to be eligible to pursue a Ph.D. program. Candidates can pursue a Ph.D. program in any stream. In a PhD course, aspirants need to select a topic or a subject, do in-depth research on it, and answer any queries related to the topic/ subject. 

Earlier, candidates could pursue Ph.D. courses through the distance mode, however, as per a circular issued by UGC in 2017, it has been informed that a Ph.D. course pursued through the distance education mode would no longer be recognised. Candidates who have cleared entrance exams like UGC NET, GATE, JEST, and the like are usually offered fellowships while pursuing a PhD course. Apart from this, universities such as IGNOU and Delhi University (DU) also offer fellowships to students pursuing full-time PhD courses with them.

To pursue a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) course, candidates need to meet certain eligibility criteria, i.e., candidates should have a postgraduate degree in a relevant field with a minimum specified percentage, often around 55 percent or an equivalent grade. Top entrance exams for PhD admission include JEST, GATE, UGC NET, CSIR NET, etc. Top colleges for Ph.D. programs in India include Jamia Millia Islamia, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi University, Banaras Hindu University, etc.

PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) Course Details: Highlights

What is PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) Course?

PhD, also known as Doctor of Philosophy, is a research degree pursued in furtherance of academic or research pursuits. The course can either be pursued in full-time or part-time mode but cannot be pursued in distance mode. PhD is a professional degree requiring time for primary and secondary research activities. Therefore, before pursuing this course, one must understand its demands. Upon completing a PhD, one can switch to better-paying career options such as academics or research. 

Why should pursue PhD? (Doctor of Philosophy)

One can pursue a PhD to fast-track their career and pursue varied options ranging from university teaching to consultancy and departmental research fellowship. The number of PhD enrolments is increasing yearly, owing to part-time options available for working professionals. This makes the Ph.D. a top-rated academic program, especially for those candidates who wish to become experts in a particular area of research. Some of the advantages of PhD are as follows:

• Better Salary
• Development of Research Skills
• Demonstrate expertise in relevant field
• Demonstrate Communication skills and leadership qualities.

Full-Time Research Scholars

Admission Process for PhD (Doctor of Philosophy)

In order to secure admission to Ph.D. or research programs offered by the educational institute, aspirants need to go through the below-mentioned steps:

Step 1: Visit the official website of the educational institute, go through all the details of the PhD courses offered by the institute, and select the area of research the candidate wants to pursue.

Step 2: Candidates need to watch for any newspaper admission advertisement or visit the university's official website to fill out the application form for admission to the course of their choice. Usually, the admission notification is released 4-5 months before the commencement of the course cycle.

Step 3: Next, candidates must fill out and submit their application forms for the Ph.D. course per the schedule shared by the educational institute. Aspirants must also ensure they pay the application fee on time and submit all the required documents and their application form for PhD admissions.

Step 4: Some educational institutes also specify that candidates must submit a research proposal and application form. The application form and the research proposal are submitted to the Research Unit of the educational institute, where the application is scrutinized.

Step 5: After scrutiny of the Ph.D. course application form is complete, most of the educational institutes shortlist the names of the candidates who need to appear for the entrance exam and other admission rounds conducted for shortlisting aspirants for admission in Ph.D. programs.

Step 6: Candidates selected for Ph.D. programs based on the admission rounds are assigned supervisors/ guides for their Ph.D. research.

Doctor of Philosophy Eligibility Criteria

Aspirants are eligible to pursue a PhD course only if they have completed their master's degree in a similar course/ field/ stream in which they want to pursue a PhD. Some colleges also specify that candidates need to have completed an MPhil to pursue a PhD course they offer.

Many colleges also state that candidates meet the eligibility criteria for Ph.D. programs they offer if they have cleared UGC NET. Candidates pursuing a Ph.D. in Engineering must possess a valid GATE score.

Top PhD Entrance Exam 2024

PhD Syllabus

The syllabus for the PhD program will depend on the subject the student opts for. Note that the PhD program is available in almost all the major disciplines, including - Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Bio-Sciences, Clinical Research, Zoology, Applied Sciences, Economics, Social Work, Literature, Arts, Psychology, and Social Sciences.

The student will get around 3-5 years to complete their Ph.D. program. At the end of the program, the student will have to submit an original research thesis on a particular topic. 

The research paper may include topics like:

• Introduction to the subject
• Research Design
• Research Foundation
• Quality Standards
• Measuring Structure and Size

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