Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy)

What is Ph.D.?

The Ph.D. degree, also known as Doctor of Philosophy is the highest level of academic degree anyone can earn. Students who have graduated from Ph.D. programmes are called “Doctors”. These Ph.D. graduates can use Dr. prefix before their name. Ph.D. is a research based degree. Ph.D. degree is given to those students who conduct original research and produce an original thesis offering a significant new contribution to knowledge in their subject.

A student can do a Ph.D. in two ways in India.

Full-time: Full time Ph.D. degree is for those students who dedicate all their time to research and stay in the university. The average completion time of a full time Ph.D. degree is 5 years.

Part-time: Part time Ph.D. degree is for those students who dedicate a part of their time to research and may be employed professionally. The average completion time of a part time Ph.D. degree is six-seven years.

Types of Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy)

To get an admission to Ph.D., candidates are required to have a postgraduate degree. Admission to this course is based on the merit and entrance test examination.

Ph.D. Eligibility

Students who want to pursue Ph.D. programme should have the required eligibility criteria. The detailed eligibility criteria for pursuing a Ph.D. is given below.

• Students who have a masters degree are eligible for admission into the Ph.D. programmes. For some subjects, students should have a Masters in Philosophy (M.Phil) for Ph.D. Although some universities ask for a specific percentage in master’s degree to be eligible for admission in Ph.D.

• If the student wants to take admission in a reputable university, he/she has to qualify the national level examinations like National Eligibility Test for Lectureship (NET) conducted by NTA. Final year students can also apply for the admission but they have to submit the copies of their qualifying degree certificates.

• Final admission is offered on the basis of interview. If the university takes admission on the basis of the written test and interview, students have to appear for both.

• If candidates want to pursue Ph.D. in the field of Engineering and Technology, he/she has to qualify Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) with good marks. Also, for admission in Ph.D. Engineering, candidates should complete his/her degree in M.Tech/M.E in any engineering branch.

Ph.D. Admissions

Admissions in some universities/institutes is offered on the basis of students merit in the entrance examination but admission process of the particular university/institute may vary as per its rules and regulations. In general, the admission process of Ph.D. is mentioned below.

• Application process of Ph.d. is available both online and offline.

• If a candidate is applying to a university, he/she should download the application form online from the official website of the university.

• Ph.D. programmes are offered as Full time and Part time in various disciplines of engineering, arts, management, commerce, science, humanities, finance, law, medicine and IT.

• Candidates can choose between Full Time and Part Time.

• Candidates should have a master’s degree for admission in Ph.D. Some universities offer admission to the students who have secured a minimum of 55 per cent or equivalent in their master’s degree.

• In some cases, doing a Masters in Philosophy (M.Phil) is a pre-requisite to begin a Ph.D course.

• The admissions in a Ph.D programme is done through an entrance test at the university level.

Top Ph.D. Exams

Some universities/institutes conduct their own entrance examination for admission into the courses. For Ph.D. also, some universities/institutes conduct the entrance test. The admission is offered on the basis of students performance in the entrance test. The top Ph.D. entrance examinations are given below.

Symbiosis Ph.D. Entrance Exam: This entrance examination for Ph.D. is conducted by the Symbiosis University.

• Candidates should have a master’s degree with a minimum of 55% aggregate marks from recognised universities.

• Candidates can fill an application form on Symbiosis University website.

• Candidates should appear for the entrance examination and personal interview.

• NET/SET/SLET/GATE/JRF/M.Phil qualified students don’t have to appear for the entrance examination.

• Final admission is given on the basis of merit in entrance examination, seat allotment, documentation and fee payment.

Bits Pilani Ph.d. Entrance Examination: This entrance examination for Ph.D. programme is conducted by Birla Institute of Science and Technology, Pilani.

• Candidates should have a master’s degree with at least 60 per cent aggregate marks.

• Candidates can apply for admission on BITS Pilani website.

• Candidates should appear for the written test and interview conducted by BITS Pilani.

• Admission will be based on performance in entrance examination, seat allocation, document verification and fee payment.

Some other entrance examinations:

• UGC NET Exam

• AIIMS Ph.D. Entrance Exam

• AIMA Ph.D. Entrance Exam

• Osmania University Ph.D. Entrance Exam

• NIPER Ph.D. Entrance Exam

• IISC Ph.D. Entrance Exam

• JNU Ph.D. Entrance Exam

• GITAM University Visakhapatnam Ph.D. Admission Test

• Kurukshetra University Ph.D. Entrance Exam

• Jamia Millia Islamia New Delhi Ph.D. Admission Test

• CSIR- UGC NET Exam

• BARC Ph.D. Exam

• University of Hyderabad Ph.D. Entrance Test

• NDRI Ph.D. Entrance Test

Ph.D. specializations

Ph.D. degree has specialisation in various disciplines. After completing the Ph.D. degree, the candidate gains a professional degree in that discipline. The names of various disciplines that are offered in India for the candidates to pursue their Ph.D are given below.

• Ph.D. in Statistics: As a Statistician, one can solve problems in businesses, healthcare industries, organisations by collecting and analysing data through statistical methods. If you have a doctoral degree in statistics, you will receive high salary packages.

• Ph.D. in Physics: After completing a doctoral degree in Physics, you can become a physicist, research advisor, physics professor etc. Many Ph.D. holders start their career in academics as postdoctoral researchers.

• Ph.D. in Engineering: Students can do a Ph.D. in various areas like chemical engineering, mechanics, materials science, computer engineering. Students can become director of any engineering college, engineering technician and project manager etc.

• Ph.D. in Computer Science: As a Ph.D. holder in Computer Science, students can become experts in any subfield of computer science. Students should have a master’s degree in Computer Science before taking admission in Ph.D.

• Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering: Chemical Engineering is a part of engineering that combines physical sciences and life sciences to solve problems in the use of chemicals, food, fuel, drugs etc. After you finish your doctoral degree in chemical engineering, you will get high salary packages.

Ph.D. Courses

When a student does a Ph.D. course, he/she has to do both course and research work. The Ph.D. programme course structure includes

• Course work: All candidates admitted to the Ph.D. programme will be required to complete the course work prescribed by the university during the initial one or two semesters.

• Pedagogy (A method of teaching):

• Qualifying examination:

• Preparation of Research proposal: What a student proposes to study during his/her PhD course is given in the research proposal. It is an outline of the student’s entire research process. It provides a summary of the information that will be discussed in the project.

• Thesis work: Thesis is a final project which a student submits to the professor at the end of his/her Ph.D. degree. It is a research paper in which a student does all the research work and after doing the research, he/she also analyses it.

When the student does the research work, he/she should include his/her contribution to the subject.

Students are assessed on the basis of their performance in the exams throughout the semester. Some universities also send their students abroad for Visiting Scholar Program and after returning to India, students start working on their thesis. Students submit their thesis in the last year of his/her degree.

Career Opportunities after Ph.D.

In today’s world, there is an immense scope for the students who have a Ph.D. degree. After completing the degree, students should track their potential and apply for the jobs on the basis of their expertise/interest. If you know about your interest area, you can surely get a good job.

Ph.D. degree holders have the opportunity to become lecturer/professor, human services worker, novelist/writer, journalist/editor/critic, philosophical journalist, researcher, scientist, independent consultant. From the financial sector to the public sector, Ph.D. holders are now everywhere. In general, most of the Ph.D. holders become university professors, industrial R&D lab professionals and start-ups mentors. Average salary of a Ph.D. holder in India is 4-5 LPA.

Top colleges which offer Ph.D. degree: