PhD Courses

Mohit Dhulia
Updated on December 29, 2023

A PhD is a doctorate degree that emphasizes academic and research work. A national or university-level entrance exam is used to determine PhD admissions. A Ph.D. program typically lasts three years, with candidates having five to six years to complete the program. However, the length of the course varies by institute. To be eligible for a PhD program, applicants must have completed a master’s degree.

A student must complete coursework, a thorough examination, research work, and a dissertation to earn a doctoral degree. In addition, the PhD’s primary goal is to train the next generation of researchers and scientists for the academic society.

An Overview of Doctor of Philosophy

Course Name	Doctor of Philosophy
Course Duration	4-6 Years
Requirement for Course Completion	coursework, presentation, submission of progress reports, defence of thesis
Admission Procedure	Direct Admission/entrance exams
Courses offered for a PhD	PhD computer science, Phd in Psychology, PhD in History, PhD in Physics,PhD in Business Administration, PhD in engineering, Phd in Economics, PhD in Nursing
Online PhD Courses	IISc Bangalore, Dr. BR Ambedkar Open University Hyderabad, IGNOU, Madhya Pradesh Bhoj Open University
PhD Programs that are fully funded	Students need to clear UGC NET exam to get funded by the government
Top Institutes	IITs, IISc, Jadavpur University, Delhi University, JNU

Relevant Links
Ph.D. (computer Science)	Ph.D. (microbiology)	Ph.D. (biochemistry)
Ph.D. (environmental Science)	Ph.D. (geology)	Ph.D. (home Science)

PhD Eligibility Criteria

Only those candidates who have completed their master’s degree in a similar course/field/stream to the one in which they wish to pursue a PhD are eligible to apply for a PhD program.
Some colleges also require candidates to have completed an M.Phil before enrolling in a PhD program.
Aside from that, many colleges state that candidates who have passed the UGC NET meet the eligibility requirements for their PhD programs.
Candidates interested in pursuing a PhD in Engineering must have a valid GATE score.

PhD Admission Procedure

Aspirants must follow the steps outlined below in order to gain admission to the educational institute’s PhD or research programs:

Step 1: Visit the educational institute’s official website to learn more about the PhD programs it offers and to choose the area of research that the candidate wishes to pursue.
Step 2: Candidates should look for admission advertisements in newspapers or go to the university’s official website to fill out an application form for admission to the course of their choice. Typically, admission notifications are sent out 4-5 months prior to the start of the course cycle.
Step 3: Following that, candidates must complete and submit their PhD application forms according to the educational institute’s schedule. In order to be considered for PhD admissions, applicants must pay the application fee on time and submit all required documents with their application form.
Step 4: Candidates may also be required to submit a research proposal along with their application form by some educational institutions. The application form, along with the research proposal, is submitted to the educational institute’s Research Unit, which conducts the application review.
Step 5: Following the completion of the PhD course application form, most educational institutes shortlist the names of candidates who will be required to take the entrance exam and other admission rounds in order to be considered for admission to their PhD programs.
Step 6: Candidates who are accepted into PhD programs after passing the admission rounds are assigned supervisors/guides to help them with their research.

Suitable candidates for a PhD program

A Doctor of Philosophy is an excellent choice for students who want to pursue a career in academia or research.
This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to broaden one’s horizons on a subject that one enjoys. It is a source of immense pride and respect for the person who wishes to pursue a Doctor of Philosophy degree.
To determine whether you are capable of completing a Doctor of Philosophy, you should have a serious discussion with your lecturers and former Doctor of Philosophy students who can better guide you.
Students should look into various Doctor of Philosophy programs to get a sense of what PhD degrees entail. Only after students have grasped the entire structure should they decide to pursue a Doctor of Philosophy.

PhD: Important Skills Required

Any aspirant who wishes to pursue a PhD in a subject or field of their choice must have a strong interest in and passion for the subject. A PhD requires aspirants to study a topic in depth, so candidates must have the necessary skill set and dedication, as well as be extremely hardworking. Aside from these abilities, candidates should be capable of conducting research and collaborating on the results of their own research.

A PhD also requires aspirants to be quick and good at presenting their ideas and findings, so candidates must be comfortable with written communication and have strong writing skills.

The following are some important skills to have if you want to pursue a PhD:

Inquisitive	Good at research
Dedicated	Hard-working
Good writing capacity	Organised
Self-motivated	Keen observer

Types of PhD programs

There are three types of PhD programs: full-time, part-time, and online.

A Full-time PhD Program

A full-time PhD program is similar to a traditional Doctor of Philosophy program. These PhD programs take between 4-6 years to complete. Students devote the majority of their attention and concentration to Doctor of Philosophy subjects.

In comparison to other types of PhD degrees, the cost of a full-time Doctor of Philosophy program is the highest. Full-time PhD students fall into one of three categories. Government/Semi-Government Fellowship Recipients, Institute Research Scholars with Teaching Assistance, and Self-funded PhD Candidates.

A Part-time PhD Program

PhD programs can be completed part-time in some cases. Part-time PhDs are typically awarded to candidates who work in reputable research organizations, academic institutes, and industries, preferably in close proximity to the campus.

Part-time doctoral students are required to complete the same number of academic credits and other criteria as full-time students, so the program takes 7-8 years to complete.

An Online PhD Program

PhD programs offered online are currently a very popular academic course. Thousands of people have completed their Doctor of Philosophy online because they were unable to complete their degree in person. The primary goal of online PhD programs is to provide postgraduate students and working professionals with higher education.

PhD Programs in Different Streams

Science Stream:

PhD Chemistry	PhD Physics
PhD Mathematics	PhD Biotechnology
PhD Zoology	PhD Botany
PhD Computer Science	PhD Microbiology
PhD Biochemistry	PhD Environmental Science
PhD Geology	PhD Home Science
PhD Life Science	PhD Humanities
PhD electronics	PhD Anthropology
PhD Yoga	PhD Applied Chemistry
PhD Applied Mathematics	PhD animal Nutrition

Arts Stream:

PhD English	PhD Economics
PhD History	PhD Hindi
PhD Sociology	PhD Political science
PhD Psychology	PhD Geography
PhD Tamil	PhD Sanskrit
PhD Library and Information Science	PhD Social Work
PhD Philosophy	PhD Humanities and social Science
PhD Music	PhD Urdu
PhD Public Administration	PhD Social Sciences
PhD in Arts	PhD in fine Arts

The Medical Stream

MD Biochemistry	MD Forensic Medicine
MD anesthesiology	MD Pulmonary Medicine
PhD Physiology	MD Skin and VD
PhD Pathology	MD TB and Chest
MD Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation	PhD Medicine
MD Homoeopathic Organon of Medicine	PhD Radiology
MD Homeopathy	PhD Psychiatry
PhD Hospital Management	PhD Cardiology
MD Cardiology	MD Neurology
PhD Immunology	PhD Neuroscience

Engineering Stream:

PhD in Mechanical Engineering	PhD in Computer Science and Engineering
PhD in Civil Engineering	PhD in Electrical Engineering
PhD in Electronics and Communication Engineering	PhD in Electrical and Electronics Engineering
PhD in Information Technology	PhD in Chemical Engineering
PhD in Electronics and Telecommunication	PhD in Bioinformatics
PhD in Computer Engineering	PhD in Electronics Engineering
PhD in Food Technology	PhD in Biomedical Engineering
PhD in Nanotechnology	PhD in Environmental Engineering
PhD in Geotechnical Engineering	PhD in Petroleum Engineering
PhD in Software Engineering	M.Phil in Mechanical Engineering

Management stream:

PhD in Management Studies	PhD in Marketing
PhD in Business Administration	PhD in Finance
PhD in HR Management	PhD in Business Management
PhD in Operation Management	Fellow Program in Management
M.Phil in Management Studies	M.Phil in Management

Pharmacy Stream:

Pharm.D	PhD in Pharmacy
PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences	PhD in Pharmacology
PhD in Pharmaceutics	PhD in Pharmaceutical Chemistry
PhD in Medicinal Chemistry	M.Phil in Pharmaceutics

Commerce Stream

PhD in Commerce	PhD in Statistics
PhD in Commerce and Management	PhD in Accountancy
PhD in Business Economics	PhD in Banking and Finance
M.Phil in Commerce	–

Agriculture Stream:

PhD in Agriculture	PhD in Agronomy
PhD in Genetics and Plant Breeding	PhD in Horticulture
PhD in Agricultural Economics	PhD in Plant Pathology

Law:

PhD in Law	Doctor of Law (LL.D.)
PhD in Legal Studies	M.Phil in Law

PhD: Scholarship Programs

The Name of the Scholarship	The Name of the Institution
Prime Minister’s Research Fellowship (PMRF)	MHRD, Government of India
CSIR-UGC JRF Fellowship	Government of India
DBT-JRF Fellowship	Government of India
FITM – AYUSH Research Fellowships Scheme	Forum on Indian Traditional Medicine (FITM) and Ministry of Ayush
SAARC Agricultural PhD Scholarships	SAAR Agricultural Centre
Swami Vivekananda Single Child Scholarship for Research in Social Science	UGC
ESSO-NCESS Junior Research Fellowship	ESSO- National Centre for Earth Science Studies
Vision India Foundation (VIF) Fellowship	Vision India Foundation (VIF)
Burning Questions Fellowship Awards	Tiny Beam Fund
Google PhD Scholarships	Google
Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Fund Scholarships	Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Fund
ICHR Junior Research Fellowships (JRF)	Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR)

Top PhD Institutes

Ranking by QS India	Institute Name	Average Fees
1	Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IITB)	58,200
2	Indian Institute of Science	35,200
3	Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IITD)	42,900
4	Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM)	19,670
5	Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur (IIT-KGP)	50,000
6	Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IITK)	64,050
7	University of Delhi	–
8	University of Hyderabad	8,980
9	Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee (IITR)	28,500
10	Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (IITG)	18,150
11	Aligarh Muslim University	10,000
12	Jamia Millia Islamia	15,000
13	JNU	1391

PhD- Top Job Profiles

Profile of Job	Description of Job	Average Annual Salary
University Professor	A professor assists and guides students with their studies, research, and other activities. Their primary responsibility is to instruct students in academic and vocational subjects.	INR 6-10 LPA
Market Research Analyst	A Market Research Analyst must be capable of gathering and analyzing large amounts of data as well as comprehending the results in depth.	INR 9-12 LPA
Start-Up Mentors	They offer advice on new ideas as well as their opinion on the direction a startup should take.	INR 6 LPA
Authors	Authors with a PhD write about topics that interest readers and on which they have specialized and conducted research.	INR 9 LPA

FAQs

What is a PhD degree and what does it mean?

A PhD degree stands for “Doctor of Philosophy,” and it is the highest level of academic study.

How long does it take to obtain a PhD?

PhD programs typically last five to six years. The duration, however, may vary depending on the institute to which the students have applied.

Will I be compensated for my PhD?

Of course, Stipends are available for most PhD programs. The amount varies depending on the doctoral degree chosen by the candidates.

How do I apply for a PhD fellowship?

Students can apply for fellowships by taking and passing entrance exams like UGC-NET, GATE, and others.

What are the skill-sets required for a PhD?

For a PhD, students should be committed and capable of conducting research. They should also be self-motivated and able to write well in order to prepare all of the reports and their thesis.

How do I apply for a PhD program?

Students applying for PhD admissions must do so through the institute’s official website. Some institutes may also request research proposals in order to select students for admission.