The PhD degree is often referred to as a doctorate. Earning a PhD is a lengthy and arduous process that typically entails four or more years of academic work, culminating in a thesis project or dissertation, which consists of original research in the field for which the PhD is awarded.
PhD candidates must then typically defend their work in front of faculty or a thesis committee. Students who are accepted into PhD programs may receive payment in the form of tuition reimbursements and stipends for work they do in academic fellowships as research and teaching assistants, which is considered an important part of PhD training.
Admissions to PhD programs are generally selective, although this varies by discipline and by the program. There are essentially two paths to earning a PhD, both of which begin with the completion of a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university. In many disciplines, it is possible to go straight into a PhD program after completing an undergraduate degree, in which case students may be looking at five or more years of intensive study and training before completing the program.
PhD Philosophy Highlights
Full Form |
Doctor of Philosophy |
Duration |
4-6 Years |
Requirements |
Coursework, Presentation, Submission of Progress Reports, Thesis |
Admission |
Entrance Exams/Direct Admission |
Specializations |
PhD Physics, PhD Computer Science, Phd Psychology, PhD History, PhD in Business Administration, PhD Engineering, Phd Economics, PhD Nursing |
Fully Funded PhD Programs |
Students need to clear UGC NET exam to get funded by the government |
Top PhD Colleges |
IITs, IISc, Jadavpur University, Delhi University, JNU |
Eligibility Criteria for Ph.D Philosophy
1. Master's degree holders are eligible for admission to doctoral programs. For some subjects, a Master's in Philosophy is needed for pursuing a PhD.
2. The students should have at least 50-55% of their marks post-graduation.
3. In some universities, admission is offered on the basis of interviews. It may be supplemented with a written exam.
4. More preference is given to candidates who have work experience in the field of research.
Admission Process
1. PhD admission is based on enrollment to several universities. Universities accept the results of either national-level or university-level entrance exams.
2. The top PhD entrance exams are CSIR UGC NET, UGC NET, IIT JAM, and NPAT.
3. If a candidate wishes to pursue PhD in Engineering and Technology then they must possess a valid GATE score.
4. As per the recent directives of the UGC, students who complete a four-year UG degree would be able to directly apply for pursuing a PhD degree in their desired choice of course.
Career after Ph.D Philosophy
A PhD degree is usually pursued by students having a deeper interest in a particular discipline or area of study. Moreover, after attaining your doctorate, the most common path is to apply for a lecturership or pursue opportunities in research and development.
Negating this notion that a PhD can only bring you prospects in academia and research, there are many professional career options available in different sectors that one can go for. After pursuing a PhD, students can choose from a number of PhD Jobs.
Job Profile |
Job Description |
University Professor |
A professor helps the students and guides them with their studies, researches etc. Their main role is to teach academic and vocational subjects |
Research Analyst |
A Research Analyst will have the competence of gathering and analysing large amounts of data and comprehending the findings in a comprehensive way. |
Mentors |
They provide their perspective on the direction that a startup may take and they also advise on new ideas |
Authors |
Authors holding a PhD degree write about the subject that interests readers and which they have done their specializations and research |