PhD is a doctoral degree with an academic focus. A PhD course is usually of three years duration and candidates need to complete the course within a maximum time span of five to six years. However, the course duration may vary from one institute to the other. Aspirants need to possess a master’s degree to be eligible to pursue a PhD programme. Candidates can pursue a PhD programme in any stream. In a PhD course, aspirants need to select a topic or a subject and do in-depth research on it and answer any queries related to the topic/ subject. Candidates who have cleared entrance exams like UGC NET, GATE, JEST, and the like are usually offered fellowships while pursuing a PhD course.
Eligibility Criteria for PhD
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 offered by them..
Apart from this, many colleges state that candidates meet the eligibility criteria for PhD programmes offered by them if they have cleared UGC NET. Candidates who want to pursue a PhD in Engineering need to possess a valid GATE score.
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Frequently Asked Questions
PhD courses take a maximum of five to six years. However, the duration may vary as per the institute where the students have applied. 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 offered by them.
There is a possibility that a student can finish off his/her PhD in four years, but that completely depends on the chosen degree and institute. Scholars who have
Yes. Most PhD degrees offer stipends to students. The amount varies as per the degree chosen by the candidates for the doctorate. Those who qualify NET JRF( Junior Research Fellow) receive a stipend of INR 31,000/- per month from the University Grants Commission.
PhD is the short form of Doctor of Philosophy and to be eligible, the students are required to have completed their Master’s degree. Aspirants need to possess a valid master’s degree to be eligible to pursue a PhD programme. Candidates can pursue a PhD programme in any stream. In a PhD course, aspirants need to select a topic or a subject and do in-depth research on it and answer any queries related to the topic/ subject.
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.
Students can get fellowships by attempting and qualifying entrance exams such as UGC-NET, GATE and more. Fellowships are provided through UGC or CSIR or through institutions which provide financial support to the research scholars.
Students should be dedicated and good at research for PhD. Additionally; they should also be self-motivated and good at writing for all the reports and their thesis, which they will prepare. Any aspirant who wants to pursue a PhD in the subject/ field of their choice needs to have a lot of interest and passion for the topic at hand. A PhD requires aspirants to study a topic in-depth and so candidates need to possess the required skill-set and dedication along with being extremely hard working when pursuing a PhD. Apart from these skills, candidates should be good at performing research and collaborating the findings of research conducted by them.
No. A person with PhD has completed his/her Doctorate of Philosophy while a doctor has completed his education in Medicine and works to help other people with their medical conditions. In a PhD course, aspirants need to select a topic or a subject and do in-depth research on it and answer any queries related to the topic/ subject. This is very different from a doctor who pursues MBBS or Medicine and caters to medical issues.
